I have been dealing with bouts of acne since I am 22 years old. It started in my early twenties instead of my teen years. I have studied and researched every book, magazine, article and website out there. I remember sitting in Barnes and Nobles in the village in NYC for hours buried in books sipping my green tea. I would jot down every bit of advice and tips I thought would be helpful to me. I have learned a lot of knowledge on this topic. I know now that acne is a chronic disease that cannot be cured. Although if you deal with all the components of the disease it can be managed. Lets start with what causes acne first. Acne is an overproduction of sebum which in turn clogs pores. Secondly, bacterial which normally lives on the skin, P. acnes, thrive in excess oil. Immersed in excess oil, the bacteria can rapidly grow in number. As the bacteria multiply in a clogged pore, the pore becomes inflamed. Inflammation is what causes the pimple to look red, hot and swollen. Thirdly, acne is also a result of an abnormal keratinization. A build up of dead cells in the pore from inadequate exfoliation of skin. So our target is to address all the above. I can tell you by experience it's not a perfect science. You also must address your diet, hormones, stress and environment. I will be starting a series on how to manage and ultimately cure adult acne. I have not cured my acne yet but I am on a mission to and I hope you will follow along with me. Lets start first with supplements that I have found helpful.
There are supplements to look for to help acne which are, Omega-3 Fatty acids found in fish oils or flax seeds, Zinc helps regulate oil glands and helps heal wounds faster( do not exceed 50 mg a day to avoid toxicity), B Complex vitamins (help reduce stress and normalize oil production), vitamin A normalizes the keratinization process reducing clogged pores(10,000 IU daily for 2weeks, then reduce to 5,000. You could also use herbs to help with acne. Probiotics which you could get from yogurt or in supplement form. I suggest if you are going to take a supplement the best are refrigerated, you could purchase them at the Vitamin Shoppe. You could also try herbs in healing and preventing acne. Burdock Root, dandelion leaves, milk thistle, adn red clover are good for acne. Burdock Root and red clover are blood cleansers. Milk thistle aids the liver in cleansing the blood. Burdock and dandelion also contain inulin, which can improve the quality of skin by removing bacteria. You can also brew these herbs in teas and if you all follow me you know I am a tea fanatic. Why not help your acne while enjoying a relaxing cup of tea. The next part of this series I will be addressing is diet. Diet plays a very important role in how are skin functions. Studies are now finding that there is a direct link to acne and what you eat. I also will be discussing what skincare products to use and what to avoid. I look forward to writing this series and would love to hear your feedback and your stories with acne.
