Natural Remedies For Acne Treatment And Prevention
I have suffered from acne minor to severe throughout my whole life. I would like to share the useful information I have found on free natural prevention and treatment of acne. Here’s 80 tips of free natural acne prevention and treatment. All ideas can be done with items found around the house for free. Let’s go ahead and begin the list. Note the tips are in no particular order of importance.
1.) Change your pillowcase every night. This prevents build ups of oil on your pillowcase and face.
2.) Pure Aloe Vera from a plant can be effective to acne in any stage. Put only a small amount on the needed area. A rejuvenating gel can be found inside the Aloe Vera plant using a knife or fork.
3.) Keep hair and hair products away from your face. Another way to prevent oils to your face.
4.) Limit your milk and dairy consumption as it can in some cases cause acne. Heavy milk drinkers should drink half the normally consumed.
5.) By sleeping on your back you can further prevent oils to your face. This is good to follow with changing your sheets and pillowcase.
6.) Keeping your hands away from your face and/or washing your hands frequently.
7.) Wash your face and shower right after exercise of any kind. Even if it’s light to moderate activity you should still clean yourself proceeding.
8.) Women can limit the amount of makeup. Some makeup can cause acne or other facial problems. Women should never wear makeup to bed. Lipstick is also known to cause acne as well.
9.) Hats can improve the chances of getting acne to the forehead and face. The common spread of oil through people sharing hats.
10.) Smoking cigarettes is associated with acne and breakouts. If cancer wasn’t a reason already to quit smoking.
11.) Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc and Selenium are important nutrients in preventing and fighting acne. Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Selenium being antioxidants.
12.) Some people who suffer from acne try Acupuncture to strengthen the liver and relieve inflammation.
13.) Don’t squeeze or irritate the pimple. Be patient as the inflammation will go down and finally disappear. Excessive irritation can cause scarring or more acne due to a spread of oils.
14.) Washing your face between 2-3 times a day is the correct amount.
15.) Hydrate yourself by drinking roughly 8-10 glasses of water a day. Hotter days may be more.
16.) Foods high in Carbohydrates can increase acne by half. That’s not saying to eliminate Carbohydrates completely.
17.) I have put toothpaste on my pimples in the past. Don’t use the gel kind of toothpaste. Leave the toothpaste on the pimple until you don’t feel a tingling sensation anymore. Using the toothpaste too frequently can cause irritation. Also, people who leave it on too long can have blemishes burned.
18.) Most people limit the amount of refined sugars and oily foods to prevent further breakouts. Some people believe that oily foods and sweets don’t cause acne. That assumption is false.
19.) Egyptians used wet strawberry leaves to improve their complexion.
20.) Eating more servings of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds can provide your body with the adequate nutrients, minerals and vitamins for preventing/treating acne.
21.) Try reducing stress by avoiding stressful environments. Some stressful situations are unavoidable in which you can use other tips in preventing acne.
22.) Coffee and soda drinkers should drink less caffeine to prevent or reduce blemishes.
23.) The high levels of hormones in Red Meat is linked to causing acne. Red Meat consumed in moderation will not increase growth of acne.
24.) Compressed Lavender and Lavender oil can be effective applied directly to the blemish or trouble area.
25.) Eating lamb, light turkey meat, oysters, sardines, crab, shrimp, snapper, cod, halibut, tuna, and salmon can be effective against acne. All these food products contain Selenium.
26.) Replace all bad oils with healthy oils like extra virgin olive oil.
27.) Drinking green tea can be positive for the skin because of antioxidants.
28.) Understand that natural hormones cause stress. By reducing stress anyone can reduce minor blemishes or breakouts. Working out or finding other outlets to reduce stress. Eating oily, fat or sweet food to compensate is not acceptable for acne.
29.) Never pinch or scrape the skin with your fingernail. This can cause minor bleeding and bruising. This can extend the length of acne.
30.) Dandruff can also be associated with acne. You may reduce acne indirectly by using dandruff specialized shampoos. Head and Shoulders is a good example product.
