Acne can be extremely discomforting and lead to cosmetic concerns — well after your teen years. Although it begins in puberty, it can occur at any stage of life, making you vulnerable to commercial products that promise clear skin, but fail to deliver the expected results. The truth is you don't need harsh chemicals to fight acne, there are effective and cheap home remedies that can reduce acne fast.

Cleansers and soaps advertised for treating acne often contain salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur. These active ingredients in over-the-counter acne products are excellent peeling agents that help strip your face of extra buildup. Rather than gamble and risk what drugstore acne treatment is best for you, read these six homemade acne remedies that can be found in your kitchen.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a popular kitchen staple that does more than raise soda breads and cakes — it can simmer down acne. It opens the skin's pores and eliminates the top layer of the skin that contains oily secretions, dead skin cells, and dust, inhibiting acne formation. Baking soda contains the chemical compound amphoteric, which means it can either act as an acid or a base, neutralizing pH, according to Vicki Lansky's book, Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun and Frugal Uses You've Probably Never Thought of. This property makes baking soda effective in correcting pH imbalances that can contribute to acne. It also has mild antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, that can help reduce the irritation of inflamed acne.

Milk of Magnesia

This product works as an acne treatment because it supports the muscles and nerves, having a relaxing effect. This property, combined with the liquid's ability to reduce stomach acid and increase intestinal water, makes it an excellent laxative. In the same way it calms and relaxes troubled intestines, it does the same for the skin. It reduces acid in the stomach, and reduces oil on the face. A few drops of Milk of Magnesia daily as a toner can make a real difference since it has natural zinc.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This vinegar has antibacterial and antifungal properties that can kill bacteria, remove excess dirt, oil and makeup and dissolves dead skin cells. Apple cider vinegar returns the acidity to the skin and restores the avid mental. Our skin is naturally acidic with a pH of 4.5-5.5, but since we tend to use harsh cleansers and soaps, this natural acidity goes away and destroys the acid surface of our skin. Apple cider vinegar can treat acne and other skin conditions due to its malic and lactic acids that soften and exfoliate the skin to reduce red spots.

Papaya

The enzymes found in papaya — papain and chymopapain — contain antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Papain is a protein-dissolving enzyme, which breaks down and removes

damaged keratin proteins without harming healthy tissue. It can also dissolve dry, dead skin cells. Moreover, papaya contains vitamin A, which strips pores of dead skin cells that can accumulate to cause a breakout. Beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A, promotes healthy skin.

Remember to always do an allergy test with these products to see if they're right for you and your skin type.

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