Growing up, I was one of those people who had perfect skin. No acne, zits, breakouts, or whatnot. Nothing. Now don't get jealous, because a few years ago, I was paid back with NASTY cystic acne and on top of that, I also got rosacea. Most of the time, my skin is okay, but when my rosacea is bad, my face, especially my cheeks, look bright red and cooked.
I tried everything over the counter with little results, and the creams the dermatologist gave me created chemical burns on my face. Therefore, I had resorted to home remedies to figure out what to do for my skin. I am not a doctor, and I have no medical knowledge. I can't promise these things will work for you, so you'll be taking the risk on whether it works for you or not. However, I would like to share what works for me in hopes it will help someone else.
A few years ago, someone told me about tea tree oil, which is a natural anti antiseptic/antibacterial/anti fungal product. I buy mine locally on the aisle with the vitamins and herbs at Wal-Mart or Walgreen's. Wal-mart sells it about $5.00 cheaper, so try there first. Then last year, I found an etsy seller who makes tea tree soap. I've featured Country Heart Gift's shop in July, so you can search my posts for more about her. Any time I have a bad crop of acne, I use this soap, then I put the tea tree oil on a cotton swab and dab it directly on just the acne. I'll warn you this stuff smells really strong, so you might want to just use it at night or sometime when you'll be at home. Usually, I can see the acne getting less red by the first application of the oil.
However, last week I had the worst case of rosacea I've had, plus I had a major crop of cystic acne on my chest, neck, jawline, and a bit on my chin. Even the tea tree oil wasn't doing much this time. While I was at my eye doctor for an appointment, one of the women who works there, who has known me forever, was kind enough to work into the conversation that she has stress produced rosacea that results in acne. Like me, the medicines her dermatologist prescribed didn't work for her, so she was trying home remedies.
What worked for her? Apple cider vinegar. She said she thought to try it after her brother started drinking it to lower his cholesterol. She figured if it was good for the inside of the body, maybe it would be good for the outside too. Therefore, she started drinking a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day, then after she washes her face, she puts the vinegar on a cotton ball and rubs it on her face. Her skin is so clear now, she said some days she is able to go without make up.
She warned me- again as I am warning you- this may not work for everyone. However, at that point I was desperate and willing to try anything. Although I can't bring myself to drink it, for almost a week now, I have been rubbing the vinegar on my face. I use it morning and night, and if my face feels like it's on fire but is not overly sensitive, I will rub it on then too.
Immediately after the first application, I noticed my face didn't feel like it was on fire anymore. (With rosacea, you can feel heat from within) Then I noticed my face had turned from blood red to pink. Since then, I am noticing the pinkness hasn't gone away, but it is way lighter than it normally is. In addition, while the acne is not completely gone, it started drying up on the first day and is very faint now. I just got some new tea tree soap, so I am hoping the combination of the soap and the vinegar will completely clear my face up again.
I am not a doctor and I have no medical knowledge, so I can't begin to tell you how this works. I also can't tell you what it will do for your skin, but if you're tried everything else and are desperate, this might be worth a shot.