Wouldn’t it be nice to have a magic pill that squelches the burden of acne altogether? Well, there isn’t any that I am aware of. However, there are a number of acne formulas. For example, what do you know about acne herbal remedies?
Have you ever given acne herbal remedies a shot? Maybe something different from that Clearasil in your medicine cabinet would do you good. After all, how well is that topical cream from the drugstore even working? Does it actually heal and get rid of a nasty pimple in no time at all? Or, does it merely mask the problem and eventually dry out your face? That is always a common dilemma with basic acne problems.
Unlike many of the acne herbal remedies, the drugstore creams, gels, and face washes can be harsh for your delicate face. They remove most of the dirt and oil from your face and leave it dry and tight. This can lead to more breakouts, if the pores close and still have bacteria, oil, and dirt deep down.
Acne herbal remedies are gentler on your skin and face.
Are you in the market for some quality acne herbal remedies? Maybe this is the route you should be choosing. Think about it for a moment. How many drugstore acne treatments that don’t work have you already gone through, and found little to no results, probably quite a few?
Finding an acne herbal remedy for your outbreaks of pimples isn’t that hard to do. The trick is getting one that works for your specific type of acne outbreaks and is natural. Don’t get discouraged about it, you can have clear and healthy skin, it will just take a little experimentation and patience.
There are several types of treatments for blemishes and using them isn’t all that hard. One treatment for blackheads is a wash of lime and milk. All you have to do is bring the milk to a gentle boil, and then add the juice from one lime. Then wash your face with this combination after it cools down enough so it does not burn your face.
Another acne herbal remedy is to use an astringent for a deep cleaning of your pores. At your local grocery store buy a leafy mango. Boil it in some water, and then rub it, after it cools, on your face. If your case of pimples isn’t too severe you can just leave the mango to soak overnight. It’s an acne natural cure that will clean your pores thoroughly.
Something that you probably eat everyday in some form is good for your skin as well. A raw potato is an ideal acne remedy, especially for whiteheads. The vitamin C gives your skin a healthy glow, and its alkaline gets rid of the bacteria on your face. The potato has an acid in it too that scrubs away dead or dying skin cells on your face, which works as an acne natural cure.
Finally, remember that acne herbal remedies might leave your skin a little parched for moisture at times during treatments. A good way to re-hydrate your skin after using an acne herbal remedy is to use Almond Oil or Jojoba oil.
If you’ve tried every over the counter medication for it and it’s just not working, than you might want to use an acne herbal remedy. You can find a treatment solution in an herbal remedy, but take your time, and find out what works for you.
By. Rudy Silva
Studies have shown that green tea is a very effective herbal treatment for those suffering from acne. Green tea is quite unique as compared to other teas in that it is not fermented. This useful herbal tea is steamed very quickly after it is harvested in order to keep all of its active ingredients in tact.
Health care professionals have done many studies comparing the benefits of using green tea to treat acne as apposed to over the counter acne treatments. Those studies showed that green tea was just as effective in treating blemishes as its over the counter counterparts with the bonus of causing little irritation to the skin.
Green tea can reduce inflammation and aides in detoxification, which is extremely helpful to those suffering from acne issues of any kind. Overactive hormonal activity, which is a huge factor in acne breakouts, can also be limited by using green tea.
This very versatile supplement is ideal for many types of people suffering from blemish problems. You can drink it as a tea, there are facial creams that you can use that contain green tea and can also be consumed in pill form. So no matter what your lifestyle might be you can find a way to incorporate using green tea to combat your acne.
If you drink green tea to clear up your acne make sure that you do not add any sugar or other types of sweeteners to your tea. Doing so will result in all the positive effects of the tea to be negated.
There are very few if any side effects to using green tea as an acne treatment With green tea being so easy to use and reasonably priced no matter what form you choose to take it in there is no real reason why you should not give it a try to get rid of your acne.
By Wong Darren
An unbelievable amount of people suffer from acne. Almost 80% of teenagers under 18 are battling it and 50% once you hit adulthood. There are over a dozen different types of acnes, with the most common being blackheads.
If you have ever had acne in your life then I'm sure you are well aware of all of the advice that can be given out such as watching what you eat, washing your face more often, and not to drink soda. Instead of trying to figure out which food causes or contributes to your acne, why not put some focus on herbal cures for acne because it is herbal medications that sit on top of the list of well known cures. Start with B5 vitamin supplements as B5 is thought of as one of the best acne cures and that is likely because B5 will reduce the amount of oil that your skin will produce and it also will reduce the size of your pores.
