Is There an Adult Acne Cure?
There is no scientifically verified adult acne cure, although many companies claim that their products have curative powers. That being said, there are many treatments that have scientifically proven effectiveness.
As it is with most health problems, the best approach is a holistic one; treating the problem from the inside out and from the outside in. Not only could these suggestions provide the remedy you are looking for, they could also improve your overall health.
Eat Like a Caveman
When it comes to diet, anything can be taken to the extreme. There is some controversy surrounding the caveman or Paleolithic diet, because people can overdo it and fail to meet their minimum nutritional requirements.
The basic idea is a good one. Rather than eating modern processed and prepared foods, we should eat more natural foods.
Researchers have found that there are populations that do not suffer from acne, even during their teen years. Scientists refer to them as “non-Westernized” societies. They don’t have access to pizza and other fast foods.
Their diets are relatively simple; fruits, nuts, vegetables, meats, fish and seafood. As you can see, there is an absence of grains and dairy products. Cutting out grains and dairy products could be the adult acne cure you are looking for.
To be honest, we really don’t need those foods. The studied populations have no high blood pressure, no diabetes and no obesity. They do not suffer from strokes or ischemic heart disease. And, they don’t have pimples.
Don’t Over Cleanse
Contrary to what you might think, dirt is not the cause of your problem. While blackheads might look like dirt that has become stuck in the pores, they are actually oxidized keratin. Keratin is the protein that makes up the cells of the skin’s outer layers.
A harsh cleanser or exfoliant might be promoted as an adult acne cure, but it can actually make the problem worse. Exfoliants can make tiny cuts in the skin that cause inflammation. Inflammation is actually the cause of your problem.
One of the reasons that the caveman diet may be effective is because it reduces inflammation throughout the body. Topical and oral anti-inflammatory drugs are known to help heal pimples and reduce break outs. It’s just that the drugs are accompanied by numerous unwanted side effects and cannot be taken on a regular basis.
So, your goal is to keep irritation and inflammation to a minimum. Use a gentle cleanser containing tea tree, Neem or active manuka honey and don’t overdo it.
Carefully Evaluate the Ingredients in Your Skincare Products
If you wear makeup, you need to be extra-careful about the ingredients it contains. In some cases, changing the brand of makeup used has been an adult acne cure. Why?
Most makeup and other skincare products contain petrolatum, mineral oil or paraffin. Men will find these ingredients in their shaving cream, after shave lotion, body wash and shampoo.
Because they are so incompatible with human skin, those ingredients clog the pores, cause greasiness and trigger an immune system response that contributes to acne.
If you don’t find the adult acne cure that works for you on this page, don’t give up. There are many other suggestions on the other pages of this site. (more…)
Looking for a Homeopathic Acne Treatment
If you are looking for a homeopathic acne treatment, you are probably hoping that it will be safe, natural and effective. There are so many products available, finding a really good one can be challenging.
Some people try dozens of different ones before they find something that really works for them. While the trial and error process is “okay”, be careful not to waste your money and your time.
The information here should help you avoid the trial and error process. If you follow these suggestions, you are more likely to get the result that you want, right from the start.
1. Look for tea tree oil. Also known as melaleuca oil, it comes from an Australian tree. It has proven to be as effective as benzoyl peroxide in at least three comparative studies, but it does not cause excessive dryness or irritate sensitive skin. It works by killing the P. acnes bacteria and reducing inflammation. A 5% concentration is most effective.
2. Look for Neem oil. Neem oil can be found in a variety of skincare products. It is well known for its medicinal activity in some parts of the world. Like tea tree oil, it has natural anti-bacterial activity, but does not cause dryness.
3. Look for a homeopathic acne treatment containing Active Manuka Honey. Honey has been used for thousands of years as a home remedy for numerous ailments. Manuka honey is one of the few that has been tested for its antibacterial activity. Look for the “Unique Manuka Factor” rating to be sure that it is the active type.
