I wrote a little bit about my battle with acne on this post. However, on my recent trip to India, my skin broke out like crazy! I attribute it to a couple things: the pollution (terrible!), lack of drinking water (because I was scared of the water!), and my less than stellar eating.
I thought it was just me, but my co-worker said he was also having breakouts and really oily skin! So, I think the pollution itself really was (mostly) to blame.
Before I left on my trip, I had purchased a bundle of ebooks for reading on the plane. One of them was Crunchy Betty’s Food on Your Face. It is targeted at dealing with oily, acne prone skin. Me! If you have oily skin, and are having issues with acne, I highly recommend this book.
My main goal getting back home was to have my face as clear as possible for Thanksgiving. We were going over to celebrate Thanksgiving with some friends, and I did not want to look like a 15 year old with acne all over my face.
I don’t have a picture of my terrible skin leaving India, but here is me now. Still some areas to work on, but so much better!
I really have been trying to reduce the toxins in my life, and one of the areas I have been working on is my personal products. Shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. So I knew I didn’t want to go out and spend a lot of money on a product with ingredients I can’t even pronounce. I remembered this book I had bought, and started reading it before I even made it home!
Here are my tips on what worked for me:
1. Baking soda/honey face wash
I started washing my face each night with a baking soda/water mix. Basically 1 tsp or so of baking soda and 1/2 – 1 cup of water. I have a small bowl I keep in the bathroom and I would mix it up with warm water. I used this to remove my makeup, and wash my face. I would just dip a washcloth in the baking soda wash, and wipe it over my face – rinse off the washcloth and repeat – until the baking soda mixture was gone. It leaves my face feeling so clean! For my pimples, I would place some raw honey on the washcloth wet with the baking soda/water mixture, and rub on pimple-y areas. I really think that helped clear them up!
2. Apple cider vinegar toner
I had been using apple cider vinegar as a toner in the past, but I just used it straight up on a cotton ball. OUCH! That stuff burns! I started diluting it with water, and I would put that on a cotton ball and clean my whole face after the baking soda wash. Crunch Betty suggests ACV can be used straight up on your pimples, but not your whole face. And trust me, I second that! It burns and really drys out your face.
3. Oatmeal/almond face scrub
There is a recipe in the book for an oatmeal and almond face scrub that I have been using in the shower. I just take oatmeal and grind it to a powder in my coffee grinder (or you can use a high speed blender), and do the same with almonds. You want to make sure it is ground finely. Add in some white rice flour and salt, and store in a covered jar. I just take about 1 tbsp each morning, and mix with water from the shower. Place on your face, let sit a little bit, then rinse off. Bada bing, bada boom!
4. Moisturizer
Personally, I have been using my homemade lotion on my face. Or, I will mix together a little jojoba oil and neem oil in the palm of my hand, and rub on my face. Then, I take a towel and wipe off what hasn’t been absorbed by my skin. It leaves my face feeling smooth and healthy!
It has just been in the almost 2 weeks since I have been doing this, and my face is feeling great. If I even go back to India, I am going to make sure to at least take some baking soda with me!
Do you have any tips or tricks for dealing with oily skin or acne?
I am not associated with this book in any way, and received no financial compensation for this post. I just think it was a great book with ideas that helped me clear up my face and thought you might like it too!
growing up I always used witch hazel on my face, it is an awesome alcohol free toner and a natural product as well.
Rhonda (@diningalone) recently posted..Favorite Things #40 – Cupcakes
Awesome! I do use witch hazel occasionally, I just don’t find it really does much for me. I have been combining it with apple cider vinegar as a toner too. It is a great product!
When my son was younger he had problems and now his wife does, I will share this with her…thanks!!
Suzie recently posted..Beer Battered Onion Rings
Thanks
So much of it I wonder – how much is hormonal, or food related, or just acne! Gah! I do notice if I take a day off of taking care of my face, my acne comes back. So frustrating!
