Face/ Natural Skin Care

DIY Face Serum For Acne, Scars & Dark Spots

Updated: May 20, 2020

(This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here)

diy face serum for acne

(This post contains affiliate links. My full disclosure is very boring, but you can read it here.)

Everyone wants a gorgeous skin which should be free from wrinkles, acne, dark spots and scars. To make skin perfect there are many products in the market which claims that it will fulfill our skin requirements but they have side effects too. All natural DIY face serum for acne is the greatest thing you can ever give to your acne prone skin. It is made up of essential and carrier oils which are the main ingredient that will target our requirements without any side effects.

I have also shared my first experience with DIY face serum for acne which I made it after knowing my skin requirements. If you are a DIY person you can also make your own DIY face serum for acne depending on your face requirements and skin type. To make face serum we should know what is this all about and how can we make DIY face serum for acne.


What Is The Role Of Essential Oil In DIY Face Serum For Acne

DIY face serum for acne contains only two types of oils- essential oils and carrier oils. so, what is essential and carrier oils?

The essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted. An oil is “essential” in the sense that it contains the “essence of” the plant’s fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.

It goes without saying that essential oils smell great. They not only help you relax but have significant benefits for the skin too. The oils hydrate and heal your skin without clogging the pores. Plus, they help deal with many skin conditions – from acne, dryness, aging to excessive oil.

A carrier oil is a vegetable oil—such as coconut oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil—is used to dilute essential oils before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They are so named because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. It ensures that essential oils applied topically are comfortable to the skin. 


My Experience With DIY Face Serum For Acne

I usually purchase personal care products with all natural ingredients. One day I went to a store to purchase my face wash product. In the store, I noticed the alternative, the all natural products, which used essential oils.

I found these products worked just as well and marked the beginning of my love for essential oils. I got the idea on the internet that essential oils are a panacea that can replace every modern medicine, both over the counter and prescription.

Using Essential oils you have to be patient as it takes the time to show their power over your skin. I am using these oils for several years and I can see the effect on my skin. My skin has become softer and less problematic as my skin is acne prone and a combination type of skin. I  get no further breakouts and my dry parts of my face feel hydrated.

My DIY face serum for acne is also reducing dark circle around my eyes and helps me fading dark acne spots. If some essential oil is blended with other essential oils, it becomes more effective on skin because you will get many benefits from different oils in one application.

In all actuality, you just have to buy a carrier oil, to begin with, and test it on your face. See if your skin loves the base oil you choose, and then you can build on that.

Your carrier oil is the main ingredient in your facial oil blend. My two favorite carrier oils are argan oil and/or jojoba oil because they’re both very healing and nourishing, they’re both very light and they sink into your skin without any feeling of greasiness, and they’re great for all skin types.

I use this facial serum at night to rejuvenate and heal my skin. At daytime, I use my diy aloe vera acne gel which really works for me and helps my skin to get rid of acne.

Since I have started to use the 100% pure carrier and essential oil for my skin, I think I will never turn to synthetic cosmetics that contain toxic chemicals and filler ingredients ever again.

diy face serum for acne


List Of Carrier Oils Can Be Used To Make DIY Face Serum For Acne

(This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s most of ’em):

  • Argan oil – great for dry, aging, oily, normal, or acne-prone skin
  • Jojoba oil – great for dry, aging, oily, normal, or acne-prone skin
  • Apricot kernel oil – great for normal, dry, and aging skin
  • Sweet almond oil – just an all-around great facial oil for all skin types, but it takes a bit longer to “sink in” than the first two.
  • Grapeseed oil – great for normal, oily, or acne-prone skin
  • Avocado oil – great for dry and aging skin
  • Hemp seed oil – great for any skin type, also very light

Plan on your carrier oil for at least 95-98% of your facial serum mixture (we’ll talk about mixing at the end).

I am sharing the recipe of essential oils that I am using for several months (Of course with some moderation, it takes time to know your skin needs) from which I got a problem free skin. I use some of the essential oils mixed with my favorite carrier oil.

These essential oils are the oils that are a little more pricey, but with that price tag comes a beautiful kick in the pants to your troubled skin. Remember! You only need a couple of tiny drops of essential oil to get an amazing benefit for your skin. Essential oils are potent (and they last forever when you use them this way)!


The Benefits Of DIY Face Serum For Acne

I use these oils for my serum because it has many benefits.

