When it comes to healing acne and other skin conditions, the internal environment is what ultimately needs to be addressed. When internal imbalances are treated, the skin will often be able to heal once and for all.
Yet even though healing happens from within, proper skincare is still important! Inadequate skincare or toxic products can do much more harm than good. By using all-natural skincare with healthy ingredients, you can help support your skin’s own regenerative and healing capabilities, and help calm down inflammation from active acne.
I am a big fan of making your own skincare products. Why? Because you know exactly what’s in them! (And it’s often much cheaper to make them at home!)
Most skincare products out there contain a bunch of harmful chemicals that not only disrupt your hormones and stress out your liver, but they may even create an environment that’s more conducive to acne formation. (For more info on whether or not your current skincare products are safe, check out the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep guide.)
So here are some of my favorite DIY natural skincare recipes for acne-prone skin!
Honey Masks
Raw honey is an incredible skin healer. It makes a great simple face wash as well as a versatile mask for acne-prone skin. My skin always feels super soft and fresh after a honey mask. Plus it’s delicious and smells divine!
Combine honey with a variety of herbal powders to add to its healing properties. Simply mix the honey and powders well, apply to bare skin, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse off.
Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Honey + Matcha: Mix 1 tsp of honey with 1/4 tsp matcha powder
- Honey + Turmeric: Mix 1 tsp of honey with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (Be careful, turmeric can stain everything bright orange!)
- Honey + Vitamin C: Mix 1 tsp of honey with 1/4 tsp vitamin C powder (I like using HealthForce Vitamin C powder. You can also use Camu Camu powder.)
Herbal Facial Steams
Herbal facial steams can help cleanse your pores and soften your skin. The steam also helps drive the volatile oils and medicinal compounds of the herbs deeper into your skin where they can help promote healing.
I love using Yarrow in my facial steams! Yarrow has a long history of being used to heal the skin and soothe skin irritations.
You can also add other skin-healing herbs like Calendula, Chamomile, and Rose Petals.
Simply add a couple tablespoons of the dried herbs to a stove pot full of simmering water. Remove the pot from heat and place your face about a foot above the steam, putting a towel over your head to trap in the steam. You can move your face closer or further away from the steam depending on how hot it is. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Chamomile Facial Spritzer
Chamomile is the ultimate soother of skin inflammation! This facial spritzer is great for calming down redness and irritation, and helps relieve active acne spots. Added bonus: it smells amazing!
Ingredients:
– 4 oz of strongly-brewed Chamomile tea (1 tbsp of dried Chamomile herb per 4 oz hot water)
– 1 tsp aloe vera
Combine ingredients into a 4 oz glass spritzer bottle. Shake well. Spray as needed over your face. This spritzer works well over bare skin before applying moisturizer, or to set your make-up after applying.
Tip: You can also apply the spritzer mixture to a cotton pad and apply directly to your face like you would a toner.
Facial Oils
Think that just because you have oily or acne-prone skin, that oil is a no-no for your face? Think again! 🙂
Applying all-natural oils directly to your face works wonders to keep your own sebum production in check.
One of my favorite oils to make is Calendula-infused olive oil. It’s incredibly versatile: not only can you use it alone, but you can add it to all sorts of DIY recipes, like salves, lotions, and creams.
To make Calendula oil:
- Fill a quart Mason jar half full with dried Calendula flowers
- Fill the jar with olive oil until the flowers are covered by about an inch
- Set the jar on a sunny windowsill and leave for 4-6 weeks, shaking once daily
- After 4-6 weeks, strain the herbs using cheesecloth or muslin cloth
- Ta-da! Now you have yourself some calendula oil!
I am also a big fan of this facial oil blend (feel free to play around with the ratios):
- 1/2 part jojoba oil
- 1/4 part rosehip oil
- 1/4 part argan oil
When I had acne, I experimented with a lot of different oils to see which ones were best for my skin. Everyone’s skin is different, so you may have to try a few to see how your skin responds.
What DIY natural skincare recipes have you tried and loved? Add your questions and comments below! 🙂
Disclaimer: Some of the links to herbal products in this article are affiliate links. I make a small commission off of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support my small business!
Photo in featured image courtesy of Christiann Koepke.
