Homeopathic Remedies for Adult Acne

The prevailing mythology about acne is that it is a malady associated with youth and is something that is left behind as we enter adulthood. It is estimated, however, that as many as 30 percent of adult women and 20 percent of adult men suffer from some degree of acne problems. For people who find themselves in such a predicament, the answers often involve the use of harsh chemical-based treatments or painful medical procedures, all with varying degrees of effectiveness. As we learn more about adult acne we are also learning of new, safe and natural ways to treat it.

Topical Remedies

• In the same way that there are varying types of acne, there are also varying types of homeopathic acne treatments. Simply walking into your local natural foods store or organic market, you are likely to see anywhere from 10 to 15 different homeopathic acne treatments. As you might imagine, different remedies will be more or less effective on the different types of acne breakouts. Furthermore, the methods for administering the treatment vary between remedies. Let's take a look at two of the more popular and effective topical homeopathic acne remedies.

  Sulphur is a naturally occurring element that has been used for centuries for all manner of skin ailments and is known to possess strong germicidal qualities. It is widely used as a homeopathic acne remedy and is most effective on acne that is inflammatory in nature. While sulphur is effective at killing the built-up bacteria found in inflammatory acne, it is also a keratolytic agent. This means that it works to soften keratin which in turn helps to shed the dead skin cells that may be causing the acne in the first place. Sulphur is administered topically at strengths between 3 and 10 percent, either through sulphur soap or in the form of an ointment. It is important to note that while sulphur is an effective adult acne treatment, significant results may not be noticeable for several weeks.

  Tea tree oil is another common topical homeopathic treatment for adult acne. It is know for its antiseptic and antifungal qualities and is believed to have a similar level of effectiveness to 5 percent benzoyl peroxide-based treatments. The benefit of using tea tree oil is that unlike benzoyl peroxide, it rarely causes skin irritation. Tea tree oil is most effective on small to moderate acne breakouts and is generally found in ointments at a strength of 15 percent.

Oral Remedies

• In the world of homeopathic adult acne treatments, pill-based remedies tend to be more common. One of the more popular orally administered remedies is Kali bromatum, also known as potassium bromide. This remedy works best in treating itchy acne breakouts on the face, chest and back. Kali bromatum is most effective when taken at regular intervals up to six times per day.

  Hepar sulphur is yet another oral acne treatment, although on rare occasions it can be found in topical form. It is made from the pulverized inner layers of oyster shells. This remedy works best on inflammatory cystlike acne that tends to be painful to the touch and bleeds easily.

  Much like Hepar sulphur, Silicea is a pill-based homeopathic acne treatment that is used on painful inflammatory acne. The real separation between the two remedies centers on Silicea's effectiveness in limiting the scaring common to this type of acne, helping to prevent it from spreading to the deeper layers of tissue.