The Ultimate Beauty Guide

According to American Chronicle , acne scarring forms just as any other type of injury creates scars. Factors such as skin type, genetics and age all play a part in how prominent a scar will be. Acne scars will either be raised -- called keloids -- or depressed. Keloids are the formation of a growth of scar tissues. Depressed scars are more common and are named by the shape of their depressions such as ice pick, boxcar or rolling scars. PIH--post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation -- is the body's process of natural repair. This will last up to two years after the initial scarring.

• Step 1: Measure out two parts water, one part oatmeal. Mix in a cooking pot. Oatmeal will cleanse the skin of oil and exfoliate the pores.
• Step 2: Heat the pot over medium to low heat. Add the juice of a lemon while stirring. Lemon juice is a natural bleach that will help fade the acne scars.
• Step 3: Take the pot off of the stove and allow the ingredients to cool. Mix in a generous amount of manuka honey. The antibacterial composition of the honey combined with its ability to create an air tight seal, accelerate the healing process in new wounds and scarring when applied topically.
• Step 4: Apply the face mask and leave it on for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Step 5: Rinse off the mask. Gently dry your face with a towel and apply a moisturizer with a sunscreen.

Warnings

It is very difficult to find medical evidence to support the claims that home remedies such as honey, lemon and oatmeal are effective for treating acne scars. It is generally agreed that more research needs to be performed before such claims can be made.

Always consult your doctor or dermatologist before beginning a home remedy such as this. They may recommend an over-the-counter product or a prescription medicine if scars do not improve.

Tips

Cinnamon can also be added during the cooking process. Honey can be put on a dressing and applied directly to scarred area, to save on mess.

Always add honey after the oatmeal has cooled. The heat can break down the anti-microbial properties of the honey.

Use a medicinal honey like Manuka as many supermarket honeys have lost their healing qualities through processing.

Lemon juice can increase skin photo sensitivity, therefore it is important to wear a moisturizer with high SPF after applying this mask.