Acne

Acne

Acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin where the sebaceous glands (the glands that produce oil) are most numerous and active – on the face, neck, chest and back. It results in blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, nodules, sacs and cysts.

Infection occurs in the hair follicle of the sebaceous gland and may, in the long term, result in enlarged pores, and severe scarring.

There are thought to be a number of causes of acne, ranging from the effects of puberty (hormonal changes, psychological factors, and zinc deficiency); diet (excess saturated fat, dairy products, meat, fried and oily food, excess sugar); nutritional deficiencies (zinc, B6), use of cosmetics, menstrual changes, lack of exercise, stress and family history.

Home treatment is all that is needed for most acne – scrupulous attention to diet and hygiene can help. However if the acne is severe a person may need medical treatment

Diet and Supplement Suggestions

There is evidence that sufferers from acne have an inability to digest saturated fats, so it is important to eliminate red meat, full fat dairy, fried foods, and hydrogenated vegetable oils from your diet. At the same time it is important to re-introduce certain essential fatty acids (helpful fats) back into your diet as these help with hormonal balance. Nuts, seeds, oily fish, wheat germ, wholegrain cereals are all good sources of these essential fatty acids.

Alternatively, Evening Primrose Oil, and the more potent Starflower Oil, are excellent for treating pre-menstrual syndrome and they do so by altering the hormonal balance and production of prostaglandins. For the same reasons they are very helpful for acne sufferers.

In addition, eat a whole-food diet, cut down on sugar and refined foods such as white bread and white rice, and increase your intake of raw fruits and vegetables to at least 5 portions a day.

Vitamin A is the star vitamin in treating skin conditions – it has all sorts of actions – including healing the mucous membranes of the skin – so increase your intake of this vitamin by eating dark green leafy vegetables, and yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.

Calcium has also been shown to help acne sufferers, but as dairy is contra-indicated, replace it with other Calcium-rich foods such as tofu, green leafy vegetables and fish.

Finally increase your intake of Zinc, which helps the body to absorb Vitamin A and boosts the immune system. Zinc-rich foods include peanuts, wheat germ, pecans, shellfish, and turkey.

It is very important to avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and sugar – as these all upset hormonal balance and blood sugar levels, and increase the potential for acne breakouts.

A food form multi-vitamin and mineral formula, an essential fatty acid formula, plus a daily antioxidant containing the A,C,E vitamins, Selenium and Zinc are recommended as supplements.

Topical Treatments

• Wash the skin twice a day with warm water and a mild Calendula soap.
• Ultra-violet exposure is also very useful – but be careful as excessive exposure is harmful and causes premature ageing and may cause skin cancer. Moderate exposure is very beneficial, however, and may be used as an excellent treatment for persistent acne
• For pre-menstrual acne apply Vitamin B6 cream locally, or instead try a Sulphur-rich cream like MSM (by Higher Nature) – as Sulphur is particularly useful in healing skin conditions.

Herbal Therapy

An overburdened liver will exacerbate skin conditions so a liver-detox herbal tea is a good idea – Dandelion, Oregon Grape and Blue Flag are good choices and Echinacea (also an immune-booster) taken in tincture form. These botanicals encourage deep elimination of toxins and encourage better liver function.

Also try:

• A decoction of dandelion root mixed 50/50 with infusion of nettle. Add 10 drops of Echinacea tincture per teacup.
• An Infusion (tea) of sage mixed 50/50 with decoction of organic lemon peel

To select a vitamin and mineral supplement, herb, or topical treatment for your needs go to the CHC