You Already Have These 8 Natural Acne-Fighting Ingredients in Your Pantry

Why It Works: Bananas are energizing, and when you apply them directly on a blemish, you nourish your skin with the same invigorating effect that stimulates blood flow to the affected area. Packed with B vitamins and vitamin C, bananas contain antiseptic qualities that are important for speeding up the healing process of zits by keeping the area clean. The fruit also packs anti-inflammatory properties that take down the size and reduce the pain of a humongous pimple.

How to Use It: Use the inside of a perfectly ripe banana peel to gently rub the affected area for about 10 minutes, and then rinse with lukewarm water before cleansing. This is one of the most soothing ways to bring down the size of a pimple, and also one of the most nourishing because it leaves the area hydrated instead of drying it out. Apply twice a day (and don't forget to eat the banana!).

Why It Works: Turmeric contains several compounds that make it an ideal treatment for blemishes and cystic acne. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E protect and restore damaged skin and keep bacteria from extending the life of a zit. Don't be put off by its vibrant, orange color because that's what makes turmeric one of the most unique natural ingredients. This hue is actually due to the significant level of curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory and well-known cell-growth generator that can relieve sore, swollen pimples and speed up the skin's healing process.

How to Use It: Mix 1/2 tablespoon of pure organic turmeric with 2 ounces of raw manuka honey. Blend together manually and apply on clean, makeup-free skin twice daily for about 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to vet your turmeric supplier: when turmeric is processed into powder, it loses its vivid color, which causes many spice providers to add dye. This can stain the skin.

Apply the mixture as a daily cleanser in the mornings, letting the treatment penetrate the dermal layers for a few minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water. Use a damp washcloth to make sure the turmeric is completely removed.

Why It Works: One of the reasons essential oils are incredibly effective in dermal applications is because the oil is derived from the most volatile parts of the botanical. Some of nature's most significant oils are highly antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and stimulating, which is why so many cosmetic companies include or synthetically derive their chemical components. What makes essential oils often more successful at relieving acne is that each oil contains additional properties that will further heal skin and prevent future outbreaks.

How to Use It: Use the following dilution rates, blended in a tinted, sealable vial: four drops of clary sage, three drops of clove, two drops of lemongrass, 10 drops of geranium, and 12 drops of frankincense. Mix gently by rolling the container between your hands.

Add 1/2 ounce of tamanu oil and apply to affected areas two to three times a day for three days. Use as a spot treatment for boils, cysts, or severe blemishes. Tamanu is an excellent healer and works well on both dry and oily skin types. But be sure to proceed with caution if you suspect that your zit is open.

Why It Works: Cardamom is a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine and herbalism, but it's usually overlooked in Western skin care. Its ability to soothe acne comes from its ability to dull inflammation. Cardamom contains antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. If you've ever had this spice in Indian cuisines, you know its stimulating and therefore improves circulation within blemishes, which increases blood flow.

How to Use It: In a small bowl, add a tablespoon of organic cardamom and black sesame seed powders. You can pulse the sesame seeds down with a food processor or a coffee grinder. Black sesame seeds are gentle, full of antioxidants, and help produce collagen. Mix manually until everything is completely combined. To form a paste, fill a spray bottle with distilled water and mist until congealed. For a cleansing facial, apply twice a week on makeup-free skin and rinse well with lukewarm water.

Why It Works: The stimulating properties of nutmeg can wake up dead skin cells. Its cleansing properties also create a hostile environment for acne-causing bacteria. One of nutmeg's biggest features is that when it's applied topically, it removes excess oil and swelling. Nutmeg will also start the process of lightening acne scars.

How to Use It: Make a paste with a teaspoon of nutmeg and a tablespoon of arrowroot powder, which is gentle, pH balancing, and antiseptic. To form a paste, spritz the powdered ingredients with apple cider vinegar until you form thick glop in your hand. Apply as an exfoliating mask on damp skin and rinse well. Nutmeg can be irritating for some: first-time users should try out a test patch of the spot treatment on the inside of the elbow to ensure no irritation is present before applying on the face.

Why It Works: Pure matcha may be pricey, but that extra expense gives you more antioxidants than any other form of tea. The herb has been studied for its cell-rejuvenation properties, which can rapidly reduce the life of your pimple. The polyphenols and tannins of matcha help repair damaged skin from acne while feeding the affected spots with plenty of vitamins and nutrients without stripping the skin of its natural protective barrier.

How to Use It: Use a tablespoon each of pure organic matcha green tea and kaolin clay. The clay will help pull toxins to the surface, and once you rinse the spot treatment off, those toxins will go down the drain with it. Dilute your matcha clay mask with distilled water until you form a solidified consistency. Apply once a week on makeup-free, damp skin and massage into pores. Leave this spot treatment on for five to seven minutes or until it begins to flake and rinse off.

Why It Works: Chamomile is one of nature's most precious gifts and it's also one of the oldest, most documented medicinal herbs in the world. The same properties that calm our nerves or upset stomach can also relieve stressed-out skin, which makes for a great spot treatment.

Chamomile is both cleansing and hydrating; the antibacterial effects make it a strong ingredient for spot treatments because it gently reduces painful inflammation while soothing a blemish. Chamomile, a cousin to daisy, comes in German or Roman, and the tiny flowering buds have a tradition of healing wounds as well as acne.

How to Use It: To make chamomile flowers into a spot treatment all you need is an ice tray, water, and chamomile flowers. In an ice tray (preferably one with a lid), add 1/2 teaspoon of chamomile buds to each cube and then slowly fill the tray with distilled or boiled water as if you were refilling an ice tray. Once the ice is completely frozen, apply one cube on a pimple until the ice is melted or until you can't stand the temperature. Be strong, because the ice will constrict blood vessels and reduce the inflammation.

The chamomile will do its job by killing the acne-causing bacteria and soothing the area. The best part about these chamomile ice cubes is that your skin won't feel overly dry. This reduces the temptation of globbing on too much moisturizer and clogging the pore.

Why It Works: Black pepper has the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that are sought after for effective spot treatments. While most commonly known as a digestive and respiratory aid, this common spice improves circulation and attacks free radicals that cause acne, repairing damaged skin along the way. It has a stimulating and cleansing effect that reduces the size of a pimple.

How to Use It: Grind a teaspoon of black peppercorns into a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses and manually mix. Molasses contains lactic acid and balances electrolytes, so the combination of these ingredients will encourage new cell growth. By gently massaging it into the skin, you can rub off dead skin cells and reduce swelling.