Some people that have suffered from acne have used a variety of other herbs to cure their skin condition. Some of the many herbs include burdock root, lavender, chamomile, juniper, and dandelion root. These herbs are proven to work by lowering toxicity levels and acting as an anti inflammatory at the same time. Others rely on Aloe Vera gel to relieve their acne related symptoms, the flaky skin, the swelling, and the redness.
Many soaps and gels are Aloe Vera based so they work well. Naturists treat acne in many different ways and use products such as diluted tea tree oil applied right to the area that is affected. Almond oil, raw potatoes, apple cider vinegar, ginger juice, and green tea bags are only some of the acne treatments that naturists will use. Actually, ginger juice and certain vegetable juices are known to have anti-inflammatory and healing properties. What makes these treatments so popular, besides the fact that they work, is they do not cause any side effects.
Herbal cures are among the most common and popular alternative treatments for acne. The difference between natural medicine and what a dermatologist may prescribe is that the natural treatments will nourish and replenish the skin and what the dermatologist gives you is likely to dry out the skin. It is very easy to make your own natural remedies or purchase pre-made remedies and these natural remedies are also less costly than prescription drugs. With herbal cures for acne being so effective as well as less expensive, it's easy to see why it would sit at the top of most people's list.
Shannon Pollock has been teaching people about natural health remedies for many years. She is a specialist with experience in herbal remedies for both people and animals. By Shannon Pollock
Most of the time acne is caused by the sebaceous glands at the base of the hair follicles of the skin secreting too much sebum - an oily substance released from the pores to keep the skin lubricated and healthy.
When too much sebum is produced or it gets clogged it can form hard plugs that block the pores and produce pimples.
A localized bacterial infection can develop when these oil plugs rupture beneath the skin's surface.
What causes an overproduction of sebum?
Hormonal imbalances are a common cause of an overproduction of sebum. This is common in adolescence, especially in males.
In females, menstrual periods or pregnancy can also create hormonal disturbances that can lead to breakouts.
Other common triggers include emotional stress, irritation of the skin, and certain medications, particularly steroids, contraceptives, or any drugs that affect hormone levels.
There is some evidence that skin eruptions can be brought on or aggravated by certain foods or food allergies as well. There are many useful herbs for acne and we will outline some of them here.
Specific Herbs for Acne
ALOE GEL has astringent & antibacterial properties and is applied topically.
CALENDULA promotes healing of skin tissue. You can make a strong infusion of this herb and use as a facial was or steam. It is also available in creams.
LAVENDER compresses are used to relieve inflammation.
ROSEWATER is applied topically for pain & inflammation.
TEA TREE OIL is a powerful antiseptic but must be diluted before applying to skin.
WALNUT LEAF is a useful astringent skin wash.
WITCH HAZEL has antibacterial & astringent properties.
ECHINACEA tincture taken internally promotes healing, reduces inflammation.
GOLDENSEAL is an antimicrobial which stops oozing.
Another common cause of outbreaks is a sluggish liver. When the liver is not functioning optimally it cannot clear excess hormones. When trying to clear acne it is important to balance the hormones and cleanse the liver.
BURDOCK ROOT and DANDELION contain insulin which improves the skin by removing bacteria.
MILK THISTLE is the most commonly used herb for cleansing and strengthening the liver. It also helps remove excess hormones through the stool by stimulating bile production.
Traditionally this condition has responded well to a combination of herbs.
When treating acne it is important to take a two-fold approach:
Internally and Topically
Generally speaking, just treating the skin topically does not address the internal causes of acne and skin eruptions.
Internally, a good combination for cleansing the liver and blood would be a tincture of MILK THISTLE and DANDELION. The traditional dosage is 30 drops in a little water 3 times daily.
Topically, you can combine any number of herbs such as CALENDULA, LAVENDER, TEA TREE OIL, WITCH HAZEL and ROSEWATER, depending on the specific condition of your skin.
from: http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com
Smoothbeam is a laser procedure in which a beam of light at a specific wavelength is applied to the skin and is absorbed by the collagen in the skin and the sebaceous glands.
It is an effective acne treatment, especially for acne scarring on the face and back. The laser works by targeting and heating the collagen and sebaceous glands in the skin. The skin is protected and cooled, however, with a special cooling device.
