Treating acne with home made products sometimes becomes our preferred choice, especially if the conditions are not so severe to warrant seeing our Doctor.  Besides, home or “kitchen” products as others call them are cost effective; hence there is this element of curiosity to experiment with them.  Here are products, some natural (home made) and others not so natural proven to be effective for treating acne.

Our kitchen serves as best place to turn for help when embarking on natural acne treatment.

Stuffs such as fresh garlic, lemons oranges and raw potatoes are natural home products for effective treatment of mild to moderate cases of acne.

Lemons and oranges should be squeezed unto cotton ball and applied to acne affected area and is washed gently off after about 20 - 30 minutes.

Garlic as mentioned earlier is also effective for treating acne. This should be peeled and crushed before rubbing on affected areas.

Garlic is harsh on skin and should be handled with caution as skin irritation could result especially for people with sensitive skin.

There are plants known to keep the skin oily-free (astringent) thereby facilitating treatment of acne and keeping skin clean.

One of these plants is Witch Hazel - found mostly around America and Canada from which is sourced Witch Hazel Astringent It is suggested twigs of this plant(witch hazel) are boiled and the extract cooled before being applied on affected parts of skin.

As the saying goes...there are many ways of skinning a cat. This aptly describes how menace of acne is being tackled.

Apart from products listed above which are classified as “natural”, there are others not so natural but none the less considered as home treatment or over-the-counter.

There are many variants of these options available; the cons being some can be very hash to skin probably because of chemicals included in their formulation for potency.

Example of these is Benzyl peroxide which applied externally causes drying and flaking of skin but proven to be effective for treating acne.  Please, use these sparingly since they can dry your skin.

In severe conditions, antibiotics are prescribed and administered orally to reduce amount of bacteria inside and around skin follicles (which are openings) through which skin secrets foreign and unwanted material.  Most commonly known and used antibiotics are (a) Tetracycline and (b) Erythromycin. The type of antibiotics and dosage you choose must be discussed with your dermatologist before treatment commences.

Acne scourge is a global problem no doubt. Statistics show that between 75 - 85% of global population will experience this skin disorder usually between the ages of 12 and 24.

This has led to general but erroneous assumption that acne is a skin disorder afflicting people at puberty. Fact is, it affects people of all ages, sexes and races.  Good news however is there are concerted efforts in place to check this embarrassing and frustrating skin disorder.

Treating your acne at home could be fun, but as with all medical conditions your Doctor must be consulted before you embark on it.