Category: Acne

There is no exaggeration in saying that honey is Almighty’s boon to mankind. Benefits of honey are documented in many religious books, including Vedas, Islamic scriptures and in Bible. Its magical healing power and versatility gave honey a significant importance in history.

Today, we lack a conclusive evidence to prove this. However, many cosmetic products come with honey as an ingredient and advocates say manuka honey for acne and acne scars is an effective remedy.

Most of us not aware of this that honey have different types. Manuka honey is one among them which is produced in New Zealand from nectar of native manuka tree.

Nutritional Profile:

All honey doesn’t have same nutritional properties. It differs depending on type and harvesting process. Manuka honey is packed with anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti inflammatory properties. You may think, even normal honey has these properties, but the benefits this monofloral honey gives are not comparable.

Wonder How Manuka Honey Treats Acne and Fades Acne Scars

1. You either consume this strong flavored honey or use it topically. Both ways it’s going to pull you out of diseases.
2. Anti-irritant properties restrain clogged pores from getting inflamed.
3. Impurities and bacteria accumulated over skin pores get cleared with anti-bacterial properties of manuka honey.
4. Moisturizing properties in manuka honey leads to brighter and scars free skin texture.
5. Relieves you from inflamed acne lesions.

Is it seems like a normal honey? Unless you try it yourself, you’ll not know the mere benefits of manuka honey for skin.

Check these sure things before buying manuka honey:

Though its expensive when compared to other honey, benefits worth it.

• A honey jar labeled manuka honey will not do wonders, unless it has those magical properties, and not all manuka honey has it. Check for UMF (unique manuka factor), OMA (organic manuka active), or MGO on the jar. Depending on this rating we can confirm its quality.
• Rating labeled as UMF or OMA 15+ and MGO 15+ is preferable.
• Imprint includes New Zealand on it.

How to Use Manuka Honey for Acne

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You can add any essential oil to manuka honey if you’ve problem with stickiness.

Note: Regular application is important to see result.

Other Remedies for acne

• Tea tree oil remedy for acne
• Treat back acne with these home remedies
• Shea Butter, Argan oil, fish oil and jojoba oil.

Manuka Honey Face Pack

• Initially cleanse your skin with natural cleanser or Bioderma cleanser.
• From aisle of manuka honey jars, pick the one with bio active 12+, this rating shows honey is cold pressed rather than fine filtered.
• Take few drops of manuka honey and apply on skin evenly.
• Leave for 15 minutes, the anti bacterial and anti microbial properties starts working.
• Wash with warm water and pat dry. If you’ve dry skin, moisturizer when skin is still damp. (Here is the list of natural moisturizers)

Did you ever tried manuka honey? Share your experience in comments.

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When you check aisle of home remedies to treat acne you’ll find tea tree oil as most effective yet inexpensive remedy.

Tea tree oil is yellowish essential oil. According to WebMD, tea tree oil is derived from Melaleuca alternifolia tree. It was named tea tree by 18th century sailors, who made tea using leaves of the tree.

Is tea tree oil good for acne?

Tea tree oil has many acne fighting properties in its arsenal.

• Anti-microbial properties
• Anti-bacterial properties
• Anti-fungal properties
• Antiseptic properties

A Study of Tea Tree Oil for Treating Acne:

There are few exaggerated claims about tea tree oil. However, only anecdotal evidence exists in treatment of various skin diseases.

To prove this, a study carried out for 124 patients with acne. Half of them treated with 5% of tea tree oil and other half are treated with 5% benzoyl peroxide. After a course of 3 months, result showed both reduced acne lesions but people who’re treated with benzoyl peroxide left with side-effects where as people with tea tree oil treatment has less side-effect. (source)

Based on this study we can confirm and rely on tea tree oil for treating acne.

Important Note: Tea tree oil can be used topically, internal use may harm you. As concentrated tea tree can irritate your skin, we recommend diluted tea tree oil.

Also read this: Hydrogen peroxide can treat acne

How to Use Tea Tree Oil

As mentioned above diluted tea tree oil is recommend, even in the above mentioned study researchers used diluted tea tree oil.

1. Get tea tree oil from a local store.
2. Clean the affect part before treating it with essential oil.
3. Take 1/2 cup of water and add 2-3 drops of essential tea tree oil.
4. Stir the solution well.
5. Dip cotton ball into the solution and apply gently over affected area when the skin is still damp.
6. Leave it for about 20 minutes then rinse it off.

Repeat the process.

You can substitute water with aloe vera gel or green clay powder.

