The Honey-Turmeric Face Mask That May Replace All Your Skincare Products

Everybody has to deal with acne at some point in their life, some more than others. Aside from the explosion of acne that 99% of us experienced during puberty, it can still come back to bother us once in a while with an odd pimple or two. Many of us mistakenly resort to buying commercial acne cleansers in an attempt to help our skin, despite the fact that most of them end up doing the exact opposite.

Thankfully, there is a straightforward and natural remedy for acne that consists of only two ingredients. But before we go into that, let’s take a more in-depth look at why you should avoid commercial acne-cleansing products.

Side Effects of Typical Acne Treatment

Typical pharmaceutical treatment for acne usually consists of either topical, over-the-counter creams or antibiotics that are taken orally. Both of these can cause unpleasant and harmful side effects. Side effects of the topically applied creams often cause damage to the skin, including causing irritation, dryness, and sensitivity to the sun. Side effects of the oral antibiotics can also cause sensitivity to the sun and an upset stomach.

A variety of over-the-counter acne treatment products can also cause severe allergic reactions. Some of the symptoms of these reactions include:

Throat tightness
Difficulty breathing

Feeling faint
Swelling of the face and tongue
Hives

Itching

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few minutes to a day or longer after use of these treatments.

Natural Treatment for Acne

Some of the two best all-natural remedies for acne are turmeric and sandalwood oil. Both of these substances contain properties that can help reduce or completely get rid of acne. Before we go into more detail about these properties, let’s take a look at what actually causes acne first.

To put it simply, acne occurs when your pores become plugged. The areas on your body where acne commonly occurs, such as the face, neck, and back, produce a lot of oil from glands found on your skin’s surface. When too much of this oil builds up on the pores of your skin, it can form a build up on top of the pores.

This creates an environment where bacteria can thrive, and if the bacteria can infect the pore, it causes inflammation. This results in the pore becoming red and “bulging,” forming what we commonly refer to as a pimple.

The combination of turmeric and sandalwood oil is ideal for treating this acne due to their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric

Turmeric is incredibly well known for its anti-inflammatory properties, although most people assume that this refers to internal inflammation, as turmeric is commonly eaten for its beneficial properties. However, one study recorded in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties even when applied topically.

This makes it incredibly effective at treating acne as inflammation is what causes the clogged pore to bulge and become a pimple. Therefore, applying an anti-inflammatory substance will help reduce the redness and size of acne.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is both an effective treatment and preventative measure for acne. This is because it has bactericidal properties. This means that sandalwood doesn’t just reduce bacteria growth or prevent it from occurring, it kills bacteria.

This makes it useful for cleaning clogged pores in people that already have acne and preventing a bacteria build up in individuals who don’t want to develop acne. One study conducted in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that an acne remedy containing sandalwood reduced the severity and amount of acne in patients with both mild and moderate cases.

Now that you know these two ingredients can help you get rid of your acne, here is the recipe for an anti-acne paste that was developed by Vasant Lad, an Ayurvedic physician that specializes in self-healing.

Turmeric Acne Mask

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of sandalwood powder

2 to 3 teaspoons of raw, organic honey

Instructions

Simply mix all of the ingredients together until it forms a paste-like substance.
Then apply this topically to the areas of your body affected with acne.