Urine Therapy for Acne...Does It Work?
Your first thoughts might be "EWW, GROSS, I'M NEVER DOING THAT!" At least that's what I said when I first heard of this somewhat disturbing natural remedy for acne. Urine therapy or urotherapy has been said to help treat and prevent acne. I researched it for weeks trying to figure out WHY putting your own urine on your skin would have an effect on acne. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I actually gave in and tried it for a few weeks. If you have acne you are pretty much willing to do ANYTHING to get rid of it, am I right? Well, I was so fed up with my acne that I thought I would give urine therapy a try.
Urine therapy is not a new thing. It's been around for ages. They even have conventions about Urine Therapy and it's ability to treat or cure many different health issues. Many people believe that urine is a waste product produced by the body, but that's not true. It's actually pretty much just water that the body didn't absorb along with some natural stuff that your body produces. Have you ever seen the ingredient "urea" in any of your skincare products? Well, that's basically lab-created urine.
So why do people think urine will help with acne? Well it's said to have natural antiseptic and antifungal qualities. Since it's produced by the body people believe that it's one of the rawest forms of natural remedies that exist. Ever heard of someone peeing on a jellyfish sting? Well, apparently there's SOMETHING to this urine therapy stuff.
So, back to my urine therapy trial. I tried it for about three weeks. I drank TONS of water so that my urine was as "clean" as possible. I basically used the urine as a mask each night before bed. I would cleanse my face and then apply the urine all over my face with a cotton ball. Fresh is better, so they say. You can also apply the urine as a toner and leave it on overnight or use it as a spot treatment if you don't want to put it all over your face. I've even read that drinking your own urine can help, but that's where I draw the line.
I felt disgusting, but as I mentioned earlier, I was desperate. After a few weeks I still saw no improvement whatsoever, so I stopped. It may work for some people but it did not work for me. I'm not saying that it won't work for anyone, but maybe you should consider some other natural remedies before deciding to put your own urine on your face. For example, manuka honey and apple cider vinegar worked much better for my acne than urine therapy.
**Disclaimer: I do not recommend, condone, or suggest that you should drink your own urine or apply it to your skin. Consult your doctor if you think that you would like to try this remedy.