This laser procedure may be used in teens and adults with all skin types. Patients might opt to include this laser treatment in addition to their acne treatment.
In general, most procedures have a low risk of side effects. More aggressive treatments might induce some temporary discoloration or reddening of the skin. Some patients might experience pigment changes in skin color. If this occurs, the skin will typically return to normal pigmentation over time.Herbals treatment has been in existence from very ancient times to cure any disease. There are many such herbs and methods to improve the skin metabolism and keep it healthy.
In addition to the chemical and surgical treatment of acne scars another therapy that is now becoming popular is the Herbal Treatment of acne scars. The acne scar remedial course can be carried out in two ways either by external topical treatment or internal body metabolism treatment or a combination of both.
The basic component of body is water and the skin is healthy when the water content is duly flowing along the layers in the skin system. Drinking lots of water helps out to reduce the toxins and maintain the skin health. The dead cells are flushed off and the new skin layer constantly grows in healthy and perfectly hydrated state.
The water content can also be taken indirectly through fruit juices, raw vegetables and other green vegetable that contain the Retin-A natural Vitamin-A. The spinach, carrots, wheat germ juice etc., are more helpful. Water as external washing agent also helps to remove the dirt from the skin pores and keeps it moisturized.
The Citrus (lemon, orange) juices are very important source of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids. The sugarcane juice is also very helpful as it is the source of the Natural Glycolic acid. These juices do ward off the dead cell accumulation under skin and maintain the proper hydration so that skin texture remains tightened and smooth.
A skin washing mixture of 50ml of citrus or sugarcane juice in 200 ml of water works well in cleaning the skin and maintaining its proper tone. The continued use can remove the scar to very significant level.
Essential Oils are some of the better herbal extracts with antiseptic and cell regeneration properties. Lavender Oil has properties of healing wounds and restructuring the skin cells. Due to this it is often used in various lotions and gels to remove the acne scars. This oil can be applied to the live acne and the scars to disappear further in some way.
Tea tree oil has antibacterial and anti fungal properties, which makes it suitable for acne cure to reduce and prevent scars from developing further. Bulbinella is an herb that heals the cuts, rashes, burns and the skin defects very effectively. The paste or extract of this herb is used to cure the skin defects.
Aleovera is another herb that can be taken in juice form or applied topically in gel form to reduce the acne scars. This herb heals the skin maladies of burns, cuts and skin rashes etc. The extracts of this herb is also available commercially branded products.
Herbal home made face packs are better solutions to improvement in scar removal. A face pack of rose water with sandal wood powder can be applied overnight and to be washed off next day. Similarly the lemon juice with rose water can be used to wash the skin blemishes.
Lemon juice with basil leaves when made as a paste and applied to the pigment scar then it effectively reduces them also stops the acne to reappear. Lemon juice with Fuller’s earth (Multani Mitti) is also a very effective face pack in removing the acne scars.
Some potent acne medications must not be used by women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant because of the potential harm to a fetus. These medications include:
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Hormonal therapy – estrogen, flutamide, spironolactone
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Oral tetracylines – doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline
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Topical retinoids – adapalene, tazarotene, tretinoin
Women in their child-bearing years need to avoid pregnancy while using these medications.
Here’s the lowdown on why these medications should not be used during pregnancy:
Hormone therapy. The “female” hormone, estrogen, and the anti-androgens, flutamide and spironolactone, are sometimes used to treat acne in women. None should be taken while a woman is pregnant. Flutamide and spironolactone can cause birth defects. It is not known if these medications can be passed along when a woman is breast feeding so the medications must also not be used if a woman chooses to breast feed.
Isotretinoin. Isotretinoin must not be used by a woman who is pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast feeding.
This potent acne medication has revolutionized acne therapy due to its effectiveness in treating severe and therapy-resistant acne. However, isotretinoin also has the potential to cause some serious side effects. The most serious is the potential to cause severe birth defects in a developing fetus. For this reason, it is imperative that women taking isotretinoin follow the pregnancy-prevention program. This requires using 2 forms of birth control continuously beginning 1 month before therapy starts and not ending until 1 month after isotretinoin therapy is complete. A women taking isotretinoin must also be carefully monitored by her dermatologist during therapy. If pregnancy occurs, isotretinoin must be stopped immediately. Women planning a pregnancy should discontinue taking isotretinoin and maintain birth-control methods for at least 1 month before trying to become pregnant.
