Overview

According to the Mayo Clinic, three factors lead to acne: overly oily skin; buildup of dead skin cells that can block pores and irritate hair follicles; and bacteria, whose presence leads to inflammation. Removing excess oil and dead skin cells, which can easily be done at home with household products, is all that's required to successfully treat acne. Using harsh abrasives on your face or scrubbing too aggressively may actually irritate the skin, making acne worse, so before using homemade acne treatments, apply your favorite gentle cleanser and pat your face dry.

Oatmeal Exfoliant

Step 1

Place 2 tbsp. oatmeal in a coffee grinder---one tablespoon at a time, if necessary---and grind to a fine powder.

Step 2

Stir the powdered oatmeal and 1 tsp. baking soda together in a small bowl.

Step 3

Stir lukewarm water into the dry ingredients, a teaspoon at a time, stirring until the mixture forms a thick paste.

Step 4

Apply the paste to your skin, and massage gently to slough away dead skin cells. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Egg White Mask

Step 1

Crack two eggs open. Carefully slide the unbroken egg yolks into a small bowl. The egg whites go in a separate bowl. Discard the egg yolks.

Step 2

Whip the egg whites with a mixer until they're very foamy. You can also use a whisk or fork to do this if you're up to a few minutes of stiff exertion.

Step 3

Add 2 tsp. lemon juice to the egg whites and whip until the juice is thoroughly mixed in. If you have very oily skin, you can add up to twice this amount of lemon juice; just keep whipping the whites to mix the juice in and get the mixture nice and foamy before application.

Step 4

Smooth the mask over the affected skin and let dry for up to 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Deep Cleaning Yeast Mask

Step 1

Combine 1 packet of dry yeast, 3 drops of lemon juice and 2 tsp. lukewarm water in a small bowl.

Step 2

Mix all ingredients vigorously until they form a pasty consistency. Adjust the amount of water, if necessary, to suit the consistency to your preference. More water results in a runnier mask, while less water makes for a thicker mask.

Step 3

Apply the mask to your face, leave it in place for up to 15 minutes, then rinse away with warm water and pat dry.