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16 E ective Ways to Remove Acne

Scars
Home remedies for acne scars include the use of sandalwood, ice, tomato,
cucumber, eggs, turmeric, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, honey,
water, lavender oil, fenugreek, and a variety of organic substances.

Home remedies are useful in cases of severe infection or when acne has been
pricked, squeezed or scratched. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)
reports that this intense skin condition a icts as many as 50 million Americans.
Mild acne scars heal on their own, while the deep scars might remain for entire
life. Mild acne scars can be safely and e ectively treated with home remedies
using natural products.

Table of Contents

What is Acne?
Causes of Acne Scars
Home Remedies for Acne Scars
Tomato Slices
Cucumber Juice
Sandalwood Paste
Tea Tree Oil
Egg Whites
Herbs
Apple Cider Vinegar
Lime Juice
Olive Oil
Honey
Water
Mint Juice
 Strawberry Leaves
Rosehip Seed Oil
Lavender Oil
Fenugreek
Other Remedies
Makeup and Creams
Vitamin E
Toothpaste
Ice
Fuller’s Earth
Dietary Solutions

What is Acne?

Basically, acne refers to the blackheads, whiteheads, and short pink bumps
called papules, which appear on the skin in the form of cysts as a result of
prolonged contact with dust, polluted air, sweat or dirty water. Acne usually
occurs on the face, but areas like the legs, buttocks, shoulders, chest, and back
are also not spared by this skin condition in certain cases. According to the
dermatologists at the Acne Research Institute in California, men and women can
even experience acne at 25 or 35 years of age, sometimes even older, which
many people don’t know since acne is typically associated with teenagers and
pubescent individuals.

Acne is caused due to plugged pores and an outbreak of lesions, as reported by

the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Acne
can be an embarrassing condition to experience when you are a teenager and
an adult; but once those hormonally charged years are over, and you have
reduced the chances of recurrences, the scars, spots, and after marks of acne
can still cause a lot of self-esteem and con dence problems. That is why curing
the condition of acne is not enough; the acne scars must also be taken care of.

Causes of Acne Scars

There are a number of things responsible for acne scars. Di erent
dermatologists have di erent theories for their emergence. Although none of
them indicate to a whole and sole cause of it, one thing that is common is that
they are in uenced by the skin of a person and the environmental conditions of
where they live. Below, we have discussed some of the reasons for acne
scarring:

Presence of Oil on the Skin: Too much oil makes it di cult for the skin to
breathe by clogging the skin pores, thereby slowing the healing process
and causing scars.
Accumulation of Bacteria: The ideal place for the bacteria to grow is
around the hair follicles. This results in red and yellow colored lesions on
the acne prone area.
Dead Skin Cells: The oil glands present inside your skin secrete sebum;
this process helps lubricate your skin. When these oil glands secrete a
huge amount of sebum, it results in the accumulation of dead skin cells,
which causes acne scarring.

The above three are the primary reasons or causes for acne scarring. We shall
also take a look at the secondary reasons:

Genetics: Genetics also play an important role in acne scarring. Those who
have parents who went through the same ordeal are more prone to have
acne scars than others.
Poking and Pinching: Another thing that can cause scars is the pinching
and poking of acne spots or pimples.
No Treatment: If you have acne and are experiencing a lot of them on the
face, arms, shoulders, etc., then it is crucial that you take some treatment
for it. Because if you don’t, then acne scars are expected to happen.

Home Remedies for Acne Scars

The commonly used home remedies for acne scars include the following:

Tomato Slices
Rubbing tomato slices on scars is found to be e ective in reducing the
appearance of the marks or scars. This is partially due to the vitamin A and
carotenes in tomatoes, which not only provide the red color but are also
antioxidant compounds that can heal damaged tissues and promote the healthy
re-growth of cells.

Cucumber Juice

Cucumber juice is an ideal skin toner, which improves the texture of the skin.
Cucumbers reduce in ammation, soothe the skin and heal the scars caused by
acne.

Sandalwood Paste

Apply a mixture of sandalwood paste in rosewater and leave it on your face

overnight, then wash it o the next morning. Repeat this process until there is a
marked improvement in scars. The usefulness of sandalwood in skin care is very
well known. It has actually been one of the traditional, essential elements of
make-up kits for women in India for many years. Even today, there are several
brands that prepare soaps that highlight sandalwood as one of its key
ingredients.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is one of the most popular remedies for curing acne problems. This
diluted oil is applied to the spots a ected by acne. There is a strong belief that
this oil consists of terpinen-4-ol, which eliminates bacterial activity and easily
kills the bacteria permanently. It neutralizes the acne bacteria called
Propionibacterium and other dangerous bacteria, which dwell on your skin and
can quickly develop into acne.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are easy to obtain and are e ective in treating acne scarring. Apply
egg whites on the scars using a cotton ball and leave it on overnight to get the
best e ect. Eggs contain a huge amount of protein and by applying that directly
to your skin, you can speed the healing process. Proteins are the building blocks
of cellular tissue, and muscle, so directly applying and leaving it on your face can
boost the speed of your acne scar recovery.

