8. Essential-oil bath. For moles on multiple body areas, Beyond Disease recommends soaking in a hot bath treated with 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup sea salt, 6 drops lavender essential oil and 3 drops frankincense oil.
Warts
9. Apple cider vinegar. Everyday Roots offers a number of great homemade wart treatments, the first of which is applying apple cider vinegar directly to the wart once a day. Another method is to affix a vinegar-soaked cotton ball to the wart using an adhesive bandage. The acid in the vinegar eats away at the flesh of the wart, eventually causing it to change color and peel away. Avoid the urge to pick at it! You want the whole core of the wart to fall away so that it doesn’t grow back. (Note: Apple cider vinegar has a ton of uses.)
10. Banana peel. This one entails a little more effort than the vinegar, but according to Everyday Roots, the banana peel contains a proteolytic enzyme that eats away at warts. Use a spoon to scrape away the soft, white substance on the inside of the peel, and apply it to your wart. Cover the wart with an adhesive bandage. Repeat daily.
11. Pineapple juice. This works on the same theory as the above two tips but with a tropical twist. Soaking a wart in pineapple juice exposes it to acids that work to break it down.
Blackheads
12. Baking soda. As an antiseptic, baking soda cleans your skin, helps neutralize pH levels, and encourages skin to produce less oil, thereby helping the fight against blackheads, according to Natural Living Ideas. It also exfoliates dead skin cells, leaving your skin soft and smooth. Add a little water to form a paste and apply it to your blackheads. Leave it for about 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
13. Oatmeal. Natural Living Ideas says this delicious breakfast food also makes a great cleanser, working to loosen debris stuck in your pores and help eliminate blackheads. Cook the oatmeal as usual, allow it to cool, and then apply it to your face. Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes.
14. Lemon juice. Is there anything lemon juice can’t do? Natural Living Ideas explains that it contains alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) citric acid, which helps remove dead skin and unclog pores. Rich in vitamin C, lemon juice also stimulates collagen production to improve overall skin health. After cleansing as per your normal routine, use a cotton ball to dab lemon juice onto blackheads. Leave it on overnight, or rinse after 10 minutes. The juice will sting if you have broken skin.
Always exercise caution when using home remedies, and don’t apply any substances high in natural acids to broken skin. Use only when the skin around the blemish is clean and healthy. As with most skin treatments, your results can vary. Likewise, they’re not instant fixes, but with daily use, you could see results within a few weeks. Let us know which treatments work for you!