7 Ancient Secrets for Treating Acne
Since the dawn of time, mankind has been plagued by acne. People have passed the millennia searching for effective Homemade Facial treatments for this scourge of the skin. Some ancient acne treatments were little more than hocus-pocus — spells, charms and potions that probably cured acne by killing the person afflicted with it. However, these seven ancient acne treatments are safe — and proven to work.
Tea Tree Oil
Australian aboriginals have long used tea tree oil as a topical remedy for cuts, scrapes, burns and skin diseases. There’s something to that folk wisdom: A 1990 study published in The Medical Journal of Australia found that tea tree oil was just as effective as benzoyl peroxide solution in treating acne, and that it causes fewer side effects.
There’s just one caveat — the study found that tea tree oil takes longer to work its magic than the synthetic stuff. So you’ll need to be patient when waiting for your results.
Licorice Root
Licorice root was considered almost a cure-all in the ancient Mediterranean world, and the ancient Chinese valued it for its medicinal properties. Modern science has found that licorice root possesses anti-inflammatory agents that could ease the redness and soreness associated with acne breakouts.
Ayurvedic Internal Cleansing
Ayurveda is an ancient system of folk medicine from India. It relies, among other things, upon diet as a way to treat ailments, including acne.
According to practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine, people who suffer from acne should eat a diet consisting almost entirely of whole grains, vegetables and beans. They should avoid fast food, junk food and spicy, oily, fatty or fried food. They should drink plenty of water and fruit juice, and avoid eating when any food from a previous meal remains undigested.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical practice that uses thin needles to adjust the body’s energy flows. The procedure shouldn’t hurt, and it can be used in conjunction with other acne remedies to bring the about the best relief of symptoms. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine may also
recommend the use of traditional Chinese herbal preparations in combination with acupuncture to relieve acne symptoms.
Green Tea
The Chinese have used green tea medicinally for more than four millennia. For acne treatment, you should use green tree extract — it contains a concentrated form of the antioxidants found in drinkable green tea. Applying it topically can help kill skin bacteria that contribute to acne. The Chinese also drink a green-tea brew that contains honeysuckle to treat and prevent acne breakouts.
Mustard Baths
The ancient Romans are famous for their fondness of bathing. They believed that mixing sulfur into their hot bath water would create a cleansing steam that opened pores and treated acne. The technique may have worked by both dehydrating the skin and killing the bacteria that can contribute to acne breakouts.
These days, you can get the same effects by making yourself a mustard bath. Mustard seeds have a number of medicinal properties, and opening the pores is just one of them. Make a mustard bath by mixing a quarter cup of powdered mustard seeds, a cup of baking soda, and six drops apiece of peppermint oil, rosemary oil and eucalyptus oil.
Add about four tablespoons of this mixture to your bath water and soak in it to treat acne. Or, if you don’t want to get that complicated, you could just put some mustard seeds into a cloth sack and drop it into your bath. This is a great remedy for “backne.”
Basil
Basil, the popular kitchen herb, contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents that are great for acne-prone skin. There are two main kinds of basil: sweet basil, the kind you use for cooking, and holy basil, which is a perennial shrub. Both kinds are effective home remedies for acne.
Preparations made from holy basil oil have been found to be even more effective than benzoyl peroxide at treating acne in clinical studies. It’s more potent and causes fewer side effects. Applied topically, basil oil preparations are a safe acne treatment, although researchers aren’t yet sure if they’re safe for pregnant or nursing women.
People have been looking for ways to fight acne ever since the first pimple popped up on the first human face. Many of the ancient acne remedies remain popular and have been found to be both safe and effective. If you suffer from acne, try one of the secrets of the ancients.
About the Author:
Lindsay Tosto has worked with Maybelline New York, Smashbox Cosmetics, Urban Decay Cosmetics and Sephora. She is more than a makeup artist — she’s an artist who looks at the face as a canvas.
