Home Remedies for Acne Scars

Home remedies for acne scars include the use of sandalwood, ice, tomato, cucumber, eggs, turmeric, Aloe Vera, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, honey, water, lavender oil, fenugreek and a variety of other fruits and vegetables.

Home remedies for acne scars are useful in cases of severe infection or when acne has been irritated, squeezed, or scratched. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that this intense skin condition afflicts as many as 50 million Americans. Mild acne scars heal on their own, while the deep scars might remain for a person’s entire life. Mild acne scars can be safely and effectively treated with home remedies using natural products.

What is Acne?

Basically, acne refers to the blackheads, whiteheads, and short pink bumps called papules, which appear on the skin in the form of cysts as a result of prolonged contact with dust, polluted air, sweat, or dirty water. Acne usually occurs on the face, but areas like the legs, buttocks, shoulders, chest, and back are also not spared by this skin condition. According to the dermatologists at the Acne Research Institute in California, men and women can even experience acne at 25 or 35 years of age, sometimes even older, which many people don’t know since acne is typically associated with teenagers and pubescent individuals.

Acne is caused due to plugged pores and an outbreak of lesions, as reported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Acne can be an embarrassing and unsightly condition to experience when you are a teenager and an adult, but once those hormonally charged years are over, and you have reduced the chances of acne flare-ups or recurrences, the scars, spots, and after marks of acne can still cause a lot of self-esteem and confidence problems. That is why curing the condition of acne is not enough, the acne scars must also be taken care of before you can firmly put acne behind you!

Home Remedies for Acne Scars

Some of the commonly used home remedies for acne scars include the following:

Sandalwood Paste: Apply a mixture of sandalwood paste in rosewater and leave it on your face overnight, then wash it off the next morning. Repeat this process until there is a marked improvement in scars. The usefulness of sandalwood in skin care is very well known. It has actually been one of the traditional, essential elements of make-up kits for women in India for many years. Even today, there are several brands that prepare soaps that names sandalwood as one of its key ingredients.

Tea Tree Oil: This is one of the most popular remedies for curing acne problems. This diluted oil is applied on the spots affected by acne. There is a strong belief that this oil consists of terpinen-4-ol, which eliminates bacterial activity and easily kills the bacteria permanently. It neutralizes the acne bacteria called Propionibacterium and other dangerous bacteria, which dwell on your skin and can quickly develop into acne.

Ice: Applying ice to the face helps to tighten pores and to reduce secretions of acne causing sebum. Ice also works as a natural astringent to tighten up pores around marks and scars, making scarring less obvious, by decreasing the size of the pores that were affected by the acne in the first place.

Tomato Slices: Rubbing tomato slices on scars is also found to be effective in reducing the appearance of the marks or scars. This is partially due to the vitamin A and carotenes in tomatoes, which not only provide the red color, but are also antioxidant compounds that can heal damaged tissues and promote the healthy regrowth of cells.

Cucumber Juice: Cucumber juice is an ideal skin toner, which improves the texture of the skin. Cucumbers reduce inflammation, soothe the skin and heal the scars caused by acne.

Egg Whites: Egg whites are easy to obtain and are effective in treating acne scarring.  Apply egg whites on the scars using a cotton ball and leave it on overnight to get the best effect. Eggs contain a huge amount of protein and by applying that directly to your skin, you can speed the healing process. Proteins are the building blocks of cellular tissue, and muscle, so directly applying and leaving it on your face can boost the speed of your acne scar recovery by quite a bit.

Turmeric: Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in the Orient as a beauty product and applying turmeric paste on the skin or ingesting turmeric is effective in the management of acne scars.

Aloe Vera & Sage: Sage and Aloe Vera are well known healing agents, which can bring relief to acne scars. Soak sage in hot water, allow it to cool, and then apply it on the skin. Aloe Vera can be applied directly to the skin.

