According to Cosmopolitan, people with dark skin tones are those with café au lait to deep ebony coloring. Dark skin is more susceptible to post-acne scars and marks left on the skin, and it is also susceptible to raised scars instead of diminished scarring. Ingrown hairs are also more common in darker skin tones, and can lead to acne. Home remedies are an option in the treatment of acne on dark skin.
Glycerin Soap
A daily skin regimen begins with gently washing the skin no more than twice per day as over washing can irritate the skin resulting in more acne. Dr. Weil recommends using a glycerin soap to cleanse the skin when treating acne. Glycerin soaps are gentle cleansers that won't strip the skin of all oils, and won't leave a soapy residue behind. Some people make their own soaps using glycerin and other ingredients to provide a variety of treatments. Glycerin soaps with lavender, neem, tea tree oil and various fruit essentials are good for treating acne.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has been used as an acne treatment for a long time and according to the Mayo Clinic, solutions containing five percent tea tree oil was proven to be just as effective as chemical ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide. According to the Skincare Physicians, benzoyl peroxide can sometimes bleach dark skin tones if overused. Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial that kills the bacteria causing the infection within the acne. It can be added to lotions or creams to make an effective acne treatment to be applied to fresh, clean skin.
Oatmeal Masks
According to the Acne Support Team, oatmeal masks absorb excess oils in the skin and provide a gentle scrubber to help slough dead skin cells and to prevent ingrown hairs. Cook the oatmeal per instructions. Let the cooked mush cool to a lukewarm temperature and apply it to the acne-prone skin like a mask, leaving it on for 15 minutes or more. Rinse the oatmeal off and then follow with a cold rinse to the skin to close the pores.
References
- Cosmopolitan: Hairstyles & Beauty: Skincare & Makeup: Surprising Secret to Perfect Skin
- Acne Support Team: Homemade Acne Treatments -- 5 Tips from Experts
- MayoClinic.com: Diseases and Conditions: Acne: Expert Answers: Natural Acne Treatment: What's Most Effective?
- Skincare Physicians: Acne Net: Treating Acne in Skin of Color
- Dr. Weil: Acne Treatments
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