Easiest DIY Acne Cream

Today, I'm sharing a surprisingly simple Homemade Blemish Cream.

Summer is basically over, but you won't find me putting my sunscreen away anytime soon.  Why?  Let me tell you.

I've had problem skin on and off my whole life, with the worst bout being in my mid to late 20s.  I had acne so bad.  I tried all everything it seemed.  Things that I had bought in drugstores and off of infomercials — acne cream, topical antibiotics, Clearasil®, Sea Breeze®…  Pretty much you name it.

It got so bad that I talked to my doctor about Accutane.  Scary stuff, that is.  They make you take blood tests regularly to make sure it isn't damaging your liver, and you have to take birth control at the same time since if you have a baby while taking Accutane you're basically guaranteed to have a horribly deformed child.

Anyhow, I tried everything.  Eventually, my problems got better.  I don't even remember what changed, but it might have been my stopping some of my gluten over-indulgence.  I remember going through a period of thinking I had a wheat allergy at some point around that time in my life, so it's possible that a reduction in my gluten intake reduced my symptoms.

However, even though I am quite a bit older now, I occasionally get breakouts — sometimes worse than others.  I have tried, with varying success, grapefruit essential oil, an antibacterial essential oils blend (that worked quite well on and off), putting straight alcohol on a cotton swab and holding it on the offending spot (ouch), castor oil packs on my liver (helpful when the breakout has to do with a detox/liver clogging issue), and yet still I find myself needing something more to deal with the offending zits.

So this summer, I got some new ammunition against breakouts.

The Unusual Origin of This DIY Acne Cream

I was at a convention that turned into a vacation afterward, where I met Dr. “Wiggy” and Emily Saunders and we really connected. Dr. “Wiggy” specializes in thyroid issues and Emily is a trainer, so you can imagine why we connected, right?  And they are just lovely people.

We talked about all kinds of things, but one crazy thing that Emily told me is that she had a great way of dealing with acne.

Zinc oxide!

I discuss zinc oxide in this post about sunscreen safety tips (hint: it's considered to be safe as long as it isn't nano), but I'd never heard of it being used for acne.

I was sure game, though.

When I got home from our work/vacation, I just had to try it out. I had a variety of sunscreens at home so I tried it, and it worked!

Whenever I've had a small breakout since (which is very rare since I've worked hard on my overall health), instead of using sunscreen, I've used this DIY acne cream with great results.

So basically, since zinc oxide is in most safe sunscreens, you could use sunscreen on your face, like I did.  Or, you can make your very own Homemade Acne Treatment.

Concerns About Zinc Oxide Safety

Does it matter what kind of zinc oxide you buy?

Well, you could just go online and buy whatever zinc oxide you see, but it's important to know exactly what you're buying.

• Zinc oxide can be contaminated with other heavy metals.  Read more about heavy metals in cosmetics and contamination here.
• Zinc oxide can be sourced in many places, including countries with questionable manufacturing standards.
• The particle size of the zinc oxide may be a concern.  The reason is that if the particles are really small (nanoparticles), then they might be able to penetrate the skin.

In general, basically it seems that we don't know enough about nanoparticles in sunscreen or other topical products to know if it's really a problem or not, but I would personally rather err on the side of caution.

For one, I do not recommend using spray sunscreen, because for sure inhaling these compounds is dangerous.

Basically, if you don't want white cream all over yourself, you do need a small zinc oxide particle, but it's best to go with the largest particle size that you can.

Where to Buy Zinc Oxide

The solution? Buy a zinc oxide product that you can trust.

When I first wrote this post, I recommend a brand called Raise Them Well. Their zinc oxide was from Canada and was tested for heavy metals and was non-nano.

Sadly, they don't sell this product any longer, so I'm on the hunt for another good option.

For now, this zinc oxide appears to be a solid choice, but I'll have to investigate more.

Note that zinc oxide doesn't spoil so you can use it next year too (and the year after, and the year after.)

Trustworthy Anti-Blemish Products You Can Buy

In addition to a spot treatment like this, it's sometimes a good idea to have a whole face system. Also, if you don't feel like making your own homemade blemish treatment, or aren't able to sometimes here are some alternatives.

Rowe Casa

Rowe Casa has a great line of anti-blemish products that have fantastic reviews. I'll be testing them out and will update you with my thoughts, but so far I've been really happy with just about everything I've tried from their company.

The whole line gets great reviews for blemish control without too much drying.

In addition, using a good scrub like their Microderm Scrub on your skin is fantastic for skin turnover to help with acne.

Crunchi

Crunchi also has some great skincare products. While they don't have a line specifically for blemish-prone skin, many of their products are great for addressing blemishes. I personally think that their I Am Polished, Charcoal Mask, and Charcoal Bar are great for this type of skin.

Speaking of soap, to keep yours lasting a LONG time, make sure to get these Soap Savers. SO much better than regular soap dishes that end up making your soap all goopy and runny on the bottom.

So what are you waiting for?
Tell those pimples goodbye with your new DIY acne cream!

What acne remedies have you tried?
How have they worked?