For centuries, acne has been the bane of human beings - especially teens. Acne affects over 40 million Americans. Acne has a far-reaching effect on individuals. Social withdrawal, lowered self-esteem, depression and lack of self-confidence are common among its victims. Hundreds of remedies have been tested over the years. These fall into three basic categories – commercial chemical and antibiotic cures, homegrown remedies and commercial herbal treatment. Most people agree that chemical-based formulas provide fairly good results. However, they require time to work, and the chemicals used in these products could damage the skin. However, they require time to work, and the chemicals used in these products could damage the skin.

Homegrown remedies are wide-ranging and at times bizarre. Desperate acne sufferers seeking overnight relief have concocted them. Most of the remedies recommended in this category use the contents of kitchen and bathroom ingredients and need to be tested by individuals to check their efficacy. Herbal remedies are fast becoming the treatment of choice. They score over their chemical cousins in being of organic origin and are free from damaging side effects. Basically, these herbal creams aim to restore skin oil production to its pre-acne levels, alleviate bacterial infections and remove skin blemishes. Commonly, these remedies contain a mixture of plant extracts. The active ingredients in these extracts come from grape seed oil, lemongrass essential oil, rosemary essential oil and lichen extracts, to name a few.

GREEN TEA: The Chinese rely heavily on green tea to fight acne. Studies indicate that creams containing up to 3% green tea produce results that are comparable to those of 4% benzoyl peroxide, an effective chemical antidote. Green tea helps fight acne by reducing inflammation and lowering hormonal activity and acting as an effective detoxifying agent.

TEA TREE OIL: Another cure that is rapidly becoming popular is tea tree oil. This natural oil is extracted from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree found in Australia. Aboriginals have used tea tree extract for hundreds of years to treat just about everything. The curative power of this pill is credited to its anti-bacterial activity that is thought to be as good as salicylic acid.

ALOE VERA: Aloe Vera extracts are highly recommended in fighting acne and removing marks on the skin. Many believe that drinking Aloe Vera juice keeps the skin healthy.

Ironically, acne victims suffer not from a lack of cures but an over-abundance of remedies. Herbals cures are a safe bet as they do not damage the skin, yet with so many concoctions claiming to be the best, consulting a dermatologist is always advisable.