Turmeric has been in culinary and medicinal use for ages. It is one of the most common herbs found in Indian curries. Ayurveda and western medicines extensively use it for many therapeutic and preventative measures to combat diseases and conditions.
One of its compounds called curcumin has been extensively researched by pharmaceutical scientists.
Due to its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory capabilities and numerous other health benefits of turmeric, you can use it to heal acne, pimples and other skin blemishes.
Dealing with acne and treating it effectively has been a challenge for most youngsters. If you are one of them then try turmeric to get rid of your acne.
You can use turmeric in combination with other natural ingredients in dozens of different ways to treat acne.
Why Turmeric is Effective Treatment of Acne?
Curcumin, the most effective compound of turmeric, helps to heal acne in more than one way.
- Kills Bacteria - Due to its antibiotic and antiseptic capabilities turmeric kills bacteria. Various studies have found it many times more effective than conventional acne medication.
- Reduces Inflammations - Turmeric is anti-inflammatory so it reduces swelling and promotes fast healing
- Removes Excess Sebum - Turmeric us capable of drying out sebum from the skin. The removal of excess sebum stops acne formation.
- Removes Blemishes - Due to its high antioxidant capabilities, turmeric prevents oxidative damage caused by free radicals. The healed skin doesn't leave any blemishes.
With all these superior capabilities turmeric us not only good for acne but it effectively treats rosacea, removes dark spots and other skin blemishes.
How to Use Turmeric for Acne
Following are 15 different ways to use turmeric for your acne, pimples or zits whatever call those unglamorous boils on your face.
15 Ways to Treat Acne with Turmeric
- Turmeric with Milk
- Turmeric with Yogurt
- Turmeric with Honey
- Turmeric with Lemon
- Turmeric with Garlic
- Turmeric with Ginger
- Turmeric with Tomato
- Turmeric with ACV
- Turmeric with Aloe Vera
- Turmeric with Olive Oil
- Turmeric with Sandalwood
- Turmeric With Gram Flour
- Turmeric with Oatmeal
- Turmeric with Neem
- Turmeric Alone
Let us now look at each way to treat acne in details:
1. Turmeric with Milk
There are myths about consuming milk causing acne. It is neither proved or disproved, so draw your own conclusions, whether to drink milk or not. But, applying milk on skin has been in use since ancient time. It is believed that Cleopatra used to take bath in the milk to stay young and beautiful.
Take half a teaspoon of Turmeric powder and add few drops of milk to make a paste. Apply it on the pimples. Leave it until it dries off. Wash it if with water.
2. Turmeric with Yogurt
The probiotic in yogurt has some good bacteria to fight bad bacteria. Yogurt does a very good job of balancing bacteria in your guts when you consume it.
It aids turmeric in doing the same job to fight bacteria on the skin. Yogurt also reduces redness of the acne Inflammations. Make a paste of turmeric and acne. Apply it for 15 minutes on the pimples and remove it with water.
3. Turmeric with Honey
Honey is antiseptic, so is turmeric. The combination makes it an excellent antiseptic cream to fight acne.
Since honey is a thick liquid substance, add turmeric to money to make cream like consistency. Almost equal amounts of honey and turmeric will.make a good cream. Adjust the consistency that suits you.
You can keep the prepared cream in a sealed jar for regular use.
Apply the cream on your face. Let it do its job for 30 minutes or so, then wash it off with water.
4. Turmeric with Lemon
Lemon is also antibacterial and antiseptic and is on its own capable to handle acne.
Turmeric lemon paste is a very potent remedy for clearing your acne and get a smooth blemish free facial skin.
Even acne scars and other blemishes can be slowly removed with lemon and turmeric.
5. Turmeric with Garlic
Like many other herbs garlic also possesses antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities. A compound Allicin helps to kill bacteria fast.
Grate and extract juice of garlic. Add it to one teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a paste.
You can also crush garlic cloves to make a thick paste and add turmeric powder. Keep the garlic turmeric paste in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for further use.
Apply it on the pimples and wash it off after 15-30 minutes.
6. Turmeric with Ginger
This combination of turmeric and Ginger is for treatment of the cystic acne which are more difficult to deal with. It certainly also helps to heal all kinds of acne.
Gingerol and other not only act as astringent to open clogged pores but also reduce Inflammations and pain.
You can grate a small piece of ginger and extract juice. You will require very small quantity of juice to make a paste with turmeric.
