How to Naturally Eliminate Acne Scars and Marks?

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

While there’s no denying that the aftermath of a breakout can be messy, there are natural remedies that can help accelerate healing time and fade the marks or acne scars that pimples can cause.

The best part about these natural remedies is that they’re gentle on your skin, won’t clog your pores (which prevents future breakouts), and you can purchase most of them at your local health food store for less than $10.

So save your dollars—and your skin—with these five natural remedies to help heal acne scars.

Top 5 Natural Remedies for Acne Scars

1. Rosehip Seed Oil

Meet your new BFF for fresh red marks and dark spots: rosehip seed oil.

Rosehip seed oil is extracted from the rosehip seeds of wild roses in Chile.

This natural oil can improve your skin’s texture and appearance because it contains vitamin C and essential fatty acids, two nutrients that help build healthy skin cells and stimulate collagen production.

Collagen is needed to help reduce hyperpigmentation, fill in deep acne scars and repair the skin’s tissue to fade red spots and dark marks.

But what really makes rosehip seed oil a superfood for your skin is a nutrient it contains, called retinoic acid.

Retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A, an antioxidant vitamin. When applied topically, retinoic acid can help regenerate skin cells, reduce hyperpigmentation and reduce the appearance of dark marks.

Studies suggest that retinoic acid can also help promote collagen formation, especially in those with photodamaged skin. When you apply rosehip oil topically, your skin absorbs it right away and begins regenerating cells.

The cool thing about retinoic acid is that your skin can absorb it and utilize it right away. You see, other forms of vitamin A, such as beta-carotene, must go through a series of processes to be converted to retinoic acid before it can provide benefits to the skin.

Lastly, rosehip oil is non-comedogenic, which means it doesn’t clog pores and won’t contribute to future breakouts. Rosehip seed oil is safe to use on oily skin because it’s a dry oil, which means it’s readily absorbed by your skin and won’t make your skin feel greasy. For this reason, it’s more similar to a skin serum than an oil.

How to Use Rosehip Seed Oil: Rosehip seed oil is best applied at night after cleansing and exfoliating. Although it absorbs well into the skin, it may still feel oily if applied under makeup.

2. Hemp Seed Oil

While there’s a lack of studies done on hemp oil for the skin, many natural skincare sites feature hemp oil as one of the best home remedies for acne sufferers.

Hemp seed oil is one of the richest plant sources of linolenic acid, an omega-3 essential fatty acid that helps build healthy skin cells, which are needed to fade dark marks and scars.

Because they’re a natural anti-inflammatory, omega-3’s, when applied topically, can also help reduce the swelling, irritation and redness that accompany breakouts. Hemp oil is anti-inflammatory, helping to relieve acne swelling and irritation.

Hemp seed oil is non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog pores or contribute to new breakouts, and is safe for daily use.

Let’s not forget that hemp seed oil is also a whole food that pairs well with recipes—and that healthy skin also stems from your diet. So, drizzle hemp seed oil on your salads and add it to your smoothies!

How to Use Hemp Seed Oil: For improving the skin’s appearance and texture, hemp seed oil is best used as a moisturizer, massaged into the skin after cleansing and exfoliating. For best results, use daily.

Important Note:

Hemp seed oil is a delicate oil that can go rancid quickly when it’s exposed to heat or light. For this reason, hemp seed oil should always be in a dark bottle and refrigerated. When using hemp seed oil in your beauty routine, take out small amounts as needed.

3. Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. While it behaves like an oil, jojoba oil is actually a wax ester, which makes it a non-greasy “dry” oil that absorbs into the skin quickly.

Jojoba oil is said to be effective for reducing mild acne scars and redness because it contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant vitamin that can help regenerate skin cells and improve wound and scar healing.

It’s also included in many anti-acne skin care formulas because of its antibacterial and antimicrobial activity, which can help prevent acne-causing bacteria in the skin’s pores from causing breakouts.

Additionally, jojoba oil is said to be the closest plant substance to human sebum, which may create a “feedback” mechanism by regulating the body’s sebum production.

