How to Erase Pimples on Your Arms

These annoying red bumps appear as a result of hormonal changes. It’s best to maintain a healthy, low-fat diet and use natural exfoliants to prevent them or reduce the severity of a breakout.
How to Erase Pimples on Your Arms
Karla Henríquez

Reviewed and approved by the doctor Karla Henríquez.

Last update: 30 May, 2022

It’s common to get pimples on your arms during puberty, but they can also show up during adulthood. This problem, which is mostly an aesthetic issue, has a variety of different causes. It’s basically a minor skin disorder that causes small red bumps or pimples to form.

Although red bumps or pimples on your arms aren’t as much of a health risk as other skin disorders, today we’re going to discuss ways to fight them. That way you can go back to looking forward to wearing sleeveless tops and dresses during the warmer weather of summertime.

What causes pimples on your arms?

These small bumps appear where you have hair follicles that become blocked by oil. Oil production increases with a shift in your body’s hormone levels. That, along with a few other factors, causes these pimples to form.

Keratosis pilaris?

If you can’t get rid of pimples on your arms even with treatments meant specifically for them, you might have a condition called keratosis pilaris (chicken skin).

This disorder causes a buildup of a protein known as keratin, which can form hard plugs inside hair follicles. This causes a kind of inflammation that looks similar to pimples.

how to treat pimples on your arms
This is a common problem for people with dry skin or atopic dermatitis (eczema), which seems to be hereditary.

Regardless, it’s best to talk with your dermatologist to identify the proper course of treatment and prevent this problem from getting worse.

Please read: Green Tea Remedy to Eliminate Acne

What causes these pimples on your arms to show up?

These common bumps almost always appear on the arms due to hormonal changes that most girls and women go through starting at puberty. They can also happen to men, it’s just less common.

But some people think that the kind of food you eat plays a part, though there’s no scientific evidence supporting this theory yet.

Whatever the cause, there are some natural treatments you can use to help get rid of them so you don’t have to resort to chemical products that can damage your skin. Let’s find out what they are!

Exfoliation

Exfoliation

Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells that build up on the surface of your skin, causing oil to collect and form those tiny pimples.

You can make a natural exfoliant at home using healthy ingredients that will help fight this problem.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of honey (25 g)
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar (15 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (15 g)

Preparation

  • Mix all ingredients until they form a paste, and apply to the affected area with a gentle massage. Leave it on for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes have passed, rinse with cold water and apply an oil-free moisturizer.

Water and salt

Salt can help reduce excess oil that builds up in different parts of the skin.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup of sea salt or coarse salt (125 g)
  • Hot water

Preparation

  • Pour half a cup of sea salt or coarse salts into a bowl of hot water and immerse your arms for 10 minutes.
  • The water should be as hot as possible to help open up your pores and make it easier to get rid of the built up sebum.

Oat, salt, and honey scrub

oat, salt, and honey scrub
This natural treatment helps soften, exfoliate, and moisturize the skin while helping get rid of those annoying clusters of bumps.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons of ground oats (50 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of honey (50 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of salt (30 g)

Preparation

  • Mix all the ingredients together and moisten them with enough water to form a paste. Apply to the affected areas with gentle, circular movements and let sit for 15 minutes.
  • For the best results, you should repeat this treatment at least three times a week.

Green or pink clay

This natural product has all kinds of beauty treatment benefits, and it’s great  fighting pesky, unsightly pimples on your arms.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 tablespoons of green or pink clay powder or paste

Preparation

  • If necessary, moisten the clay until it forms a paste and apply an even coating to all affected areas of the arms.
  • The most you should use this treatment is twice a week, because overuse can strip your skin of its natural oils.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.