Making this natural acne treatment is easy with this two-step process that anyone can do. You’ll create an effective homemade salve to treat your acne that you can also use as a spot treatment for the occasional isolated pimple or blemish!

Mary holding a natural acne treatment.
Watch the How to Make a Natural Acne Treatment and Homemade Pimple Cream video

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What Is a Natural Acne Treatment?

You can create a natural acne treatment by using beneficial herbs to create an infused oil and then make a salve from the infused oil. You’ll be able to apply the salve directly to your skin, which will easily absorb the essential oils in the salve. The salve won’t give you a greasy feeling, and the oils will help your body fight against the bacteria that are linked to causing acne and other types of pimples and blemishes.

The ingredients for this natural acne treatment contain properties that help fight against the bacteria that cause acne and the occasional flare-up of pimples and blemishes. I share more details about all these ingredients in the following sections.

Disclaimer

I am not a doctor or medical professional. If you are not feeling well, please seek professional medical attention and medicine. And if you are thinking of supplementing your treatment with home remedies, be sure to talk to your medical professional about them. It’s important that you get the medicine and treatments you need to get back to good health.

As I mention in my video, this acne treatment is not for children. You will also want to make sure you try a patch test before using this natural remedy.

Supplies Needed to Make a Natural Acne Treatment

Before gathering the ingredients you will need to make a natural acne treatment, make sure you have the following supplies on hand.

Step 1: To create the infused oil

  • Double Boiler or Saucepan with Heatproof Bowl
  • Heatproof Spatula
  • Wide-mouth pint-sized glass jar
  • Twelve-ounce glass bottle with tight fitting cap (preferably a dark-colored bottle)

Step 2: To use the infused oil to create a homemade salve

  • Four-ounce glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (preferably a dark-colored jar). Alternatively, you can divide this treatment salve into small metal tins.

Ingredients to Make a Natural Acne Treatment

Find the full printable recipe with ingredients below.

To make this natural acne treatment, you will need the following:

  • Beeswax – pellets or grated
  • Dried Herbs
    • Barberry Root
    • Calendula Flowers
    • Oregon Grape Root
  • Jojoba Oil

Note: Read more about the benefits of the dried herbs and Jojoba Oil in the sections below.

Special Offer for Natural Acne Ingredients

Farmhouse Teas logo

To make it easy for you to get the dried herbs you need to make this acne salve, Farmhouse Teas created a special natural acne treatment ingredients page on their website where you can select the herbs you need along with beeswax and metal storage tins.

And be sure to use discount code MarysNest10 for 10% off your Farmhouse Teas order, which includes the natural acne treatment ingredients and other products on their website. (This is not a sponsored post. I love their products.)

The only other ingredient you’ll need is Jojoba Oil, which you can get from your local or online retailer, such as Amazon.

How to Make a Natural Acne Treatment

Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.

The process of making a natural acne treatment is easy. Simply follow these steps to (1) create the infused oil and (2) use the infused oil to create a homemade salve. (You can also watch my Natural Acne Salve video to see how to make this natural treatment.)

  1. Fill the pint-sized jar with equal amounts of the Barberry Root, Oregon Grape Root, and Calendula flowers. Do not compact the herbs in the jar.
  2. Fill the jar with the Jojoba Oil, allowing approximately a half-inch headspace from the rim of the jar. Make sure you completely submerge all the roots and flowers under the oil.
  3. Place the lid on the jar and tighten.
  4. Place the jar in a warm area and allow the oil, roots, and flowers to steep for six weeks. You can place the jar in direct sunlight, if you want.
  5. After six weeks, strain the roots and flowers from the oil and decant this infused oil into a bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place.
  6. When you are ready to make the natural acne treatment as a salve, pour some of the infused oil into the top of a double boiler along with the beeswax and warm it gently.
  7. Once the beeswax is completely melted, pour it into a jar and store it in a cool, dark place.

