
I have been plagued with bad skin my entire life and my ego is permanently scarred.
Just slightly.
The middle school years are mostly to blame. Between trying to fit in at a new school, braces and puberty, the fact that my face looked like a walking pepperoni pizza was devastating. While I made it through the first three, acne has continues to be an issue even as a grown adult.
As a young adult, it spread from my face to my back. While pregnant, it returned with a vengeance after the pregnancy glow wore off. Which repeated itself with baby #2 as well.
Even now, my skin still has issues. When I’m struggling with sleep or stressing over issues beyond my control, you can see it in my face. Literally.
However, after 20+ years of trying more “perfect acne solutions” than either one of us can count, I have finally figured out how to get rid of acne naturally the other 40 weeks out of the year.
Now, I am by no means claiming to be a skin expert or even telling you that my solution is the perfect solution. However, I am telling you that this works. I have tried all sorts of washes, scrubs, ointments, lotions and even pills, but I know I’m not alone in this struggle. So my hope is that you find inspiration through what worked for me, and I sincerely hope it works for you too!

How to Get Rid of Acne Naturally
1. Switch to Real Food
There’s quite the controversy out there about the association between food and acne. Chocolate causes break outs… no wait, it doesn’t.
Greasy foods cause break outs… no wait, that doesn’t do it either.
No matter what food is or isn’t “directly” related to acne, this we know for certain: What you eat does effect your body, for good and for bad.
Did you know that your skin is the largest organ of your body? There’s your science lesson for the day folks, and deductive reasoning concludes that your skin is part of your body – therefore, what you eat effects your skin too. So then the elephant in the room begs us to ask:
How can we expect to have clean skin when we eat dirty food?
Simply put, we can’t.
Those deliciously salty and crunchy tortilla chips that I crave now and then are at fault too.
When we eat junk, our bodies try to rid the icky stuff anyway it can. It could be inflammation, headaches, diarrhea, constipation… or acne. Yes, the process of your skin getting rid of harmful toxins through the pores of your skin can cause skin irritation and breakouts.
The first step to healing acne-prone skin is by changing the diet. Those people who claim green smoothies “work wonders” for their skin aren’t kidding – it’s all the nutrients they’re getting in just the one glass! Daily smoothies are a great place to start, but so is making just one switch, like reaching for a homemade (extra salty) pretzel instead of the processed chips.

2. Use a Natural Cleanser
I used to think that brand name cleansers were the best, until my skin never really got better just by using such-and-such cleanser. It took many years to come to the conclusion that the cleansers designed with “all these amazing” ingredients could actually be hurting my skin, instead of helping it.
I liken skin care to food allergies. Some people have reactions to certain ingredients in food, like MSG or artificial colors, right? So why couldn’t our skin react to ingredients in cleansers too?
It’s hard to really narrow down what particular ingredient is causing the problem. I found it’s best to use products with the least amount of ingredients possible. And especially avoid these two ingredients.
Commercial soaps and cleansers made their way to the trash can and were replaced with a simple bar of goat’s milk soap. Goat’s milk contains lactic acid, which helps keep the pH level of the soap at a level closer to that of skin, making it less likely to irritate the skin or cause adverse reactions.
The production of goat’s milk soap also tends to be a more natural process, so you don’t have all the weird ingredients or additives that you’ll find with traditional cleansers.
To add icing to the cake, goat’s milk soap is VERY affordable. I buy all of my goat milk soap from Bend Soap Company. You can read my full review HERE.
When you’re shopping at Bend Soap Company, you can stock up for the year! Use these codes:
- SOAP35 saves 5% on orders that are $35 or more
- SOAP65 saves 10% on orders that are $65 or more
- SOAP100 saves 15% on orders that are $100 or more
- Orders that are $65 or more after discounts are also eligible for free shipping!

3. Use a Natural Exfoliator
I’m sure you guys know how exfoliating works: Exfoliating helps to refine the skin, shed dead skin cells and reveal smoother, finer, clearer skin underneath… blah blah blah.
Being the typical acne-prone teenage girl, I bought into the hype and started exfoliating before I could drive. You know those cleansers with the little beads? That was agent #1 in my skin care arsenal. All was fine and dandy until earlier this year when my skin started breaking out outside of the normal cycle. And it was NOT healing within a few days.
Folks, we’re talking MONTHS of painful, red bumps that appeared to be clogged pores. But no matter what I did, they simply would not go away!