As you may already know, excess sebum production is the primary cause of acne breakouts. Jojoba oil is antibacterial, contains vitamin E and regulates sebum production: the perfect breakout cure.

While more research is needed to backup this claim, it’s worth giving jojoba oil a shot. As a non-comedogenic oil, jojoba oil won’t clog pores, and may help control future breakouts by regulating oil production and killing bacteria.

While jojoba oil is a safe natural remedy to use for acne, there are a few precautions to consider when it comes to adding it to your skincare routine.

While some people experience only beneficial effects from using jojoba oil, others experience a “purge” phase, where jojoba oil’s antibacterial properties clean out clogged pores and push out pus that’s formed by bacteria.

Initially, this may cause whiteheads or small pimples to form. However, this is simply the cleansing action of jojoba oil at work. After a few weeks of daily continued use, many people credit jojoba oil to a vast reduction in clogged pores.

How to Use Jojoba Oil: Simply add a few drops of jojoba oil to your fingers and massage into your face after cleansing and exfoliating.

Important Notes:

A few drops of jojoba oil go a long way. If overused, it can cause breakouts by attracting more dirt into your pores.

Jojoba oil is considered a dry oil because it absorbs into the skin so quickly.

However, if you find it too oily, some people prefer to mix a few drops of jojoba with aloe vera gel for a moisturizing, soothing anti-acne treatment.

Quality is important when it comes to jojoba oil. Many varieties of jojoba oil are heavily processed, refined and contain other chemicals, which will actually contribute to breakouts.

Non-organic jojoba oil may also contain pesticides, which can further aggravate your skin. For this reason, jojoba oil is the one exception on this list of natural remedies for acne scars that will cost more than $10.

A high quality jojoba oil that’s organic, cold-pressed and unrefined (which is the exact variety that will help your skin) will usually range between $25 and $30.

Typically, a larger-sized bottle of jojoba oil that’s $10 or less indicates that it’s unrefined or non-organic, even if it’s labelled “pure.”

4. Exfoliate with Baking Soda

Baking soda is naturally exfoliating, which may help fade acne scars and hyperpigmentation by removing dead skin and regenerating a layer of new skin cells.

Baking soda is also effective for preventing future breakouts because it helps remove the trapped dirt and oil under the skin that causes zits.

Exfoliating with baking soda before applying a natural moisturizer or oil (such as rosehip seed oil or hemp oil) will also help open your pores, enabling the oil to be more efficiently absorbed.

How to Exfoliate with Baking Soda: Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and mix until a paste forms. Massage gently onto your face in a circular motion for a few minutes, focusing on areas that are most affected by dark marks and scars. Rinse off with warm water, and repeat 2-3 times weekly.

Important Notes:

It’s important to choose a non-aluminum baking soda to prevent unnecessary harsh chemicals from coming in contact with your skin.

Avoid exfoliating areas where the skin is broken open, as this can cause more redness and irritation.

5. Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is commonly used as a natural spot treatment for fading acne scars because it acts as a natural bleaching agent.

Lemon is also rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that helps improve the health of skin cells. Lemon juice may also help prevent future breakouts because it’s a natural antimicrobial.

How to Use Lemon Juice: It’s best to apply freshly squeezed lemon juice to affected areas after exfoliating with a Q-tip or cotton ball. You can leave the lemon juice on overnight or rinse off after an hour.

Since lemon juice is highly acidic, it should only be applied to areas affected by dark marks or scars, and kept away from areas where the skin has been broken open.

If you have sensitive skin, diluting lemon juice with water will have a milder effect.

Lastly, lemon juice can be drying, so it’s best to follow up this natural spot treatment by applying a moisturizing oil afterwards, such as hemp seed oil.

Lemon juice can also be combined with baking soda, rosehip seed oil and other natural ingredients to make home recipes for preventing breakouts and treating acne scars.

Important Notes:

Avoid the sun. Lemon juice may increase your skin’s photosensitivity and make you more susceptible to sun damage after being applied.