Oral tetracyclines. Tetracycline as well as doxycycline and minocycline—which are synthetically derived from tetracycline—must not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding because of potential side effects. These broad-spectrum oral antibiotics can inhibit bone growth and discolor permanent teeth in both a fetus and a child being breast fed.
Topical retinoids. The topical (applied to the skin) retinoids adapalene, tazarotene and tretinoin carry warnings stating that it is not known if these medications can adversely affect a developing fetus or child that is being breast fed. from: AcneNet
How acne affects people's lives
"There is no single disease which causes more psychic trauma, more maladjustment between parents and children, more general insecurity and feelings of inferiority and greater sums of psychic suffering than does acne vulgaris." --Sulzberger & Zaldems, 1948
While known for quite some time, the psychosocial effects of acne have not been fully appreciated until recently. The reasons for this are many. After all, everyone gets acne to one degree or another. In most cases, it goes away on its own. While it's running its course, it is not a serious threat to anyone's overall physical health. In addition, until the last couple of decades, there was very little anyone could do to treat it.
Acne, nonetheless, has a significant impact on a person's outlook on life. Recent studies have detected the following as common among people with acne:
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Social withdrawal
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Decreased self-esteem
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Reduced self-confidence
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Poor body image
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Embarrassment
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Feelings of depression
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Anger
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Preoccupation
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Frustration
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Higher rate of unemployment
The effects listed above are often interrelated, with one effect leading to another and another, only to make the first effect worse. These negative psychosocial effects can have a crippling impact, discouraging patients from pursuing life's opportunities--socially, on the job, or at school. from: AcneNet
Myth #1: Acne is caused by poor hygiene. If you believe this myth, and wash your skin hard and frequently, you can actually make your acne worse. Acne is not caused by dirt or surface skin oils. Although excess oils, dead skin and a day's accumulation of dust on the skin looks unsightly, they should not be removed by hand scrubbing. Vigorous washing and scrubbing will actually irritate the skin and make acne worse. The best approach to hygiene and acne: Gently wash your face twice a day with a mild soap, pat dry--and use an appropriate acne treatment for the acne.
Myth #2: Acne is caused by diet. Extensive scientific studies have not found a connection between diet and acne. In other words, food does not cause acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza. Nonetheless, some people insist that certain foods affect their acne. In that case, avoid those foods. Besides, eating a balanced diet always makes sense. However, according to the scientific evidence, if acne is being treated properly, there's no need to worry about food affecting the acne.
Myth #3: Acne is caused by stress. The ordinary stress of day-to-day living is not an important factor in acne. Severe stress that needs medical attention is sometimes treated with drugs that can cause acne as a side effect. If you think you may have acne related to a drug prescribed for stress or depression, you should consult your physician.
Myth #4: Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Yes, acne does affect the way people look and is not otherwise a serious threat to a person’s physical health. However, acne can result in permanent physical scars--plus, acne itself as well as its scars can affect the way people feel about themselves to the point of affecting their lives.
Myth #5: You just have to let acne run its course. The truth is, acne can be cleared up. If the acne products you have tried haven’t worked, consider seeing a dermatologist. With the products available today, there is no reason why someone has to endure acne or get acne scars.Psychiatric disorders can develop secondary to acne vulgaris. Clinical depression, social phobia, and certain anxiety disorders have been associated with acne. Acne patients report greater levels of anxiety and depression than other medical populations, including cancer patients and other dermatology patients. The prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation was measured in 480 patients with potentially disfiguring dermatological conditions. Clinical depression and suicidal ideation occurred at a significantly greater incidence in the group with acne than in groups with alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, and mild-to-moderate psoriasis. The only group, that surpassed acne with incidence of clinical depression and suicidal ideation were inpatients with severe psoriasis (with a mean total affected body surface of 52 +/- 23.4%). This study used a group of patients with mild-to-moderate acne. Patients with severe acne may in fact be at similar or greater risk of developing such complications. These findings illustrate the importance of recognizing psychiatric comorbidity in patients with acne.
Suicide is rare in dermatological patients. A study reported sixteen cases of suicide in patients with dermatological conditions. Acne without primary psychiatric illness was the presenting diagnosis in seven of sixteen cases of suicide. All these patients had acne scarring and six of seven had poor response to treatment. Although these observations are clinically relevant, the population size was too small to be statistically significant. The remaining five of sixteen patients had primary psychiatric illness, two of sixteen had chronic and debilitating skin disease and two of sixteen had extenuating social circumstances. This breakdown clearly illustrates that acne can have serious psychiatric sequellae. The authors suggest that a simple psychological screening inventory can help identify patients with severe depressive features. This paper also illustrates the distinction between reactive or secondary depression and primary psychiatric illness, which can present with a complaint that is focused on acne. Such primary psychiatric disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder and psychosis.
