Causes of acne
Let's get back to causes of acne. Facial acne is easier to treat than body acne, but has a bigger chance of coming back in the form of flare-ups. Dust, air pollution, cosmetics and shaving are all factors that work in favor of acne by irritating your skin or clogging your pores. Moreover, dust and air pollution also bring the bacteria, which are responsible for pimples. Whenever a pores is clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, bacteria seize the chance and start multiplying in the sebaceous follicle. Before long, the follicle turns into a blackhead or a whitehead (in mild cases), or even into pustules or papules (in severe forms of acne).
While the market is practically awash with products promising to treat acne and teen magazines are drumming up for this or that trendy cure, we have conducted our own independent research into this issue. What we found is that most products are using either ineffective ingredients that do nothing for your skin beyond a short-lived improvement, or are made of strong chemicals. What should you look for is all-natural acne treatment products without side effects.
Acne & Diet: summary
The main purpose of these reviews is to show you connection between acne and diet. I think we have seen the result pretty perfect. Yes, there is a connection. You CAN influence acne with diet. You can prevent acne with proper diet but poor diet can be one of the causes of acne.
Healthy and balanced diet promotes our general well-being and optimizes our body to function at its best. To have a healthy skin, eat plenty of seed food i.e. fruits that contain seeds, vegetables - organic vegetables are better as it contains additional nutrients.
A great skin can be achieved by eating food that is rich with vitamins and minerals. Water intake also plays a big part in your skin's health. Doctors recommend that you take at least 10 to 12 glasses of water a day.
Remember that your kitchen is a haven of natural beauty products that may help you prevent acne. However if you already have or want to be 100% sure it won't appear any more, you should look for acne treatment products.
Acne & Diet: wrinkleless diet
The Perricone plan's high protein diet must include a substantial ration of fish and eggs, which are the most popular sources of protein. More specifically, Perricone recommended that we start our day with a breakfast of four eggs with three of the yolks removed. For the rest of the day, fish, preferably salmon, must be the dominant element in every meal. Perricone also prescribed a healthy dose of berries, cantaloupe or macadamia nuts and lots of spring water. Probably the most important feature of Perricone's diet is its heavy restraint on chocolates, potatoes, butter, past and pizza, every single one of which are daily staples for people who are too busy to prepare complicated daily menus.
The diet, when accompanied with his exercise and skin maintenance programs, would result in noticeable changes in as early as three days. It does sound like magic, doesn't it?
While part of my brain is rebelling against the restriction of coffee and chocolates and all the other "good things in life," another part raced through the chapter titles like "It Gets Worse," which made vampires and werewolves from the food in which I previously indulged. For quite a while, I began to stay away from the junk food section of the supermarket, with Perricone's words buzzing in my head. With all the allusions to Carbohydrate monsters, it became difficult to eat pizza. However, with my diminishing bank balance, I realized that Perricone's diet presented various difficulties. The main problem with Perricone's treatment plan is the fact that the recommended protein-rich diet is not only difficult to live on, but also quite expensive and inaccessible. Local grocery stores would not normally have heaps of macadamia nuts, blueberries and cantaloupes waiting for people in every corner. Moreover, as I recently and with some regret, found out, salmons are not very easy on the budget. As I mentioned earlier, surgery has never really been accessible to persons with low to medium income. While Perricone's diet is inexpensive compared to these surgical procedure, it would still make quite a huge dent on people's long-term savings.
Nevertheless, I began to search for cheaper alternatives to Perricone's plan because I was trying to convince myself that it still offered more practical, and more painless, solutions than the countless cosmetic surgeons' artistic aptitudes. Compared to being sliced open, I realized that a harmless dietary regimen is a very attractive option. Moreover, to appease my rebellion against the restriction of my favorite poisons, I began to consistenly remind myself that youth and beauty must come with some sort of sacrifice. In fact, giving up chocolates and coffee for tasteless egg whites does not really seem such a huge sacrifice. Perricone did say that we should never venture far from his recommended food. However, if you don't want to try some "systems" - simply take a look at the acne treatment solution that will help you remove acne once and forver!
Acne & Diet: prevent aging
In the tradition of the "fountain of youth," and the more modern human growth hormones, another miracle cure for aging has been discovered. In this regard, we need to ask ourselves the big blunt question: "Why do we have to cure aging?" With the countless measures with which man has come up in the recent decades, one would think aging is some vile disease from which we have to protect ourselves. Indeed, upon reading about these anti-aging measures, I realized that through the years, man has steadily replaced the attitude of treating age as a source of wisdom, to treating it with discomfort and even fear. Of course, the flipside also offers some valid arguments. I mean, hey, who wouldn't want to stay young and beautiful forever?
With man's technological advancement, various cosmetic treatments have sprouted proclaiming to reverse the manifestations of aging. The most popular of these treatments are the surgical procedures. This latter method is probably the reason why Hollywood suddenly became replete with unrealistically beautiful people. Movies and television shows began to showcase a world of perfect, skinny, smooth-skinned "regular" people. The problem with this is the tiny fact that real "regular" people have to save years of paychecks in order to achieve such glorious transformations.
Because of surgery's financial inaccessibility, new, more natural, and cheaper anti-aging and acne treatment measures have been developed. One such measure in anti-aging medicine's vast collection is the Perricone System. This was instituted by Dr. Nicholas Perricone and contained in his book The Perricone Prescription. Basically, the Perricone program consists of a stringent dietary regimen that is guaranteed to remove the manifestations of aging, such as wrinkles, flabby body sections and sagging skin. According to the strict diet Dr. Perricone "recommended", protein is the key ingredient in the body's anti-aging arsenal. Protein, as we all know, is the source of our body's cellular building blocks, which helps in the regeneration of damaged body tissues. Thus, it is easy to perceive its benefits to anti-aging.
