When it comes to natural remedies for acne, the one thing to remember is that all of the ingredients found in the majority of acne skin treatment remedies actually are all natural. Salicylic acid is all natural, alpha hydroxyl acid is found in milk, in fruit and in cane sugar. Zinc is a naturally occurring metal, etc.
Unfortunately, the word “natural” usually means “unproven” these days. You can say that crystals will heal cancer, you can say that putting a bowl of milk under your bed will cure the cold and you can say that this or that herb will heal acne. You can say any of this, but proving it is another matter entirely.
When it comes to natural remedies for acne, the only active ingredients proven to work are those that have been being used in pore cleansers for years now.
Your best bet, if you are trying to find the least abrasive method, the most comfortable method that works, is to move through each individual acne skin treatment one at a time, moving up in degrees of strength, until you find one that works. The scale looks a little something like this…
- Benzyl peroxide
- Low-strength salicylic acid and alpha hydroxyl products
- Higher-strength benzyl peroxide, salicylic acid and alpha hydroxyl products
- Zinc topical treatments and tablets
- Sulfur
Move from the first listed item down to the bottom of the list one product at a time. When you find something that works, experiment with it. You might find that it works just as well at a lower strength, or that a little extra strength really gives it a little more kick. Sulfur can be a very effective zit-killer, but it also dries the skin out, so it really works best as a last resort.
In any event, no two people have the exact same skin type, the exact same composure, so there is no reason not to experiment and find out for yourself what works. Just do not worry about whether a product is natural or not. The truth is that all OTC acne medications are based in all natural active ingredients like zinc and citric acid, because those are the only ones proven to work.