Variations When Making a Natural Acne Treatment

If you find that you need an extra strength natural acne treatment, you have two options:

  • Add 20 drops of helichrysum italicum essential oil to the mixture before decanting it into a jar.
  • In place of the barberry root and the Oregon grape root, use goldenseal root. The ratio in the pint-size jar will now be 2 parts goldenseal root and 1 part calendula flowers.

Helichrysum has very strong anti-bacterial properties which help fight against acne-causing bacteria.

Goldenseal is the gold standard (forgive the pun!) when it comes to combating tough cases of acne because it is very rich in the compound berberine, which has been studied extensively by scientists for its acne-fighting properties. However, goldenseal is quite costly, so start with barberry root and Oregon grape root first and see if they provide the relief you need.

Natural Acne Treatment Tips

When making this natural acne treatment, be sure to warm the oil on your stovetop’s lowest setting. You want to protect the essential oils that will be extracted from the roots and flowers.

Keep in mind that this is a natural preparation with a limited shelf life. Be sure to use this within one year of preparation to guarantee its greatest efficacy.

Storing a Natural Acne Treatment

Store your natural acne treatment in a cool, dark area to protect the essential oils that have been extracted into the oil and are part of your salve.

Avoid storing this natural acne treatment in the bathroom. The moist environment will degrade your salve.

How to Use a Natural Acne Treatment

A little of this natural acne treatment goes a long way! (Note: Before using your natural acne treatment, try a patch test first!)

  • For using on your face, take a pea-sized amount, rub it between the palms of your hands, and apply it directly to your face.
  • For larger areas, use a dime-sized amount and follow the same process of rubbing it first between your palms and then applying to the affected area.

The Importance of First Performing a Patch Test

Before using this natural acne treatment broadly on your face or other parts of your body, always remember to first do what is known as a patch test.

  1. Place a small amount of the natural acne treatment on the inner side of your wrist and rub it into your skin.
  2. If any irritation develops, wash it off immediately.
  3. Otherwise, wait 24 hours to make sure that no irritation develops.
  4. If you do not experience any irritation, repeat applying this treatment to your inner wrist each day for one week. Continue to monitor your patch test area to ensure no irritation has developed.

If, after one week, your skin has not developed any type of inflammation, you can proceed with using the natural acne treatment more broadly.

The Benefits of the Ingredients Used to Make a Natural Acne Treatment

Jojoba Oil Benefits

Jojoba is the perfect oil to use when making a skin preparation because it is non-comedogenic, which means it will not clog your pores. Instead, Jojoba oil will penetrate your pores to fight against the bacteria that cause acne.

Jojoba Oil fights acne, pimples, and blemishes by balancing the sebum secretion from our pores. Sebum is an oily substance produced by our sebaceous glands. Too little sebum and our skin will be dry and flaky, but too much and our skin can become very oily.

Excess sebum oil and dead skin cells can begin to clog our pores and lead to a build-up of bad bacteria that leads to acne breakouts. While Jojoba oil works to balance our sebum secretion, it also kills bacteria on contact without causing redness or irritation. This side effect may occur with other acne-fighting preparations.

Scientists have conducted extensive studies on Jojoba oil, which has shown a wide range of pharmacological applications beyond its anti-acne properties. Jojoba oil has also been found to have antioxidant, anti-psoriasis, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antipyretic, analgesic, antimicrobial, and anti-hyperglycemia activities!

Barberry Root Benefits

Barberry root contains a high concentration of a compound known as berberine that has been found to inhibit the production of acne.

Oregon Grape Root Benefits

Oregon Grape Root also contains berberine to give the natural acne treatment an extra dose of power to fight against acne-causing bacteria.

Calendula Flowers Benefits

Since it has inflammatory properties, Calendula contains compounds that contribute to soothing inflamed skin. Plus, it has also been shown to contribute to wound healing, which might reduce scarring. With these attributes, it also may help to minimize the scarring associated with acne.

