Many patients have asked my over the years for a home remedy for acne. Some people experience the occasional pimple, whereas others experience frequent and ongoing bouts of pimples, blackheads and whiteheads throughout their puberty and even adulthood. Some young women only experience flare-ups at the time of ovulation and fade after their period begins, yet some experience all the time.
Many patients have asked my over the years for a home remedy for acne. Some people experience the occasional pimple, whereas others experience frequent and ongoing bouts of pimples, blackheads and whiteheads throughout their puberty and even adulthood. Some young women only experience flare-ups at the time of ovulation and fade after their period begins, yet some experience all the time.
The young people who are most likely to get acne will generally have over productive oil glands and a tendency for cells lining the pores to clog with debris. These two problems work together to trap and incubate bacteria on the skin’s surface. The result is a chronic formation of whiteheads (known as “closed comedomes”) blackheads (open comedomes”, pimples and even cysts.
I recommend the following steps for young people to control mild to moderate acne, and NEVER recommend the routine use of antibiotics to “control” acne.
Although many patients I have seen may never actually require a moisturiser, there is a small percentage of people who have an oily forehead and nose but also have a dry chin or cheeks. Besides, once you start to take an interest in your face and cleanse it more regularly, your oily skin may become drier.
If you like to wear make-up, use only oil-free products please. You should ask if the product is “non-comedogenic” or “non-acne forming”. The person behind the counter should be able to quickly tell you this. Trust only natural products for skin care, and use only products with natural ingredients.
Never squeeze, pop, prick or pick a pimple, as this will set you back for ages. It is very tempting to squeeze those “zits” because they can become very irritating and attractive to pop, but it will only set you back and could negatively influence the healing and re-absorption of the small pimples. Have you ever had acne marks or scarring?
Try to include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Use ripe fruits to make delicious juices, create vegetable salads. Add nuts and dried fruits in meals. Zinc and selenium are two of the most important nutrients to heal the skin, and I have found that patients with acne are often deficient in zinc and selenium. You can get can these two important nutrients from Brazil nuts (selenium) and pumpkin seeds (zinc).
If you have been prescribed acne medications (generally a penicillin based antibiotic drug) remember that antibiotics also have major side effects: too much medication will not only stress your liver, it will also encourage the destruction of all beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. For the most people, a simple change in their diet will be enough to stop acne, even though many doctors I have spoken to believe that acne will not be affected whatsoever by any dietary means. This is complete nonsense, diet and nutrition has everything to do with healthy skin.
It is not uncommon for younger people to drink soda (fizzy) drinks, and especially “energy” drinks. I always find it important to get a person with acne to drink more water which will help improve your digestion. Sufficient water will help to keep the hydrated, and without sufficient hydration you will keep more dead skin cells on the surface and thereby potentially block the pores which in turn may lead to acne.
If your digestive system is unable to eliminate toxins, your skin will be forced to do the job: they pass through your skin instead. To avoid this, replace the good bacteria gastrointestinal tract with a good quality pro-biotic (a dietary supplements of live microorganisms).
Certain herbal medicines in particular can be really helpful for people with acne, such as tincture of dandelion root. Pour one tablespoon of crushed dandelion roots to 1 glass of hot water, simmer 15 minutes, and then cool for about 15 minutes. Drink it warm for 1/3-1/2 cup 3 times a day for 15 minutes before meals.
Probably one of the best is burdock root, take a teaspoon of the tincture (5mls) two times daily in a little water – or alternatively, boil one tablespoon of chopped burdock roots in about a half a liter of water, and then cool it. Have about a glass up to 4 times a day, a wine glass full is the right amount for a dose. The problem is, teenagers may not like burdock as a medicine because it is quite bitter in taste.
Tea tree oil is a unique natural antiseptic essential oil which is a real healing tool for the skin, I love this oil and have used it for many years on the skin for all manner of conditions – including acne. Tea tree oil has antiseptic, antiviral, and powerful antibacterial functions. Use a cotton swab to apply this product for acne spots but be careful, it can flare the condition up a lot, especially if you are too liberal with it. You may to prefer to use the water-soluble version and use it as a face wash. Either way, I can highly recommend Tea tree oil for acne.
Azadirachta indica (Neem) soap is very good for acne through its parasiticide, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties. I recommend either Tea tree oil soap or Neem soap, you may wish to try either.
Vitamin C – Try a teaspoon of Vitamin C powder each day. Vitamin C tastes very nice, and one teaspoon could contain up to 3000 mg of Vitamin C compounds which will give your immune system a real boost.
Zinc – A good idea is to take a zinc supplement at least 15 milligrams per day. Zinc has a very powerful effect on healing the skin, and is one of the essential skin healing nutrients. Be careful with taking too much zinc, it has to be balanced with sufficient copper if you take it long term. I recommend a multi-vitamin each day for this reason, you only need one multi-vitamin tablet daily in this case.