31.) People who don’t exercise enough are also more likely to have acne or breakouts. Even 2-3 light to moderate workouts a week walking or running is positive in fighting acne.
32.) For sensitive skin with minor blemishes you can apply a honey mask twice a week. It feels gentle on the skin. The application will not feel as much sensation as the toothpaste application to the blemishes or face.
33.) Chromium supplements can be known for preventing breakouts and treating blemishes. Chromium is the ingredient in some weight loss supplements.
34.) Another positive vegetable is Carrots for Vitamin A. The nutrients in Carrots can be known to prevent acne and repair current blemishes. All varieties of Carrots are effective with fighting and preventing acne.
35.) People who get a lack a sleep are also known to get more acne or breakouts. A full night sleep is a good prevention with acne.
36.) I would avoid surgical treatment of acne for many reasons. Two main reasons because it’s expensive and can leave permanent scarring.
37.) Avoid MSG at all cost if you suffer from acne. It may make food recipes taste delicious but it’s terrible for your skin. Examples of fast food chains high in MSG are KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Arbys.
38.) Try to avoid spots with high humidity prevent breakouts. A very dry face can produce acne much more rapidly than a moist face.
39.) Let your face dry without a towel. A towel can transport acne causing oils and bacteria to the face.
40.) By using nose strips you can improve the removal of blackheads.
41.) Tanning can make any skin oily spurring the growth of acne. Try to avoid tanning completely. Sun burn is also harmful to the skin in regards to acne production. Use the appropriate sunblock if absolutely necessary.
42.) To follow on number 41. Some Sunblock can make the skin oily. Research your sunblock to fight the sun appropriately and stay oil free.
43.) It takes two months for acne to heal completely. Be patient and don’t agitate the blemishes in any way. Aloe can speed up this two month span to possibly a month and a half.
44.) Never use alcohol wipes or pads to clean your face. This can easily increase breakouts and blemishes by making your skin oily.
45.) Some people have said that Tea Tree Oil has helped repair bad skin. This should be used as a treatment than a prevention tip.
46.) People who wear glasses or sunglasses should frequently wash them to prevent the spread of oil.
47.) Making regular visits to the Dermatologist can reduce your blemishes as well. Who can prescribe a better cure than a Dermatologist?
48.) To destroy bad bacteria in your body take prebiotics and probiotics. They will help build good bacteria. Acne is composed of bad bacteria absorbed in the body. The goal to destroy the unwanted bad bacteria.
49.) Two Tea Bags mixed with Basil leaves applied with a cotton ball is shown to be an effective natural acne remedy. It’s effective for some people and others it’s not. It’s worth a try because the mixture doesn’t irritate the skin. It’s also free and natural.
50.) A person should acknowledge if they have bad acne genes. If so, they should take further preventative measures against breakouts.
51.) The following fruit are effective in preventing and treating acne: Apples, Apricots, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cherries, Cantaloupes, Figs, Grapes, Mango, Oranges, Peaches, Pineapple, Pumpkins, Watermelons. All essential vitamins and nutrients necessary for healthy skin.
52.) This following tip is directed toward women. Understanding that starting and stopping birth control can change acne patterns. Knowledge is a good step in prevention of acne. Some women also believe that using birth control can help reduce or prevent further acne.
53.) Milk and Cheese can trigger back acne. Some people suffer from it more than others. You can help prevent and fight it by maintain good hygiene.
54.) Try a natural tomato mask left on for half an hour. Then follow by washing away with cold water. A natural home acne remedy.
55.) You can kill acne causing bacteria by using honey mixed with lemon juice on your face.
56.) Oatmeal Mask can be used to fight and prevent acne. First, cook the Oatmeal and let it cool. Then, construct a mask around the trouble areas.
57.) Soak lettuce leaves in water and use the water to cleanse your acne.
58.) You can fight acne with equal parts lime juice and rose water, Similar to the honey mixture.
59.) Cut a potato into several circular pieces. You can then use those circular potato pieces to reduce acne scars.
