There are tons of acne scar home remedies, but if you’re not careful you’ll end up irritating your skin and making your breakouts worse! Here’s what you need to know, and what to do.

How acne scar home remedies work

All acne starts from a clogged pore. Sometimes the gunk inside our skin gets infected, and damages the tissues around it. If the infection’s deep, or the skin doesn’t heal perfectly, you get uneven or bumpy skin.

TBH, there are no effective deep scar removal home remedies. We’re talking about collagen loss and damage to the inner layers of the skin. Lemon and clay masks just aren’t going to be enough.

But if you’re lucky, the damage is just on the surface of the skin. Skin is just a bit brown or discoloured. Technically, these are called acne marks (or post inflammatory hyperpigmentation). They will fade on their own, but you can speed up the process with creams and acne scar home remedies.

Very dark, deep acne marks (usually caused by picking your acne, so please stop that habit now!) take longer to lighten. If you want them to fade fast, your dermatologist can give you prescription retinoid or hydroquinine creams.

Top acne scar home remedy ingredients

If you look at most DIY acne treatments, they contain one or more of these ingredients. Here’s why they work.

Apple cider vinegar

This is a natural astringent that kills acne-causing bacteria, removes dead skin cells and balances your skin PH. Here’s how to use it get rid of acne and fade acne scars:

  • Dilute with water. Soak a cotton pad that’s been cut into small strips and place directly over the acne or acne scars. Leave overnight.
  • Mix with Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay for a cheap and effective clay mask. Seriously, there are hundreds of Youtube and Instagram testimonials that say this is one of the best acne home remedies ever.  

Apple cider vinegar is one of the gentlest ingredients, so if you’re new to DIY beauty masks start with this. Just remember to always dilute with water, especially if you’re already applying to red, irritated skin.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. It can help prevent breakouts or shrink the pimples that you already have. It’s also an exfoliant, so it fade light acne marks.  

However, baking soda has a really high PH that can dry and irritate the skin. Use in small amounts and don’t do it more than twice a week. (If you have dry or sensitive skin, skip baking soda and use another ingredient!) And always apply moisturizer right after any baking soda treatment.

Here are some popular acne treatments that use baking soda:

  • Mix 1 teaspoon with your facial cleanser and a small amount of warm water until it forms a paste. Massage into your skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse well. 
  • Mix 1 teaspoon with facial scrub.
  • Mix 1 teaspoon with a little water to make a paste. Apply like a spot treatment on specific pimpes or acne scars. Leave for 20 minutes.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is one of the best natural beauty ingredients. It’s got antioxidants and Vitamin C, and does so many things at the same time: kill bacteria, lighten acne marks, and brighten overall skin tone. That’s why it’s in so many of our DIY beauty recipes!

  • Mix lemon juice and yoghurt. Dip a cotton ball and apply all over the face. Leave on for 10 minutes and wash off.
  • Mix lemon juice, cucumber juice and rose water. Apply with a cotton ball or spritz on the face. You can use this homemade acne toner for about a week (just keep it in the fridge).
  • Mix lemon juice and egg white. Apply like a mask and leave overnight.
  • Add lemon juice to any clay mask and apply as usual.
  • Squeeze lemon and soak a cotton pad cut into strips. Stick it on acne scars. and leave overnight.
  • Mix lemon, baking soda and honey into a paste. Apply all over the face and leave for 10 minutes.

 Aloe Vera

This is another popular acne home remedy, and is especially good for dry or irritated skin. It reduces inflammation and fights bacteria that can lead to cystic acne.   You can extract aloe very straight from a plant (if you have one) or just buy those big, cheap tubs of aloe vera gel. (Check out Natural Republic, The Face Shop, and other Korean brands.)

We also like alternating aloe vera masks with other more aggressive acne scar home remedies. Lemon, baking soda and apple cider vinegar can all dry the skin. Applying aloe vera gel after other masks, or use it as a sleeping mask.