  • Lavender oil helps regenerate skin cells and reduce scarring and sunspots. When applied to the skin, they improve blood circulation and heal burns, cuts, and bruises.
  • Clove oil contains a substance called eugenol, which has antibacterial properties and it is great for acne treatment.
  • Tea-tree essential oil is one of the most popular oils for oily and acne-prone skin. It helps regulate oil production in the skin and has antibacterial properties that help get rid of the acne-causing bacteria.
  • Chamomile oil removes dark circles without hampering the beauty of our eyes from the regular application. It eases the blemishes and evens the skin tone.
  • Frankincense oil is powerful astringent capabilities. It can help to eliminate sun spots, remove micro-wrinkles around the eyes and cheeks, and generally tone and tighten skin all over your body, while simultaneously replacing old or dying cells with new, healthy ones! And heals the scar also.
  • Cedarwood oil is helpful in making the sebum secretion under control. Therefore cedarwood essential oil is good for whitening of oily to combination skin.

If you love nature extracted essential oils then you should also check out how to make scalp and hair problem free. 


Procedure To Make DIY Face Serum For Acne

5.0 from 1 reviews
DIY Face Serum For Acne, Scars & Dark Spots
 
Prep time
Total time
 
DIY Face serum for acne is the greatest thing you can ever give to your skin. It treats acne, heals scars and lightens dark spots.
Author:
Recipe type: Anti-acne Face Serum
Cuisine: DIY, Beauty
Ingredients
Instructions
How To Make
  1. Half fill the bottle with jojoba oil
  2. Add 1 drop of clove oil
  3. Add 10 drops of lavender oil
  4. Add 4 drops of tea tree oil
  5. Add 1 drop of cedarwood oil
  6. Add 2 drops of frankincense oil
  7. Add 1 drop of chamomile oil
  8. And then again fill the empty space left in the bottle with jojoba oil
  9. Shake Well.
How To Apply
  1. Apply it on a cleansed face daily.
  2. Always apply sunscreen before going out in the sun.
Notes
1. Firstly dilute the essential oils in a carrier oil. Be sure to do a patch test to make sure your skin does not have an adverse reaction to the oils. The inner forearm is a great place to do a test since the skin is delicate, similar to facial skin.
2. Additionally, pregnant women, infants, and young children should avoid certain essential oils. so be sure to do your homework beforehand.
3. Keep the face serum bottle away from light.
4. The Pictures have been updated but the recipe is the same.


diy face serum for acne

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62 Comments

  • Reply
    Jessica
    May 19, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    What size bottle do you use?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      May 23, 2017 at 6:31 pm

      Hi Jessica, If you follow all the steps in the post then you can use a 30ml bottle to store the serum.

  • Reply
    Devon
    May 26, 2017 at 4:45 am

    That’s A LOT of e.o for face is that safe?!

    • Reply
      Mamta
      June 12, 2017 at 6:02 pm

      Hi Devon, while creating a face serum, essential oils are mixed with carrier oils. As long as the proportion of essential oils in a carrier oil is correct it will never do any harm to your face.

  • Reply
    sneha
    July 31, 2017 at 7:06 am

    How many drops of the serum do you need to use? and how long should 15ml of the serum typically last?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      August 11, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      Hi Sneha, 4-5 drops of serum is enough for you to face. If you use 2 times a day, a 15 ml bottle should last for 2-3 months. (As per my experience).

  • Reply
    Charlene mohammed
    August 22, 2017 at 1:57 am

    hi is acne scars is d same as the wholes on your face dat made from acne when u dig ur face due to acne

    • Reply
      Mamta
      August 27, 2017 at 5:18 pm

      Hi, Charlene, Yes that is an acne scar.

  • Reply
    Melissa
    August 30, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    Will this formula also work for dark spots and pigmentation?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      September 1, 2017 at 8:32 am

      hi, Melissa, it will work on dark spots if you use it consistently.

  • Reply
    Anushree
    September 27, 2017 at 11:46 am

    Hi Mamta, would this serum help me with the dark circles as well as acne? If I’m not mistaken, u’ve wrote above that it helped u with ur dark circles. I’d be more than glad if it does.

    • Reply
      Mamta
      September 30, 2017 at 9:55 am

      Hi, Anushree, the serum did help me with removing dark circles. But you need to take extra care while using it around your eye area as it contains strong essential oils like clove and tea tree oil. Be careful while using it.

      Thanks
      Mamta

  • Reply
    Sheila
    October 4, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    When you say dark spots is that age spots or will it also get rid of freckles

    • Reply
      Mamta
      October 8, 2017 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Sheila, My post is about dark spot and scars due to acne. I would not recommend it for age spot and freckles.

  • Reply
    serum
    October 17, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    No habia regresado tu blog por un tiempo, porque me pareció que era denso, pero los últimos articulos son de buena calidad, así que supongo que voy a añadirte a mi lista de blogs cotidiana. Te lo mereces amigo. 🙂

    Saludos

    • Reply
      Mamta
      October 26, 2017 at 5:25 pm

      Gracias 🙂

  • Reply
    Honey
    October 25, 2017 at 1:38 pm

    Is it ok if use grapeseed oil instead of jojoba oil? What i have now is tea tree, lavender and frankincense e oil is it ok of enough to make a acne face serum?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      October 26, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Honey, yes you can use grapeseed oil instead of jojoba oil.
      Yes, the oil you have are enough to make an acne face serum.