Apply the paste on the acne and wash it off after 15 minutes.
You can use this combination for removal of dark spots and other skin blemishes.
7. Turmeric with Tomato
Tomato rich in Vitamin C possesses astringent capabilities to remove blemishes and open pores. It is also an anti-aging product.
You need to extract juice from raw tomato and strain it with fine mesh strainer. This consistency of the tomato juice is similar to water.
You can straight away add tomato juice with turmeric to use it on your acne. Take half teaspoon of turmeric powder and add a few drops of tomato juice to make a thick paste. Alternatively you can add gram flour or oatmeal flour also to make a thick paste.
Apply on the acne and keep it for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off with cool water.
8. Turmeric and Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar helps to remove dead skin and other impurities from the clogged pores. Turmeric will do the job of killing bacteria. The combination works very well to clear acne from your face.
Add a few drops of apple cider vinegar in a teaspoon of turmeric to make a medium thick paste. Apply and leave it for 15-30 minutes before washing it off with water.
9. Turmeric with Aloe Vera
Aloe vera possesses astringent properties to open the pore which are clogged and have formed acne.
Aloe vera also reduces Inflammations, swelling and redness caused by the infection.
This the first paste where you can have less turmeric than the other ingredient which is Aloe vera in this case.
Aloe vera gel is thick enough to stay on your face. Take one teaspoon of aloe vera gel and add half teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a paste. Apply and keep it on the face for 30 minutes before washing off with water.
10. Turmeric with Olive Oil
Olive oil rich in Vitamin E oil has both antibacterial as well as antioxidant capabilities. So it not only helps to heal acne but protects the skin from harmful effects of free radicals.
You can add equal quantities of olive oil and turmeric powder to make a thick paste.
Apply the paste before going to the bed. Leave it on your face overnight and wash it off in the morning.
11. Turmeric with Sandalwood
Sandalwood is cool and it takes away heat and reduces inflammation. Turmeric and sandalwood combination works very well to get rid of acne, dark spots and other blemishes.
Take a tablespoon of sandalwood powder. Add half teaspoon of turmeric powder. Add some water drop by drop to make a thick paste. The paste should be thick enough to ensure no dripping.
Apply the paste on your entire face. This quantity is sufficient to cover the entire face. Leave it for 30 minutes and wash it off.
12. Turmeric with Gram Flour
Gram flour has the capacity to absorb excess sebum produced by the body. Excess sebum along with dead skin cells and other impurities blocks the pores causing acne.
Once the pores are cleared then there is no acne. Turmeric with its antibacterial capabilities and gram flour with oil absorbing property are both dry powders. You will need liquid to make a paste.
You can use water, milk, lemon or any other liquids mentioned here to make a thick paste which can stick around for 30 minutes on your face.
13. Turmeric with Oatmeal
Oatmeal exfoliates well and combined with turmeric it becomes a good facial pack to deal with acne. Take one teaspoon of oatmeal flour and add half teaspoon of turmeric powder. Add any liquid such as water, milk, lemon or yogurt to make a thick paste.
Apply on the acne affected area. You can apply on the entire face but you will need more quantity. Make more with the same ratio. Leave it for 15-20 minutes before washing it off with water.
14. Turmeric with Neem
Neem leaves are antibiotic and antiseptic. They have been in use from ancient times for various health particularly for skin formulations.
Take 10-15 fresh Neem leaves. Wash them to remove impurities. Boil them to make tender. Crush the wet Neem leaves and add half teaspoon of turmeric powder to make a thick paste.
Apply on the acne affected area of your face and leave it for 15 minutes before washing it off with water.
15. Turmeric Paste without Other Ingredients
This is the simplest method to use turmeric for acne. Add some water to turmeric to make a paste thick enough that doesn't drip.
Apply on your pimples and keep it till it is dry. Wash it off after 15 minutes.
Caution With Turmeric for Acne
Although turmeric is generally safe that is why it is used extensively in the food as herb. However, consuming large quantities of turmeric has serious side effects.
All the uses given above are topical skin applications of turmeric, therefore you really don't have to worry about the side effects.
The only thing you have to be cautious about is the color it leaves behind. If turmeric falls on your clothes then it will cause yellow spots on the cloth that can't be removed easily.
Regular use on the skin may give a yellow tinge on your skin, which may or may not suit you depending on your original skin color. But, nothing to worry. You can use cotton swab and facial toner to remove it.