We’re supposed to believe that getting spots is a phase that we go through when we’re teenagers and that they go away when puberty is over, and we become adults. As all too many of us know through bitter experience, that isn’t true. Spots can plague us for our entire adult lives, and, aside from being embarrassing, they can also be stubborn and expensive to get rid of. Through a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, many of us who suffer from spots spend big money on chemical treatment after chemical treatment, jumping from one to the next in a desperate attempt to find something that works.
Don’t feel disheartened if the latest big-brand, big-name treatment doesn’t work for you. It’s not the only option you have. In fact, you might not have to pay for expensive, synthetic treatments at all. Some of the best spot remedies known to humankind occur naturally and have been used successfully for centuries. We’ve outlined some of the most effective and easy-to-use ones for you below.
As these treatments can’t harm you, move on to the next one if the first one doesn’t work for you. Think of it as if it were an online slots with 10 free spins no deposit. If you logged into an online slots website and then immediately logged out again because you didn’t win anything on your first spin, you’d never win any money from it at all. Although some people are lucky enough to win at the first time of asking, the majority of people who come away from online slots in profit do so by spinning again and again until they get what they want. That’s the approach you should take with banishing your spots. Don’t take no for an answer – keep trying until you make progress!
Honey and Cinnamon
Both honey and cinnamon have been proven to work against spots independently, although the effectiveness of honey on its own is debatable. Put them together, though, and you have a viable solution for acne. This is because a paste made of cinnamon and honey blended together can both reduce inflammation and fight bacteria, treating your spots and making them appear less visible during the healing process. The best way to go about introducing it to your skin is as a mask. Try taking two tablespoons of honey and mixing them with a single tablespoon of cinnamon to form the paste, and then applying it all over your face as a mask before leaving it to dry. Make sure you keep it on for between fifteen and thirty minutes to allow it to take effect and then rinse it away. Do this once a day, and you should soon start seeing improvements.
Apple Cider Vinegar
While the thought of applying vinegar to your face – or anywhere else on your body for that matter – might make you nervous, apple cider vinegar is just pressed apple juice. There’s nothing to be scared of! Every type of vinegar is capable of destroying bacteria, but you wouldn’t want to apply any old vinegar to your face because some of them are too abrasive. If your skin is especially sensitive, it might not even be able to take apple cider vinegar, so wash it off immediately if you begin to feel irritation. For everyone else, though, you should find that the citric acid and succinic acid in the substance reduce inflammation, reduce the appearance of scarring, and kill off P. acnes entirely. Always mix it with at least three parts water, apply it to your skin gently using a pad or cotton ball, and wash it off after no more than thirty seconds. Use more water if your skin is prone to irritation.
Witch Hazel
Witch hazel has been advocated as a ‘cure-all’ substance since your grandparents were young. Some of the (occasionally magical) qualities that are ascribed to it are inaccurate, but there’s something to say for the idea that it might make your spot problem go away a little faster. As with the other two treatments we’ve mentioned so far, the purported benefits of using witch hazel to treat acne or spots are that it reduces inflammation and it also reduces skin irritation. That can prevent acne from occurring in the first place. To get the best results from it, you’ll have to put in a little more work than just applying it to your face. Mix one tablespoon of pure witch hazel bark with a cup of water inside a pan, allow it to soak for half an hour and then boil it. Once it’s boiling, bring it back down to a simmer and then leave it cooking with the lid on for the next ten minutes. The next step is to turn the heat off, allow it to stand and cool, and then sieve it into a container that you can seal and store. Apply the mixture to your face once or twice a day using a cotton ball. By the time your mixture has run out, your skin should look clearer.
Green Tea
In addition to being the chief ingredient in some of the best ice cream known to humankind, green tea can also be a useful weapon in the fight against spots because it’s bursting with antioxidants. This is a little different from the other methods we’ve suggested because you don’t have to apply green tea to your face in order for it to be effective. All you need to do is drink it and let the polyphenols inside it do their thing. While it’s getting to work on your spots, it could also be helping out with your insulin and blood sugar levels. If you’re getting positive effects from drinking it, you might want to consider going a step further and applying it to your face after all. Make your tea as normal, allow it to cool down, and then either apply it with a cotton ball or pour it into a spray bottle for application. Rinse it off after you’re done. There are no downsides to consuming green tea, so even if it doesn’t work, at least it’s delicious!
Zinc
A common recurring theme in the many scientific studies that have been performed into acne is that people who have it are a lot more likely to have low levels of zinc than people who don’t. We’re not saying that getting rid of spots is as easy as boosting the amount of zinc in your body – but it has to be worth a try! Zinc supplements are available from any store that sells health and beauty products, but be careful with your dosage. Doctors advise against consuming more than 40mg of zinc per day. Anything up to that, though, should be fine. Never apply it to your skin – zinc should always be taken orally!
