Acne Vulgaris

Antoaneta Sawyer, Ph. D.

I have to admit as a bacteriologist that treating acne can be rather difficult due to the multiple causes or factors involved with this condition.

There are two types of acne scars: pitted and pigmented. Pitted scarring is a result of damage to underlying skin tissue. Pigmented scars are red or brown marks left behind after an acne blemish has disappeared. Pigmented scarring is the most common and while it is not permanent, it can take weeks or months for it to clear. Often, the scar has not gone away before a new set of blemishes arrive - causing a perpetual cycle of disfigured skin that can leave many acne sufferers depressed about the condition of their skin. Pitted acne scars are one of the most difficult skin problems to treat. Pitted scars are a sign of permanently damaged skin tissue. The above lotion helps improve the appearance of pitted acne scarring by combining both treatments.
Factors for general consideration are:
Diet
Food allergies
Constant stress
Increased levels of androgen hormones
Gram(+)aerobic bacteria as: Staph.aureus; Staph.epidermidis; Corynebacterium spp. infections
Gram(+) anaerobic bacterium: Propionibacterium acne
Oil based skin care products or cosmetics
Female premenstrual changes
Candida spp.
Changes in the equilibrium of gut bacteria
Blood sugar imbalances, etc.
However, with a little detective work up on your diet and lifestyle, you would find out what the cause of your acne is and how to treat it correctly.
Keep a diary of when your breakouts occur.
For women, acne caused by hormonal changes usually appears about two weeks before the start of menstruation.
Young males may experience severe cases of acne due to testosterone excess.
Adults with a recent onset of acne may be due to changes in gut bacteria.
Acne may be mild or severe, and for some people is really bad for their self-esteem. It is always important to treat immediately to avoid any permanent scarring in more severe cases.
Holistic Ideas for Healing
1. Lifestyle Changes:
· Keep your face-cleansing regimen simple.
· Avoid abrasive cleansers.
· Avoid excessive drying agents.
· Hydrate your body with drinking enough filtered water.
· Do not use excessive amounts of creams or moisturizers.
2. Hygiene: An integral part of the successful management of adolescent acne is good hygiene. The first step in treating teenage acne is aimed at educating teenagers about the nature of acne, the necessity to treat and prevent the formation of acne and some general principals of hygiene and warnings about avoiding manipulation of individual lesions. Acne is not a problem of dirt on the skin, as many people believe. Twice daily washing of the face with warm water and mild, glycerin soap is completely sufficient.
3. Diet: There are many foods that help the liver to detoxify and to remove the waste from your body. Two of the best foods are apples and psyllium husks. They both contain fibers that act like a broom and absorb and push out all the junk that's stuck in the intestines, sometimes stuff that has even been there for years! Beetroot is known for its exceptional liver cleansing properties also. Another good food or herb actually, is milk thistle. Scientific studies have suggested that certain chemicals in milk thistle protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins and alcohol.
Dietary Changes:
Eliminate processed food from your diet.
Eat 5 servings of fruits and 7 servings of vegetables daily.
Choose veggies/ fruits/ high on Beta- carotene content- yams, spinach, broccoli, and leafy greens.
Drink 5-8 glasses of water daily. If you are engaged in active sport, or it is a hot summer season you can drink even more.
Eat foods higher in essential fatty acids: dry roasted or raw nuts and seeds.
Avoid spicy foods.
Choose to eat fish rather than red meat for a couple of months.
Avoid sugars or sugary foods and eat organic fruits instead.
Avoid strong tea/coffee, soft drinks, fatty meats, sugar, condiments, pickle food, candies, ice cream, refined, and processed foods.
Fried foods and Tran’s fats such as milk products, margarine, shortening, and other hydrogenated vegetable oils should be eliminated. Some people find that chocolate, caffeine, carbonated beverages, iodized salt, shellfish, wheat and/or milk products aggravate acne.
Foods containing healthy omega 3 oils, such as ground flaxseeds and sardines should be increased.
Regular bowel movement is very important. Drink at least 8 glasses of day of water. Increase fiber intake. In addition to eating fresh vegetables and fruit, choose whole grains.

