Natural Acne Cures
Looking for natural acne cures and pimple remedies?
Enjoy mixing up your own scrubs and masks?
If you're concerned about what you put on your skin and into your body, you'll find some great suggestions here.
Many people with acne prone skin care concerns are tempted to try home remedies or natural acne cures because they're wary of negative side effects caused by using the wrong OTC treatments and prescription medications.
There are a variety of natural acne solutions available, including vitamin & mineral supplements, herbs, essential oils, and acne diets. Some of these natural methods help acne prone skin because they assist with exfoliation & hydration, they're anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory, or they help restore internal balance.
Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of bogus claims online about natural acne cures. So, please use common sense and good judgement when evaluating these claims and deciding whether they're right for you.
Remember, everything can be broken down into chemical components.
Even the most simple "natural" botanical extracts are chemical in nature, and they can have some pretty scary sounding names.
For instance, let's look at the ingredients "phenethyl alcohol" or "2-phenylethanol". These may sound like dangerous toxic chemicals, but they're actually organic compounds found in a variety of essential oils -- such as rose, hyacinth, and geranium.
Be an informed consumer. Not everything that sounds or looks chemical is "un-natural", and just because an ingredient or product is natural does not mean it's safe or effective for treating acne.
Here is a list of effective natural acne cures that work best as part of a comprehensive acne prone skin care routine.
Acne Skin Care Expert's Top 5
Natural Acne Cures
- Zinc Monomethionine
- Omega-3 Fish Oil
- Green Tea
- Digestive Enzymes & Proteolytic Enzymes
- Pro-biotics
Nutrition plays an important role in our overall health, and there is growing evidence that suggests certain nutritional supplements may be helpful in treating acne prone skin.
Herbal acne treatments and nutrients that help support liver function, promote a healthy digestive system, or fight inflammation may restore balance within the body and encourage healing in the skin.
These natural acne cures must be taken as directed to get the best results -- more is not necessarily better, and you may not want to use more than one method at a time. Check with your physician before taking supplements to avoid interactions with medications or complications with other health issues.
Please Note: These natural therapies won't "cure" your acne. For best results, they must be combined with effective topical skin treatments to maintain total control.
Acne Diets
Some people have been able to get rid of acne and other skin conditions by consistently following acne diets rich in lean protein, fresh vegetables and essential fatty acids.
There are some conflicting opinions about which food groups should be included or eliminated in acne diets, but for the most part, nutrition experts agree. Here are some basic guidelines when following acne diets as a way to get beautiful, clear skin.
Tip #1 - Protein
Choose 2 - 4 ounces of quality protein for each meal. Good choices include chicken, turkey, eggs, nuts, cold-water fish, and grass-fed meats.
Tip #2 - "Good" Fats
Everybody needs fat in their diet. Eating the right kinds of healthy fats will help regulate sebum (oil) production and contribute to healthy skin renewal. Try to get about two teaspoons of "good" fats per meal.
Acne diets include healthy fats such as: olives and olive oil, raw coconut, avocados, fatty fish, raw nuts, nut butters and ground flax seeds.
(Do not include peanuts or peanut butter, as these have an androgenic effect that can make acne worse).
Tip #3 - Vegetables
Get most of your carbohydrates from fresh vegetables.
You may also want to include squash and sweet potatoes occasionally.
Some acne diets allow small amounts of fruit, beans and legumes, brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains. Other acne diets cut out grains and starchy carbohydrates completely.
Tip #4 - Foods To Avoid
Acne diets attempt to balance the digestive system, reduce spikes in blood sugar, and counteract internal inflammation.
Nutrition experts suggest you avoid the following: most dairy (including butter, milk, and aged cheeses), androgenic foods (such as peanuts, liver, and organ meats), fruit juices, salt, soy, vinegar, alcohol, flour and sugar (pasta, bread, muffins, cake, and cookies).
In my experience, dietary iodides are highly problematic for people with acne prone skin. Always check processed/packaged food products for high levels of iodides, and avoid these items whenever it's practical. Do not add salt to your food.
High levels of iodides can be found in seaweed, kelp, certain shellfish, sports bars, energy drinks, and most vitamin supplements.
Acne Diets Are NOT A Quick Fix
When you change the way you eat, you may notice a difference in your mood and your energy levels right away. However, changes in your skin may happen more gradually. You may not see the full effects of your efforts for up to six months.
Acne diets are a way of life -- a permanent lifestyle change -- not a quick fix. You must stay committed to this healthy way of eating or your acne will return.
For the best results, I recommend using the right skin care products in addition to trying natural acne cures and diets.
Home Remedies For Acne
Purifying masks and gentle exfoliants are some popular home remedies for acne. Natural extracts and essential oils, such as green tea, aloe vera, or tea tree oil, can be made into soothing, hydrating masks or spot treatment pimple remedies.
Out of all the home remedies for acne, my favorite is green tea ice cubes.
Simply brew your favorite green tea, let cool, pour into a plastic ice tray & freeze. Rub these green tea ice cubes on inflamed pimples or any areas you tend to break out -- 2 to 5 minutes of icing should be enough to calm redness and irritation and speed healing time dramatically. You can do this twice daily.
Home remedies for acne may help once you have a pimple, but they won't do much to prevent blackheads and break outs.
You will get more benefit from using skin care products that have been specially formulated to keep acne from forming in the first place.
Natural Acne Skin Care Products & Cosmetics
Organic and natural acne skin care products are growing in popularity.
No one wants to trade blackheads and break outs for other health problems caused by their acne treatment. So, what's the solution? Many people turn to natural acne skin care products and cosmetics.
Esthetic professionals use a variety of natural acne skin care products including fruit enzymes and acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, antibacterials, and botanical wound healers to get your skin clear safely and quickly.
These natural ingredients are used in clinical-strength formulas to enhance exfoliation, prepare the skin for extractions, and reduce inflammation.
Enzymes and corrective peels derived from cranberry fruit, papaya, pumpkin, and vitamins can be used to exfoliate and provide natural anti-microbial action.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) are commonly used to reduce cellular build up. They come from many natural sources, including sugar cane, milk, apples, and almonds.
Tea tree, azulene, and zinc are commonly used as purifying and anti-inflammatory agents. They can be applied in masks and hydrating gels to help soothe skin and restore essential moisture.
You can find natural acne skin care products that will prevent and control acne better than most prescription medications with far less risk to your health. The key is choosing the right natural products for your skin and learning the best ways to use them.
Do Natural Acne Cures Really Work?
Some of the natural acne cures I've learned about over the years -- such as detox diets, lemon juice, vinegar, and toothpaste -- may temporarily dry up active pustules, but in most cases they don't have the ability to prevent acne lesions from forming over the long run.
Simply crushing up and applying fruit mixtures and vitamins doesn't always give you the benefits you might be hoping for -- and it can be very difficult to adhere to certain acne diets.
In numerous cases, I consult with acne sufferers who have already tried these "cures", but they just haven't gotten the results they were promised.
I believe the best way to clear acne is to find a qualified acne treatment clinic & follow their professional skin care advice. Once your skin has been assessed, your acne expert can recommend the right natural formulas for your type of acne to be sure you're getting the most from your home-care routine.
We'll also encourage you to make healthy lifestyle changes and teach you how to use the natural acne cures listed above when they're appropriate for you.
Read this article to learn some natural acne skin care tips you can use right away to start looking and feeling better today.
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