Let's face it, you are engaged in an ongoing battle when you are afflicted with acne. While acne treatments for a mild case of acne are usually successful, moderate acne is a greater problem. Even dermatologists cannot cure a severe case of acne but can only provide an acne treatment regimen.
However, you can support your acne treatment efforts with proper acne skin care in order to reduce the recurrence of acne flare-ups and not aggravate existing acne.
Knowing What You're Doing
One of the first pieces of advice is to make sure that you understand and follow the directions for any acne remedy that you are using. If you are taking a prescription acne medicine, read the patient leaflet that accompanies the medication carefully. Typically for moderate to severe acne a dermatologist may prescribe several acne medicines, each with its own treatment protocol and directions.
In order to achieve the acne free skin that you desire, it is important to use all the acne treatments properly and in the correct order. Consider bringing a tablet of paper, a pen, and a friend or relative with you to your appointment with your dermatologist. Simply jot down some notes about the order and time of day for applying each acne medicine and what its purpose is.
Remember, just because the acne clears with the use of your acne medicines doesn’t necessarily mean that you have succeeded in curing acne. Most people with moderate to severe acne must continue to use their acne medicine long-term to prevent any recurrence of their acne problem. Using the acne treatments properly should translate to clear skin and freedom from acne scars.
What About Over-the-Counter Remedies?
Besides using medications prescribed by a doctor, there are a large number of products on the market labeled as skin cleansers, facial cleansers, pore cleansers, and facial pore cleaners that can be used in curing acne.
When cleansing skin that is afflicted with acne, an important point to remember is not to scrub the skin; never scrub your face with a washcloth. It is a misconception that acne is caused by dirt clogging the pores of the skin. You don’t scrub away the offending dirt; you can’t scrub away the offensive acne and achieve acne free skin.
Over-washing or scrubbing skin afflicted with acne only serves to aggravate the condition. Rather use only a gentle skin cleanser, lukewarm water, and a gentle motion with your fingertips as your primary acne skin care regime. When you wash your face with your hands, be sure to first thoroughly wash your hands.
Do Natural Treatments Really Work?
Look for gentle cleansers that are sold as acne solutions. When you're evaluating skin cleansers for acne, include natural acne treatments in your search as well. For example, a soap made from Echinacea and other herbal ingredients is an effective antibiotic facial cleanser that helps fight acne and restore clear skin. Tea tree oil also has known antibiotic properties and serves as a mild anesthetic that will soothe the irritated skin.
Oily skin is implicated as a one of the causes of acne. It doesn’t necessarily make sense to use a moisturizer on oily skin as a means of achieving clear skin. But many of the acne treatments, whether they are prescribed or available as over-the-counter products, have a tendency to irritate the skin while curing acne.
A moisturizer is a boost to irritated skin and keeps skin from becoming overly dry due to the acne treatments that have been applied. Look for a moisturizer with the following properties:
- oil-free
- won’t clog pores (non-comodogenic)
- containing a sun-screen
Besides a great desire to just scrub away the acne, many people try to remove the acne pimples by hand as a way to get clear skin. People who are afflicted with acne should avoid touching their face except to gently wash it with mild cleanser as already discussed.
By trying to remove pimples by hand you run the risk of creating acne scars that will last for a lifetime. Instead, have patience and rely on your prescription or over-the-counter acne treatment to work. Acne remedies usually take 6 to 8 weeks before curing acne.
For male acne sufferers, the daily ritual of shaving can be a problem. One acne sufferer has recommended the Gillette Sensor Excel as a gentle and effective razor to use. Other males prefer to try an electric razor. The advice is to shave delicately to avoid nicking the skin and to shave only as often as necessary. Finding a moisturizing shave gel may be one way to enhance your acne skin care program.
Female acne sufferers have their unique problems too, in finding the right cosmetic products to use. Females who are accustomed to using a foundation product may find that the foundation is difficult to apply smoothly if the facial skin becomes irritated due to the acne treatments being applied.
You may have to abandon the use of some cosmetics during the acne treatment period. Be sure to select only oil-free cosmetics and ones that are labeled as non-comodogenic (won’t clog pores) to use on your road to clear skin.
Proper acne skin care is a necessary addition to your arsenal for fighting your battle with acne and achieving clear skin once again.