I have always had very dry skin and never really had acne growing up just those monthly break outs from hormones. I think it’s awesome that the natural products are working for you. A friend of my daughters had great success using her mom’s homemade soap made with lye. she said it was the best thing she ever used on her skin. My daughter used Proactive for years but it’s so expensive and it really dried out her skin. I’m not sure what she is using these days, I will have to ask her.
Tami @Nutmeg Notebook recently posted..More Delicious Food Finds
That’s great! I try not to use too much soap on my face — but when I was traveling, I did use the hotel soap, and I wonder if that is what made it worse. I used Proactiv for a while too, and it only kind of worked for me … and it was so expensive!
Hi Jane, thanks so much for the tips. My skin has been HORRIBLE lately. Breaking out and dry. sigh. Pretty sure mine is hormonal. Maybe the only cure is getting pregnant. HA!!! OMG, so kidding….that ship has long sailed without me. Have a wonderful weekend my friend!! Pats to Sammy.
Roz@weightingfor50 recently posted..How can November be over already???
People ask me all the time what I do to keep my face looking young, and sadly I tell them that I wash my face with shampoo!
Although, in the winter, I do use Oil of Olay rejuvinating night time face moisturising, because it does get dry in the winter, but that’s about it!
Biz recently posted..Pork Chops with Cranberry Balsamic Glaze
I’ve always had the opposite problem of dry, flaky skin; therefore, I never had acne. The disadvantage of that is now in my senior years, I do have lots of wrinkles in spite of tons of moisturizes. I’m glad you found something that works for you!
mjskit recently posted..Grits and Green Chile
Man, I totally feel you on this one.
I like to use sea salt on my pimples! I wet it just a little into a paste then press it on.
Alex @ Brain, Body, Because recently posted..Discount groceries
I too am acne prone with oily skin! It seems I always have at least one zit–I never have a truly clear face. Annoying! I’m going to try your honey and baking soda cleanser, that sounds great. I use Proactiv but it’s just not enough.
Veronica recently posted..Eight Days ‘Till Christmas?!
I’ve actually gotten lazy the last couple weeks, and my skin is breaking out again, so I am back at it! Isn’t acne the worst? ugghhh… I’m trying to eliminate all chemicals from my life, so this natural regime works for me!
Thanks for posting these remedies! I’ve been recently trying to switch to more natural products as well. I will for sure be trying these out! What I find works for me when my face breaks out is a banana and honey mask or an avocado and honey mask. Both of these masks work very well. The masks make your skin feel really smooth and clears up your blemishes.
Denise and Laura recently posted..Reflecting over Fresh Bread
I actually have 1/2 an avocado in the fridge, so I am going to try the avocado and honey mask! Thanks for the ideas!
So I’m going chemical-free and FINALLY trying some of your natural remedies! Tonight I just used the baking soda face wash, using a bit of raw honey (but it’s not the kind with wax in it so I don’t know if it will work the same). Then I used the ACV mixed with water all over, concentrating on the zits a bit more with it. I have a green tea moisturizer from Proactiv that I really love that I used, but it’s only a sample size so I’ll have to figure out another moisturizer soon. I’m SO nervous coming off of benzoil peroxide after 10 years of use to keep my acne under control. I’m afraid I’m going to turn into a huge zit explosion! But I bit the bullet and I really hope it works for me. It will save me like $20 a month if it does! BTW, did you ever try the avocado and honey mask and would you recommend it? I’m thinking of trying the banana/honey mask as I have some overripe bananas right now.
Veronica recently posted..Turkey & Onion Grilled Cheese
Yay for you!!! I love the baking soda wash, although it does dry my face out. I did try the avo and honey and it was amazing! Even just using 1/2 an avocado makes a LOT though, and I found it hard to use it up before the avocado really turned icky looking. I also LOVE my oatmeal/almond scrub… I just use 1/2 cup oats ground up in a coffee grinder, 1/2 cup almonds ground up, and 1/4 cup flour. I use it everyday in the shower and I really love it! Good luck, you can do it!