Then one day I had an epiphany and considered the fact that maybe my skin was clogged with something other than naturally occurring oils. So I took a needle, made a tiny hole and squeezed. Plain as day out popped a tiny, hard, white bead that was from my exfoliating soap!
My seemingly harmless soap was doing a pretty good job of sabotaging my skin if you ask me. Those little beads are so tiny that I didn’t notice when I applied my makeup. Then within a few hours, my skin had already started to regenerate and form new skin over the beads. Sure enough, within a week I’d have another new shiny red bump to add to the collection.
As soon as it became clear that the exfoliating cleanser was the culprit, it got the boot too. I replaced it with a super simple device: a washcloth.
Within one week my skin improved greatly as time went on, the painful bumps cleared up and stopped coming back. I now keep the washcloth in the shower with me, and use it every other day to scrub gently while washing.
My natural exfoliation method is pretty affordable too – free!
Side note: If your kids take baths where you shower, be sure to swap your washcloth for a new one often. My kids like to use the washcloth while they bathe, but my face is sensitive to the even the small remnants body wash left on the washcloth.

4. Switch to a More Natural or Better Yet, Homemade Lotion
Everything I had done up until this point had greatly improved my skin, but it was still problematic. It never looked clear or smooth. The major breakouts had greatly reduced, but my skin still always looked a bit ruddy, like a mirror that someone cleaned with a dirty rag. It was skin obviously, but something wasn’t quite right…
In my head I did a mental checklist of everything in my normal routine that had changed:
- Morning soap? Check.
- Evening soap? Check.
- Lotion? Oh wait.
This was about the time I started making my own tinted moisturizer and realized the amazingness of Redmond Clay. I mean, I already knew first-hand how awesome it was in cleaning and whitening teeth – first when we switched to this clay-based toothpaste and then when we started making our own homemade replica version.
But there was a disconnect somewhere.
I knew Redmond Clay could be taken internally, and we make detox smoothies regularly. I also knew that Redmond Clay can also be used externally to draw out toxins. And it then it hit me:
A – the body uses the skin to rid itself of harmful toxins
B – Redmond Clay draws out harmful toxins through the skin
See the relation? Once I connected the dots between the two and added Redmond Clay to my homemade tinted moisturizer, my skin was so much clearer, and for the first time in a really long time, pretty! That’s a really big statement coming from my skin’s worst critic – me.
My homemade tinted moisturizer is now part of my daily morning routine. At night, I moisturize with this facial lotion bar since there’s still a little bit left (and you really only need a pea-sized amount), but when it’s gone, I plan to make another batch of moisturizer with Redmond Clay, just minus the colors.
Note: Some readers have informed me that coconut oil will break out their skin. If you try a homemade moisturizer that is coconut oil based and start getting worse breakouts, try using a different nourishing oil. Avocado oil or sweet almond oil work great for some skin types. These oils can be pricey but you need very little to moisturize your skin.

5. Switch to a More Natural, or Homemade Makeup
A little bit of powder on your face seems like such an insignificant thing. But changing this made a huge improvement on my skin.
In honesty, it was probably a combination between adding homemade foundation powder TO my routine and taking the traditional commercial foundation OUT. Nonetheless, my skin continued to improve despite my wearing make-up every day and NOT washing it off at night.
*gasp*
I know, here’s my clearly problematic face and I’m breaking the #1 beauty rule of washing your face before you go to bed at night?!
Yes indeed I am, because I figure this: My face is no longer covered with junky makeup. It’s being moisturized, soothed and cleansed while the toxins are gently being drawn out with clay. Is it really a big deal to go to bed with a bit of nutmeg and cocoa powder on my face? No!
Again honesty here, part of my not washing my face is laziness. BUT, being the good little blogger that I am, I did experiment and not wash my face at night for a few weeks, just to see if it really made a difference…
And you know what? It didn’t. Since not washing doesn’t hurt, I’m okay with be a bit lazy in the face washing department.

6. Add a Weekly Detoxifying Clay Mask to Your Beauty Routine
Last, but certainly not least, this clay mask is my new heavy hitter in my skin care arsenal. This mask is simply hydrated clay, so it’s gentle on the skin. At the same time, that powerful clay draws out the toxins and leaves behind skin that is SO soft, and so clean!
When my skin is struggling, this clay mask comes to the rescue and speeds up the healing process. It is so effective actually, that Mr. Crumbs uses it too!