60.) Lemon juice and egg white are known to help acne scars. Pineapple juice and pieces rubbed against acne scars also help reduce appearance of acne scars over time.
61.) The skin most of all needs water to help repair acne scars. Drink water and wash your face if you have acne scars visible.
62.) Do Not try to pop pimples inside the nose or ear. It’s difficult is get all the bacteria spread in the space of the nose and ear. The spread can usually make the pimple feel worse or get infected. Be patient with the pimple even though it may itch or slightly hurt.
63.) A natural supplement called Guggul can be effective with those suffering from oily skin and acne. It has also been referred to as Commiphora Mukul. For centuries this resin of the Guggul tree has been used in India for natural remedies.
64.) Acknowledge there’s no proven reliable and effective treatment against Acne Rosacea. Good hygiene and more specifically positive skin care is a good preventative measure to take.
65.) To expand on #8 for Women. Another preventative step to take is not wearing oily cosmetics at all or on rare occasion. Cosmetics in general trap the pores creating acne. Also, try using less oily cosmetic products.
65.) You will see Benzoyl Peroxide as common ingredient in many acne medication. The concentration is commonly in 2.5,% 5% and 10%. If your skin has a higher tolerance to the lower concentrations, increase to 10%. Benzoyl Peroxide works by removing dead skin and fighting acne bacteria. Check your acne products for this ingredient.
66.) Having a bad thyroid, hyperactive or hypoactive thyroid can contribute to increased acne growth. Follow a proper diet and take proper medication for diagnosed thyroid conditions to help fight acne.
67.) Being in a comfortable temperature environment between 60-80 is good for skin. Overly hot temperatures can dry or burn the face. Damaging effects to the skin can also be said for below freezing temperatures.
68.) Some people don’t shave with care. You can spread bacteria by shaving directly over acne. Some people often overlook this prevention tip. Also, some men accidentally shave over unseen acne on the neck or side of face. Everybody should be more careful in shaving in the future.
69.) Shea Butter can be a powerful aid in fighting and preventing acne. It’s origins are from the Karite Nut Tree and provides acne fighting qualities in the form of Shea Butter.
70.) White Willow Bark is known is unclog pores and fight acne. The powerful acne fighting ingredient inside White Willow Bark is salicylic acid.
71.) Sulfur has also been used since the 1800’s to de-clog pores and fight acne causing bacteria. This is sometimes seen in acne products today.
72.) Try to be more active if you are feeling depressed. Lowering stress is beneficial in treating acne.
73.) A combination of honey, water and crushed up aspirin can be applied to acne. The solution can fight bacteria on the surface. It can be applied to minor and medium cases but is most effective with severe acne.
74.) Wash gym equipment after you and other people are done. A lot of acne bacteria can be transferred through sweat. Plus for hygiene and common courtesy we should clean the gym equipment after use.
75.) Another natural remedy is a combination of water, baking soda and a tiny bit of sea salt. This can be an acne fighting agent when directly applied.
76.) For a combination of several ideas of honey, mango and lemon. A mixture that should fight severe acne when directly applied. After a few minutes this should be washed away with cold water.
77.) Lower Banana consumption to prevent breakouts. Eat the fruits recommended in #51.
78.) Try to replace wheat/grain pasta with potato pasta. The body will process the potatoes much easier and help your skin in the process.
79.) Instead of Blue Cheese, Ranch, Honey Mustard or Thousand Island dressing use Vinegar as a replacement. All types of Vinegar can be effective in curing body acne. Some types of creamy salad dressings may increase breakouts and calorie intake.
80.) If worse come to worse please visit a doctor. They are trained professionals there to help you.
The best natural acne cure in any situation though is letting the skin repair itself. The face can repair itself quickly internally and externally through patience. Hopefully this list helped you learn something on acne prevention and treatment.
A Few Good Ways To Clean Up Your Acne
If you are either young or old, male or female, daily life with something like acne is a drudge. It can be discouraging because blemishes on your face affect your self confidence and self esteem. Which might make you feel lost at times. But there is no way that you need to let something like acne ruin your day, because there are ways that you can learn to manage it and improve the appearance of your skin. It only take a bit of time each and every day.