For this reason, it’s best to avoid the sun entirely on the days you apply lemon juice. If that’s not possible, be sure to wear sunscreen.

Lemon may be too strong of a bleaching agent for darker skin tones.

It’s recommended that you do a spot test to see how your skin reacts before using it as a natural treatment to fade your acne scars.

Getting Rid of Acne Scars Through Your Diet

While these natural home remedies for getting rid of acne scars are effective, this blog post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t emphasize the importance of healing and preventing future breakouts through your diet.

I always say that clear skin is an inside job, which means your internal health has a direct impact on the appearance and texture of your skin. As your largest organ of detoxification, your skin’s appearance is a telling indicator of high levels of toxins in your body (which can manifest as breakouts) or hormonal imbalances.

This is why, in addition to using topical remedies for acne scars, it’s also important to add skin supportive foods to your diet each day.

Collagen peptides can help stimulate collagen production from the inside out, while plant foods such as spirulina, chlorella, leafy greens, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds are all rich sources of antioxidant vitamins that help promote healthy skin cells.

Refined sugar also acts as a toxin and damages your skin. This is because when you eat refined sugar, it attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and forms new molecules called AGEs, or advanced glycation end products. AGEs damage the collagen in your skin, preventing your skin from healing quicker and also causing premature wrinkles.

In addition to refined sugar, foods that are known to cause acne breakouts include dairy, white flour, grains and gluten, which is why it’s best to avoid these foods.

As mentioned above, refined sugar contributes to damaged skin by forming AGEs. But sugar also causes rapid spikes in your blood sugar levels, triggering the release of insulin. Fluctuating insulin levels have been shown to increase sebum production.

Excess sebum (oil) can clog your pores when mixed with the bacteria that live on your skin and form pimples. Refined sugar, dairy and gluten are often the cause of acne breakouts. Stick with leafy plant foods!

Dairy and gluten are common (and often hidden) food sensitivities for many people. Repeatedly eating a food your body has difficulty digesting can not only trigger an immune response, but also deplete your healthy gut bacteria. This leads to a health condition called gut dysbiosis.

Since approximately 70% of your immune system is located in your gut, gut dysbiosis can lead to immune dysfunction, which is a primary cause of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Lastly, essential fatty acids are an important nutrient for keeping your skin blemish-free. We require both omega-3’s and omega-6’s from our diets to keep our skin healthy. However, they are needed in a very specific ratio with one another—or else they can have the opposite effect and cause acne.

You see, omega-3 essential fatty acids are an anti-inflammatory nutrient, while omega-6’s cause inflammation when consumed in excess, resulting in inflammatory skin conditions such as acne.

The ideal omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is 1:2 or 1:3 for optimal health. Unfortunately, today’s Western diet is closer to a 1:17 ratio. This means we’re consuming at least 5 times the amount of omega-6’s we should be. This is because omega-6’s is found in high oleic vegetable oils and fats that are included in most packaged foods, fried foods and processed foods.

You can help reduce the inflammation in your skin by adding more omega-3’s to your diet and reducing your amount of omega-6’s. This can be done by eating more omega-3 rich foods at each meal (such as salmon, avocado, walnuts, flaxseed, hemp hearts and chia seeds), while avoiding processed, packaged and fast foods that are high in omega-6’s.

Since the Paleo diet recommends eating the skin supportive foods above, and eliminates the most common foods that cause acne, following a Paleo diet may also be an ideal way to improve the appearance and texture of your skin.

Watch this video – How to Naturally Eliminate Acne Scars and Marks?

Written by Brandi Black

Author Bio:

Brandi Black is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the creator of Feel Best Naked, a health blog for women who want to clear up their skin, lose the muffin top and make the bloat disappear. After years of experiencing (and then healing) her own unbalanced hormones, she’s now obsessed with helping other women feel spectacular in their own skin with natural remedies for hormone balance.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook

How to Find the Best and Healthiest Coconut Oil?