4. Take vitamin B5. While the compounds mentioned above are applied topically to promote healing and reduce inflammation, there are a number of nutrients that you can take to help prevent future breakouts. Vitamin B5 is one of them.
5. Take beta-carotene and vitamin E. Technically, vitamin therapy is not a homeopathic acne treatment, but the nutrients are natural and safe when taken as directed. Beta-carotene is converted within the body to vitamin A. Dermatologists have found that most of their new acne patients have low blood levels of vitamin A.
It is important to look for beta-carotene, rather than retinol, the animal form of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is non-toxic even at high doses.
Retinol is the active compound in tretinoin, a prescription drug for treating acne. It is toxic at high doses and causes numerous side effects. An adverse reaction to tretinoin is what causes many people to start looking for a homeopathic acne treatment in the first place.
6. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Cut back on simple carbs like snacks, junk food, sugary baked goods and breakfast cereals. The simple carbs trigger the release of a hormone that causes glands to swell and clog the pores. Fruits and vegetables are also rich in beta-carotene and vitamin E.
7. Look for skincare products containing extracts from fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A, E and B5 work when applied topically, as well as when taken orally.
There are cleansers, creams and ointments on the market derived from avocado, citrus and other fruits that contain those nutrients, as well as others. Combined or separately, they make an effective homeopathic acne treatment.
Holistic Body Acne Treatments
The most effective body acne treatments are of the holistic variety. The whole person is treated, not just the person’s skin. Here’s a brief look at a good approach.
Let’s start with the mind, since it is the part of the whole person that is most often overlooked. Scientific studies have shown that increased stress contributes to flare-ups or break outs.
The teenage years are very stressful for many people. Learning stress reduction techniques at an early age can benefit you throughout your life. Chronic stress causes a variety of age-related health problems. Consider taking a yoga class or learning to do deep breathing exercises.
Depression sometimes accompanies the condition. More doctors are starting to recommend omega-3 fish oil supplements for their patients, because they have natural anti-depressant activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
Inflammation is one of the causes of pimples. The oil-secreting sebaceous glands deep within the pores of the skin become swollen due to hormonal changes. The oil becomes trapped and mixes with dead skin cells. Bacteria naturally present in the pores feeds on the mixture. This slight infection triggers the immune system to cause even more inflammation.
Omega-3 fish oil helps to minimize inflammation. Depending on your age, you take 1000-2000mg per day in capsule form. It’s tasteless and odorless.
Now, let’s look at your diet. Dietary changes can be very effective body acne treatments. You might not understand the connection between what you eat and how your skin looks. It is a pretty complicated subject.
Simply put, there are foods that contribute to inflammation and stimulate excessive hormone production. Some foods even contain the hormones that have been linked to acne. The hormones in question are testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
Three recent studies showed a link between eating dairy products and increased break-outs. Cow’s milk naturally contains a variety of hormones including IGF-1.
So if you drink a lot of milk, you regularly eat cheese and like other dairy products, cutting back could be one of the effective body acne treatments. But, you may need to add some different foods to your diet in order to get enough calcium.
Broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, kale and soybeans are good sources of calcium, as are many other foods. Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to drink cow’s milk or eat dairy products in order to get all of the calcium we need every day.
Other dietary changes that could be effective body acne treatments include cutting out junk food, processed sugars and white bread. Those foods are simple carbohydrates that trigger the release of IGF-1.
Fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates. They do not trigger IGF-1 release and they contain the vitamins A and E. Numerous studies have shown that people with acne have low blood levels of both those vitamins.
You are probably interested in topically applied solutions that can speed healing. Tea tree oil kills the P. acnes bacteria and has anti-inflammatory activity, but does not cause the excessive drying associated with benzoyl peroxide. Look for a 5% tea tree oil concentration. It’s also called melaleuca oil.
What you have read about here are only a few of the natural body acne treatments. If you are disappointed with the ones here, try some others. Just don’t give up.
