Updated: Jun 16, 2021
So it’s happened, the day before a big meeting, first date, or heaven forbid, photos of any kind. Don’t worry, you’ve got this! First take 3 long deep breaths... now go to your kitchen. We are going to create some spot treatments to tell your new little visitor they’re not welcome here.
1. Honey & Cinnamon:
Grab some raw, organic honey & organic cinnamon. Or whatever honey and cinnamon you have for now and get the good stuff when you can. Mix a small amount of both to make a tiny paste. Apply to the blemish with a clean face and leave on for a few hours. Overnight is best! Just make sure to cover the spot with a band-aid and put a towel on your pillow.
2. Raw Honey:
Out of cinnamon? Just use raw honey! Same method as above for a spot treatment. Or… you can make a whole mask out of honey which I love! I do this all the time.
Tie all your gorgeous hair back. You can use a terrycloth headband if you’re feelin' fancy. With a clean, slightly damp and warm face, rub your palms together for 10 seconds. Just do it.
Pour or spoon out about a quarter size of raw honey into your palm and spread all over your face. The heat from your hands helps it absorb and spread better. Wash off with lukewarm water after about 20 minutes.
Don't worry, honey washes off easily without a sticky mess.
3. Lemon Juice
Do this at night and be amazed at the difference in the morning. You can use a small amount of organic lemon juice if you have some, or simply cut a lemon in half. I use leftover lemons from my morning green juice and gently rub the lemon over the blemish.
Always make sure your face is clean first and free of makeup. If you're using lemon juice, dab some juice onto a cotton swab and apply to the blemish. Only use this as a spot treatment and test on your skin first for any sensitivities. Lemon juice even helps reduce pigmentation and acne scars from old breakouts.
A little bit goes a long way! If you do this right before you go to sleep, put a towel down on your pillow as this can have a bleaching effect. Do NOT do this on broken or sensitive skin as it will BURN like crazy! Love your skin, be nice to it.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Using a clean Q-tip or cotton round, dab a little bit of raw organic apple cider vinegar (aka ACV) on the blemish. My favorite brand is Braggs Organic ACV “with the mother.” You can just leave this on daytime or nighttime.
Be careful, this can be drying and stay out of the sun if you do this during the day. Do not use this on broken or sensitive skin... it will hurt! Do NOT combine this with the lemon juice method above… it will really hurt!!!
5. Ice Cubes
Saving the best for last. This is one of my fave at home remedies for cystic acne. Gently rub the ice cube over your breakout for a few minutes until it melts. You will need to move the ice cube around or take breaks in order to keep that one spot from being unbearably cold. Watch that puppy shrink!
Or if you really want to up your game, use green tea ice cubes. I make these by brewing organic green tea, then pouring the tea into an ice cube tray until frozen. I use a specific ice cube tray since it WILL stain white ice cube trays. These green tea ice cubes are amazing! I’ve used this method a ton and am always amazed by the results.
BONUS ROUND!
Ok so for these next two, you may not have them in your kitchen, but they are two of my favorite acne remedies!
1. Lavender essential oil. This little baby is antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antiviral and antiseptic. It is a healing and soothing super power. Just dab a drop of this on the invader a few times per day. Keep away from your eyes!
2. For my second favorite acne essential oil ever... meet Tea Tree. This sucker kills anything and is incredibly effective. It has all the same properties as lavender above. I use the same method as the lavender instructions. Be careful as tea tree is more intense than lavender. Again, stay away from your eyes.
How do you know which essential oil to try? Play around! I typically use tea tree for red, painful, underground cysts and lavender when the skin is broken out, inflamed and needs faster healing. Both are antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral and antimicrobial, so you can't go wrong.
*Always use caution with essential oils. Just because they are natural does not always mean they are safe. As always, check with your practitioner if you have any health issues, are pregnant, or nursing.
Heal on!