Essential Oils for Acne Treatment

Essential oils are gaining popularity as people try to “go green” and seek out more natural alternatives to chemicals and expensive cosmetics to use on delicate skin. Keeping toxins out of your body can help increase health, and one way to keep toxins out of your body is to seek essential oils–all natural plant derivatives–to treat minor conditions instead of using medication and chemicals.

I fell in love with essential oils a couple of years ago when my best friend introduced me to them. I had no idea what to do with them, so for a time, they were very expensive shelf decorations, until one day when I burned my chest with a plate of spilled food from the microwave. My friend told me to try lavender essential oil on the burn. Wow! Not only did the lavender essential oil remove the sting of the burn, but the burn healed much faster than I expected!

So today I wanted to share some essential oil treatments for acne, instead of using those harsh chemicals to treat acne that can’t possibly be good for skin or a face!

Tea Tree Oil – Melaleuca Alternifolia for Essential Oil Acne Treatment

Tea tree oil is a staple essential oil. It is a natural antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial. It’s even a decent mild pain killer and can help clean and remove the sting from minor cuts, scraps and has shown that it might possibly reduce the length of a bruise appearing on your skin. Because of the ‘anti’ properties of tea tree oil, it’s perfect for using on acne that might have a bacterial cause, and it will also help clean out pores and prevent them from becoming clogged. A diluted solution of tea tree mixed with witch hazel makes a great astringent for the face that is natural and safe for most people.

Lavender Essential Oil Acne Treatment

Lavender essential oil that I mentioned above is also antibacterial and it is shown to help with reducing scarring. Acne can cause scarring when not treated properly, so if you already have acne scarring or want to prevent it, you can add lavender to your tea tree oil solution and prevent acne, treat acne, and reduce scarring all at the same time.

Clove Essential Oil Acne Treatment

You have to be very careful with clove oil on the skin, because it can burn and some people are highly allergic to clove essential oil. Before using this strong oil on your delicate facial skin, it’s best to put a drop on the inside of your elbow to see if there is a reaction. If there isn’t, using a cotton swab, dab a light dot of clove oil directly on a stubborn pimple or zit to remove it quickly and dry it right up. DO NOT apply clove oil all over your face. Clove oil is an emergency spot acne treatment only and should be used with care so as to not burn the skin.

Citrus Essential Oils (Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Tangerine)

All of the citrus essentials oils are mild astringents and can work well with a toner like witch hazel to mix and apply all over the face letting it soak into the skin and then washing the face with warm water. The citrus oils are naturally diuretic to the skin, so this will help dry up the oily acne spots while also reducing puffiness on the face.

These essential oils are the best for acne treatment, though there are other essential oils that might work for you. Give these a try first, and then once you’re used to essential oils, you can experiment with them for different uses like I have. I think you’ll come to love essential oils as much as I do!