Treat Acne Scars with Aloe Vera

Once an acne breakout clears up, you might be left with a nasty skin issue known as acne scars. The acne scars are often deeply rooted in the skin and hence become difficult to treat unless they are managed early on.[1] Aloe has been shown to significantly heal skin lesions caused by acne when used regularly to treat outbreaks.[2] This is due to aloe's anti-inflammatory properties when applied to the skin.[3] How you prepare aloe vera will depend on your overall skin condition. Using aloe vera correctly, in conjunction with a larger acne treatment plan, can help you reduce the visibility of scars and feel more confident in your skin.

Steps

Using Aloe on Oily Skin

  1. Boil an aloe leaf. The best way to use fresh aloe is by turning it into a paste. To do this, you'll need to soften the leaf.[4]
    • Fill a pot with enough water to cover an aloe leaf.
    • Boil until the leaf is soft and squishy.
    • Remove the aloe leaf with tongs and run it under cold water to cool the leaf down to room temperature.
  2. Grind the aloe up. Now that the leaf is soft and pliable, you'll need to grind the aloe so you can form a paste. If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use it for this. If not, you can simply mash the boiled leaf using the back of a spoon.
    • Work the softened aloe leaf until it forms a thick, viscous paste.[4]
  3. Add honey. Honey is a useful substance for treating a number of skin conditions, including acne. That's because honey is believed to have antibacterial properties, and may be useful in healing open wounds like acne scars.[5]
    • Add just a few drops of honey to the paste. You won't need much, but adding too much honey won't hurt. Be aware that honey may make your face a little stickier than you'd like, so consider how much honey you are comfortable using (if any).[4]
  4. Work the mixture into a paste. The mashed aloe should provide texture, and the added honey may help the mixture congeal into a workable paste. If it is too runny, you can add a pinch of flour to thicken it up a bit more.[4]
  5. Apply to skin. Spread the paste evenly across your face, focusing on areas with the most acne and scars. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Repeat once every week to help soothe acne and heal acne wounds before they scar.[4]

Applying Aloe on Dry Skin

  1. Decide which aloe to use. You can use store-bought aloe vera gel, or boil your own aloe leaf to form a paste. If boiling, be sure to allow the leaf to cool before applying it to your face.[4]
  2. Mix in shea butter and olive oil. Shea butter will help thicken the aloe into a workable paste, and olive oil will help provide additional moisture for dry skin.[4] Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly blended into a thick paste.
    • Shea butter is shown to have anti-inflammatory properties when applied to skin wounds.[6]
    • Olive oil helps moisturize dry skin. It can also help coat minor skin wounds and may speed up the healing process by locking in moisture.[7]
  3. Apply the paste to your face. Spread the paste evenly over the face, focusing on areas that are particularly affected by acne and scarring. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Repeat as needed throughout the week to help treat acne wounds and lock in moisture.[4]

Treating Sensitive Skin with Aloe

  1. Choose your aloe form. You can use aloe vera gel from a store, or make your own paste by boiling an aloe leaf. If you decide to make your own, be sure to let the leaf adequately cool before applying it to your skin.[8]
  2. Add yogurt and cucumber juice. Once you've gotten a workable paste out of the aloe leaf, or poured out enough aloe vera gel from a bottle, stir in one or two spoonfuls of yogurt and a few drops of cucumber juice.[8]
    • The lactic acid in yogurt is believed to have soothing properties for sensitive skin. It is also thought to tighten pores and reduce the chances of bacterial infection on the skin, which can help prevent future acne outbreaks.[9]
    • Cucumber is thought to have soothing and cleansing properties when applied to the skin.[10]
  3. Apply to skin. Work the ingredients into a well-mixed paste and apply evenly across the face, focusing on problem areas marked with acne and scars. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Repeat as necessary throughout the week.[8]

Tips

  • These techniques can be used on any part of your skin or body.
  • Always use gloves while cutting the aloe vera leaf in order to protect your skin from latex allergies and thorns of the plant.
  • If you are using aloe vera extract directly from the plant then don’t forget to wash the leaf before using it for acne scar treatment. The dust and dirt on the aloe vera leaf may lead to a skin infection.

Warnings

  • Use caution to avoid pricking your fingers while removing the spiky sides of the aloe vera leaf.
  • You may experience some skin irritation due to the application of aloe vera in large amounts. Before applying aloe vera on acne scars you should first test it on other parts of your other skin. Discontinue use of aloe if the irritation worsens.
  • Do not ingest aloe vera.
  • Do not use aloe vera if you are allergic to aloe or other members of the Liliaceae family, which includes garlic, onions, and tulips.[11]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/basics/definition/con-20020580
  2. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23336746
  3. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/aloe/background/hrb-20058665
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 http://www.med-health.net/Aloe-Vera-For-Skin.html
  5. ↑ http://www.newhealthguide.org/Honey-For-Face.html
  6. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20484832
  7. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-hannah-grufferman/olive-oil-health-benefits_b_945506.html
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 http://www.newhealthguide.org/Aloe-Vera-For-Face.html
  9. ↑ http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/yogurt.shtml
  10. ↑ http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/cucumber_benefits.shtml
  11. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/aloe/safety/hrb-20058665
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Treat_Acne_Scars_with_Aloe_Vera&oldid=302462"