Tips

• For spot treatments, use green clay powder and tea tree oil.
• Though this remedy is effective and has no serious aide-effects, it takes time to show results.

Share your experience with tea tree oil for acne. Did you ever use this essential oil for skin?

Other Remedies for Acne

• Shea butter for treating acne
• Cortisone cream and acne
• Why Fish oil can treat acne?
• Witch hazel for acne
• Natural relief from itchy acne on face

Ancient geeks when they get wounded in battle, there main remedy to soothe was honey. Though there is no conclusive research to validate the health benefits of honey, possible benefits of honey have been documented in Islamic texts, Greeks and in Vedas. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) glorified healing benefits of honey.

Even in modern times honey is used to treat health as well as skin diseases, to fade scars, and is included in cosmetic products. Recently a Reddit.com (social networking site) user shared how she cured acne using raw honey.

How to use Honey to Fade Scars

From minor burns to chronic skin diseases you can use honey as a home remedy. According to experts blend 2 tbsp of honey with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Now apply it on acne scars or other scars. Rinse it off with water.

You can also use 1 tbsp of baking soda with 2 tbsp of honey to exfoliate your skin.

Note: Repeated use or topical application is important to fade scars.

Also read: You can’t ignore benefits of Papaya for skin

Properties in Honey

Honey consists of high levels of monosaccharides, fructose and glucose.

• Antioxidants in honey help to fight radicals.
• pH level of honey refrain bacterial growth.
• It consists of antimicrobial and antibacterial properties to heal wounds.

Don’t miss this: What Benefits Vinegar has for you skin?

Why We Recommend Raw Honey?

James F. Balch suggests raw honey, as filtered honey loses its nutritional value due to heating and processing. You can get honey from grocery but for unprocessed honey you must find some expert.

Well it’s not tough to get some raw honey to test it out.

Conclusion

Though there is no scientific evidence that honey can treat scars, many philosophers and experts suggest honey to soothe skin diseases. Raw honey has more nutritional values than processed one.

Minocycline has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which can treat acne. Propionibacterium acnes, the bacteria which is the main cause of acne blemishes can be restrained with anti-bacterial properties.

It was believed that minocycline is most effective antibiotic for treating acne inflammation. Anyhow, after studies it was proved that other tetracycline antibiotics can treat acne without side-effects. Though minocycline has properties to treat acne, it’s now not first line antibiotic acne treatment because of its adverse effects.

Related post: Cortisone Cream for acne

Below listed are few points disclosing why minocycline for acne is not recommended.

1. Minocycline belongs to tetracycline antibiotics and it can treat bacterial infections, skin infection, severe acne and urinary tract says Drugs.com. However it’s very expensive when compared to other oral antibiotics.
2. Drugs.com doesn’t recommend minocycline for pregnant women, as this may harm unborn baby and may permanent cause tooth discoloration.
3. Minocycline neutralizes birth pills. Experts don’t recommend minocycline if you’re taking birth control pills.
4. Makes your skin sensitive to sun.
5. Long term use of minocycline may cause hyperpigmentation. (Source: pubmed.gov)
6. This antibiotic treatment may induce hypersensitivity reactions affecting liver, kidney, and lungs, also may cause autoimmune reactions. (Source: pubmed.gov)

Considering its adverse effects with its efficacy in treating acne, experts don’t recommend minocycline for acne as first line antibiotic treatment.

Note: Anyway if you want to give this pricey antibiotic a try then don’t do it without doctor’s prescription.

Share your home remedy for acne here in comments.

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Used in food preparations and cosmetic products, Shea butter a natural medicine to treat various skin diseases can be used to treat acne blemishes.

Shea butter is white or ivory colored fatty oil extracted from nuts of Karite tree (Shea tree). Being edible Shea butter is used in various dishes and in the west it’s mostly used in cosmetic products.

As Shea butter melts at room temperature it gets absorbed quickly by skin. Raw or unrefined form of Shea butter is recommended as it contains all the vitamins and minerals.

Also read: 5 Home remedies for forehead acne

Shea Butter Treats Acne

Shea butter has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in it which helps to treat blemishes.

1. Acne blemishes are caused due to accumulation of dead cells, sebum and bacteria. Antioxidant properties in Shea butter fight bacteria and refrains skin pores from blocking.
2. Anti-inflammatory property helps reduce inflammation caused due to break outs.
3. After treating acne, scars left behind on skin can be faded by repeated application of Shea butter.
4. Swelling of blemishes or redness of pimples can be reduced after applying this natural remedy.
5. Unlike other pricey medical products Shea butter is safer to use, as it has no side-effects.
6. Great healing properties which heals break outs and scars quickly.
7. Shea butter is non-comedogenic, means it doesn’t interfere with skin pores and block them.

