Natural Remedies for Acne
If you already have acne, you don't really need an explanation of what it is. If you do need to find out what acne is, you can find that information everywhere online. What you are probably more concerned about is why you have it or what caused it and how do you get rid of it.
There are many theories out there about the cause of acne, but the one I feel hits the spot is hormonal imbalance, partially because of when acne occurs. It usually first occurs during puberty when hormones are making huge changes in the body -- and it happens in women during their menstrual cycle and also when pregnant or going through menopause. All of these things are hormonal events.
I also believe that the reason it occurs in some people more than others is because of their overall health. In this world today we eat so much junk food and are exposed to many toxins in the environment. All these things put a stress on the body and the way it functions.
So there are several approaches to curing acne. You need to...
- Take good care of your skin using natural home remedies
- Balance your hormones
- Promote a healthy liver and kidneys
- Eliminate toxins out of your diet and as much as possible out of your environment
As you can see by the topics to the left, I think liver health and colon cleansing are two essentials for almost any health problem. Almost all health problems are caused or worsened by a toxic overload. You will help your overall health tremendously by improving diet and eliminating toxic chemicals.
Natural Skin Care
Baking Soda Paste -- Put some baking soda in water to form a paste. Rub the paste on your skin gently and then rinse. This paste will exfoliate the skin and unclog your pores. Don't scrub too hard as baking soda can be abrasive.
Apple Cider Vinegar -- Plain vinegar will work as well. Vinegar is known to kill bacteria which can cause acne. It is great for balancing your skin’s pH and will help eliminate excess oil from the skin. Use one teaspoon of vinegar in 1/4 cup of water or even stronger if you want. Put the vinegar on your skin and leave for about 10 to 15 minutes -- then rinse.
Tea Tree Oil -- Apply it directly on each pimple. You can buy tea tree gel which is much easier to apply than the oil and so can be applied to larger areas of the skin. It is not quite as strong as the oil, however, so may not be as effective. Tea tree oil is well know as an antiseptic.
Aloe Vera -- Put aloe vera gel directly on the skin and leave on. It is helpful in preventing scaring and helps the skin heal more quickly.
Colloidal Silver -- Another natural antibiotic is colloidal silver. You can buy it as a spray and just spray it directly onto your skin.
Grapefruit Seed Extract -- A powerful disinfectant and antimicrobial. You can buy it in liquid form. Put 10 to 20 drops in two ounces of water and apply to affected areas. You can use cotton balls or a small piece of a soft cloth such as flannel.
ClearSkin-A Acne Gel & Skin Wash -- ClearSkin-A Acne Gel contains extracts of a variety of herbs especially chosen to treat acne on a number of levels. It will quickly heal existing pimples and eruptions when they first emerge and prevent them from spreading to form new pimples. ClearSkin Daily Skin Wash is a 100% herbal medicated face wash. It is most effective when used together with ClearSkin-A Acne Gel as a treatment plan to help you achieve clean and healthy skin!
Balance Your Hormones
Saw Palmetto -- Acne is believed to be caused by an overproduction of testosterone. But there is new evidence that it's not too much testosterone but the body's inability to metabolize the hormone. This causes an increase in the activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase which changes testosterone to a more potent form called dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This seems to more likely be the cause of acne. Saw Palmetto helps to slow down the conversion of testosterone to DHT. This is very helpful in acne where DHT is the cause.
GLA -- Gamma linolenic acid or GLA is well known for its hormone balancing effect. The best sources of GLA are evening primrose oil and borage oil.
Promote a Healthy Liver and Kidneys
Burdock Root and Dandelion -- The skin is the largest organ in the body and one of its functions is the elimination of toxic waste from the body through sweating. The primary organs involved in elimination of toxins is the liver and kidneys. If they can no longer handle the load, the skin takes over. Thus one of the causes of acne as well as other skin problems. Burdock root and dandelion are great for cleansing the blood and boosting liver and kidney function.
Other herbs that are helpful are milk thistle, yellow dock, turmeric and cleavers. Milk thistle helps improve liver health. Yellow dock, turmeric and cleavers are great blood purifiers. Blood purifiers are also known to support the lymphatic system which is involved in the elimination of toxins through the skin.
Eliminate Toxins From Your Diet and Environment
The best way to help your body function the way it should and be in balance is to avoid toxic overload. We are bombarded with so many toxins it's no wonder the body struggles and often fails to maintain that balance. All disease or health issues are caused by a body out of balance. Give your body a break and get rid of as many toxins as you can.
First, absolutely avoid processed foods and fast foods as much as possible. Don't drink or eat any foods with chemicals, food additives and artificial colors. Avoid sugar as much as possible. Instead, eat whole foods in their natural form. Try drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juices or green drinks to help cleanse your body of toxins.
Second, stop using perfumes, colognes, cosmetics, air fresheners and dryer sheets. These artificial smells are just chemicals and many of them are highly toxic. You can find all of these things in natural form online or in your local health store. Also, use only natural cleaners, detergents, soaps and shampoos. I guess what I'm saying is replace all your artificial, chemical laden products with natural products.
Helpful Supplements and Vitamins
Vitamin E (400 IU) -- Is an antioxidant that enhances healing and tissue repair and it prevents cell damage. Boosts the effectiveness of certain enzymes needed for good skin health. It enhances absorption of vitamin A
Selenium (200 to 400 mcg) -- Is helpful in boosting the potency of vitamin E. People with acne tend to be deficient in selenium.
Vitamin A (10,000 to 15,000 IU) -- Helps reduce sebum production and is vital to maintaining healthy skin.
B Vitamins (50 mg) -- Helps to maintain healthy skin.
Pantothenic Acid (900 mg) -- Pantothenic acid or B5 helps your body metabolize fats which would otherwise be turned into sebum or oil that is excreted through the skin. Take 300 mg three times a day as you need more pantothenic acid than is found in the above B vitamin complex.
Vitamin B6 (300 mg) -- Helps to restore normal hormone balance, especially testosterone and estrogen. Take 100 mg three times per day. A deficiency of vitamin B6 can result in acne.
Vitamin C (3,000 mg) -- Helps promote healing and cellular repair and is beneficial for skin health. Start taking only 500 mg and build up gradually to 3,000 mg to prevent diarrhea.
Zinc (25 to 30 mg) -- Zinc helps in the healing of tissues and prevents scarring. It also helps in regulating the oil glands. People with acne usually have a zinc deficiency. Be sure to take 1 mg of copper for every 15 mg of zinc you take to keep balanced. These two minerals have to maintain a specific balance to work properly. Most zinc supplements already include copper.
MSM (1000 mg) -- There have been studies that showed that acne responds positively to MSM supplementation. Sulfur is a great skin healer and MSM is a form of sulfur that is easy for the body to assimilate and use effectively.
Additional Resources and Information:
Forum:
Acne Forum at CureZone.com
Helpful Books:
The Clear Skin Diet: A Nutritional Plan for Getting Rid of and Avoiding Acne
Acne Free in 3 Days: How I Cured My Acne Condition in 3 Days
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