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Natural Acne Solutions

I am 23 years old and am suffering from chronic acne. My doctor wants to prescribe antibiotics but I don’t want to go that course. Is there something natural that can help me?

Yes, natural remedies and nutrition can help resolve acne!

Diet is perhaps the most important.

Common foods that aggravate acne are meat, dairy, refined flour/grains and SUGAR. I recommend avoiding all sugar and refined flours (anything white) and reducing wheat consumption in general (even whole wheat). Meat should be limited to 1-2 servings per day (1 serving  is about the size of your palm) and consist of high quality organic meats as much as possible. Dairy should also be limited to less than 2 servings per week and should be organic. Fermented forms of dairy such as organic yogurt and kefir are usually fine to include on a daily basis if you do not have an intolerance to dairy. Include lots of vegetables in the diet and 2-3 servings of fruit per day for antioxidant benefits.

Make sure to clean the right way.

Wash your face with a cleanser only ONE time per day and rinse with water as needed. Use gentle cleansers on the skin such as Calendula soap. We carry Calendula-Neroli Soap by Four Elements which is great for blemishes and sensitive skin. Alternately, wash with only water and avoid soap all together. Use clean all natural skin care products and give your face regular breaks from makeup. We carry several skin care brands at the store specific for acne prone skin such as Suki and Andalou.

Oil cleansing Method: Make a mixture of half castor oil and half olive oil.  Apply to face at night. Place a hot steaming washcloth over face, reheat and reapply washcloth several times, then wipe the rest of the oil off and rinse with COLD water to tonify.

Hormone balance is key.

When acne is aggravated before the menstrual cycle, regulating hormones is the other key step. We often think of acne as caused by high levels of testosterone however, acne can also be caused by too much estrogen or not enough progesterone!  Figuring out which hormones are out of balance is key. Oftentimes all 3 of these hormones will be out of balance.

Consider the following nutrients and herbs to help improve acne:

Zinc , 30-60 mg/day . As skin heals reduce dose of zinc to 15 mg/day for maintenance. Helps lower testosterone levels, heals the skin and regulates activity of the oil glands. Zinc can deplete copper, so consider taking supplemental copper in a zinc-to-copper ratio of 10 to 1.
B6, 100-200mg/day – especially helpful for premenstrual acne by helping the body lower estrogen levels.  Works well in combination with zinc.
Hormone balancing herbs such as Chaste tree, Don Quai, Shatavari and Maca. These herbs promote a balanced ratio of the 3 main hormones - estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

I recommend the product Menstrual Relief Hormone Balance by Irwin Naturals. This product contains Chaste tree berry, Maca and Shatavari; B6; Flax and pumpkin seed oil for Omega 3 fatty acids; and Dandelion root to support the liver’s detoxification processes.

Detox with these herbs and supplements.

There are other alterative herbs that support the liver and cleanse the blood such as Burdock root and Dandelion Root. These herbs help the body clear toxins and waste which when not removed efficiently can build up and express through skin in the form of acne or rashes. Also try healthy omega- 3 oils like flax seed oil and EPA/DHA from fish oil. Aim for 2000-3000mg of EPA/DHA per day.