Natural and Alternative Acne Treatment

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is often referred to as the natural treatment for acne blemishes. It helps to kill acne bacteria while reducing inflammation and redness. Tea tree oil works similarly to benzoyl peroxide but with less skin irritation (dryness and peeling). You can usually buy products containing tea tree oil at a health food store that also carries body care products.

DDF-Doctor's Dermatologic Formula 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Gel with Tea Tree Oil 2 oz

Acupuncture

Several scientific studies have shown that acupuncture may be able to help to alleviate hormonal imbalances within the body. Acupuncturists tend to treat the root cause of problems rather then the symptoms, which in this case would be the acne. Therefore, they may also suggest lifestyle changes to accompany the acupuncture treatment. They believe that acne is caused by eating to much oily, spicy foods as well as too many dairy products. They may also suggest herbs to help cleanse the liver, such as dandelion, honeysuckle and forsynthia.

Peels

Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid, Alpha Hydroxy acid, Trichloroacetic acid (TCA), Phenol

Dermatologists typically do facial peels with either salicylic or glycolic acids. These treatments can minimize scarring due to acne, help to unclog pores by increasing cell turnover, and may even increase penetration of other acne medications. These peels can be performed on all parts of the body- face, back and chest. Alpha hydroxyl peels are mild, TCA peels have medium strength and phenol, glycolic acid and salicylic acid are stronger peels. The following is a list of prices for chemical peels:
Mild Peel: $150-300 (repeated visits often required)
Moderate Peel: $1,000-2,000 (repeated visits often required)
Strong Peel: $2,500-6,500 (done once)

You can also find some at-home chemical peel kits. These will generally cost between $15 to $100, depending on the formulation used. Here is a list of at-home chemical peel treatments that you may find useful:
Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Facial Peel (20% Glycolic Acid)
Vita-K Solution At Home Chemical Peel Kit
L’Oreal Dermo-Expertise ReNoviste Glycolic Peel Kit (10% Glycolic Acid)
Side effects: redness, irritation, peeling, increased sun sensitivity

Light Therapy

Clearlight, Laser Photodynamic Therapy, Pulsed Dye Laser

The principle behind these therapies is that bacteria involved in acne formation are sensitive to light in the blue-wavelength of the spectrum. Clearlight treatment consists of shining blue light onto the patient for fifteen minutes twice a week for four weeks. The entire treatment will cost approximately $800 or about $150 per treatment. The results will last up to four months but not all patients have had positive results. One plus to this treatment is that there are no side effects- this wavelength of light is not harmful to the skin.