At the start of the New Year, I began exercising more and nourishing my body with clean food, green juices, and fresh water. I've been doing yoga, getting outside, and improving my sleeping habits too. Basically, I've been doing a lot of things better for my health, but despite all of it, my skin has looked less than great. In fact, it looks dull, blotchy, and a bit too pallid for my liking. Definitely not its usual clear and balanced self.

Normally I can go through the month with one or two blemishes around that time of the month, but lately, I've been getting clusters of them on my cheeks, near my temples, and at times around my jawline. It just looks awful and it's frustrating for someone who has always struggled with acne.

Why the sudden change? Detox. Plain and simple.

Over the holidays I let my guard down and indulged a bit more than I usually do around the holidays. Bread, cheese, charcuterie, desserts… you name it, I ate it and now I'm paying for it! If you're someone who has been careful about what they put into their bodies, a sudden change in diet like this can really cause some negative changes: weight gain, blemishes, and fatigue to name a few.

For me, it has ALWAYS been acne. It's just the way my body responds to detox protocols.

In cases like this, I give my skin a little nudge to help prevent new breakouts and to help existing ones clear up faster while I work on the internal issues.

Homemade Blemish Gel Recipe

This recipe is super simple to make yet very effective. It's a great topical treatment to use when you need a little extra help staying clear.

Here's What You're Going to Need:

• The purest aloe gel you can find (fresh is best but you can use this brand, this brand, or this brand for great results)
• Melaleuca essential oil (aka tea tree oil)
• A glass pump bottle or glass container for storage
• A nut milk bag(if using fresh aloe only)
• A small funnel

Loving Preparation - Homemade Blemish Gel

• If using fresh aloe, scrape the gel from the leaves and mash well with a fork.
• Put the fresh aloe in a clean nut milk bag or metal sieve and squeeze through to remove any fiber. You want the mixture to be very smooth.
• Next, add the fresh/store bought aloe gel to a glass container of choice. I love using a pump bottle for easy use.
• Now add in 10 drops of tea tree oil for every 2oz of aloe gel.
• Cap tightly and roll the bottle in your hands to mix thoroughly.

To Use

After cleansing, pat the skin dry and apply a thin even layer of homemade blemish gel to affected areas twice a day.

You can definitely use it more often if desired. You should see results within the first few days. 

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Why These Ingredients Work

Aloe

Aloe is known to be one of the BEST remedies for red, irritated, and inflamed skin. It's healing properties soothe dryness and calms swelling near areas of infection. Aloe speeds up healing and cell turnover which helps reduce scarring, making it the perfect companion for acne sufferers.

Melaleuca

The king of blemish remedies, tea tree has long been renowned for its skin healing benefits. Its high terpene content destroys bacteria when applied twice daily in diluted form. Use it to stave off acne causing bacteria, reduce redness, and to calm inflammation.

Don't have time to make your own? Try this one instead! It's sort of amazing 🙂 

For more great acne remedies, check out the articles below:

The Complete List of Comedogenic Oils
12 Ways to Treat Acne Inside and Out
Homemade Drying Lotion for Acne
10 Best All Natural Remedies for Acne - Health Extremist
Ultimate Natural Acne Spot Treatment - beautyandthefoodie.com
6 Skincare Tips That Cleared My Acne Naturally

What have been your favorite acne home remedies?