He had some persistently clogged pores so one night we used the mask together while playing memory with the kids. Then a couple of weeks later, he had a particularly painful pimple on his nose that was taking its sweet ‘ol time to heal. One application of the mask and the swollen red bump shrank within 24 hours. The next day, it was gone!
Related Posts: How to Heal Acne with Bentonite Clay // DIY Detox Face Mask with Charcoal and Clay // 45+ Ways to use Bentonite Clay
A note on Redmond Clay products: I am asked all the time about the Proposition 65 and the lead warnings on the label. I did some research and found out about why its on there. Read about it here.

Making The Natural Beauty Routine Affordable
Much of what I’ve done to heal my acne has been free or very inexpensive:
- real food from the kitchen (and already accounted for in my budget)
- $1.25 for a bar of soap that lasts 3+ months
- washcloth from the closet (which was actually a Christmas gift)
- homemade tinted moisturizer costs just 20¢/month
- homemade powdered foundation is just 25¢/month
The only true “expense” I’ve come across in this healing acne adventure is the clay itself since you have to buy it upfront, although this 10 oz bottle is by far the most affordable I’ve seen. Considering one tub of clay will likely last you several months, the $8.50 is REALLY a good deal. Especially since it does triple duty as moisturizer, foundation AND clay mask.
Well, quadruple duty really, if you count the toothpaste.
If you compare it to the cost of one bottle of the old exfoliating cleanser I used to buy each month, well then, we’re actually SAVING money by going with an all-natural skin care routine. Who knew the DIY all-natural route is the most cost effective!
Do you struggle with acne or other skin issues? Have you tried Redmond Clay in your beauty routine?
This post is sponsored by Redmond Trading Company. All opinions are my own.
My daughter has very sensitive skin. She gets little red bumps almost looks like a rash, especially after showers. I think she has very dry skin but also acne prone. Can you suggest anything to help Thank you
Thank you for this. I will definitely try your suggestions. I have been trying desperately to get off of antibiotics for quite some time now. I finally seem to be able to do so and I’m convinced it is diet related – taking out sugar and gluten, while incorporating good foods like lots of homemade bone broth, cod-liver oil, gelatin, probiotics, fermented foods, etc. The redmond clay is new to me though. Good to know. Also, applying aloe directly from the plant is very effective and I recently started using a tallow balm as a moisturizer.
Any thoughts on how this routine would do for blackheads, or other suggestions for those? Thank you!
Hi Rebecca! This routine works well for blackheads too. I would suggest exfoliating daily, and the mask weekly. That will make HUGE differences in your complexion!
Thank you for sharing your beauty routine with us. I’m working on switching my beauty products to natural options and I’m prone to break outs too. I am slowly trying out all of your recipes. I’m concerned about sunscreen though. Do you use any kind of sunscreen on your face? Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Jennifer! I don’t use sunscreen unless I know I’m going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time. I’m on the fence on the ingredients inside, so I limit my exposure. Coconut oil is great for a short-term sunscreen (30 min or less), so with that in my moisturizer AND trying to get adequate Vitamin D daily, I consider myself good to go.
great read. you linked to the bar of soap, but it went to another page on your site,can you tell me where to find it? Have the clay in my amazon cart now. For my son.
Hi Kristen! I just made my official goat milk soap recommendation. You can find it here: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/10/finding-a-quality-goat-milk-soap-review-giveaway/
I enjoyed your article, but I have a few questions. You mentioned you used the clay in the moisturizer and foundation, but I am seeing it as part of the recipe. How much fo you add? When do you add it?
Hi Crissie! I added 1/4 tsp to the batch, along with the spices. I had to compensate by adding a dash or two more of clove and nutmeg, but the clay is grey, so it blended in nicely with everything as it was.
Thank you! I have struggled with acne my entire life, so I am hoping to find something that will help. I am already using the essential oils you listed which has helped a bit, but I am ready to ditch the expensive store bought cleansers in lieu of something better.
Thank you so much for this post! I have been using Proactiv and it began to stain my towels like bleach would… Don’t even want to think about what it was doing to my face! What brand of goats milk soap do you use? I have been looking for some but haven’t found anything relatively inexpensive. Thanks!
