Natural Acne Treatment For Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin can't handle many of the harsh chemicals used to fight acne, such as benzoyl peroxide or retinoids. Plenty of natural products and ingenious home remedies can treat acne without the drying effect of synthetic chemicals. Many of these treatments and ingredients require nothing more than a trip to the grocery store or your local health food retailer.

Causes of Acne

According to MayoClinic.com, acne has three main causes: too much oil production, a collection of dead skin cells and excess bacteria. When one or more of these substances plug up the tiny hair follicles in your skin, a blackhead or whitehead forms. If an infection develops, the blemish becomes a red, irritated pimple. Although scientists don't know for sure, MayoClinic.com notes that hormones, genetics and prescription medications may all play a role in your skin's oil production.

Natural Acne Fighters

The natural world contains a host of items that treat acne without irritating sensitive skin. According to Janice Cox in "Natural Beauty at Home," strawberries are perfect acne fighters because they contain natural salicylic acid. Cox suggests blending ¼ cup each strawberries and plain yogurt and applying the mixture as a mask. Other natural ingredients gentle enough for sensitive skin include oatmeal used as a facial scrub, lemons, whose citric acid kills skin bacteria and honey, a natural moisturizer and antibacterial agent.

Supplements

In "Prescription for Natural Cures," James Balch and Mark Stengler suggest fighting acne with supplements. If you suspect your acne is hormone-based, they recommend 160 mg of Vitex extract per day for six weeks. This derivative of the chasteberry balances hormones and works as long as you keep taking it. They also recommend 50 mg of zinc twice a day for three months, with 50 mg per day afterward. Zinc, they note, helps your skin heal and reduces your body's amount of dihydrotestosterone, a testosterone derivative that causes adolescent female acne as well as adult acne.

Dietary Changes

Changing your diet may be the best way to help your skin, according to Balch and Stengler. They recommend dark green and orange veggies for their beta carotene, a necessary nutrient for skin repair. For vitamin E and essential fatty acids, both necessary for healthy skin, they recommend seeds and nuts. More importantly, they advise you to stay away from sugary junk foods and snacks. Sugar, they write, can send your skin's oil production into overdrive as well as foster the growth of yeast and bacteria.

Misconceptions

Although you should always clean your face at night to rinse away dirt, oil and bacteria, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Mario Badescu, Hollywood skin guru to stars like Jennifer Aniston and Natalie Portman, notes that too much cleansing can actually send your oil glands into overdrive. Likewise, washing with hot water can irritate and thus stimulate oil glands. Scrubbing with an exfoliating face wash is a good idea, he notes, as long as you keep it away from pimples. If you pop a pimple with the exfoliating grains, all you'll do is spread bacteria all over your face.