The “All-fruit” Anti-Acne diet: I am a strong proponent of the “ all-fruit” diet for a week or two, consuming 2 pounds of fruits per day, mainly apples, pears, grapes, grapefruits, papayas, pineapples, and peaches. Some people may benefit from a one-to two-week liver detox diet based on fresh vegetables and fruits. The benefits are enormous in many ways- to detoxify the body, to decrease the inflammation and to lose pounds (for adults), plus the main benefit- to clean acne. Follow up a well-balanced "anti-acne diet" after the detox. One should adopt gradually a well-balanced died, emphasized on raw foods, as fresh fruits, vegetables, spouted seeds, raw nuts, whole grains, brown rice and amaranth and millet (in case of gluten allergy).
4. Vitamins: Niacin(B3 50-100mg), vitamin A(25, 000IU) and vitamin E(400mg) have been used with success to treat and prevent acne. *Note: Sexually active women of childbearing age should not take more than 5,000 IU of vit A per day unless they are under the guidance of a professional, and are using at least two reliable forms of birth control. Vitamin A supplementation may not be necessary if there is adequate intake of beta-carotene (one large carrot is equal to 25,000 IU). Vitamin E- is also necessary for vitamin A formation. Decreasing unhealthy fats such as margarine, hydrogenated oils, processed foods, and other sources of trans-fats can also improve absorption. Vitamin B6-may help in cases of adult acne. This vitamin is essential for the proper metabolism of the steroid hormones and can reduce the sensitivity of skin to the effects of testosterone.
5. Minerals: Zinc, especially in the form of zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate, can help prevent acne. It helps heal blemishes, reduces inflammation, and reduces androgenic hormonal effects on the skin. Two clinical studies comparing zinc to the antibiotic tetracycline found zinc to be as effective as tetracycline. *Note: Just remember to take it together with cooper in order to avoid cooper deficiency. 15 mg zinc should be taken with 1 mg of cooper, while 30 mg- with 2mg of cooper. Zinc oxide can be used topically with a great benefit as a mask.
6. Herbs: An herbal blend that can help with acne consists of equal parts of the herbal extracts of sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock, and cleavers. These herbs are believed to be potent blood and lymph cleansers. Half a teaspoon per day of this blend can be taken three times per day combined with a healthy diet. Tea tree oil applied to acne lesions may help to eliminate bacteria and reduce inflammation.
Rehmannia unprocessed root, Red peony root, Moutan root bark; These ingredients help to clean the toxic substances in the bloodstream; strengthen liver function; and nourish the damage skin caused by acne or rosacea.
Scute root, Gardenia fruit, Lonicera flower bud, Forsythia fruit, Dandelion whole plant, Houttuynia;These ingredients help to eliminate toxins in the lungs, stomach and the liver, which is mainly associated with acne, or rosacea in Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, to control the skin infection caused by acne or rosacea.
Gypsum, Lycium bark, Platycodon root;These ingredients help to strengthen the cleaning of the lungs and to clear the blemish caused by acne or rosacea.
Salvia root & rhizome, Anemarrhena rhizome;These herbs can help balance your hormone to treat your acne or rosacea from the root; prevent the acne or rosacea from coming back.
7.Bodywork: Massage is often recommended for people with skin problems. It can help to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage and speed the healing of blemishes. From my proper experience be careful with using this technique.
8.Stress Reduction: Yoga, exercise, breathing techniques, biofeedback, massage, meditation.
9.MAMA Lotion is an alpha hydroxy acid gel that combines anti-inflammatory marine extracts with 10% Mandelic Acid and 10% Malic Acid at a 2.5 pH level. Mandelic acid and Malic acid are alpha hydroxy acids that were chosen for their unique properties that were ideal for treating acne-prone skin and acne scarring, making it more effective than glycolic acid formulations in similar concentrations.

10. Home remedies:
Home remedies for Acne using Orange peel.
Home remedies for Acne using Lemon.
Home Acne treatment using Garlic.
Acne treatment using Coriander and Mint Juice.
Acne treatment using Fenugreek.
Acne treatment using Cucumber.
11. Others: Frequent Warm-water enema during the initial one-week. Careful exposure to sun and air baths of the whole body will be helpful also.
12. Other natural formulas:
#1 Acnezine- is an all-natural pill that treats acne from the inside out. It takes the first place in influencing juvenile acne as well in preventing it.
#2 Actimine isa new all natural supplement which helps you in reducing acne breakouts due to the fact that it does its job by correcting nutrient deficiencies.
#3 Clear Pores is a proven effective formula for treating acne—rate #1 by medical professionals and endorsed by doctors. It is 100% natural that treats acne at the roots. The formula contains Dandelion Root, Aloe Vera, Yellow Dock, Echinacea purpurea, Red clover, and Sarsaparilla Root.
#4 Zen med is a natural system with three steps that has been formulated to treat acne from the inside out. It internally cleanses your body, removing the imbalances and impurities inside your body, which cause acne in the first place.
#5 Clearskin- an acne gel and face wash that will quickly heal current pimples and eruptions when they first appear and prevent them to grow and form new pimples. It contains extracts of a range of herbs selected specifically to treat acne on more than one level. It should be used 3 times daily.
#6 Dermapure RX is a proprietary formula from the traditional Chinese medicine, consisting of 100% natural ingredients blended together. Dermapure RX dissolves white and black heads, wipes out dead skin cells; reduces the skin oiliness; stops new acne from developing; kills bacteria that causes acne infection; and heals damaged skin.
#7 AcneEase is based on Chinese medicine and has the following ingredients:

Gardenia Fruit (Fructus Gardeniae) is a Chinese drug derived from the dried ripe fruit of Gardenia jasminoldes. Gardenia is one of the major ingredients present in AcneEase to reduce internal heat by cooling the blood and eliminating toxins.
Balsam Pear and Mustard Leaf have similar properties in alleviating heat and improving intestinal function.
Houttuynia (Herba Houttuyniae) is a Chinese herbal drug made from the dried herb Houttuynia cordata Thumb (Fam. Saururaceae).
Dandelion (Herba Taraxaei) is a Chinese drug made from the dried herb Taraxacum mongolicum.
Scierotium (Poriae Cocos) assist digestion and serves as a catalyst for improved metabolism.
Note *All Supplements should be checked for their iodine content, while normal amounts of iodine have not been shown to affect skin, amounts greater than RDA of 150 mcg may aggravate your acne.
13. Topical treatments such as Benzoyl peroxide available over-the-counter in preparations of 2.5% to 10% strengths in forms of liquid, lotion, cream or gel target bacteria in the skin. Salicylic acid products, are also available over-the-counter and have the same temporary cleansing but not the treatment effect.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The material in this newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. Thus our intentions are not to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent any disease. If you use the information in this newsletter without the approval of your health professional, the authors of this letter do not assume any responsibility. Copyright @ 2009, Natural Health-Wellness LLC. All rights reserved.