Friday, August 28, 2009
A New Look at Natural Acne Treatments
There’s a confusing array of product claims and treatment methods for acne that make it difficult for acne sufferers to determine their best course of action. The fact that there are several forms of acne, including cystic acne and the common acne vulgaris, complicates the picture. While the medical community does not have a cure for severe acne, there are a variety of products that will subdue moderate cases of acne and provide the sufferer with clear skin once again. Among these effective products are natural acne treatments that provide viable alternatives to the use of antibiotic medicines and ointments.
Natural remedies are derived from plants that have been used for generations because of their medicinal properties. The prestigious National Institutes of Health recently formed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health to evaluate the efficacy of herbal remedies by funding controlled scientific studies. Herbal remedies can be effective natural acne treatments.
Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for acne because there is a known bacterial component to cases of acne but certain herbs like Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolio) have known antibacterial properties as well. A soap made from Echinacea and other herbal ingredients is a viable antibiotic facial cleanser that helps fight and clear acne. This type of soap is also used for eczema, psoriasis, and acne rosacea. Scientific studies show that Echinacea helps the body provide the proper enzymes at the cellular level to protect cells against invasion by bacteria. Echinacea’s ability to aid in wound healing is beneficial not only for acne but also for insect bites and burns.
Echinacea is the hardy purple coneflower that is a staple of roadside plantings and home gardens. A more exotic and expensive herbal acne treatment is tea tree oil. There are over 300 species of tea tree but only one species (Melaleuca Alteronifolia) found in New South Wales, Australia is known to have antibacterial properties.
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of the tree and is four to five times stronger than household disinfectants in killing bacteria. At the same time, tea tree oil is gentle to the skin. Tea tree oil is effective in killing the bacteria even in pus and will cause the body to eliminate pus from inside a pimple.
Tea tree oil also acts as a mild local anesthetic which reduces discomfort and also helps to eliminate the red irritation from the skin, improving appearance and reducing acne social problems. Tea tree oil is readily available from herbal suppliers and is simply applied to the affected area with a Q-tip. Tea tree oil is used sparingly.
Witch hazel is not just a brand name but an actual herb (Hamamelis virginiana) that is still recommended as a topical astringent and natural acne remedy. When using these topical acne treatments it is important to be gentle. While it seems to make sense to attempt to vigorously scrub away the offending acne, both medical doctors and herbalists recommend a gentle face washing with even just the fingers as the best approach. Scrubbing merely dries the skin and causes it to produce more oils that are implicated as one of the causes of acne. Don’t over-wash either; specialists recommend washing the face just twice a day.
Along with topical products, herbal dietary supplements can be beneficial as a natural acne treatment as well. Burdock root (Arctium lappa) has long been used to treat boils and abscesses and is an acne treatment. One of the reported properties of burdock root is that it will bring problem-causing agents out of the bloodstream, thus potentially making a condition seem to worsen rather than improve. However, the theory behind its use states that it is simply eliminating toxic elements from the body and providing healing properties.
When used as an acne treatment, herbalists recommend that topical burdock root be applied as well as taking a supplement that contains burdock. Burdock is typically combined with dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) and golden seal root (Hydrastis Canadensis). Golden seal root was once used to prevent pitting of the skin caused by smallpox. Herbalists also recommend red clover (Trifolium pratense). All of these ingredients are implicated in improving skin conditions. Be sure to take these supplements only in the dosage indicated by the manufacturer or your herbalist.
Diet plays an important role in overall health and maintenance of healthy skin. A balanced diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits provides the necessary vitamins and minerals to support clear skin. A diet containing lots of vitamin A may lower sebum production and excessive sebum is one of the contributing causes of acne. The various B vitamins, especially vitamin B-6, can be beneficial as it is needed for proper metabolism of steroid hormones and sexual hormones are implicated in acne. Zinc is promoted as a cure for acne but there seem to be as many studies against zinc supplements as there are ones that promote zinc as an acne treatment. These vitamins are available as supplements but again, more isn’t always better; follow label dosing instructions.
There are plenty of old wives tales surrounding diet and acne outbreaks. Chocolate and fried foods have long been blamed for acne but there is no evidence to support this. However, the link between acne and dairy products is being subjected to scientific studies. A study published in the medical journal Dermatology in early 2005 found a link between teen acne and consumption of dairy products. For those whose acne is aggravated by dairy consumption, eliminating dairy products promotes clear skin. Another misconception is that acne is caused by dirt because the pores are clogged. Thinking that dirt is a cause of acne prompts sufferers to possibly over-wash the face and further aggravate the acne condition. Wearing make-up doesn’t cause acne either. Look for modern cosmetics that are:
* non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
* oil-free (water-based)
* hypoallergenic (no added fragrance)
Acne isn’t just a teen-age condition and adults suffer from acne as well. The natural acne remedies have provided relief from acne symptoms for people of all ages.
