It’s completely natural to develop pimples during the teenage years, and in some individuals, this can last all throughout their twenties and even well into their thirties. But when those pimples constantly turn red and become painfully swollen, you’re dealing with a much more serious issue.

These extreme breakouts are known as cystic acne – a painful and embarrassing disorder that affects millions of people of all ages in the United States. And while it can be much more difficult to cure than minor skin blemishes, there are a number of home remedies that have been proven highly effective for the treatment of cystic acne.

Treatments for Cystic Acne

Next time you notice that you’re about to have a cystic acne breakout, give these three natural remedies a try:

STEP 1: Use Masks and Tea Tree Oil

Face Masks:

Cystic acne can cause a pretty severe imbalance in your body’s pH levels – especially around the surface of the skin where the breakouts are occurring. By apply a specially formulated facial mask, you can balance out the acne’s disruption and help reduce its appearance and severity.

To make the face mask, mix apple cider vinegar with lemon juice and add in some cultured probiotics. After that, pour in turmeric, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps in getting rid of the pain and swelling in the skin. Apply this cystic acne home remedy to the face and leave it on for about five minutes, washing it off thoroughly at the end.

This treatment isn’t limited to your face, however; it can be applied anywhere else you’re experiencing cystic acne.

Tea Tree Oil:

Using tea tree oil is a highly effective cystic acne home treatment. That’s because tea tree oil is a potent anti-microbial which has the ability to kill viruses and bacteria on contact: a 1990 study on tea tree oil showed that it was just as effective as benzyl peroxide in the treatment of cystic acne. In fact, tea tree oil had actually beat out benzyl peroxide because it produced fewer side effects.

The best way to treat cystic acne with tea tree oil is to add in a few drops of aloe vera and apply the mixture to the affected area of your skin twice a day.

STEP 2: Fruits & Vegetables

Mangoes:

It may come as a pretty big surprise, but mangoes can actually be used as an effective cystic acne pimple treatment. They help by opening up the clogged pores in the skin and preventing cyst-causing bacteria from becoming trapped in there.

Simply put the mango in your blender and apply the puree to your face (or anywhere else you’re experiencing cystic acne) for five minutes, two to three times a day until you begin to see results.

Potatoes:

The natural juice contained in potatoes is another natural treatment for cystic acne. Similar to the mango, potatoes decompose the oil that clogs up skin pores in order to reduce cystic acne. Many of the essential minerals that are present in potato juice also work to reduce inflammation and redness.

The process for using potatoes to treat cystic acne is easier than it sounds. First of all, extract the juice of the potato with your blender. Next, apply it to your face, leaving it on for 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes has passed, wash your face with cold water. Repeat the process up to twice a day as needed.

STEP 3: Begin a Full Cystic Acne Regimen

While a number of home remedies work well for many sufferers, there is no one single treatment for cystic acne that will work for everyone. Oftentimes it takes the proper combination of multiple different acne-fighting techniques to begin seeing real results.

If you’ve already tried the majority of treatments recommended here and been unsatisfied with the results, you may be better off following a structured treatment plan, like Acne No More, which has been well-received as being effective for even the most chronic causes of cystic acne.