How to Get Clear Skin At Home: Fast & Natural Options

It can be very difficult keeping your skin clear of pimples, acne, and other blemishes, especially depending on your skin type. While the battle may seem to be never ending and only getting more difficult, there are plenty of proven treatments that can help you.

However, you may want to try a few of these home tips before spending money on these products. In most cases, these simple and natural options should be able to clear up your skin and fast.

General Tips For Clear Skin

These are some tips that can help to not only clear up your skin, but to prevent issues in the future. Making these lifestyle changes should help to keep you skin more clear and reduce the frequency of breakouts.

Always Wear Sunscreen

Ultraviolet rays from the sun can severely damage your skin. Make it a habit to wear sunscreen whenever you are outdoors to limit the damage from these rays and protect your skin.

Hot Water is a No-Go

Whenever you are showering, bathing, or washing your hands and face, avoid using hot water as it can dry out and damage your skin. Use lukewarm water as often as possible.

Resist the Urge to Pimple Pop

A pimple may not be very aesthetically pleasing, but it’s actually a good thing in a sense. They are a sign that the body’s natural healing ability is working. Popping the pimple will disrupt this process of healing.

Additionally, when a pimple is popped it will release the liquid inside. This oil, sebum, and bacteria will be exposed to the surrounding skin, increasing the risk of new pimples forming.

Popping pimples can also lead to permanent scarring. Avoid popping pimples when they come up and if they drain naturally, be sure to clean the area quickly.

Don’t Touch Your Face If You Can Help It

Touching your face with your hands can result in depositing all kinds of various oils, dirt, and bacteria which can lead to a breakout.

Drink Plenty of Water

Every cell in your body is dependent on water. Your skin cells are your first line of defense against the hazards of your environment and will be at the higher risk of losing their moisture. Drinking enough water throughout the day will help to keep your skin cells healthy and strong.

Moisturize Often

Every skin type will benefit from applying moisturizer after daily face washes. Keeping your face moisturized will help control the production of sebum and prevent external damage from various hazards.

Quit Smoking

Smoking can be very harmful to your body in general, but particularly to your skin. One study found that 73% of the women from the ages of 25 and 50 who smoked had acne, compared to only 29.4% of the women who didn’t smoke.

Reduce Your Sugar Intake

A study in 2009 found that 87% of the participants had less acne when placed on a low glycemic diet. Not only can cutting back on sugar help you to lose weight, it can also help keep your skin clear.

Although research is limited on the link between your skin and your diet, you should try to:

Limit processed carbs, like baked goods and white bread
Reduce your intake of sugary sodas and other sweets
Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grain, and healthy sources of protein
Cut back on alcohol consumption

Relax

Several studies have shown a connection between stress and acne. If you are dealing with a stressful event or constantly feeling pressure, try to find healthy ways to relax. Exercising, yoga, and meditation are great and healthy ways to lower stress.

Wash At Least Twice Daily

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, everyone should wash their skin at least twice daily and after sweating. Leaving sweat on your skin and allowing it to dry will make acne worse. One study showed a significant reduction of acne for the participants who washed their face more than the others during a six week experiment.

Home Remedies For Cleaning Up Your Skin

Not all of these remedies are scientifically backed by research, as they are mostly anecdotally successful.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apple cider, which is the unfiltered juice that comes from pressing apples. This cider vinegar contains citric acid, succinic acid, and lactic acid, all of which can help combat acne and acne scarring in various ways.

It should be noted that if you have sensitive skin, you may want to avoid this remedy as it can irritate certain skin types. Make sure to use it in small amounts and dilute it with water, should you choose to try this method anyway.

To create this remedy, simply:

Mix one part apple cider vinegar and three parts water (use more water if you have sensitive skin).
After cleansing your face, gently apply the mixture using a cotton ball.
Let this sit for about 10 to 20 seconds, then rinse with water and pat dry.
Repeat this process once or twice daily, as needed.

Honey and Cinnamon

Both honey and cinnamon possess certain properties that fight bacteria and reduce inflammation, two major factors in triggering an acne breakout. While these factors may help to reduce acne, more research is needed to verify their effectiveness at specifically treating acne.

However, in order to make a honey and cinnamon mask, you would:

Mix two tablespoons of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon and create a paste.
After cleansing your face, apply this paste to create a mask and leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Rinse the mask off and pat your face dry.

Green Tea

Green tea is very high in antioxidants so drinking it can be very beneficial to your health. However, it might also be able to help with acne when applied directly to your skin. Polyphenols in green tea help to fight bacteria and reduce inflammation, two key factors with acne.

Green tea can also help to lower blood sugar levels and insulin levels, which are more factors that appear to contribute to acne.

There have been multiple studies to find that applying green tea extract to your skin can significantly reduce the production of sebum and pimples.

You can buy several different creams and lotions that contain green tea, or you can make your own mixture at home. The process for this is:

Steep green tea in boiling water for about three or four minutes.
Allow the tea to cool down.
Use a cotton ball to apply the tea to your skin or pour it into a spray bottle and spritz it onto your face.
Allow this liquid to dry, then rinse it off with cool water and pat your skin dry.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is a well known and popular treatment for cleansing skin and reducing skin irritation. Several studies have found that applying tea tree oil to the skin can help to reduce acne. Many skincare products will have tea tree oil in them, but it’s important to remember that tea tree oil is very potent, so never apply it directly to your skin and always dilute it with water first.

This process is a very simple one, all you will need to do is:

Mix one part tea tree oil with nine parts water.
Dip a cotton swab into the mixture and only apply it to the affected areas.
Apply a moisturizer if you would like to, but this is optional.
Repeat this process once or twice daily, as needed.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel contains tannins, which are known to have strong cleansing and soothing properties. While there is still more research needed about witch hazel and acne specifically, there is some research that suggests it can help.

In order to make your own witch hazel remedy, you must:

Combine one tablespoon of witch hazel bark and one cup of water in a saucepan.
Soak the witch hazel for about 30 minutes before bringing it to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, leaving it covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Strain and store the liquid into a sealed container.
Apply to your recently cleaned skin using a cotton ball once or twice daily, as desired.

The Takeaway: It can be very frustrating and expensive trying to get your skin cleared fast. The best treatment is always prevention, but home remedies of apple cider vinegar, honey and cinnamon, tea tree oil, green tea, or witch hazel might be able to do the job quickly and cheaply.

These home remedies have a possibility of helping, but there isn’t a lot of research into them. Still, they may be worth a try and depending on their effectiveness, a good way to treat any breakouts in the future.

However, if you have tried these remedies and they didn’t work, or if you are looking for a more clinically proven skincare regime, there are plenty of products available that will help you to clear up your skin.

Third party and independent clinical testing has shown that PROVEN Skincare has been effective at a 90% rate for treating acne and breakouts. Why? We pull data from our groundbreaking database based on thousands and thousands of use cases, so we know what ingredients work for what, and for who based on your lifestyle factors, environment, skin type, and more.

Curious to know more? Take our quick online Skin Quiz, and we’ll help you find the best possible ingredients for your skin in just a few minutes!

Your skin is as unique as you are -- take a step today in treating it that way!

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General Tips For Clear Skin

Home Remedies For Cleaning Up Your Skin

The Takeaway: It can be very frustrating and expensive trying to get your skin cleared fast. The best treatment is always prevention, but home remedies of apple cider vinegar, honey and cinnamon, tea tree oil, green tea, or witch hazel might be able to do the job quickly and cheaply.

Sources:

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