Master Recipe for Making Medicinal Herbal Oils and Salves

If you would like to learn how to make a variety of herbal infused oils which can then be used to make medicinal herbal salves, be sure to watch the video below:

INSERT VIDEO

More Natural Remedies

See all →

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How to Make a Natural Acne Treatment

Making this natural acne treatment is easy with this two-step process that anyone can do. You'll create an effective homemade salve to treat your acne that you can also use as a spot treatment for the occasional isolated pimple or blemish!
Prep Time15 minutes
Active Time0 minutes
Steeping Time42 days
Total Time42 days 15 minutes
Course: Home Remedies, Natural Remedies
Cuisine: Americana
Yield: 4 ounces

Equipment

  • 1 Double Boiler or Saucepan with Heatproof Bowl
  • 1 Wide-mouth pint-sized glass jar with lid
  • 1 Twelve-ounce glass bottle with tight-fitting cap (preferably a dark colored bottle)
  • 1 Four-ounce glass jar with tight-fitting lid (preferably a dark colored jar) Alternatively, you can use small metal tins.

Materials

To Make Infused Oil

  • Jojoba Oil sufficient amount to cover the dried roots and flowers
  • Dried Barberry Root sufficient amount to add 1/3 to a pint-sized jar
  • Dried Oregon Grape Root sufficient amount to add 1/3 to a pint-sized jar
  • Dried Calendula Flowers sufficient amount to add 1/3 to a pint-sized jar

To Make Natural Acne Treatment Salve

  • 1/2 cup Infused Oil (from above recipe)
  • 1/8 cup Beeswax Pellets or Grated Beeswax
  • 20 drops Helichrysum Itilucum Essential Oil, optional

Instructions

  • Fill the pint jars with 1/3 Oregon Grape Root, 1/3 Barberry Root, and 1/3 Calendula Flowers. (Since the flowers are the largest of the herbs, include them last and do not compact the herbs.)
  • Fill the jar with sufficient Jojoba Oil to within a half inch of the rim of the jar. Make sure all the flowers and roots are submerged under the oil.
  • Allow the flowers and roots to steep in the oil for 6 weeks in a warm place. A sunny windowsill is fine.
  • After 6 weeks, place a mesh strainer over a bowl, empty the contents of the jar into the strainer, and allow the oil to drain into the bowl. DO NOT press down on the herbs.
  • Decant the oil into a bottle with a tight-fitting screw-on lid.
  • When you are ready to make the natural acne treatment salve, set up a double boiler on a stovetop set to its lowest setting.
  • Pour 1/2 cup of the infused oil into the top of the double boiler.
  • Add 1/8 cup of beeswax pellets or grated beeswax into the double boiler along with the oil.
  • Stir well and allow the beeswax to melt.
  • Once the beeswax has melted, turn off the heat and transfer the top of the double boiler to a heat-proof surface. If you are using the helichrysum essential oil, add the drops now to the warm oil and stir well to incorporate.
  • Carefully transfer the warmed oil to a 4 ounce jar or divide among small metal containers.
  • Once cooled, put the lid on the jar or metal containers. Store in a cool, dry place.
  • For best efficacy, use within one year.

Video

Notes

RECIPE NOTES:
  1. Remember to always use a patch test before using this natural acne treatment on your face or other parts of your body.
  2. To use this natural acne treatment salve, take a small amount the size of a pea, rub it between your palms, and then apply to your face. For larger areas of the body, follow the same process but use a dime-sized amount.
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-a-natural-acne-treatment/
Copyright © 2023 Mary’s Nest, LLC, All Rights Reserved

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Disclaimer:I am not a medical doctor, a medical professional, a dietician, or a nutritionist. All content found on the MarysNest.com website, including text, images, videos, eBooks or eGuides, social media, or other formats, were created solely for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or proper nutritional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have watched in a video or read on this website. Use caution when following the recipe in this video. The creator and publisher of this video and website will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of this recipe and method or any other recipe and method on this website or corresponding video channel.

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