You certainly know that aloe vera is considered to have a magical substance that can restore skin conditions in an instant. Turns out, in fact it is! In addition to having substances that are able to cool and improve skin conditions, aloe vera also contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial substances that do not cause harmful effects when used as an external medicine. All these benefits make aloe vera very worthy of being used as a natural remedy to eradicate acne!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Treating Acne with Aloe Vera
Step 1. Prepare aloe vera
You can first buy aloe vera plants at plant stores or directly buy aloe vera gel at various pharmacies and large supermarkets.
To remove the gel from the leaves, you first need to cut the aloe vera leaf into a fairly large size (approximately 15 cm long). After that, wash the leaves thoroughly under running water and cut lengthwise in half with a sharp knife; Use a spoon or knife to scrape as much of the transparent gel out of the leaf as possible
Step 2. Test for an allergic skin reaction to aloe vera
Try applying a small amount of gel to your skin to make sure you don't have an allergic reaction. Remember, aloe vera is still related to lilies, onions, and garlic. If you have been allergic to any of these three plants, chances are that you too will be allergic to aloe vera.
Try applying a small amount of gel to your wrist. Let stand for a while to dry, then rinse thoroughly. If your wrists are not red, itchy, or swollen, then aloe vera is safe to apply to your face
Step 3. Use aloe vera to treat the pimple
Mix 2 tsp. aloe vera gel and 2-3 drops of lemon juice (lemon juice is useful for maintaining skin pH).
- Use your fingertips to apply the gel to the affected area. Leave it for 20-30 minutes or a full night.
- Rinse with warm water and wash your face as usual.
- Repeat the process every day.
Step 4. Make a face mask from aloe vera
Cut 1-2 pieces of aloe vera leaf 15 cm long; remove sharp leaf layers. After that, open the leaf and take the transparent gel inside.
- Add 1 tsp. honey or 5-7 drops of lemon juice into aloe vera gel. Remember, honey has an additional antibacterial substance that is effective in eradicating acne. Stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Apply the gel all over your face evenly or use your fingertips to apply the gel to the affected areas.
- If possible, leave the gel on your face overnight. If not, at least don't rinse it off before 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse with warm water and wash your face as usual.
- Repeat the process every day.
Step 5. Do the treatment for several weeks
Most likely, treatment with aloe vera to restore this skin condition will take a long time. If the above treatment methods are not able to restore the condition of your skin within three to four weeks, immediately make an appointment with a dermatologist to take the most appropriate medical steps.
Part 2 of 2: Reduce Acne
Step 1. Clean your face at least twice a day
Make sure you always clean your face in the morning and at night before going to bed. If you sweat in the middle of the day (for example, from exercising or being exposed to hot temperatures), immediately wash your face to re-hydrate the skin.
Step 2. Use a vegetable oil based cleaning product
Instead, look for cleaning products that contain the word "non-comedogenic". The label indicates that the related product will not clog skin pores and will not trigger the growth of open comedones (blackheads), closed comedones (whiteheads), or pimples.
- For example, you can try cleaning products from Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Olay. In addition, there are many other products that contain similar benefits. Make sure you read the product label to find out!
- In fact, there are oils that are commonly used to clean the skin. Most of these oils have non-comodogenic benefits. Feel free to use it to dissolve and remove excess oil on your skin.
- Use cleaning products that do not contain alcohol. Be careful, alcohol can make your skin dry and hurt.
Step 3. Use your fingertips to apply the cleaning liquid
Clean your face with very gentle movements! Using a towel or sponge to clean your face can irritate and make your skin condition worse.
Step 4. Treat acne prone skin well
Don't peel, squeeze, or touch the pimple so it doesn't leave scars, cause sores, and take longer to heal.
Step 5. Do not expose your skin to direct sunlight; do not also sunbathe with a sunbed (tanning bed)
UVB radiation from the sun and sun beds risks damaging your skin cells. Also, be aware that some types of acne medications can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
The drugs in question include antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim; antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl); drugs used to treat cancer such as 5-FU, vinblastine, and dacarbazine; medicines to treat liver disorders such as amiodarone, nifedipine, quinidine, and diltiazem; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen, and acne medications such as isotretinoin (Accutane) and acitretin (Soriatane)
Step 6. Do not rub the skin too hard
Be careful, doing so can injure the skin permanently and generally it will take a long time to heal. Although exfoliating is often recommended to clean the skin, don't do it too often with rough movements!
- The exfoliation process can also cause micro-wounds (tiny wounds that are invisible to the naked eye), visible wounds, and have the potential to make acne worse.
- The coarse granules of the scrub used to exfoliate the skin also have the potential to erode the skin cells that have not died. In an analogy, this process is like peeling off a layer of wound that has not completely dried.
Step 7. Avoid unhealthy foods
While the food you eat doesn't have a direct impact on acne (despite the classic stories you've heard about milk and chocolate), for some people, certain types of food can increase their risk of developing acne. Foods that contain dairy products and refined sugar have the potential to increase the risk of swelling and provide a wetland for acne growth.
In particular, foods that have a high glycemic index (high-carbohydrate foods) have a very close relationship with acne growth
Step 8. Eat healthy foods
Asup the body with maximum nutrition so that your skin health is maintained. In fact, the vitamins that are most needed by the skin are vitamins A and D. However, make sure you also consume enough omega three fatty acids to reduce the growth of acne.
- At least, make sure half of the food on your plate is vegetables (especially at dinner).
- Foods rich in vitamin A are sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, romaine lettuce, kale, red peppers, summer squash, orange melon, mango, apricots, black-eyed peas, beef liver, herring, and salmon..
- Foods rich in vitamin D are cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, milk, yogurt, and cheese. Although it is found in many foods, the best way to get the maximum benefit of vitamin D is to bask in the sun for at least 10-15 minutes every week, especially because the morning sun can stimulate the production of vitamin D in the skin.
- Foods rich in omega three fatty acids are flaxseed and oil, soybean oil, canola oil, chia seeds, butternut squash, walnuts, salmon, sardines, mackerel, white meat fish, terubuk fish, basil leaves (basil basil).), oregano, cloves, marjoram, spinach, radish sprouts, broccoli, and meat and fish consumed in small portions.
Warning
- The effectiveness of aloe vera to treat acne is still debated. Although the benefits of aloe vera to cool the skin are widely known, its role as a medical drug still needs to be studied in more depth.
- In fact, aloe vera will not cause side effects if it is only used as an external drug (if any, the side effects are minimal). On the other hand, if taken orally, aloe vera can cause various negative side effects such as stomach cramps and/or diarrhea.