Herbs

Herbs such as turmeric, aloe vera, and sage are also e ective in treating acne
scars. Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in the Orient as a beauty
product and applying turmeric paste on the skin or ingesting turmeric is
e ective in the management of acne scars. Sage and aloe vera are well known
healing agents, which can bring relief to acne scars. Soak sage in hot water,
allow it to cool, and then apply it on the skin. Aloe Vera can be applied directly to
the skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar

It is a good toner that helps to clear up scars and acne marks. Vinegar is a
powerful astringent that also stimulates blood ow to areas, which speeds
healing and regeneration of cells.

Lime Juice

Apply freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice on the scars, and then it for a while
before washing it o . The bleaching property of lime juice makes the marks less
visible. Lime juice also helps in the removal of dead skin cells and in the
regeneration of new cells, along with improving the elasticity of the skin.

Olive Oil

You should use olive oil for cooking since it not only makes food appetizing but
can also lighten acne scars. Lightly massage olive oil onto the skin, and it will
make the skin smooth again and reduce the scars. Olive oil is packed with
natural antioxidants, which is why it is frequently used around the world for a
variety of health bene ts, but in terms of clearing the skin of marks and scars, it
is one of the best options for a home remedy.

Honey
Honey is a natural moisturizer, which is used in the treatment of acne scars.
Eating honey and applying a honey mask on the face are found to be e ective in
acne scar treatment.

Water

Water is probably the best available natural method to treat acne scars. You
should drink plenty of water, as it helps in ushing out the toxins from your
body and revitalizing it. Water also assists in shedding dead skin cells and the
formation of healthy skin. Drinking lukewarm water in the morning speci cally
helps in ushing out toxins.

Mint Juice

You can always apply the mint juice on the face as it is highly natural and
nutrient-rich substance that has been connected with anti-in ammation and a
reduction in acne symptoms.

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Strawberry Leaves

After eating strawberries, do not throw away their leaves, as these are helpful in
curing pimples on the face.

Rosehip Seed Oil

Rosehip seed oil can reduce acne scars and lessen discoloration.  This oil is also
a powerful anti-aging agent, which reduces wrinkles and rejuvenates the skin.
Rosehip seed oil is an important ingredient in cosmetic products and is
commonly used to treat acne scarring, facial scarring, sun-tan damage and
premature aging. Massage the skin with this oil two times a day for best results.

Lavender Oil

Application of lavender oil on acne scars can revitalize the skin since it has many
regenerative properties.

Fenugreek

It is commonly used in the treatment of acne scars. Boil some fenugreek seeds
in water and allow them to cool before applying to the scars. Application of a
face mask made of fenugreek leaves paste is also quite e ective.

Other Remedies

Apart from the most common remedies mentioned above a few other remedies
include:

Makeup and Creams

For women who want to reduce the appearance of their acne scars, be sure to
choose makeup that is light, non-greasy, and oil-free. Obviously, it is natural to
want to cover the scars, but if you do it with harsh makeup or more chemicals,
you could be making the problem worse.

Vitamin E

This essential vitamin helps in countering pimples since it is a natural

antioxidant that eliminates free radicals associated with skin diseases. The
common vitamin E supplements are soft gelatin capsules containing pure
vitamin E along with glycerin, water, and soybean oil.

Toothpaste
You can apply toothpaste on the acne to relieve swelling and pain every night
for at least a week to experience a signi cant improvement.

Ice

Applying ice to the face helps to tighten pores and to reduce secretion of acne-
causing sebum. Ice also works as a natural astringent to tighten up the pores
around marks and scars, making scarring less obvious, by decreasing the size of
the pores that were a ected by acne in the rst place.

Fuller’s Earth

This bene cial substance is commonly used for cleaning oily skin, clearing out
skin pores, and diminishing scars due to acne. A face pack prepared from a
mixture of fuller’s earth and rose water can be applied to the face for quick
results and can reduce the e ects of any sebum that has been additionally built
up beneath the pores on the face.

Dietary Solutions

Also see

Does Coconut Oil Clog Pores?

How to Make Coconut Oil Face Masks?

Applying natural or herbal products to the a ected areas of acne scars can be
helpful, but it is not the only solution. Remember that other skin care issues are
solved both internally and externally. Be sure to maintain a healthy, balanced
diet that has a su cient amount of vitamins and minerals, particularly those
that are renowned for boosting skin health, like vitamin A, and antioxidant-rich
food that reduces any further damage to your skin. Including fruits and
vegetables in your daily diet to reduce acne scars is a good idea, considering
they are healthy and delicious dietary items that are associated with healthier
skin.
Word of Caution: Home remedies are only recommended for mild acne scars
and if you have a secondary infection or deep scars, you should consult a
quali ed dermatologist before setting out on an alternative treatment regimen.
Apart from the natural goodness of home remedies, a nutritious diet can go a
long way towards healing scars from acne.

Related Articles

+ References
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