A problem that many people have when the suffer from acne is that they want to pop the blemishes on their skin. This may leave temporary satisfaction by squeezing pimples, but this can be harm to the skin on your face and body. When you pop a pimple all of the puss that comes out of your face can spread to other areas of your body, thus leading to more acne breakouts. And leaving your condition worse then before.
When visiting your local pharmacy, shop for acne control products. You may have to try a few different ones until you find the one that works best for you. So try only one product at a time. If you don’t see a difference in you skin on one to two weeks, move on to a different product. Once you begin using the right acne cleansing product you should start to see a change in your skin.
You may also be tempted to scrub your face in excess when you have acne. This is also harmful. It irritates your skin and can cause redness and flakiness and it can also irritate your face in the process. As a result it can lead to more acne breakouts or your face in worse condition that it was before.
Wash your face twice each day to keep it as clean as possible. You have to practice good hygiene when your suffer from acne. Because you do not want the acne to spread all over your body. So wash your face in the morning with the acne product that you are using before you start your day. And then also in the evening before you go to bed. It’s very important to wash you face in the evening because there’s a day work of dirt, dust and grime on your face from your day to day activities.
Believe it, but dust and other particles in the air, even in your home can cause sensitive skin to break out with acne. So try to eliminate this from your home as best as you can. Keep your living space, free from dust. And overall, as clean as possible.
Stress is another culprit, and it plays a big roll in how much acne you will get on your body. If you are not one that handles stress well, then you are going to have to learn how to think a different way to handle it. Try not to let stress harm you in any way. What ever your stressors are, know to that they will pass, just as they have before. Just find an outlet for your feelings, something that takes your mind off of the situation or problem.
The food that you eat also plays a large part with the development of acne. When you eat good, healthy food, good things come from that. Although if you are not paying attention to what you are eating or thinking about what you are eating, you might want to start now. Do research about nutrition and learn as much as you can about eating right and what foods are healthy for you. Follow a regimen with your eating. Cut out any bad foods that you are bringing into your body. You may notice changes in the oils in your face right away. And watch what happens to your acne over time.
If you suffer from acne and really want to get rid of it, you cannot simply practice just one of the above helpful methods above. Instead you are going to have to make small, but impacting lifestyle changes and practice all of them, chances are for good if you are one that suffers from acne continually.
[Top]The Basics of Acne
Did you ever wake up and look in the mirror to find a pimple on your face. It’s a shock that is very discouraging. A blemish causes feeling of self-consciousness, doubt and frustration. So what happened between the night before when you went to bed that all of a sudden causes a pimple to appear in the morning? Several different things can cause acne. For some people they get a few pimples and in a couple weeks they clear up but for others their face, back, chest and arms are covered with these pustules. Most pimples occur due to dirt, sweat or grime that has built up in the pores. When this occurs the follicles become blocked and oxygen cannot get through the pores. So you may be wondering where this dirt comes from? Well, most of it is naturally occurring throughout ones day. If you touch your face and your hands are dirty, or you sweat or you’re around a lot of smoke. Other ways can come from what you ingest. If you have bad eating habits and you eat oily fattening foods regularly or you don’t drink enough water. Still pimples can occur when during adolescence when the body is going through hormonal changes. Adolescent acne is the most common form of acne, vulgaris. In most cases acne occurs on the face, but can also occur on the arms, chest and back, which is actually called keratosis. They are usually bigger in size, and last longer than regular acne. Although teenage years are the most common time that acne occurs, for some it can start during adulthood, or last throughout adolescence and continue throughout adulthood. Unfortunately there is no way to know when acne is going to occur or how often it will occur. The thing to remember when acne occurs is that you shouldn’t be embarrassed or self-conscious. Almost everyone has acne at least once in their life. The best thing to do is always remember to wash your face, neck and body before you go to bed and when you wake up. Washing your face and hands throughout the day is also a good way to remove dirt and grime. Avoid touching your face because it can transfer dirt from you hands to your face. Keep your pores open and hydrated. There are thousands of products out there to help with acne. Use the one that works best for you. Remember it usually takes about two weeks to start noticing a change in your skin when using an over the counter product. When using cover-ups, or instant zit creams remember to continue washing and cleaning your face. http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Acne_the_Basics.html
