ACNE REMEDY

Successful Alternative Solutions for Acne

2010-11-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

This condition is often overlooked and brushed off as too common to worry about. But it does impacts the psyche of sufferers and, let's face, it can't be good for you skin! The constant break-outs constitute inflammation, skin infection and other irritating elements which your skin would rather not have on such a constant basis. When it's serious it can also cause some scarring of the skin; so, ignoring the problem is not an acceptable course of action.
Squeezing, scratching and even covering it all with cosmetics can only make things worse, so these are actions to be avoided.
There are a hundred different creams and lotions on the market claiming to be the ultimate solution for this condition; some of these products do ameliorate the skin in some individuals, but for those for whom the problem is deep-rooted, they are a band-aid at best.
Although oily skin and susceptibility to bacterial infections on the skin may play a part in this condition, hormones are by far the most common, deep-rooted cause of it. So, unless you want to start taking oral medication, which can work in the most severe cases, you may have to rethink the way you treat your skin.
It can still be very helpful to cleanse your skin with the very best products available, although I never bothered. What worked for me was homeopathy, which treated the 'whole' me and cleared my skin in a breath-taking manner almost overnight. But you can also take natural supplements such as nettle root or, if you are a woman, Agnus Castus. There are, of course, good all-around skin-helpers such as Vit. A and E which you may want to take no matter what (consult your doctor if you suffer from another condition and already take medicine for it).

Some Tips You Must Know About Controlling Acne Breakouts

2010-11-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Controlling acne is not very difficult if you have a good understanding of your skin type. Skin can be of two types - oily skin or a combination skin. Acne treatments for both types of skin types differ. Applying an ointment meant for another skin type can only add to your miseries. So, for controlling acne breakouts start with getting a skin analysis and knowing your skin type.
First and foremost, don't be your own doctor. Visit a qualified dermatologist and seek medical help. He would look at your acne breakouts holistically and would be able to give you good advice on the medications, diet, ointments etc to control your acne breakouts.
Another point to keep in mind is never to break your pimples; they would only grow in number. Firstly, no matter how much you clean your fingers, you may cause further infection to the acne and cause it to spread. Secondly, the pus that would spread to the nearby areas can cause more acne too. So, no matter how tempted you are to break the pimple, please restrain yourself.
Another habit that you need to inculcate in order to avoid acne breakouts is to wash your hands with a good disinfectant a number of times during the day. Along with this, you need to avoid touching your face too frequently, specially the acne. You may invariably be spreading germs all over your face that would cause acne breakouts. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser many times too to wash away the germs.
Along with avoiding fried food, you also need to avoid any environments that have frying in it. The reason is that you would be exposing yourself to airborne grease that would ultimately settle on your face causing acne breakouts.
Switch over to water based cosmetics as oil based cosmetics tend to block your pores and may cause acne breakouts. Also they tend to add to the existing greasiness of your skin that should be avoided for keeping acne away and getting back your natural clear skin. And irrespective of whether you use cosmetics or not, inculcate a habit of cleansing your face well before going to bed. It would not only remove all traces of make-up and dirt, it would help in maintaining a natural clear skin.
Consume lots of water everyday without fail. This would flush out the toxins from your body and keep acne away. A minimum of 8 glasses a day would be a good start. Soda and sweeteners should be avoided as they can worsen your acne condition.
Vitamin supplements are known to be excellent for preventing acne. You can have a talk with your doctor to prescribe some good vitamins for acne. Vitamins B, E, C are known to work wonders in keeping the skin acne free if taken in the correct dosage.
Acne may not be easy to eradicate completely, but it can certainly be kept at bay with proper care and precaution. The key is to know what suits you and what doesn't. Creams with clindamycin (less than 5%) and benzoyl peroxide (less than 5%) are good for clearing up acne.

Having Acne Facial Using Aromatherapy

2010-11-02T06:38:00.001-07:00

come from the plant kingdom - flowers, trees, herbs and bushes. The relevant part of the plant (the wood of the sandalwood tree; the petals from roses; rind from lemon and bergamot fruits; leaves from rosemary bushes) is put through a process known as distillatiouyssential oils are sometimes referred to as essences, and are highly concentrated. They almost always should be diluted before being applied to the skin, although there are a few exceptions.
The essential properties of the oils can be absorbed through the skin and act locally, but they can also be transported around the body and affect various organs and body systems. They can be used to aid both emotional and physical aspects of the problem.
Some helpful advice -

Store oils and oil blends in dark glass bottles in a cool dark place.
If blending oils, only make up enough for your immediate use - about a week's worth for oil blends, a day for water blends. You can keep water blends in the refrigerator.
Do not confuse essential oils with fragrant oils which may smell good and are cheaper but do not contain the essential active ingredients. Read the labels carefully.
PREGNANCY - some oils should not be used, so ask professional advice if you are pregnant or attempting to conceive.
Never use a mineral oil (such as baby oil) with essential oils, as mineral oil will not penetrate the skin, and will inhibit the action of essential oils.

