13 Powerful Home Remedies for Acne

Reduce stress
How it works
Relaxation helps balance hormones and gut bacteria related to oil production and inflammation

May also help
Anxiety and depression
Cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate
Immune function
Muscle tension
Sleep
Safety
Safe

The link between stress and acne is not fully understood. The hormones released during periods of stress may increase sebum production and inflammation, making acne worse (61Trusted Source).

Stress may also affect gut bacteria and cause inflammation throughout the body, which could be linked to acne (62Trusted Source).

What’s more, stress can slow wound healing, which may slow the repair of acne lesions (63Trusted Source).

Multiple studies have found an association between stress and acne (64Trusted Source, 65Trusted Source, 66Trusted Source).

However, each of these studies was relatively small, so more research is needed.

One study in 80 participants found no association between stress intensity and acne. However, it noted that acne severity may be related to people’s ability to cope with stress (67Trusted Source).

Certain relaxation and stress reduction treatments may improve acne, but more research needs to be done (68Trusted Source).

Ways to reduce stress
get more sleep
engage in physical activity
practice yoga
meditate
take deep breaths