There are 2 simple things you need to do to clear up your acne and prevent it in the future.
When I was a teenager, I started to get really bad acne. It made me self conscious and was, frankly, embarrassing. I tried every acne cream, facial scrub and mask I could find. Some were effective in not making it worse, but that was about it. Nothing "cured" my acne.
Then one day, I noticed that if some shampoo suds got on my forehead, it made my skin feel dry and tight there. Just like some of the nicer mud masks I "borrowed" from my mom, it help dry up the oily parts of my skin. So I started to experiment.
I discovered that if I put the shampoo directly on my skin and let it sit for a minute, it was VERY effective at drying out my skin, almost too effective. It was great for putting a breakout in check but my skin was so dry and tight that I could hardly talk to anyone before 3rd period, for fear of cracking my skin. Once my natural skin oils kicked in and my face loosened up, it actually felt great. The several hours of my face being uncomfortably dry though was not pleasant.
Next, I tried just using the suds from the top of my head after I washed my hair. This work perfect! I would gently massage the suds onto my face and let them sit for about a minute before rinsing my head and face. After about 2 weeks of doing this, my face was completely cleared up. I have done this everyday for over 20 years now, and never had a serious acne breakout since.
I can't stress enough how important it is to be gentle with your skin, particularly in the middle of a breakout. I still have small scars and pock marks in some places on my face from before I discovered this method of getting rid of acne. As I said, I tried many methods prior and facial exfoliant scrubs were among them. It is tempting to think that you can scrub away the acne but you can't. When your skin is red and inflamed from an infection or has even come to a head, it is important not to scrub it too hard.
Remember, while the acne may be irritating and ugly, a scar will be just as ugly and be there forever. Let your body heal naturally after you have neutralized the infection, and your skin will go back to normal.
Lastly, an anecdote. A couple months after I started using shampoo to wash my face, I was starting to feel more self confident and decided to share my "secret" with a couple friends of mine. My female friend, predictably, laughed and said, "that's just silly". However, my male friend said, "You know, I did the exact same thing. Remember how I used to have zits all over my face a few months ago and now I don't? I used shampoo, too!"
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
This is a page about remedies for adult acne. Determining the cause and effective treatment for blemishes will help you feel better about yourself.
This is a page about acne face wash advice. Choosing an effective acne face wash can be confusing, there are so many and they all claim to be the best.
This is a page about remedies for back acne. Acne is bad enough to deal with when it is on your face, but on your back it is exceeding worse. You can't reach or clearly see the outbreaks to treat them.
This is a page about home remedies for acne. There are many products that can be easily purchased over the counter that can be used to help treat acne.
I have acne on my face, neck, chest, shoulders, and back. I don't have a lot of money. My skin is always dry, but it's also really oily. I clean it everyday with Clean and Clear. The bottle is almost out though. My acne looks like blackheads on my cheeks and around my lips and pimples on my neck and cheeks and sometimes I get bumps that never reach the surface, but still swell up anyways. I also get white heads on my cheeks. Please help. I'd really like to clear up my acne.
By Savannah K.
What worked for my daughter is milk of magnesia. She would shake it up and daub it on her face shoulders and back. She let it dry and then showered it off. It worked really well for her.
I think you should see a doctor about this, and try a prescription medication, if you can possibly afford it. Acne can cause scarring. There are many good medications that you can get. If you can't afford to go to the doctor, go see your druggist, and ask what medications they have that you can get over the counter.
My brother had acne even in adulthood. It turned out to be a bacteria in his blood causing the break-outs. He had to get an antibiotic. It did work. This may be your problem. Ask your doctor about getting an antibiotic.
Make a thick paste of baking soda with a drop of water. Apply on your zit at night. By morning it will fall off.
This page is about remedies for acne scars. It is a challenge to be self confident if you feel your complexion doesn't match your self image.
My acne started when I was 14. I had it for a couple of years then it cleared up. I was at the point where I barely needed to wash it and it still was clear. I maybe had a couple of pimples here and there like around my period and that's it. As soon as I hit 21 and had a really stressful time my face started to break out and it is horrible! It is all over my T zone (forehead, cheeks, and chin). Before it was never on my forehead like it is now. My forehead is covered in pimples. Also my back is pretty bad too.
I've tried birth control, antibiotics, Proactiv, vitamins that are good for your skin, everything! Nothing is working. I won't leave my house. I cry everyday. I am miserable. Its been like this for 5 months now. I'm about to quit my job and turn into a hermit. That's not even a joke. All I want to know is if this has happened to anyone and if it went away later down the road? All I want is hope and I have none at this point.
By Brooke
Firstly, this happens to tons of people - so many, in fact, that although you think you need to hibernate, you don't. It's so common that most people probably don't even notice. Dr. Phil had a quote, "You would stop worrying about what people think of you if you realized how rarely they do." But I know it's very upsetting.
You really should go to a dermatologist to see if they can do anything. I know this affects a lot of people and it does get better, but you shouldn't wait, especially since you're so upset about it. Your doctor will give you a referral. You might also want to check out WebMD for some advice. Good luck
I still get acne at 54. I would suggest changing your shampoo and maybe getting a haircut. Eat lots of fruits and vegies and drink plenty of water.
If you are able, see a dermatologist, you may need steroid injections, or a diff antibiotic. Until then, try some 'homemade' treatments.
Clean with Ivory soap, use baking soda to make a mild scrub, use witch hazel for toner, a spot treatment out of calamine lotion, a mask out of Kaopectate or Milk of Magnesia, and Cetaphil lotion for dry spots.
I am almost 50, and still have breakouts, though not as bad as they once were. I used to get bad cysts under my chin, along the jaw line, and on forehead near hairline. My dermatologist would inject some with steroids, and cut others and drain them if they were really bad.
God bless you!
Pure Aloe Vera to help with healing ... use it as your moisturizer. And Milk of Magnesia for the acne itself. I know it sounds strange. I use it everyday under my makeup to control oil and it also clears up acne. Use a cosmetic sponge and apply it in a thin even coat on skin and let it dry before applying makeup. Wash & moisturize before applying. after a couple of weeks you will see a great improvement. Dab aloe & then the MOM on your back & or chest as well.
Make a thick paste of baking soda mixed with water. Apply on your acne. Or use soda white tooth paste and put on your zit and let it dry.
My effective, inexpensive way to prevent and get rid of acne is Ivory soap and Sea Breeze. Wash your face at night before bed with Ivory soap. Dry and then get some Sea Breeze on a Kleenex and apply to face.
