As a teenager, I remember discussing pimple treatment options ad nauseam with my girlfriends. Stridex versus Oxy pads. Noxzema versus Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser. Store-bought spot treatments like Clearasil versus at-home remedies like toothpaste.

Unfortunately, breakouts happen to big girls, too: Adult acne affects almost 50 percent of women at some point in their lives, which means it’s still important to know about the products that best banish blemishes. You should also know that your favorite from years past might not be what your skin needs now.

While stronger, oil-sapping ingredients—like benzoyl peroxide—were perfect during adolescence, they can be drying and irritating to more mature skin. This could explain why natural acne treatments are so popular. Another reason women want them: “I get the feeling that people are very disillusioned by traditional store-bought acne treatments because they don’t work as well as the buyer was hoping, and often they’re very, very expensive,” says Leslie Martin, the blogger behind DIY beauty site CrunchyBetty.com, who believes that her natural acne remedies are the site’s most popular.

But do holistic acne treatments work? “There are not enough studies that prove whether natural ingredients are helpful to treat acne or not,” says Danville, California-based dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, M.D. That said, Badreshia-Bansal does concede that many of the ingredients used in natural acne treatments—such as honey, tea tree oil, tomato juice, and aspirin—have properties that work to unclog pores, balance oil production, and fight acne-causing bacteria.

“I think our skin takes to natural acne remedies so well because we are natural beings,” says Martin. Of course you’ll need to experiment with different recipes—visit EndlessBeauty's Blogger Spotlight post for Crunchy Betty's list of 27 DIY treatments for pimples—to find the one that works best for your skin, but doing so won’t cost you nearly as much as testing several store-bought treatments. “And making your own beauty remedies gives you a very unique opportunity to be conscious and present in a way you haven’t ever been before,” adds Martin.

Sounds wonderful—but if you don’t have time to whip up a facemask, there are plenty of natural products out there that target breakouts with the same wholesome ingredients used in at-home remedies. Here, a few of our favorites.

Burt’s Bees Refining Facial Scrub ($9.99, target.com): Jojoba beads and natural fruit acids help slough away dead skin cells and unclog pores in the process. These botanical ingredients are gentle yet effective, so they slough without scratching your skin.

Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Pads ($7.99, desertessence.com): Many CrunchyBetty.com readers have had success with this product, according to Martin. Each pre-moistened pad is loaded with antiseptic tea tree oil as well as lavender, chamomile and calendula to clear away breakouts while calming skin.

Kiss My Face Breakout ($19, kissmyfacewebstore.com): Tea tree oil is the active ingredient in this spot treatment product that doubles as an all over serum for seriously oily skin. It also contains organic mint to soothe irritated complexions.

Yes to Tomatoes Totally Tranquil Facial Hydrating Lotion ($14.99, drugstore.com): Even oily, acne-prone skin needs moisture. This lotion helps regulate oil production, calm inflammation and fight free radical damage with the help of tomatoes, Dead Sea minerals, and red tea.

REN ClearCalm 3 Anti-Acne Treatment Mask ($45, sephora.com): Remove blemish-causing bacteria from your complexion with this mask’s combination of natural sulfur and zinc. The treatment also helps diminish the appearance of large pores and evens skin tone.

Megan O'Neill is Beauty Editor at EndlessBeauty.com