MAKING THE OIL BLEND -
Dilute the essential oils in a carrier oil. Use either sweet almond, apricot kernel, sunflower, soya, peanut oil or whatever salad oil you have. Olive oil tends to have a strong smell of its own, but may be used. Wheat germ oil, when added to a blend (10 per cent) will help to preserve it, as this oil contains a good percentage of Vitamin E which acts as a natural anti-oxidant and has nourishing qualities for the skin. Jojoba oil is very effective for use on oily skin.
For a daily facial massage, a blend consisting of 98% vegetable oil to 2% essential oil, is ideal.
ACNE BLEND -
In 50 ml Vegetable oil (choose from above oils), add
12 drops Cypress essential oil
13 drops Lemon essential oil
VARIATION FOR INFLAMED AND IRRITATED SKIN -
In 50 ml Vegetable oil, add
10 drops Petitgrain essential oil
10 drops Atlas Cedarwood essential oil
10 drops Lemon essential oil
ACNE AND TEENAGE PROBLEM SKINS
Spots and acne usually stem from puberty, when the hormone changes in the body produce substances which, if not eliminated via the kidneys, liver and skin will build up and cause eruptions on the face and neck, and occasionally on other parts of the body too. Whilst antibiotics are routinely prescribed for this condition, they may inhibit the body's ability to detoxify itself. Essential oils can increase detoxification.
The temptation to apply astringents or squeeze spots should be avoided, as these methods stimulate the sebaceous glands to work overtime, and also encourage the spread of bacteria. A nightly facial massage will work on a deep level, imparting a natural antiseptic to the infected areas, and at the same time regulating the secretion of sebum.
HOW CAN OIL GET RID OF OILY SKIN?
The vegetable oil is merely a spreading agent, and it is essential oils which are going to work on the problem. Essential oils are the hidden workers and whilst you sleep, a healing and normalizing action is taking place.
CLEANSING FIRST.
Juniper Berry essential oil and Lemon essential oil can reduce the level of sebum in the skin. These are best diluted in water - spring or bottled is best but expensive to use every night.
Mix 5 drops of each to a basin of water and bathe your skin using cotton balls, discarding each one after wiping across the skin. If you re-dip into the water, you will contaminate it with bacteria.
HOW TO DO THE FACIAL MASSAGE.
After thorough cleansing, a liberal amount of the "acne blend" (or the variation blend) should be gently massaged into the face and neck, applied in an upward direction from neck to forehead. Do this each night before going to bed.
Movements for massage can include the following:

stroking up from collarbone to jaw
stroking along the jaw line from chin out to ears
knead the chin area, gently squeezing and releasing
smooth fingers across the cheeks and out to the ears
use small circular friction movements around the mouth and cheek area and along the sides of the nose
stroke over the eyebrows, from inner to outer
knead the eyebrow area, gently squeezing and releasing
use small circular friction movements on the forehead

After ten minutes, place a tissue over the face and press gently. This will remove any excess oil that has not been absorbed by the skin. Very toxic skins will not absorb much oil but, if used regularly over a period of time, the skin's improvement will show itself with more of the oil being absorbed. You will soon notice a difference in appearance and texture of the skin.
SPOT TREATMENTS -
Tea tree oil may be applied directly to a pimple, using a cotton bud to stop infection and assist healing. Using Juniper Berry and Lemon essential oils, you can prepare some cotton ball wipes and keep them in the refrigerator for use throughout the day.
MAKING CLEANSING WIPES -
Tap water is not appropriate to make these up as there are too many chemicals.
In 750ml spring water (bottled), add
5 drops Juniper Berry essential oil
5 drops Lemon essential oil
Soak cotton balls/wipes in this mixture, squeeze them out gently and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When pimples occur, wipe your skin every 2 hours or so.

ACNE FUSTRATION & CHALLENGE

2010-11-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Suffering from acne can be very frustrating. I know plenty of teens who just want to scream every time a new one rears its unwanted head. But here's the catch - your emotions play a large part in the development of acne. Getting angry, frustrated and stressed about acne will make your condition worse.
Stress and anxiety causes major shifts in your body's chemistry. Stress can cause and is caused by depression, sadness, anger, dis-empowerment, loneliness, isolation, fear, anxiety and a variety of other negative emotions.
Stress changes your sleeping patterns and the way your body digests foods. It can not only trigger disruptive eating patterns such as under or over eating but your metabolism and central nervous systems themselves will react to your body chemistry, causing chemical and hormonal imbalances.
Our skin is often the first sign that stress is becoming a problem in your body. You will know yourself when you look at someone from a distance that their skin often reflects their mental state.
Being stressed then will not only worsen a pre-existing acne problem but may also be the underlying cause of it. Relaxation then must be a key component in any Acne management system. Investigating relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or prayer is an important step to take. Being angry will just make the problem worse.
If acne is a big problem for you and is really interfering with your enjoyment of life then the first thing you need to do is to simply accept that the problem is there and that you are more than capable of dealing with both the physical challenges themselves but also the mental challenges of being cool with your acne.