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[Top]All-Natural Acne Treatment Options To Get Rid Of Pimples
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[Top]Acne Natural Home Remedy With Diet As Cause And Cure
In the USA, about 85 percent of all teenagers will suffer with acne with many of these persons carrying the affliction into their adult years. Nonetheless, there is a very effective home treatment and cure for acne which is certainly not a normal state of health. Without a doubt, the waves of hormones that come with puberty are responsible for an increase in the secretion of sebum (skin oil) which is associated with the onslaught of acne. Some researchers have forwarded the theory that acne is a malady that is genetically transmitted. Others have supported the idea that external conditions such as the food we eat are the most important factors. In our western culture that consumes 47% of calories from fats and oils (this is an enormous amount it should be 10%), genetic factors can have a significant part to play in how prone a person might be to developing acne. To really know whether or not diet is the dominant factor in causing acne, we would have to show that acne is missing in cultures that have diets that are significantly varied from what Americans eat.
Your doctor will mostly likely parrot the reigning dogma that acne and excess oil in and on your skin are not related to what you eat. When you hear this, ask to see the evidence. You will then witness this man of science falling into speechlessness with nothing more than empty platitudes. This inaccurate data goes back to a lone article written by Dr. James Fulton in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1969. In addition, the conclusions of this study have been rightly criticized and effectively skewered for more than twenty-five years. Because of this misinformation, many millions suffer.
Thirty teenagers were studied by Dr. Fulton (16 boys and 14 girls) who were patients at a clinic for acne. Also studied were thirty-five young male adult prison inmates with moderate to mild acne conditions. The study was funded by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America. They provided the participants with two varieties of candy bars one contained chocolate and the other did not. The contents of both bars were primarily sugar and fat and had closely matched calories (592 and 557 per candy bar). The participants were asked to consume one bar or the other each day for four weeks. No other aspect of their diet was changed for the duration of the experiment. Dr. Fulton and associates then took a census of the pimples. Forty-six of the sixty-five participants showed no change in pimple count. Ten were improved and nine were worse. It should be noted that the amount of sebum (skin oil) was elevated by 60 percent when either of the sugary high-fat candy bars were consumed regardless of whether or not it contained chocolate. It is astonishing that the outcome of this one, very flawed and totally irrelevant (it only examined the effects of chocolate) study is the foundation upon which it is claimed that acne is not caused by diet!
Our Plague of Acne Occurs Solely Where Fat Laden Food is Eaten
Acne forms when the sebaceous follicles or skin pores are blocked with dead skin cells followed by the accumulation of fatty oils and waxy substances (sebum) in the clogged pores. The afflicted pore is then infected with bacteria which causes the inflamed pustule we know as a pimple. The bacteria dine on the sebum. Current orthodox treatment is aimed at unclogging the skin pores, releasing the pocket of sebum, destroying the bacteria and lowering the inflammation by numerous drugs sold by prescription and over-the-counter. As with most diseases in our Western culture, there is a more effective natural treatment and cure for acne which is diet. Diet is the cause and diet is the natural treatment and cure of acne.
Multiple Studies Acne and Traditional Diets
Many studies have been done on persons eating their native traditional diets. Most all of these diets are low in fat and center around the consumption of fruits, vegetables and starches. It has been universally demonstrated that these cultures experience little or no acne. When these same persons move to a location that consumes the typical Western fare, acne will bloom with full fury. This is true for other maladies such as breast cancer, diabetes, prostate, heart disease and obesity. Some thoroughly studied cultures include the Ache of Eastern Paraguay have a diet that provides 70% of calories from cassava (a root vegetable) and the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea who consume a diet of carbohydrate plant foods providing 70% of calories. Not a single case of acne can be found in these two cultures subsisting mostly on unrefined plant foods that are low in fat.
