Even as Western medicine continues to make exciting discoveries in the world of skin treatments, certain skincare professionals are going “back to nature.” Herbalists have found wonderful skin-healing properties in the plants you may be growing in your backyard right now! If you enjoy gardening, you may be interested in exploring the ways your garden can do more than just deliver delicious flavors to your favorite foods.
Growing a Garden of Simple Herbs
The concept of growing your own medicinal herb garden is not new. A medicinal herb is considered to be any herb that contains medicinal properties on its own (versus requiring the combination of other herbs or ingredients in order to exhibit medicinal benefits). Your medicinal herbs may be used in a variety of ways including remedies for acne.
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables may not immediately spring to your mind when you think of anti-acne and skin-support treatments. However, beet and potato roots in particular have some wonderful skin-restoring properties.
Beets – Beet roots are iron and vitamin-rich. When you apply beet root juice to your skin in a paste or clay mask, your complexion will take on a rosy glow and the iron and vitamins will enter through your pores and act as natural detoxifiers to clear away blemishes. You can even drink a glass of beet root juice daily for beautiful skin. Beets help detoxify the liver, which in turn detoxifies your skin.
Potatoes – Potato roots (the part you commonly eat) and the skin of the potato have natural detoxifying properties. You can drink potato juice or apply it as a mask on your face. Vitamins K, A, C, B-complex, beta-carotene, and other natural detoxifiers will act to open the skin’s pores and eliminate blemishes.
Herbal Teas
Chamomile – Chamomile is not just calming to the mind — it is now known to be calming to the skin as well. The easiest way to use chamomile to cure acne is to steep a tea bag in warm water, let it cool, and then press it gently to the skin in the area where you have blemishes.
Lavender – Lavender is known as a disinfectant and detoxifier. Lavender is easy to grow and pleasant to drink in a tea or to use as an essential oil. You can drink the tea, spritz it on your face with a mister, steam the tea and stand over it to open your pores, or apply it as an essential oil combined with witch hazel to clear up blemishes.
Mint – Mint has wonderful calming and detoxifying properties whether you drink it in a tea or use it as a paste. You can blend fresh mint leaves until minced, cool the minced mixture in the refrigerator for a couple hours, and then use a Q-tip or cotton ball to gently apply the mixture directly to your skin for 20 minutes once a day. Rinse with cool water to remove.
Culinary Herbs
Basil – Basil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Basil is best used as an anti-acne agent in its dried form. You can grow fresh basil or buy it already dried. Add it to boiling water and let it steep for one minute. Once the basil tea cools, you can add it to a mask or dab it on your skin with a cotton ball for 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water to remove.
Thyme – Thyme has captured the attention of British scientists whom recently discovered it has more powerful antibacterial properties than benzoyl peroxide, which is the active blemish-fighting agent in most acne medicines. Use thyme in a mask or cream or mix some thyme with green tea in a sealable jar and dab it on with a cotton ball or Q-tip.
Oregano – Oregano is best used as a toner for healing acne. Mix it with a bit of lemon juice and apply it to your skin for 30 minutes or overnight as you sleep. Rinse it off the next morning with cool water and a gentle cleanser.
With these powerful anti-acne herbs and root vegetables you can say goodbye to harsh acne medications and say hello to beautiful, fresh, acne-free skin!
Lindsay Schroeder, professional makeup artist and skincare guru, is the writer of all the content on Acne Skin Site. She has personally dealt with acne all throughout her 20’s and knows firsthand what anyone suffering with acne is going through. She has worked with thousands of clients that suffer with acne and has been able to encourage and educate them on how to get their skin on the road to recovery.