You’re most welcome! I’m currently testing a brand of soap to recommend, but what I’ve been using is simply the most affordable one at the store at the time. For quality soap, I’m thinking you’ll pay anywhere from $3-5 per bar, depending on the seller. That’s actually really good though, because I’ve been using the same bar every morning for 3+ months, and if you compare the cost to the other soaps before, you’d pay twice that each month!
I worked the front desk at a spa during a summer in college and the first thing they told me was to NOT use those beady facial cleansers! So gross…can’t believe you actually found one!
My skin really cleared up for me when I went off the insane amounts of sugar I used to eat and straight dairy milk (yogurt and cheese and ice cream were OK for me).
One more tip is to drink lots of water. Your body will push all the nasties out through your skin so you might have a break out initially, but it will clear up!
Hey Tiffany,
Where did you find your goats milk soap? I live in a really rural area and I don’t have access to any natural stores. I’ve looked on Amazon but there’s are pretty pricey.
Thanks!
Hi Brittani! I got my soap at a local discount grocery store and paid $1.25 per bar. You might want to call your local grocery stores to see if they carry any, instead of wasting the gas. There are a few bigger named brands that they might carry. I’ll be checking out a soap company here soon, so hopefully I’ll have a great, affordable product to recommend!
You’re most welcome Leesha! 🙂
Wow! So much information here! I need to go back and check out the links on how to make facial moisturizer and powder! Cool stuff!
Thanks Jayleen!
Great list, I really need to try these tips! Thank you!
Thanks! And you’re welcome!
Can you email me how to make the tinted moisturizer/powder, toothpaste, etc? I’d LOVE to start making/using these things bc I still struggle with skin issues and I’m 38! (I’m unsure where to find these products, how to make them, etc but I know I need this change!) Thank you! God bless!
Hi Mary! You can find the recipes on the site:
tinted moisturizer: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/04/homemade-tinted-moisturizer/
powdered foundation: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/homemade-powdered-foundation/
toothpaste: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/homemade-toothpaste-thats-just-like-earthpaste/
With the exception of maybe 2-4 ingredients, I’m betting you already have a good bit of what you need in the kitchen! Thank you for your blessings, and the same to you and your family! 🙂
Hi!! I am so excited to try out these recipes! Just ordered all the goodies! One question though…you states you add Redmond clay to your moisturizer…I may have overlooked it, but how much do you add? Thank you!! 🙂
Hi Meredith! I add 1/4 tsp to the recipe. You didn’t overlook it – I published the recipe and added the clay after the fact. I’ve used it ever since, but haven’t updated the post yet. Guess what just made it to my to-do list? 🙂
Thank you for your quick response! I’ve struggled all my life (as far back as I can remember) with acne and currently use some pretty strong chemical products. Ready to try a healthier approach! I also break out on my back and sometimes chest. Ugh!!!! Do you have any recommendations for that? Maybe goat’s milk soap will help!….So thankful to have come across your blog!
You’re welcome Meredith! Diet helped tremendously with my chest and back, but not using conventional products helped too. Right before I get out of the shower, I use the goats milk soap – essentially washing off any residue from shampoo & conditioner. If I need moisture, I lightly apply the coconut oil. Exfoliating helps, as does keeping my stress level down, lol. If you can reach, the mud should help too, especially when you’re going through a spell of sorts. 🙂
Awesome! Thank you for the info and your time! Look forward to future posts from you! 🙂
Hi!! It’s me again…HELP!! Lol so I was making my lotion…mostly using your recipe but I decided I wanted more of a lotion feel instead of just oils…so I added beeswax. Well after heating, mixing etc. my “lotion” is hard and clumpy 🙁 Do you know if there is anything I can do to revive it? I really hate to waste all the oils (argan and jojoba) that I used!! 🙁
Oh Meredith, I completely understand because I’ve done the same thing too! I haven’t figured out the magic formula for lotion yet, but if you melt it over a double boiler, you can make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated. You can leave-as is, or add more coconut oil to reduce the solidity of it (but I don’t know how much to add, just FYI) or possibly cocoa butter to make it pliable. Pour into silicone molds to make individual bars, and allow to cool. You’ll likely still have hard lotion, but it should be a bit easier to melt when it comes in contact with your body heat. Let me know how it turns out!
Is there anyway you could post how to make the all natural facial cleaners and foundation? That would be amazing! 🙂 thank you for the post!