 

Click HERE to Discover these 80 Keto-Friendly and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes

From cold-pressed to unrefined, the lingo used to describe coconut oil can get pretty confusing. Here we breakdown what it all means and how to find the healthiest coconut oil for you.

While the recent popularity of coconut oil in the media makes it seem like a “new” health product, coconut oil has been consumed around the world for centuries.

Unfortunately, reaping the natural benefits of coconut oil proves more difficult than you think. There are different extraction methods used to separate coconut oil from its meat, which affects the quality and nutritional value of the oil.

For example, some companies use toxic chemicals to extract coconut oil, while others use all-natural, low-heat methods that preserve all of the coconut oil’s goodness.

Before we get into how to find the best, healthiest coconut oil, let’s take a look at why you want to be consuming this powerful oil in the first place.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Most of the benefits found in this tropical fruit oil are derived from its saturated and medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs). These good fats are easily absorbed through your gut, where they’re metabolized by the liver to produce energy and boost absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.

However, coconut oil’s MCTs also contain several compounds that give it a host of amazing benefits not seen in other oils!

Antibacterial and Antifungal

Coconut oil contains a fatty acid called lauric acid, which has potent antibacterial and antifungal properties. These properties come from lauric acid’s ability to disrupt the cell membranes of bacteria, which leads to their death.

Even in the face of antibiotic-resistant bugs, such as colitis-causing C. difficile, lauric acid has slowed and even stopped proliferation of bacteria in studies. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has potent antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Other studies show coconut oil to also be effective against Staph infection, acne caused by bacteria, and ear infections.

Improves Brain Health

If you compare your brain cells to mini engines, coconut oil’s medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) are their premium fuel source. These MCTs help keep them running optimally, with one study showing MCTs improve recall and memory problems in aging participants.

Reduces Inflammation

The antioxidant polyphenols in coconut oil reduce the inflammation that occurs in inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Studies show coconut oil’s anti-inflammatory effects come from its ability to suppress reactive cells, like C-reactive protein, that encourages swelling.

Helps Maintain Strong Bones

Coconut oil helps your body absorb calcium and magnesium – two minerals important for maintaining bone health. One study even showed that supplementing with virgin coconut oil helped improve bone volume after the onset of osteoporosis.

Promotes Weight Loss

Interestingly, the MCTs in coconut oil also have an appetite-reducing effect. This can help reduce overall calorie consumption, leading to fat loss.

One study showed that men who ate the most MCTs from coconut oil, ate an average of 256 fewer calories per day than normal, while another showed those consuming more coconut oil at breakfast also consumed less calories at lunch. Researchers believe this is due to improved insulin sensitivity and fat burning after consuming MCTs.

Ingredients to Avoid

Before you grab the nearest jar of coconut oil, check out the ingredient list so that you can avoid unhealthy toxins that are often added to the oil.

Ingredients to watch out for include added vegetable oils, such as cottonseed and canola oils. These oils are often added to cut down on the fat content of coconut oil (even though this fat is extremely healthy, as we saw from coconut oil’s benefits).

The problem with this is that the fats in these oils oxidize quickly, especially under high heat. Watch out for toxins in your next jar of coconut oil, like cottonseed and canola oils. 

When fats are oxidized, free radicals are formed that can harm and damage our DNA, leading to disease, abnormal cell metabolism, and faster aging.

As a rule, whether your coconut oil is for eating or for your skin or hair, “coconut oil” should be the only ingredient on the list.

Refined vs Unrefined Coconut Oil

Refined

Refined coconut oil is extracted from dried coconut meat using heat and a chemical solvent called hexane. After the oil is extracted, it is then filtered through a bleaching clay and is deodorized. Most coconut oils you see on the shelves are produced this way, unless stated otherwise on the label.

Unfortunately, this method has several limitations. Extracting coconut oil using heat can destroy the delicate nutrients and living enzymes present in coconut oil.

Adding hexane to the process further degrades the oil, as hexane has been shown to cause central nervous system depression, dizziness, nausea, headaches, as well as eye and throat irritations.