We see the same results when studying African tribes living on plant-based foods. They are mostly free from acne. Teenagers in southern African Bantu have a 16% occurrence of acne as opposed to white persons in Africa who have an acne incidence of 45%. It has been noted that Zulu persons have developed acne only after they migrate from their tribal village to the larger cities and adopt a Western diet. Persons in both Zambia and Kenya have much less acne than to African Americans living in the USA. Persons from Malaysia consuming diets based on rice have been shown to have little or no problems with acne. A rice-based diet also accounts for the fact that persons living in rural Japan have very few problems with their skin. It should be further noted that persons of European descent living on low fat diets in Crete and Southern Italy have far less acne than persons in Western Europe who consume high fat diets. The Yemenite Jews who eat a healthy low-fat diet report much less acne that do European Jews. So the picture could not be any clearer. Switching from a Western diet based on dairy and meat to a low-fat, plant-based diet will vanquish your acne problems. Without a doubt, there are aspects of the rich Western diet that cause the skin to deteriorate and become unsightly. This is not normal and it is not natural. It is a disease.
How Diet Causes Acne
1) The amount of fats and oil (sebum) on the skin increases as the amount of fat in the diet increases. By changing ones diet to include near total rejection of fat or, conversely, the inclusion of fat as the near total source of food, it is shown that the amount of sebum excretion will be greatly changed. It should be noted that it takes little fat to clog pores, feed bacteria and cause acne in persons who are susceptible. These offending bacteria do as well on vegetable oil as they do on animal fats.
2) Our rich Western diet causes an elevation in sex hormones which encourages early puberty. Early pubescence of women has been shown to be related to the onset of severe acne. Excess male hormones in women and men are well understood to bring about acne and elevated sebum excretion.
3) The sebaceous glands (oil producing) are negatively affected by growth hormones allowing them to be plugged more easily. IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth hormone-1) has been shown to become elevated by consuming meat and dairy foods. Studies show that an increase in acne is related to an increase in IGF-1.
Other items that may have a smaller role are:
4) Lack of other plant-derived nutrients and anti-oxidants cause deterioration in health thus promoting acne.
5) A diet high in fat causes poor blood circulation to the skin making one more prone to acne.
6) Hands and fingers in contact with greasy foods such as French fries can cause acne when transferred by touch to the skin. This clogs the pores and provides nourishment for bacteria.
Natural Cure and Prevention of Acne
We all know that teenage surging hormones and acne are related but to think that puberty is the cause of acne is like saying old age is the cause of heart disease. More heart disease manifests in old age because of a lifetime of poor diet. Heart disease does not occur in areas where the inhabitants eat healthy foods such as rural Asia and Africa. Heart disease can also be cured when those afflicted switch to a healthy diet. The same is true for acne.
The horrors of acne may be the best tool one could ever have to promote a healthy diet to teenagers. After switching to a low-fat, plant-based diet you and your teenagers can expect to see an obvious decrease in the oil on your skin and hair in about four to seven days. The pimples will begin to go away in a short time following that. It may take as long as 30 days for improvement to begin to show. Absolute discipline with what one eats is vital. Even small lapses can bring a bloom of pimples within a couple of days. One evening at the local pizza place will result in crop of pustules in short order. You must adhere to a diet consisting of vegetables, fruits and starches. By all means avoid added fats such as vegetable oils, soybeans, olives, avocados, seeds, nuts and the so-called beneficial fats. Carefully wash all oils from your fingers and hands before you touch any part of your face. Use a buff pad to assist the opening of your pores. Thoroughly clean your skin. If your skin does not show improvement, then you are most likely not being strict enough in your diet. We should remember that many millions of persons who live in rural Asia and Africa, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea are eating a low-fat, plant-based diet and they are free of acne their entire lives. There is no reason why you cant be free of acne if you adopt the same diet.
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