Makeupand Creams: For women who want to reduce the appearance of their acne scars, be sure to choose makeup that is light, non-greasy, and oil-free. Obviously, it is natural to want to cover the scars, but if you do it with harsh makeup or more chemicals, you could be making the problem worse, or slowing down whatever healing process had begun.

Apple Cider Vinegar: It is a good toner that helps to clear up scars and acne marks. Vinegar is a powerful astringent that also stimulates blood flow to areas, which speeds healing and regeneration of cells.

Lime Juice: Apply freshly squeezed juice from limes or lemons on the scars, then leave them for a while before washing them off. The bleaching property of lime juice makes the marks less visible. Lime juice also helps in the removal of dead skin cells and in the regeneration of new cells, along with improving the elasticity of the skin.

Vitamin E: This essential vitamin helps in countering pimples since it is a natural antioxidant that eliminates free radicals that are associated with skin disease. The common vitamin E supplements are soft gelatin capsules containing pure vitamin E along with glycerin, water and soybean oil.

Olive Oil: You should use olive oil for cooking since it not only makes food more appetizing, but can also lighten acne scars. Lightly massage olive oil onto the skin, and it will make the skin smooth again and reduce how noticeable the scars are. Olive oil is packed with natural antioxidants, which is why it is so frequently used around the world for a variety of healthy benefits, but in terms of clearing the skin of marks and scars, it is one of the best options for a home remedy.

Honey: Honey is a natural moisturizer, which is used in the treatment of acne scars. Eating honey and applying a honey mask on the face are found to be effective in acne scar treatment.

Dietary Solutions: Applying natural or herbal remedies to the affected areas of acne scars can be helpful, but it is not the only solution. Remember that other skin care issues are solved both internally and externally. Be sure to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that has a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, particularly those that are renowned for boosting skin health, like vitamin A, and antioxidant rich food that reduces any further damage to your skin. Including fruits and vegetables in your daily diet to reduce acne scars is a good idea, considering they are healthy and delicious dietary items that are commonly associated with healthier skin.

Water: Water is probably best available natural method to treat acne scars. You should drink plenty of water, as it helps in flushing out the toxins from your body and revitalizing it. Water also assists in shedding dead skin cells and the formation of healthy skin. Drinking lukewarm water in the morning specifically helps in flushing out toxins.

Toothpaste: You can apply toothpaste on the acne to relieve swelling and pain every night for at least a week to experience a significant improvement.

Mint Juice: You can always apply mint juice on the face as it is highly natural and nutrient-rich substance that has been connected with anti-inflammation and a reduction in acne symptoms.

Strawberry Leaves: After eating strawberries, do not throw away their leaves, as these can be helpful in curing pimples on the face.

Rosehip Seed Oil: Rosehip seed oil can reduce acne scars and lessen discoloration.  This oil is also a powerful anti-aging agent, which reduces wrinkles and regenerates the skin. Rosehip seed oil is an important ingredient in cosmetic products and is commonly used to treat acne scarring, facial scarring, sun tan damage and premature aging. Massage the skin with this oil two times a day for best results.

Lavender Oil: Application of Lavender oil on acne scars can revitalize the skin since it has many regenerative properties.

Fenugreek: It is commonly used in the treatment of acne scars. Boil some fenugreek seeds in water and allow them to cool before applying to the scars. Application of a face mask made of fenugreek leaves paste is also quite effective.

Fuller’s Earth: This beneficial substance is commonly used for cleaning oily skin, clearing out skin pores and diminishing scars due to acne. A face pack prepared from a mixture of fuller’s earth and rose water can be applied to the face for quick results, and can reduce the effects of any sebum that has additionally built up beneath the pores on the face.

A Word of Caution
Home remedies are only recommended for mild acne scars and if you have secondary infection or deep scars, you should consult a qualified dermatologist before setting out on any alternative treatment regimen. Apart from the natural goodness of home remedies, a nutritious diet can go a long way towards healing scars from acne.

References: American Academy of Dermatology and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases