A few people have requested to know how I got rid of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (fancy words for red marks left after acne), and scarring.
Well here it is! The video! I talk a little bit about my scarring and what I did to get rid of it. At the end of the video, I show you a cool face mask you can use to help get rid of red marks!
A few things that I forgot to mention in the video:
- Hyperpigmentation marks are essentially just residual inflammation hanging around after the initial inflammation of an acne lesion, so a healthy lifestyle with lots of anti-inflammatory foods and low stress levels is naturally going to improve the look of these marks. I believe this was also a major factor in them going away quickly, as opposed to if I had gotten rid of my acne with medications and still had that inner inflammation working it’s dark magic on my skin.
- The reason I have cinnamon in the face mask (which, to recap, is made of honey, cinnamon, and lemon juice) is because it has an antiseptic quality, and is a strong antioxidant. It’s very helpful for acne and scarring.
- Even though I said this mask was for acne scarring, you can use it even when you still have inflamed acne. No need to wait, just be gentle when you put it on and rinse it off.
KerenChen says
March 7, 2011 at 7:39 pm[..YouTube..] thank you so much!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sampson says
March 7, 2011 at 6:30 pmOh gosh thanks for making this video. It’s pretty much my current situation. Acne is more or less control with the exception of a bump here and there when I get lazy with my diet or party a tiny bit too hard. Now I’m pretty much just trying to repair my skin and I make sure everything I use on my face now is both beneficial and moisturizing like honey and oils, vitamin oils and thing of that nature.
To anyone who exfoliates more than once a month: I can honestly say exfoliating on a regular basis broke me out. I have no doubt that it irritated my skin. Also you don’t need it. Your skin does a wonderful job of removing dead skin cells and gunk just fine, it doesn’t need you sandpapering layers off of it to remove them. I think the most anyone should be doing a vigorous exfoliating is once a month.
Awesome natural “exfoliators”:
-Chamomile/Green/whatever tea leaves. Just cut open the bag after you’re done brewing your tea and massage around your face.
-Strawberry or Kiwi seeds. They’re small, but slightly coarse so they can exfoliate well. You can get them online or just sacrifice a strawberry or kiwi.
thelovevitamin says
March 8, 2011 at 9:33 amThanks for the input… I’m glad to know someone else doesn’t think over exfoliation is beneficial! The cinnamon in this mask exfoliates very lightly, it’s quite nice, and not very abrasive.
Jessica says
March 7, 2011 at 8:27 pmwhat are your thoughts on drinking tea; and which ones are good for you?
thelovevitamin says
March 8, 2011 at 9:33 amI just made a video about acne and caffeine, and I’ll put it up in a day or two 🙂
Bridget says
March 8, 2011 at 10:59 pmThank you for putting this up, Tracey! I can’t wait to try the mask…..I’ve already started washing my face with just honey. I tossed my Oil of Olay Foaming Face Wash (after nearly 15 years!) and feel SO much better about what I’m putting on my face already. Also using Aloe Vera on existing zits but have found that this seems to irritate them?? I use a brand that is nearly pure aloe vera, but also has witch hazel. Did you ever experience any irritation with aloe vera on existing acne?? It seems to make zits really red and inflamed? Anyway….thank you again!
thelovevitamin says
March 9, 2011 at 9:39 amhi Bridget! That’s strange that it irritates your spots… as far as I know it’s one of the most soothing things you can use and it keeps my inflammation way down. But everyone is different! my guess is that it’s likely to be the witch hazel in it, although they say that’s good for acne too. The brand of aloe vera I recommend is this http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo/081.aspx as it doesn’t have anything weird in it.
Zarina says
March 9, 2011 at 4:41 amHi Tracy!
First of all, your site is awesome, and I followed your advice on Jojoba Oil and have been using it for about two weeks. Though I was a little hesitant about the product being an oil-product..
What can I say? It moisturizes, and and I haven’t broken out, and my skin looks pretty healthy, so.. THANK YOU, for a natural moisturiser!
So now my questions;
Have you heard about Apple Cider Vinegar, and the benefits for the skin?
And have you ever tried Vitamin E Oil, or capsules for hyperpigmentation?
Thanks!
thelovevitamin says
March 9, 2011 at 9:41 amHi Zarina! I’m glad everything is going great for you with the jojoba oil! I think I’ll make a video about your two questions there, about vitamin E and apple cider vinegar, so stay tuned 🙂
Chelsea says
March 9, 2011 at 10:54 pmHi Tracy! First of all I just want to say how much I love your articles and your videos. I’ve struggled with acne since middle school. I’m now 22 and in college. But after finding your site through acne.org everything changed. I started cutting out dairy and drinking those green smoothies you recommend and my acne immediately began to start clearing! I’ve now cut out all face products and I’m starting to cut out gluten. My face is almost 100% clear and now it’s just a matter of waiting for my scars to heal 🙂
Here’s my question. About 2 months ago my acne got super bad, super inflamed, and it became worse than it every has been my whole acne career. Not only did the acne physically hurt me, (super large painful bumps), it also started to wear on me emotionally. Out of desperation, I went to my dermatologist and she put me antibiotics, (doxycycline hyclate 100mg twice a day). I didn’t really want to go on them but I was so desperate.
Right after going on them I started researching acne more and I found your site. I know now that holistic healing is for me and I want to go off the antibiotics, but I’m scared that I will have a really bad flare up when I do and I’ll be sent back to square one. I’ve been on them a little over a month (my derm wants me on them for three months but that ain’t gonna happen!) and I don’t know how to go off them. Do you have any thoughts or advice?
Sorry for the long reply to this post haha! Thank you so much for all you’re doing. You’re a real inspiration!
-Chelsea
thelovevitamin says
March 10, 2011 at 9:22 amHi Chelsea! That’s awesome, I’m super happy you’ve found making changes is helping your acne clear up! So fantastic.
As for the antibiotics, I’ll do a video about it and put it up this week sometime!
Chelsea says
March 10, 2011 at 5:19 pmAwesome! Thank you so much Tracy! On a side note, I was reading your meditation mini series, (it’s now time for me to work on emotionally healing myself as well), and I noticed you mentioned that you went on antibiotics for a UTI. I wanted to tell you that there’s this great all natural supplement called D-Mannose which is great for UTI symptoms. I take it as a preventative treatment, but I have read that if you take a certain amount it’s been known to actually cure a pre-existing UTI without the use of antibiotics. All natural, and it really helps! You can read up on how it works here. http://www.healingtherapies.info/d-mannose.htm I get mine at an all natural health/drug store where I live, but it can be ordered online. Just wanted to pass along some all natural knowledge!
-Chelsea
thelovevitamin says
March 10, 2011 at 11:05 pmOh sweet… that’s exactly the type of thing I wanted at the time, but couldn’t find anything like it! I’m regretting it big time now, my digestion is a mess now because of the antibiotics (I assume). Awesome. That’s so great… thank you!
Mik says
March 10, 2011 at 8:15 pmSo I went out and bought some raw organic honey and I think I love it! It makes my skin super soft and feels nice, also it wipes off really easily and isn’t messy life I was expecting. I’m hoping to back away from my neutragena face wash because I fight it makes my skin feel tight and dry after using it. I still wear makeup but I dont like using that facewash when I have no makeup on because the facewash also is a makeup remover.
thelovevitamin says
March 10, 2011 at 11:04 pmOh good, I’m glad you’re liking it! 🙂
kvalentinerose says
March 16, 2011 at 4:33 pm[..YouTube..] trying this mask now 🙂
Stephanie says
March 16, 2011 at 7:04 pmYou are hilarious. Great video thanks for the mask tip!
balljointeddoll says
March 19, 2011 at 12:28 am[..YouTube..] Have you tried adding nutmeg to this mask?
Tracy says
March 19, 2011 at 8:45 amNo, but it sounds like nutmeg would be a good addition! You can play around with this mask a bit and add or take away ingredients to your liking
Verna says
March 30, 2011 at 10:52 amDo you put Aloe vera in your whole face or just the spots where acne scars and inflammed pimples are?
Thank you Traceylicious! Yer so gorgeous! 🙂
Tracy says
March 30, 2011 at 2:24 pmHaha some old friends of mine used to call me Tracelicious! That’s funny 🙂
I put aloe all over my face, not just on spots!
Maria says
April 10, 2011 at 7:24 amHi Tracy!
Was wondering what prompted u to add cinnamon to the mask? Is it because of the fine ground texture that allows for gentle mechanical exfoliation or does cinnamon have any distinct properties?
Thanks, (love your blog and youtube channel!)
– Maria
Tracy says
April 10, 2011 at 9:41 amHi Maria!
yes, it’s antimicrobial and an antioxidant, plus the mild exfoliation 🙂
Jeffrey says
April 11, 2011 at 2:38 pmjust wondering, how long did it take for you to get rid of red marks using this method?
Tracy says
April 12, 2011 at 2:55 pmHmm I can’t say for sure. I only started using it fairly recently, but I notice it makes my skin look great after. Like I said in the video, the only true cure is time! (unfortunately)
E says
April 15, 2011 at 2:11 pmHi Tracy,
I’m reading a lot of good things about turmeric being good for hyper-pigmentation. Have you used turmeric before? I’m thinking it could be a good addition to this mask for myself.
Also, I’m loving the aloe vera you recommended!
Tracy says
April 15, 2011 at 2:58 pmI’ve heard this also, but I’ve never tried it! I was thinking I may try it out in the future… and yes it would probably be a good addition to the mask… the only thing is that I heard you need to be careful because it can (temporarily) turn your skin yellow!
aj says
October 2, 2011 at 12:58 amhey! i would say my diet is pretty consistent right now and extremely healthy. i only have a “bad” meal about once or twice a week. my only problem now isn’t the acne itself anymore, but the dark marks (hyperpigmentation). i am also hispanic, which make the marks last a lot longer since they are darker. ive used ur mask for a while and noticed some changes but not much. any suggestion on new masks or certain thing to eat that will help with these pesky marks?
thanks a bunch!
Tracy says
October 2, 2011 at 8:53 amYep, eat lots and lots of leafy greens, and use a good manuka honey (active 16+) with that mask 🙂
aj says
October 3, 2011 at 6:12 amwill i still get results using regular honey and plain ground cinnamon?
Tracy says
October 3, 2011 at 9:11 amYes… well I used to use regular honey until recently, but I wish I had used manuka right off the bat. It’s seriously good stuff. But if you can’t afford it, don’t worry about it!
DC says
October 6, 2011 at 6:14 amI was given the Grapefruit Glycolic Scrub from Made from Earth by my dermatologist to help with my acne and cear up my acne scars. I only wash with it once a day (usually in the morning). It is incredible. It leaves my skin feeling firm and clean. It’s doesn’t dry my skin out, but I suspect it would if I used it twice a day. I’ve been using it for 9 months and it has cleared up acne scars I’ve had since I was a teenager. Not only does my skin look clearer, but it also looks brighter. If you buy this and use it right, you’ll be just as happy as I am.
Loressa says
November 16, 2011 at 2:09 amHi Tracy 🙂
Just wanted to say thanks for posting this, and I will definitely try your mask ASAP.
I have a bit of light brown/reddish acne scars (spots) on my cheeks, and I’ve been looking for a way to lighten them up for some time.
Thanks again, and I have to say I love your website and videos !
Tracy says
November 16, 2011 at 9:36 amYou’re welcome! I hope it goes well 🙂
Sam says
March 7, 2012 at 2:47 pmHey This seems like an excellent way, and i love that they’re arent any chemicals… nothing to harm your face 🙂
But right now im taking BP everynight (clindoxyl gel) im planning to gradually stop too! And i wondering is it alright if I make this honey mask once a week before i apply the BP mositurizer, or should I wait until I completely stop the BP?
Tracy says
March 7, 2012 at 5:10 pmYou don’t have to completely stop BP to start the honey… maybe start alternating them though to wean yourself off? and then just start using the BP less and less and the honey more and more until you aren’t using BP at all anymore? This will have less of a sudden effect on your skin and may prevent a withdrawal breakout
Sam says
March 8, 2012 at 2:10 pmYes thank you 🙂 I think i’ll do that. Btw i really appreciate this site. Thanks for everything!
Sam says
March 14, 2012 at 9:28 pmhey tracy, i recently decided to try this mask out. i made a fresh batch three days ago and ended up with quite a bit left over. i didn’t want to throw it out so i just put it in the fridge and continued to use it yesterday and today. i felt as though it was helping until tonight, just a couple minutes ago to be exact, i put it on and after less than 5 minutes my face felt like it was on fire, i thought ok i have never felt this before from using it so i’m going to take it off immediately. as soon as i washed it off my face was bright red wherever the mask was (it was actually kind of funny to see the outline despite the burning sensation hahah). it’s gone down quite a bit and i’m not worried about it, i mean i’ve had worse reactions from neutragena products but i’m wondering if perhaps the mask needs to be made fresh daily? although i’m not sure whether or not i’m allergic to bees i’m def not allergic to bee products; i use burt’s bees chapstick and i have been eating raw honey for almost a year. i use lemon in almost all my cooking and i make homemade cinnamon-brown sugar popcorn sparingly so i know i’m not allergic to any of the three ingredients. any clues as to why this occurred? if anything i’m thinking it would most likely have been the lemon’s doing.
Tracy says
March 14, 2012 at 9:47 pmHi Sam! That’s strange, I’m not sure why that would happen but I too guess it would be something to do with the lemon probably reacting with something else in there… it’s acidity over time or something :/ I’m not sure though
Sam says
March 15, 2012 at 10:15 pmyeah that’s my best guess as well. to be honest I’m kinda lazy to do extra research on the potential reactions of lemon juice mixed with the other two anddd in any case the redness was totally gone within the same hour it came so meh. I guess I will make the mask fresh again, in a much smaller quantity of course, and see what happens. if I get the same reaction I’ll just ditch it but if not then I’ll know it needs to be fresh, for whatever reason.
trisha says
May 13, 2012 at 5:10 pmhey tracy, got a quick question. at my fav health food store i picked up 100% raw unprocessed honey. its live and untouched and all the good stuff. is that the same as manuka honey? is manuka honey just raw honey or is it different? thanks your awesome!!
Tracy says
May 13, 2012 at 6:43 pmHi Trisha – manuka honey is a bit different – it has this “special” antibacterial property in it, but raw honey is also really good for washing the face! That’s what I used for a long time before manuka, it does the job very well 🙂
usman says
May 15, 2012 at 4:33 amhi ..plz tell me for how many hours I put it on my face..??
Tracy says
May 15, 2012 at 10:06 pmPut it on for like.. 10 to 20 minutes, I’d say
A says
June 28, 2012 at 6:50 pmHi, I really like your video. You said that time is important for getting rid of the hyperpigmentation, but I have some spots that are from almost a year ago and they do not seem to be going away. I am scared that the hyperpigmentation will stay forever. Can it turn into real scarring?
Tracy says
June 29, 2012 at 10:04 amHi A – hyperpigmentation is essentially residual inflammation after a spot clears, so if you have red marks that are really persistent, then you need to keep working on lowering the inflammation in your body by diet/exercise/stress relief. It won’t turn into a “real” scar though, if it’s not indented or raised
daisy says
October 29, 2012 at 2:10 pmI’ve been working to fade the hyperpigmentation on my face , I’ve controlled my acne , I still get a pimple or two monthly , but what I want to know is when I get a pimple or a white head what can I do it so it doesn’t leave a red or brown mark behind it ?
and thanks in advance 🙂
Susan says
April 29, 2013 at 11:34 amWow just saw your other post and this one is great too. I have a lot of acne scars and have been looking at natural remedies. This is a great site and great resource I will use it often. Thank you!
Misty says
May 10, 2013 at 1:35 pmHi Tracey,
THanks for the video 🙂 have you found anything yet to helped with the deeper ice pick scars?
I am still thinking the manuka honey might help. any thoughts?