Natural remedies are derived from plants that have been used for generations because of their medicinal properties. The prestigious National Institutes of Health recently formed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health to evaluate the efficacy of herbal remedies by funding controlled scientific studies. Herbal remedies can be effective natural acne treatments.
Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for acne because there is a known bacterial component to cases of acne but certain herbs like Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolio) have known antibacterial properties as well. A soap made from Echinacea and other herbal ingredients is a viable antibiotic facial cleanser that helps fight and clear acne. This type of soap is also used for eczema, psoriasis, and acne rosacea. Scientific studies show that Echinacea helps the body provide the proper enzymes at the cellular level to protect cells against invasion by bacteria. Echinacea’s ability to aid in wound healing is beneficial not only for acne but also for insect bites and burns.
Echinacea is the hardy purple coneflower that is a staple of roadside plantings and home gardens. A more exotic and expensive herbal acne treatment is tea tree oil. There are over 300 species of tea tree but only one species (Melaleuca Alteronifolia) found in New South Wales, Australia is known to have antibacterial properties.
What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of the tree and is four to five times stronger than household disinfectants in killing bacteria. At the same time, tea tree oil is gentle to the skin. Tea tree oil is effective in killing the bacteria even in pus and will cause the body to eliminate pus from inside a pimple.
Tea tree oil also acts as a mild local anesthetic which reduces discomfort and also helps to eliminate the red irritation from the skin, improving appearance and reducing acne social problems. Tea tree oil is readily available from herbal suppliers and is simply applied to the affected area with a Q-tip. Tea tree oil is used sparingly.
Witch hazel is not just a brand name but an actual herb (Hamamelis virginiana) that is still recommended as a topical astringent and natural acne remedy. When using these topical acne treatments it is important to be gentle. While it seems to make sense to attempt to vigorously scrub away the offending acne, both medical doctors and herbalists recommend a gentle face washing with even just the fingers as the best approach. Scrubbing merely dries the skin and causes it to produce more oils that are implicated as one of the causes of acne. Don’t over-wash either; specialists recommend washing the face just twice a day.
Along with topical products, herbal dietary supplements can be beneficial as a natural acne treatment as well. Burdock root (Arctium lappa) has long been used to treat boils and abscesses and is an acne treatment. One of the reported properties of burdock root is that it will bring problem-causing agents out of the bloodstream, thus potentially making a condition seem to worsen rather than improve. However, the theory behind its use states that it is simply eliminating toxic elements from the body and providing healing properties.
When used as an acne treatment, herbalists recommend that topical burdock root be applied as well as taking a supplement that contains burdock. Burdock is typically combined with dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) and golden seal root (Hydrastis Canadensis). Golden seal root was once used to prevent pitting of the skin caused by smallpox. Herbalists also recommend red clover (Trifolium pratense). All of these ingredients are implicated in improving skin conditions. Be sure to take these supplements only in the dosage indicated by the manufacturer or your herbalist.
Diet plays an important role in overall health and maintenance of healthy skin. A balanced diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits provides the necessary vitamins and minerals to support clear skin. A diet containing lots of vitamin A may lower sebum production and excessive sebum is one of the contributing causes of acne. The various B vitamins, especially vitamin B-6, can be beneficial as it is needed for proper metabolism of steroid hormones and sexual hormones are implicated in acne. Zinc is promoted as a cure for acne but there seem to be as many studies against zinc supplements as there are ones that promote zinc as an acne treatment. These vitamins are available as supplements but again, more isn’t always better; follow label dosing instructions.
There are plenty of old wives tales surrounding diet and acne outbreaks. Chocolate and fried foods have long been blamed for acne but there is no evidence to support this. However, the link between acne and dairy products is being subjected to scientific studies. A study published in the medical journal Dermatology in early 2005 found a link between teen acne and consumption of dairy products. For those whose acne is aggravated by dairy consumption, eliminating dairy products promotes clear skin. Another misconception is that acne is caused by dirt because the pores are clogged. Thinking that dirt is a cause of acne prompts sufferers to possibly over-wash the face and further aggravate the acne condition. Wearing make-up doesn’t cause acne either. Look for modern cosmetics that are:
* non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores)
* oil-free (water-based)
* hypoallergenic (no added fragrance)
Acne isn’t just a teen-age condition and adults suffer from acne as well. The natural acne remedies have provided relief from acne symptoms for people of all ages.
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