  • Reply
    Paula
    November 14, 2017 at 1:12 am

    I like lavender, but not too much. Do you think this would still work if I cut back on lavender and increased frankincense?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      November 15, 2017 at 4:00 pm

      Hi Paula,
      You can get rid of lavender essential oil for this recipe if you want to. But make sure you don’t use excessive frankincense essential oil in place of lavender oil. You can increase the proportion of frankincense essential oil by 5-6 drops if you like. Increased proportion of frankincense essential oil increases the sensitivity to your skin. Do a patch test before using this.
      Thanks
      Mamta

  • Reply
    Yyv Beatrice Empiang
    November 14, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    Hye there Mamta. Yyv’s here. thank you for sharing the recipes with us. im glad to have read this as it comes handy. seeing the list of the EO’s, if i were to put only three of them, what would you recommended? and how about the proportion after that? should i reduce the drops based on its properties? as for the carrier oil, i only have apricot in my drawer. will that be good enough? thank you in advance Mamta!!

    • Reply
      Mamta
      November 15, 2017 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Yyv,
      You can use apricot oil as a carrier oil. The recommended essential oils for this are 10 drops of lavender oil, 5 drops of tea tree and 3 drops of frankincense oil. Mix all these in 30 ml of apricot oil.
      Thanks
      Mamta

  • Reply
    ANU SINGH
    December 11, 2017 at 8:07 am

    Hey how long can they be preserved?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      December 19, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Anu,
      You can keep this serum for 6 months.

  • Reply
    Nita
    December 14, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Thanks for shariinngg! I’d love to try and make this, I have all the oils EXCEPT for Clove *sigh*. Can I replace it with Nutmeg/Helichrysum? Or is there any other essential oils you recommend?

    Thank you

    • Reply
      Mamta
      December 19, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Nita,
      Yes, you can replace clove with Nutmeg/Helichrysum.

  • Reply
    Belay
    December 23, 2017 at 8:28 am

    Hi. I don’t have clove and chamomile. What oil can i use instead? Thanks.

    • Reply
      Mamta
      January 11, 2018 at 3:58 pm

      Hi Belay,
      You can skip chamomile and in place of clove use nutmeg essential oil.

  • Reply
    Jeaanie
    January 16, 2018 at 11:11 am

    Hi, I only have lavender, frankincense and grapeseed oil in my ref. Can I create a serum, how many drops do I used to for 10ml bottle. Thank you in advance

    • Reply
      Mamta
      January 22, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      Hi Jeaanie,
      Fill the bottle with 8ml grapeseed oil, then add 3 drops of lavender oil and 3 drops of frankincense oil. Shake well before every use.

  • Reply
    Gbemi
    February 11, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    Hi, I’m in my late thirties and recently I’ve started having acne that I thought I’ve gotten rid off since some years back.. I have the following carrier oils.. Almond oil, Jojoba oil, Rose hip oil and Coconut oil.. And I have the following essential oil: lemon, sandalwood, castor, Lavender, neroli, rosemary, tea tree, castor, rose oil.. How do I mix them?
    Thanks

    • Reply
      Mamta
      March 4, 2018 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Gbemi,
      In a 30ml bottle pour 10ml rosehip and 15 ml jojoba oil and mix 4 drops of tea tree oil, 4 drops of rose oil, 5 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of lemon oil.

  • Reply
    Jackie
    March 4, 2018 at 9:38 pm

    Can this be used in the day and night time ?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      March 15, 2018 at 4:17 pm

      Hi Jackie,
      You can use this in the day and night time. If you are going out in sun then use a sunscreen.

  • Reply
    Ritika
    April 6, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    Hey, m using a 50 ml bottle for making my serum ..since m not able to get a smaller size …do you think it would be okay to do so.
    Thanx .

    • Reply
      Mamta
      May 22, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      Hi Ritika,
      Yes, you can use it. But increase oil proportionally with the size of the bottle.

  • Reply
    M
    April 26, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    Hey, Can I make this in a 30-50 mL bottle? If so, how much EO should I use?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      May 22, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      Hi,
      For a 30ml bottle, use 25 ml carrier oil and 15 drops of essential oils.

  • Reply
    Chantal
    May 5, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    So how and when do you dilute with a carrier oil? In the 15ml bottle do you just add the carrier oil and essential oils? How much carrier oil should be used on an adult for daily use of this serum?
    Thanks

    • Reply
      Mamta
      May 22, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Hi Chantel,
      Mix 10 ml of carrier oil with 6 drops of essential oils.