Hi Tessa! Here’s my recipe for powdered foundation: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/03/homemade-powdered-foundation/
I don’t have one for facial cleansers since the goats milk soap is working so well, but you never know what the future might hold! 😉
Hi! Love this…def. trying! I did wonder if it matters if the goats milk soap is scented like lavender.. or just original scent? Thank you!!!
Hi Jenny! I know we’ve already discussed this via email, but in case others are wondering too, my soap is scented lavender. Lavender and tea tree are good oils for acne-prone skin, so no need to worry about them in soap UNLESS you’re allergic or don’t like the smell. 🙂
I like a lot these tips, and I think I might try out the clay. I do want to point out, though, that coconut oil is HIGHLY comedogenic (i.e., it has a rating of 4 on the 5 point comedogenic rating scale, where 5 is the absolute worst–in other words, it will clog your pores if your skin is at all prone to clogging). You may want to note that somewhere in your recipes. I realize coconut oil works beautifully for some people, but it is an acne nightmare for others!! Shea butter has a comedogenic rating of 0, I believe, so it might be a nice alternative.
Thanks Jenn! That’s strange, since my skin is prone to clogging, but I’ve never had a problem with coconut oil. I’ve used shea butter too, but it was mixed with other stuff so I can’t speak for it first hand. I appreciate your input and desire to help other readers – thanks!!
Thank you for these tips, I have always had acne issues! I am wondering any tips for scarring? I have several on my face and am looking for something that may help, thanks again!
Hi Shana! I have scarring too, and unfortunately don’t have any specifics tips. Although I will mention that this same routine has helped reduce the blatant appears of the scars, if that makes sense. They’re there, but they’re less noticeable because all of my skin looks better.
Thanks for sharing Emily!
I love your tips!! I just wanted to say that if these fabulous ideas don’t end up resolving the acne for some of your readers, then they might consider checking in with a good ND. My horrible acne cleared up completely along with my migraines and depression when my ND addressed my hormone imbalance. Eating real food will help quite a bit but might not resolve that completely.
Thanks Anna! Does ND stand for natural dermatologist? Sorry, I haven’t heard that abbreviation before!
nd usually stands for naturopathic doctor. Not a medical doctor, but someone who uses food and other alternatives to medications to treat chronic illness. They usually don’t take insurance, and they are usually expensive. However, if you do your research and read the right books and articles, you can learn a lot of the same information. Facebook support groups are also very helpful in advice to treat chronic illness or chronic pain with a condition-specific diet. Because you’re certainly not going to get that information from your conventional medical doctor.
There’s no such thing as a “natural dermatologist”. Although I’m sure there are dermatologists that are more holistically oriented. Most don’t have a clue of what to do besides prescribe medication. They’re not taught, for example, that people with rosacea (a type of acne) are deficient in lysine, and that taking a lysine supplement and changing their diet improves the rosacea.
Hi! Could you please help me by telling me what to search or any books on naturopathic ways to help with my acne? We do have one practice here that has about five naturopathic docs there and we see one of them. I have yet to really discuss with her my skin though. Yes it is pricey! I would love to find this info on my own and only make an appointment with her if I absolutely need to. Also I love green smoothies but stopped eating bananas because I heard they were high on the glycemic list. I do miss them! Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I just turned 40 and I hate having acne. It makes your confidence just disappear. I use to model but gave that up a long time ago.. I miss it and would love to go back to it but I just hate my face sometimes. It’s minor to my husband but major to me. They also hurt ( the cystic ones)! Any help from anyone I would greatly greatly appreciate again. Thank you!
Thank you SO much for posting this! Your powdered foundation post inspired me to make several skincare products of my own. I just switched from cheaper, store-bought makeup to homemade, and my skin looks and feels amazing, even after a few days. I think its even helping to fade the redness that I have from pregnancy acne! I’ve also been using witch hazel as a toner twice a day which makes my face feel very refreshed. Even if I didn’t care about the health benefits (which I do!), the homemade versions are saving my family a lot of money! My next project will be to start purging the rest of my skincare products 🙂 Thanks, again!
You’re most welcome Kate! I noticed a difference in just a few days too, but didn’t want to jump the gun in case it was me being overly excited. 🙂 I haven’t tried witch hazel for a toner, but I’d like to look into that a bit more as we continue to slowly switch over to more natural health products too! 🙂
JjejI see you use coconut oil in your misturizer and you have skin problems. Are you aware that coconut oil clogs pores? You may want to try mango butter and/or sunflower oil. Much bbetter for your skin.