Unrefined

Unrefined coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut meats, as opposed to dried. As such, it has not been filtered, bleached, or deodorized. Unrefined coconut oil is made by mechanically pressing out the oil – without adding any harmful chemicals like hexane.

Terms to Look for: The Bad

Hydrogenated

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are produced by adding hydrogen to liquid oil to turn it into a solidified oil, mainly to extend shelf life. However, the side effect of doing this is the creation of trans fats, which have been shown to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.

Even the FDA has labelled hydrogenated oils as “generally not recognized as safe” and states that removing these oils from processed foods could, “prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year”.

Tip: Always avoid hydrogenated oil.

Terms to Look for: The Average

Expeller-pressed

Expeller-pressed coconut oil is produced using low-temperature and (usually) chemical-free drying methods. An expeller press is a large press that mechanically crushes the coconut meat until the oil runs out.

The reason it’s labelled as an “average” extraction method is because while the expeller press doesn’t apply heat directly to the coconut, high heat can develop due to high pressure and friction in the press. This can potentially damage delicate nutrients and antioxidants, and alter the flavor.

Centrifuge Extraction

Centrifugal oil extraction uses a high-speed centrifuge that separates the coconut oil from the water. While chemicals aren’t used in this method, excessive heat can be generated due to the friction of the centrifuge spin. Of course, some companies may monitor the heat levels while centrifuging, but are unlikely to state this on their labels. Overall, centrifuged coconut oil is a decent option if you’re looking to avoid chemicals and direct heating of your oil.

Terms to Look for: The Good

Virgin

Virgin coconut oil is oil that has not been hydrogenated or extracted using chemical solvents or high-heat methods. It has also not been bleached or deodorized, allowing it to retain its original taste, texture, and nutrients.

Overall, virgin is a term you should always look for when purchasing coconut oil if you’re looking for the best, purest variety.

PS: There is no difference between “Virgin” and “Extra-Virgin” coconut oil. “Extra Virgin” doesn’t mean much as it is really just a marketing trick to get you to pay more. Yikes!

Cold-pressed

Another term to look for when you want the most natural coconut oil is “cold-pressed.” You can think of this method as similar to expeller-pressed coconut oil, but with heat levels monitored to not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps preserve the fatty acids, antioxidants, and enzymes.

Plastic vs Glass Jars

Over time, the toxins in plastic can leach into your food and drinks – and coconut oil stored in plastic is no exception. These toxins can be absorbed through skin contact or through the food you eat.

So while buying coconut oil in a plastic container may be cheaper, you’re not only likely to get that icky, plastic taste but you’re also putting your health at risk.

Organic vs Non-Organic Coconut Oil

Like other crops, organic coconuts are grown using chemical-free, sustainable farming methods. This means synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are not used, making virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil truly pure, all the way from seed to oil.

Of course, purchasing organic coconut oil is your best bet not only to avoid chemical additions, but also to support farming methods that preserve healthy soils and environments.

Watch this video – Tips on How to Find the best and Healthiest Coconut Oil

The Bottom Line

The healthiest coconut oil you can buy is organic, cold-pressed, unrefined virgin coconut oil in a glass jar. By scrutinizing your labels, you avoid all poisonous chemicals and retain all of the beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and fatty acids that have made coconut oil a medicinal treasure around the globe.

Written by Megan Patiry

Author Bio:

Megan is an inquisitive nutrition and wellness writer harboring an editorial love affair with the decadent and the nutritious. She is a dedicated researcher in all areas of ancestral health, a certified specialist in fitness nutrition, personal trainer, and professional almond milk latte addict.

A lot of people have gotten results from the Keto diet, and enjoyed the foods that it has to offer. However, many of the people who are following this diet have a hard time finding the recipes that they need, especially ones that are quick and easy to complete.

Fortunately, Kelsey Ale, noticed this problem, and decided to do something about it. She’s found that making recipes in a slow cooker gives you meals which are not only delicious, but also take very little time to make. Mostly you just put a few simple ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the rest.

To find out more, click on – Keto Slow Cooker Cookbook