Many people those who fed-up with pricey acne treating products turn to Shea butter to treat acne and got positive results.

Related post

• Cortisone Cream for Treating Acne
• Fish oil for Acne
• Jojoba Oil for Acne
• Argan oil for Acne

How to Apply Shea Butter for Acne Blemishes

Raw Shea butter is recommended because of its rich source of vitamins and minerals. Anyway the only reason why it’s refined is to remove odor, color and other undesirables.

• Wash your face or affected area with cleanser to remove dead cells and oil accumulated on skin. You can use salicylic acid for cleaning.
• Damp the skin and apply raw Shea butter evenly.
• Leave for about 8 hours, apply it before sleep and rinse it off in the morning.
• Repeat the process till you see smooth and shining skin.

Shea Butter for Acne Scars

A slip of knife while chopping fruits or an accident, they leave your skin injured. Naturally, new skin is generated to connect broken tissues. In this process depending on injury a scar is left behind.

Though these scars aren’t associated with any health issues, people usually want to fade them out of cosmetic concern. Same goes with pimples, when you use natural remedies like shea butter to reduce acne they leave scars all over your face. (WebMD)

You can find bunch of pricey products claiming to fade acne scars. But experts hardly agree with it. Yes, even with shea butter you can’t permanently fade acne scars. Anyhow, because of unmatched characteristics of shea butter, makes it easily absorbed by skin. The assorted nutrients housed in this remedy to some extent lighten scars.

Note: We never used shea butter for acne scars? If you’ve any previous experience with shea butter, share your views in comments and let us know.

You can add other non-comedogenic (which don’t block skin pores) oil to Shea butter for fragrance.

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As you may know acne causes because of excess sebum production which gets clogged with bacteria and dead skin cells. Often acne blemishes are painful and may sometimes cause itching.

There are many home remedies and medical treatments to cure acne; cortisone cream is one of the effective topical creams.

Cortisone cream is a topical corticosteroid ointment which reduces various skin diseases including itching, redness and acne; it is normally sold as Hydrocortisone.

For minor skin burns, itching and irritations hydrocortisone is available without prescription and for serious skin diseases like acne, eczema, inflammation and scaling Doctor’s prescription is needed.

Related post: Get rid of acne overnight!

How to Use Hydrocortisone cream to Treat Acne

Step: 1 – Wash the affected area with mild soap

Using warm water and mild soap (antibiotic is preferred) wash acne affected area. Don’t scrub your skin as it may damage blemishes.

Step: 2 – Exfoliate your skin with honey or baking soda

To flush dead skin cells accumulated and to open up skin pores exfoliate your skin try a natural remedy or you can get a cream from local store.

Also read: 10+ Homemade Salt and Sugar Body Scrubs for Skin

Note: Excess use of baking soda may leave your skin dry.

Step: 3 – Apply hydrocortisone cream on pimples and cysts

Apply the cream on affected area twice. Properties in hydrocortisone cream reduce redness and inflammation.

Recommended Acne Treating Remedies

• Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which one is best for acne?
• Rose water to soothe acne
• Food and acne, how they’re related to each other
• Why you shouldn’t use hydrogen peroxide for acne?
• What the heck is Witch Hazel and how it treats acne?
• Jojoba oil and Argan oil for acne

When You Should Stop Using Hydrocortisone?

• According to Drugs.com you should not use hydrocortisone cream more than recommended dosage and discontinue using it if you see no change in 2 weeks.
• Medline.com says hydrocortisone can be used 1-4 times a day for skin diseases. (follow prescribed dosage)
• If you miss any dosage don’t apply double dosage skip the one you forgot.
• Drugs.com suggests avoiding tight pants for kids who’re prescribed hydrocortisone cream.
• Hydrocortisone may counter with other treatments, if you’re under prescription. Inform your Doctor or pharmacist about medicines you’re using.
• Corticosteroids present in this cream may affect growth rate in children, check with your doctor before using hydrocortisone for children.
• Side-effects include – itching, redness, wheezing, oozing of pus and change in skin color. Consult your doctor immediately once you see any abnormality on skin.

Hydrocortisone can treat acne but you must consult your doctor or pharmacist for dosage. If you see no change in 2 weeks discontinue using it.

Remember that this is topical ointment not to be swallowed if applied for mouth sores.