Acne can affect people of all ages, but when adults experience breakouts it can be difficult to know how to best treat the skin. Adult skin can often be drier than youthful skin, and when acne breakouts occur, topical benzoyl peroxide creams can be too irritating and drying on your skin. There are a few alternative skin treatments, however, that can clear adult acne without exacerbating wrinkles or irritating your skin.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is just as effective as benzoyl peroxide in clearing up acne eruptions, but does not dry out your skin. Extracted from the Australian tea tree plant, it is a beneficial acne treatment that can clear adult skin without worsening wrinkles. Tea tree oil is an antimicrobial oil that kills off acne-causing bacteria on your skin. To use it for acne, dip a cotton swab into full-strength tea tree oil, and then again into water to dilute it. This will reduce the risk of developing redness on your skin. Dab the diluted oil onto active pustules up to three times per day.
Calamine Lotion
Calamine lotion is traditionally used to treat chicken pox blisters, but is also helpful in reducing the size of acne pustules and cysts on aging skin. Calamine lotion is both drying and gentle, and can be used to dry out pus-filled acne without exacerbating wrinkles. Simply pour calamine lotion onto a cotton ball, and apply the lotion onto the acne breakouts full-strength, allowing it to dry. Re-apply the lotion as needed up to three times per day.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is highly acidic and rich in vitamin C, making it helpful in sloughing away pore-clogging dead skin and bacteria. It also fights off free radicals that could cause wrinkles. To use lemon juice on your skin to reduce acne, soak five cotton pads in concentrated lemon juice and place them onto your skin, one for your chin, two for your forehead, and one for each cheek. Let the lemon juice compress remain on your skin for at least 5 minutes, then remove the cotton pads to let your skin dry. Repeat up to three times per week.
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