Treating Oily Skin With Natural Herbal Remedies

If you have oily skin with large pores, you are probably familiar with looking into the mirror and seeing a shiny face stare back at you.

Oily skin is a common cosmetic problem that is characterized by medium to large-sized pores, a shiny appearance, especially around the area of the nose, chin, and forehead, and a tendency to develop blemishes and blackheads.

Before you begin to work on the external problem, most herbalists and naturopathic doctors advise that you first take an internal approach to solving the problem of oily skin.

According to many naturopathic doctors and other alternative medicine practitioners, one of the best ways to approach the problem of oily skin is to change one’s diet.

Ironically enough, most herbalists and naturopathic doctors believe that one of the best things you can do if you have oily skin is to eat more foods with oils in them. But not just any kind of oil should be used.

Most herbalists and naturopathic doctors agree that if you suffer from an oily complexion, you probably need more oil in your diet, but the kind of oil that is rich in fatty acids.

Once you have begun to consume more foods high in essential fatty acids, you can also begin to take an external approach to the problem of oily skin.

Here are a few natural herbal remedies that you can take in trying to normalize your oily skin.

Flaxseed oil: Most herbalists and naturopathic physicians agree that flaxseed oil is absolutely essential in maintaining a healthy and glowing complexion. Most naturopathic physicians recommend that you consume at least one to three teaspoons of flaxseed oil each day.

Flaxseed oil is an essential fatty acid that can be found in certain kinds of vegetable oils and seed oils. These are a must for healthy skin.  

An Interesting Herb Fact

Herbal Astringents: Most herbalists and naturopathic doctors recommend the use of some kind of herbal astringent to keep the oil level on your skin in check. One naturopathic physician recommends using a multiherb astringent that contains yarrow, peppermint and sage.

These herbs contain many gentle, astringent, and pore-tightening properties that can greatly improve an oily complexion. To make your own herbal astringent, boil one cup of water and then remove the pot from the heat. Add one tablespoon of each kind of dried herb. If you are using fresh herbs, use two tablespoons. Steep the herbs in the water and cover the pan. Let the herbs steep for 30 minutes or so. Then strain the herbs and let the astringent cool. Use the astringent immediately for the greatest benefits.

Mint tea can be used to treat nausea, indigestion, colic, flatulence, migraines, and fevers.

Make certain to store any leftover astringent in a squeeze bottle that you can keep in your bathroom for up to three days. If you store it in your refrigerator, you can use the astringent for up to five days.

Apply your herbal astringent with a cotton ball whenever you notice that your skin looks or feels excessively oily.

This herbal astringent is gentle enough that it will not dry out your skin.