Originally published December 7 2010
Natural ways help clear up acne
by Danna Norek
(NaturalNews) Acne is a problem that doesn't just affect teenagers, but also affects millions of adults as well. Drugs used to be the preferred method to clear up acne, but there are many natural methods that work very well. Natural methods are preferred, since the most common drugs prescribed to fight acne are antibiotics.
Long term antibiotic exposure can have serious consequences for your entire digestive system. It has also been linked to breast cancer in some studies. For this reason, it is strongly preferable that natural methods are used to attain clear, blemish free skin.
The first and most important aspect of naturally healing and clearing acne is your diet. This is no shock, since the phrase "you are what you eat" applies to just about every facet of your life. The food you put in your mouth has a direct impact on the appearance of your skin.
Diets that are high in saturated fats, salt, and sugar are especially harmful to your hormonal balance. Since almost all cases of acne are strongly linked to hormonal imbalances, it is vital that you eat a balanced diet.
Some of the best foods to eat for acne free skin are deeply colored fruits such as berries, citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges, fish, almonds, walnuts, and leafy green vegetables.
Avoid deep fried foods, all fast food, candy, cake and other sugary baked goods, and processed foods, and your skin will respond by clearing up over time.
Supplements, which help to maintain clear skin, can also be taken in addition to a hormone-balancing diet. Some of the supplements which are useful for maintaining clear, acne free skin are fish oil, vitamin B5, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
These vitamins and nutrients all have either anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties. Both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods and vitamins are beneficial to acne prone skin. Antioxidants help to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals can damage the skin cells and hinder healthy new tissue growth, resulting in longer recovery after breakouts.
Anti-inflammatory foods and supplements help the inflammation caused by excess sebum production. By addressing both hormonal imbalance and inflammation through diet, you deal a powerful blow to this embarrassing skin condition.
Unfortunately for those that look forward to a caffeine pickup in the morning or throughout the day, coffee and other heavily caffeinated beverages can make acne worse. It is best to avoid any stimulants which stimulate the central nervous system. These types of stimulants often throw the hormones off balance and lead to more severe acne.
There are some excellent topical products that are all natural and can be used to help treat acne externally. One of the best and most effective is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has a distinct scent to it, and that is because it is a very potent antibacterial agent.
It is very helpful in the treatment of acne because acne lesions are partly caused by bacteria, which causes infection underneath the skin. When you take away the bacterial component, you have a much better chance at not breaking out and getting large, infected and painful acne lesions.
There are also some excellent natural acne soaps and cleansers that use pine tar and sulfur, both of which are excellent deep cleansing and astringent agents. Naturally derived topical acne care products are preferable to chemical products since they do not irritate and dry the skin.
Sources:
http://www.insidershealth.com/article/studie...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vitamins-help...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/...
About the author
Danna Norek is the owner and primary contributor for several natural health blogs and websites, where she frequently shares her experiences and knowledge on herbal supplements, natural remedies, vitamins, and healthy lifestyle habits. You can find information on a 100% natural, chemical free deodorant here at Natural Effective Deodorant and an all natural sebum-neutralizing, SLS, paraben and chemical free Acne Soap with lavender, lemongrass and tea tree essential oils here at All Natural Acne Soap.
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