  • Reply
    Pria
    May 10, 2018 at 12:56 am

    Hi what are the proportions for a 60 ml bottle? I have cedarwood, lavender, and tea tree essential oils and rosehip and hemp seed for carrier oils. Thank you

    • Reply
      Mamta
      May 22, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      Hi Pria,
      A 60ml bottle should be filled with hemp seed oil and rosehip oil equally. Then add 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of tea tree and 5 drops of cedarwood essential oil to prepare this.

  • Reply
    Vivilya
    August 9, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    Hi Mamta,
    Could you give me the best mixture for acne serum and to reduce the dark circle in the eyes?
    Right now I have lavender, frankincense, lemon and tea tree.
    I have combination skin (oily and in the cheeks some white comedones.
    Thanks

    • Reply
      Mamta
      August 11, 2018 at 4:21 am

      Hi Vivilya, Lavender, frankincense, lemon and tea tree oils are great for the acne prone and combination skin. All these oils do work for dark circles except tea tree oil. Do not use tea tree oil for your eye area application, it’s risky but you can apply it to your face. Here is the recipe for dark circle- Take 10ml rosehip oil and add 4 drops lavender oil, 2 drops frankincense and 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil. Mix all and apply twice. Store it in a dark-colored glass container.

  • Reply
    KD
    August 21, 2018 at 2:40 am

    This serum can work on old injury scars or darks?

  • Reply
    Jessica
    September 22, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Hi, will my skin purge or breakout when using this in the beginning?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      October 5, 2018 at 2:17 pm

      Hi Jessica,
      You might get a few breakouts in the beginning but in the long run, this will help you get rid of acne and scars. Till now, I have not found anyone complaining about breakouts. Even I also didn’t get any breakouts while using it.

  • Reply
    Kimie Mbongo
    November 14, 2018 at 2:44 am

    I have a 2 fl oz bottle which is about 6 times your “servings” here.
    So that would be 60 drops of lavender. Is that okay?

    • Reply
      Mamta
      November 21, 2018 at 2:38 pm

      Hi Kimie,
      The proportion of essential oil in carrier oil does not increase linearly. If you want to use this for a short-term (around 2-3 weeks) then you can use around 5% dilution of Essential Oils. But as recommended for daily use you should use it to a maximum of 2% dilution.
      For 60ml this would mean total 30-35 drops of essential oils can be mixed. Out of this 20 drops would be lavender oil.

  • Reply
    NURUL
    January 1, 2019 at 9:19 am

    Hi Mamta, i have a question. I am searching for the face oil blend for acne and acne scar and found your post. Could you advice the proportion if i want to make a 15ml face oil with these: argan oil, avocado oil, Rose hip oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil, frankincense oil, vitamin e

    • Reply
      Mamta
      January 11, 2019 at 4:38 am

      Hi Nurul, Take 5ml argan oil, 2ml jojoba oil, 4ml rosehip oil to fill the 15ml bottle. Then mix 3 drops lavender oil, 4 drops tea tree oil and 1 drop frankincense oil. Put the cap on the bottle and shake well to mix all the oil.

  • Reply
    Courtney
    January 18, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    Hi Mamta,

    Thank you for sharing this recipe and for being so thorough! Do you still use moisturizer after applying your serum? And I may have missed it, but do you use your serum both in the morning and at night? Thanks!

    • Reply
      Mamta
      January 28, 2019 at 7:58 am

      Hi Courtney,
      Yes, I apply this serum twice a day because it prevents me from future breakouts. And also, I apply moisturizer if my skin feels any dryness (like in winter or any other dry days).

  • Reply
    Isabelle
    March 13, 2019 at 1:14 am

    Hello there! 🙂 so I’m totally new to the diy with oils and essential oils world, and I’m trying to get my head around safety and measuring when it comes to stuff you put on the skin. I notice the ratio of eo in this recipe makes more than 5% of the entire blend, is that safe? 5% of 30ml is 1,5ml, and if I remember correctly this many drops of eo is def more than that?

  • Reply
    Christina
    March 17, 2019 at 4:58 am

    Hi Mamta,

    What do you use for a moisturizer if you do feel any dryness ?

    Thanks
    C

  • Reply
    Anusha
    May 28, 2019 at 8:00 am

    Hello, can i use grapeseed oil as carrier oil as I am having oily skin

    • Reply
      Mamta
      August 12, 2019 at 6:44 am

      Hi Anusha, yes you can use grapeseed oil for oily skin.

  • Reply
    Qhuen05
    August 10, 2020 at 2:55 am

    Hi, is this safe for lactating mom? thank you 🙂

    • Reply
      Mamta
      August 22, 2020 at 5:19 am

      Hi,
      Sorry, I don’t have any advice on this. Please consult your doctor about this.

      • Reply
        Qhuen05
        September 4, 2020 at 8:18 am

        I understand. Thank you anyway 🙂

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