Use garlic for acne, is it true

Apart from being used as a food flavoring ingredient, garlic can actually be used as a natural acne remedy. Is that right? Come on, see the explanation of the benefits and side effects of garlic for acne here.

Is it true that garlic is effective for treating acne?

Garlic is one of the most studied natural ingredients because it is said to provide health benefits, including skin health. How not, this plant from the Allium genus is known to be rich in antioxidants which play an important role in fighting free radicals.

One of the well-known benefits of garlic is that it is said to be effective as a way to get rid of acne. This statement may appear because it has the following compounds.

• Antibacterial
• Antioxidants
• Anti-inflammatory (inflammation)

These three properties can theoretically help reduce acne. This is evidenced by research published in Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research in 2017.

The study, which was followed by 20 participants, tried to see whether topical use of garlic could cause skin irritation.

The participants were asked to apply a gel containing 3.5% or 7.5% raw garlic to the backs of their hands for 60 minutes. It aims to see the level of skin sensitivity of each participant.

As a result, most participants reported no skin irritation symptoms although they did not have a detailed report. In addition, researchers also tested that garlic gel can inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria.

The research was carried out in a laboratory, to be precise in a petri dish containing bacteria C.acnes . This trial showed that a gel containing 3% and 7.5% garlic was effective and stable in fighting bacteria.

These findings even confirm that garlic gel has the same antibacterial properties as the antibiotic for acne, clindamycin.

Even so, further research is needed to see if the effect will be the same when applied to the skin of people with acne.

So, can garlic be used for acne?

Although there is no research that proves garlic is safe and effective for acne, this food ingredient has a myriad of properties for the skin.

When fighting the growth of acne bacteria, garlic has several important compounds that are beneficial for the skin, such as:

• antibacterial which can kill acne-causing bacteria,
• anti-inflammatory which can reduce inflammation of the skin due to acne, and
• antioxidants that can fight free radicals that contribute to acne.

Before using garlic topically, you should first test whether your skin can accept it as a way to get rid of acne.

You can test this by rubbing garlic liquid or lotion on the skin under your arms. If your skin doesn't show any allergic symptoms for 24 to 48 hours, it means that garlic is probably safe to use.

If you are still in doubt, you should consult a doctor, especially when undergoing certain medications to ensure the safety of garlic for the skin.

How to get rid of acne with garlic

If you already feel confident that garlic is safe to use to treat acne problems, pay attention to some of the tips below.

Crush the garlic so that it is useful for acne

First of all, you need to chop or crush the garlic to get the benefits of this food ingredient. It turns out that the garlic clove doesn't have any properties if it's just placed on the skin.

You see, garlic contains alliin, which is an odorless substance that has no benefit. If you crush the garlic cloves, the alliin will turn into allicin.

Allicin is a compound that exhibits antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This compound will also give off a distinctive odor from garlic.

After crushing or cutting, garlic should be used immediately because allicin can quickly rot and reduce its properties.

Choose raw garlic

You may often find over-the-counter garlic preparations, such as dry garlic, garlic oil, and garlic extract. Keep in mind that processed garlic does not have the same properties as raw, freshly crushed garlic.

For example, garlic powder only contains a maximum of 10 mg / g of alliin. Meanwhile, self-crushed garlic has about 37 mg / g. This means that raw garlic is four times stronger.

Garlic side effects for acne

Even though it looks promising, you still need to be careful when trying this natural way to get rid of acne.

Applying garlic directly to the skin runs the risk of causing skin irritation and allergic reactions, especially on sensitive skin. In some cases, topical garlic can also cause burns.

Instead, experts recommend doing a patch test before using it or replacing this natural ingredient with another method.

Remember, garlic for treating acne problems is not suitable for everyone. You need to discuss with your doctor to see if getting rid of acne with garlic is suitable for human skin types.