The treatment of Acne using natural remedies.

SYMPTOMS

Blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, inflamed and infected nodules, sacs, and cysts. They occur where the sebaceous (oil) glands are most numerous: face, neck, chest and back. Permanently expanded pores, as well as scarring, can result.

CAUSES

A sebaceous gland is located in every hair follicle and produces oil which lubricates the skin. Some of the oil becomes clogged, bacteria multiply, and inflammation results. This occurs during adolescence (between 12 and 24), when androgens (male hormones) are released in increased amounts in both boys and girls. A few have acne all their lives.

   Other causes include junk foods, oral contraceptives, cosmetics, allergies, stress and heredity.

   Skin eruptions are often caused by consuming too much meat, white sugar, denatured flours, eggs and stimulants (including spices), or by the lack of wholesome foods such as fresh vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and legumes. Skin ailments will often follow or accompany disease of the lung or colon.

   Eggs, peanuts, nuts, colas and chocolate tend to induce acne. Milk is frequently responsible when it is combined with sugar and eggs in snacks and ice cream.

   The problem is intensified when sebum, combined with skin pigments, plugs the pores and produces blackheads. If scales below the surface fill with sebum, whiteheads are formed.

   Canadian Eskimos, prior to 1950, never had acne. When “modern foods” were brought in, acne became common.

   Acne is rarely caused by a serious hormonal disorder caused by tumors in the adrenal glands or ovaries. Other symptoms of this possibility include excess facial hair and irregular menstrual periods.

NATURAL REMEDIES

GENERAL

• Cleanliness is important. Keep the skin washed and clean. Keep the infected area free of all oils. Wash or pat the face with lemon juice 3 times a day. Shampoo the hair frequently.
• Do not squeeze the spots. Blackheads must be removed (not with picking by the fingers) with a specially designed instrument. Keep hands clean and avoid touching the face. Do not touch the affected area unless your hands are thoroughly cleaned.
• Wash the pillowcase regularly in chemical-free (no added colors or fragrances) detergents.
• Get early morning sun on the face daily. Get fresh air and exercise daily, and plenty of rest to eliminate toxins.
• Avoid irritating the skin. Avoid clothing which rubs against the affected area. Do not hold a telephone against your cheek for long periods, Keep your hair from your face, so hair oil and bacteria will not be deposited on the skin.
• Avoid stress; for it can cause hormonal changes.
• Do not put oil on your face. Avoid the use of greasy creams or cosmetics. Avoid makeup. If you feel you must use some, use a natural, water-based product. Wash and dip makeup brushes and sponges in alcohol after each use.
• Avoid oral or topical steroids. They will worsen the problem.
• Men should shave with a blade and in the direction of hair growth. Shavers can cause scarring.

SPECIAL APPLICATIONS

• Place alternating hot and cold cloths on affected area, to bring up cleansing circulation.
• Rub on lemon juice at night and wash in the morning.
• Apply white clay (from health food-store) and let dry, 3 times daily to bring to a head. Then use once a week.
• Mix 1 part apple cider with 10 parts quality water. Apply to the affected area. This will help balance the skin’s pH.
• For acne scars, place fresh pineapple on the scars for enzyme therapy; and take 750 mg bromelain daily.
• Here are additional external food poultices to place on the affected areas: Cook oatmeal in milk until thickened, cool and apply to area. Another method is to cook carrots in as little water as possible. Mash, cool, and apply. Or one can apply a whizzed, chopped, ripe tomato in blender with 1 Tbsp of dry oatmeal and 1 tsp lemon juice.
• If your acne is severe, take a steam bath 2-3 times a week. Take it once a week, to prevent further outbreaks.

NUTRITION

Proper nutrition is extremely important.