Tracy says
May 11, 2013 at 8:50 amHi Misty,
Maybe give this MSM cream a shot? https://thelovevitamin.com/3586/rolling-acne-scars-msm-cream/
Tara says
August 26, 2013 at 8:19 pmDoes MSM help with Post inflammatory hyperpigmantation?
Tracy says
August 27, 2013 at 8:10 amYes it does 🙂
Taylo says
October 21, 2013 at 5:18 pmDo you need to mix this every time you use it? Or could I mix a bottle of it and store it either at room temperature or in the refrigerator?
Tracy says
October 22, 2013 at 8:27 amThe lemon juice might dissolve the honey, but you could try premixing it and see what happens! (I would keep it in the fridge if you premixed it)
Marisa says
February 20, 2014 at 10:35 pmI have tons of acne hyperpigmentation all over my cheeks that started all the way back from when I first started breaking out in 5th grade(6 years ago) to present. I’m doing a raw honey mask every night, so hopefully this helps fade these ugly red marks.
Tracy says
February 21, 2014 at 4:07 amGood luck Marisa, hope it helps 🙂
Lisa Gaudet says
May 5, 2014 at 1:12 pmTracy, I want to thank you for leading me to MSM cream many months ago. It works so well for healing/fading hyperpigmentation/scarring that I blogged about it here:
http://atwystoflyme.com/holy-grail-acne-repair-treatment/?preview=true&preview_id=582&preview_nonce=2053156d79
I look forward to trying the honey/cinnamon/lemon juice you mention in this post!
Cheers!
Tracy Raftl says
May 6, 2014 at 7:55 amHey Lisa, thats awesome! So happy the MSM worked so well for you and that you’re spreading the word about it to help others 🙂 Way to go!
m says
May 6, 2014 at 4:12 pmHello! What about dermaroller? The caveman regime don’t help with it?
Claire says
June 16, 2014 at 1:40 amHi ! I’m Claire and I’m 16 years old. I suffered from severe acne around my cheeks and also pimples. I have these huge marks and small marks around on my cheeks . I guess they are hyperpigmentation because the colors are red and brown. I still do have a lot of pimples around it but I want to try using aloe vera but I’m kind of scared what to use especially I’m just living here in the province and there’s no natural aloe vera gel that can be bought at the market, so my question is Can I Use The Aloe Vera Plant?
Tracy Raftl says
June 16, 2014 at 8:06 amYes, absolutely! Using it straight from the aloe vera plant is probably the best way to use it 🙂
Claire says
June 17, 2014 at 5:57 amHi again! I really love your videos! And blogs! Everything!
Angel says
June 17, 2014 at 6:00 amHi idol! Can I ask you something? Can you give me some advice on how to treat my acnes and marks? Please!! I really need your help! Please!!!!!!! I have these large and tiny hyperpigmentation marks on my cheeks! It’s kind of red and brown. What will I do? I’m not using anything for a week now.
Noelle says
July 24, 2014 at 9:48 amHello!
I don’t know if this was said in any of the above comments but I wanted to say that the sun was a big help for me and my hyperpigmentation. For a while I had really bad back acne and when it finally went away I was left with the hyperpigmentation. So once it got warm enough out I would sit outside with a tank top on with my back to the sun for a little while each day. As the days went on my scares faded and now my back is scare free! Just don’t sit to long or you will get burnt 🙂
Caitlin says
October 16, 2014 at 4:36 amHey Tracy!
Just clicked on this video from your e-book for the Bootcamp Week 1. I’ve been using Manuka honey for my face wash since the Candida Cleanse in April 2013, but this is the first time I came across this video about the lemon, honey, & cinnamon mask. I definitely have hyperpigmentation on my jawline, cheeks, and chin and my chest and back. Just wanted to say Thank You for all the wonderful knowledge and experience you pass on to us! You’ve changed my life and I am really excited about the Six Week Bootcamp.
Tracy Raftl says
October 16, 2014 at 9:41 amYay! Excited to have you on board with us Caitlin 🙂
Veronika says
March 25, 2017 at 11:09 pmHi!
This seems to be working for me: mixing extra virgin olive oil with aloe Vera gel and applying all over your face at night after cleansing. It works so well and I hope it works for a lot of you 2!!