Acne negatively affects psychological health and psychosocial functioning. These characteristics are more subjective than psychiatric conditions, and they lack specific clinical definitions. Studies have found significant impairment in self-image and self-esteem, impairment in psychological well-being, dissatisfaction with appearance, and inhibition of social interactions in acne patients. Finally, acne is a psychophysiologic condition as its physical pathology can probably be exacerbated by psychological stress.
The most common form of acne is known as "acne vulgaris", meaning "common acne." Many teenagers get this type of acne. Excessive secretion of oils from the sebaceous glands accompanies the plugging of the pores with naturally occurring dead skin cells (corneocytes) blocking hair follicles. The accumulation of these corneocytes in the duct appears to be due to a failure of the normal keratinization process in the skin which usually leads to shedding of skin cells lining the pores. Oil secretions are said to build up beneath the blocked pore, providing a perfect environment for the skin bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and the lipophilic (oil/lipid-loving) yeast Malassezia to multiply uncontrollably. Under the microscope, however, there is no evidence of pooled trapped sebum.[original research?] Indeed the oil percolates through the plugged duct onto the surface. In response to the bacterial and yeast populations, the skin inflames, producing the visible lesion. The face, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms are especially affected. The typical acne lesions are: comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and inflammatory cysts known as cystic acne, one of the more severe forms. These are more inflamed and pus-filled or reddish bumps, that can easily lead to scarring or serious infections. Non-inflamed 'sebaceous cysts', more properly called epidermoid cysts, occur either in association with acne or alone but are not a constant feature. After resolution of acne lesions, prominent unsightly scars may remain. Aside from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and, according to at least one study, depression or suicide. Acne usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure. Early and aggressive treatment is therefore advocated to lessen the overall impact to individuals.
Severe acne often leaves small scars where the skin gets a "volcanic" shape. Acne scars are difficult and expensive to treat, and it is unusual for the scars to be successfully removed completely.
Physical acne scars are often referred to as "Icepick" scars. This is because the scars tend to cause an indentation in the skin's surface.
Acne scars are unsightly, and it is for this reason they can be psychologically and emotionally distressing. However, there is a range of treatments available. If acne scars are causing severe psychological distress, social withdrawal and/or emotional ill-health, a physician should be contacted.
Those who suffered from acne before, and have developed scars are generally relieved that the acne has gone, and emotional effects of acne scars tend to be less distressing
Natural
There are natural formulas with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can be as effective as a Retin A cream or gel. If you have blemished skin you might want to try natural treatment options before you look into potent prescription applications. For this reason and many others, selecting a natural cure for acne seems to be the logical way to go.
Many individuals are looking for a natural acne treatment. Another option that you have that has shown great progress is that of using natural acne treatments.
A moisturizing soap will be the most gentle for your skin whereas others with a harsh ingredient may strip the skin of it’s natural moisture and may even cause itching and/or redness. A laser has also proven to increase the growth of natural collagen to prevent scars from forming. Natural Acne Treatment is the ideal remedy for milder cases.
Although most natural acne treatments that work come in the form of internal vitamin supplements, tea tree oil is an all-natural treatment that can produce great results with just a topical application. Another excellent natural treatment is, Tea Tree Oil, although you have to be careful as it can dry your skin out pretty quickly.
Effective
Isotretinoin (a derivative of vitamin A) is a very effective oral drug that can help prevent scarring but because of its potential for serious side effects it is contraindicated in pregnant women and in many other conditions. Fast and effective acne cure from the inside out; Since then it has become one of the most effective treatments for severe and recurrent cases of acne.
"What are the three most common and effective acne treatments. Surface treatments like benzoyl peroxide creams and solutions are at best minimally effective and can further irritate the condition. Fortunately there are some treatments for body acne scars that are effective and they are carry out by either the dermatologists or aestheticians.
Two of antibiotic that we feel are safe and effective are doxycycline and minocycline. They are effective orally but can cause worrisome reactions such as skin allergies and bone marrow suppression. Others, like acne laser treatment, are a truly effective and proven way to clear acne, help mend the skin, and help heal scarring and existing acne lesions.