• Drink 6 glasses of pure water daily.
• Mix 2 oz. each of beet juice, celery juice and tomato juice. Take 2-3 times a day. As a general blood purifier, take several times a week.
• Eliminate all refined and/or concentrated sugars from the diet.
• Eat a good, balanced diet. Exercise regularly and get adequate sleep at night.
• Eliminate all saturated fats from the diet, along with junk food, fried food, refined food, dairy foods, carbonated drinks, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. Do not eat foods containing trans-fatty acids (milk, milk products, margarine, shortening, and other synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oils).
• Increase raw vegetables intake. The more you eat, the faster the skin will clear and heal. Eat plenty of non-citrus fruits, raw vegetables juice, cooked vegetables, salads, whole grains, legumes, and a few seeds and nuts. Include some seaweed (for iodine) and pumpkin seed (for zinc)
• Two servings of beets or beet juice weekly, and/or 2 glasses of carrot juice daily reportedly improve acne within a few weeks.
• Eat a high-fiber diet. This helps the colon eliminate toxins.
• Go on a short vegetable juice fast of 1-3 days, along with enemas. It would be well to do this every 2 to 4 weeks, until the skin is perfectly clear.
• Beware of all oily foods which have saturated fats. This would include peanut butter, cheese, milk and cream. A small amount of unsaturated vegetable oil would be acceptable.

SPECIAL NUTRIENTS

Certain dietary deficiencies have been linked to acne.

• Niacin-amide is important in repairing the skin, because it increases the supply of fresh blood to the surface.
• Vitamin C, 500-1,000 mg, 3 times daily. Also taking 200-1,000 mg bioflavonoids in divided daily doses speed healing and retard spreading.
• Vitamin E., 200-400 IU daily, to protect vitamin A from destruction in the body.
• Vitamin A (best taken in the form of carotene: carrot juice and green and yellow leafy vegetables). Women of childbearing age should not use high-dosage Vitamin A.
• Take one B complex tablet daily, plus up to 300 mg each of B₆, niacin and pantothenic acid in divided doses daily for no longer than a month. B₆, taken in small doses throughout the month, is especially helpful for acne that flares up during menstrual periods.
• Chromium, 400-600 mcg daily; plus potassium, 99 mg daily.
• Zinc, 30 mg daily for a few months, then 15 mg daily thereafter. In addition to being an effective bacterial suppressor, it aids healing and is essential for gland efficiency. In one study, zinc was found to be an oral antibiotic.
• Too much iodine can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce too much oil.
• Essential fatty acids are important. Flax-seed oil is the best.
• If milk and dairy products are reduced, take 800 mg of calcium daily to maintain the pH balance for a clear complexion.
• Take 1-2 Tbsp brewer’s yeast and 2 lecithin capsules daily.
• Take 2 activated charcoal tablets after each meal, for 2 weeks, and 2 tablets daily afterward. Clinical tests reveal this to give good results. Do not continue for extended periods because it can block nutrient absorption.

HERBAL FORMULAS

Internal

Here are several which are recommended by leading herbalists.

• Make a tea 1 part burdock, 1 part dandelion, 1 part sassafras, 1 part sarsaparilla, ½ part licorice. Simmer 1 oz of herbs in 1 pint water for 30 minutes. Take 1 cup, 3 times daily.
• Mix the following in equal parts: elecampane root, elder leaves and flowers, witch grass root, juniper berries, ground ivy. Steep 1 tsp in ½ cup boiling-hot water. Take ½ -1 cup daily, unsweetened in mouthful doses, over an extended period of time.
• Use a good blood purifier, such as 1 part red clover, 1 part kelp, 2 parts Echinacea, 1 part dandelion root, 1 part burdock, ½ part licorice. Fill gelatin capsules with the powder and take 2 capsules every 2 hours until the condition is greatly improved.

External

• Apply golden seal and myrrh solution to the affected areas.
• Chaparral and comfrey tea are good facial rinses.
• Apply tea tree oil on sores 3 times daily. This is known to be very healing to acne.
• Herbs which could be applied to the skin include dandelion root, Echinacea, alfalfa, chaparral and red clover.
• Apply a poultice of ground chaparral, dandelion or yellow dock root, mixed with hot water and cooled, to the affected areas and allow to remain for several hours. Then rinse off with tepid water.
• Steam: Put 1 part eucalyptus leaves and 2 parts elder flowers in 1 pint of boiled water in a bowl. Cover the head with a cloth and lean over the bowl of aromatic steam.