The reason for the high-protein intake is the fact that all the hassles of aging are rooted to what Perricone calls "inflammation." This phenomenon is brought by years of unhealthy lifestyle, poor diet, stress and artificial cosmetic treatments, and is actually the primary cause of undesirable aging. This implies, of course, that along with protein, a person under the Perricone regimen must also remove unhealthy habits, such as smoking, lethargy, alcohol and even the all-important coffee. But it's worth it, you can really treat acne using right diet. However, if you don't want to try some "systems" - simply take a look at the acne treatment solution that will help you remove acne once and forver!
Acne & Diet: healthy skin
The right combination of healthy foods and dieting can bring out a better-looking you. Living with the wrong diet will only leave your body weaker and your skin looking old and tired. Let's take a look at the few advices about acne skin care provided by Perricone.
Perricone, a specialist on eating for a better skin, says that eating right helps improve how one looks. It basically means that the type of food that you eat can help define your physical appearance. Perricone was responsible for the "anti-inflammation diet," which, when observed by his patients, resulted in a younger look and significant reduction of acne and eczema problems.
Perricone's "wrinkle-free diet" contains a lot of do's and don'ts. The first crucial element in his diet regimen is Protein. Protein helps a lot in repairing the cells and in fighting aging. Some of the most popular in the list of protein foods are fish, chicken without the skin, turkey breast, and egg whites.
The next important element is that fat should not be avoided, well, not totally. The reason for this is that fat is anti-inflammatory and it contains antioxidants that help maintain a youthful looking skin. Just as most fish contain proteins, salmon, tuna, and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that lower bad cholesterol and are, consequently, good for the skin.
Perricone's list of Don'ts includes lessening the intake of carbohydrates and sugar that may cause inflammation. As these foods cause chemical changes in the body, they likewise cause collagen to diminish, which is not very good for the skin.
Lastly, Perricone suggests a regular intake of water because it not only helps cleanse the body; it also causes the cells to work better. Eating right is an important key to a successful skin care regimen. Having a well-maintained body also leads to a better and healthier looking skin with fewer wrinkles. Proper diet can be a great aid in treating acne. If you also use the proper acne treatment solution, you can stop acne once and forever!
Acne & Diet: Spices
Now it's time to reveal spices that can help in the maintenance of healthy and beautiful skin.
Almond - almond oil is good for treating dry skin and removing scars of old pimples and zits. Pour hot water on the almonds and allow them to soak until the skin comes off. Dry them and grind them into a powder. Keep this in a jar. Daily add a little milk to some of the powder and use the paste to cleanse the face by rubbing the skin gently with it. Almond powder can also be added to face packs.
Oats - Oats are also highly absorptive, hypoallergenic, and help to soften skin. They have the best amino acid balance of all the cereal grains. Oats have also been clinically shown to help heal dry, itchy skin. The edible grains of a widely grown cereal grass, oats (avena sativa) appear in many beauty products. People appreciate their soothing, anti-inflammatory properties. Come to think of it, that's another childhood memory. When I got the chicken pox my mom popped me into an oatmeal and baking soda bath to relieve the itching. They have the best amino acid balance of all the cereal grains (amino acids work as water-binding agents in skin care products). Oats have also been clinically shown to help heal dry, itchy skin. Oat grains and straw appear in shampoos, dusting powders, moisturizers, and cleansing bars and that's just the start of a list!
Rice - paste made from rice powder is used as poultice to sooth bleeding pimples and other skin inflammations.
Sandalwood - sandalwood is known to treat pimples.
If you already have or want to be 100% sure it won't appear any more, you should look for acne treatment products. Spices may help you clear skin, but if you neet to remove acne completely and prevent it in future, read our acne treatment reviews!
Acne & Diet: Vegetables
Vegetable and spices are necessary in our kitchen. They play a vital part in our diet and nutrition. Now, you can even make your own beauty regimen out of those veggies and spices in your kitchen. I will list some commonly known vegetables that can help in the maintenance of healthy and beautiful skin.
Cabbage - is rich in vitamin and minerals. The water used in boiling cabbage can be used to rinse the face after washing.
Carrots - smashed carrot pulp makes good face packs.
Garlic - raw garlic is known to treat persistent pimples.
Potatoes - apply grated potato as poultice to treat skin blemishes, pimples, boils, whiteheads and blackheads.
Radish - paste made from ground radish seeds is effective in removing blackheads. Grated white radish juice is used as a skin whitener.
Tomato - red tomato pulps can be used to treat pimples. Good tomatoes are an abundant source of vitamins A, B (including folic acid), and C; potassium and magnesium; and valuable antioxidants and trace elements.
Turmeric - paste made from turmeric powder can be used to treat and remove wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes, minor skin blemishes as well as prevent skin aging.
So there next time you go to your kitchen, look closely at your veggies. Remember that your kitchen is a haven of natural beauty products that may help you prevent acne. However if you already have or want to be 100% sure it won't appear any more, you should look for acne treatment products. Vegetables may help you clear skin, but if you need to remove acne completely and prevent it in future, read our acne treatment review!
Acne & Diet: Diet Tips
One of the ways to have healthier skin is by changing your diet. This is not that effective as using special products to treat acne, but still you shouldn't miss these tips. Not all people know that the food you eat is reflected on your skin. If you eat fatty food, the tendency is that you will have oily and pimply skin. If you learn to eat nutritious food, your skin will have a glowing and radiant look.
When you want to prevent skin problems such as pimples, acne and white and dark spots you should change your eating lifestyle. A great skin can be achieved by eating food that is rich with antioxidants. Studies showed that antioxidants in food can slow down the aging process of people. It was also found out that these can fight heart diseases and slow down cell degeneration. These foods usually have low calories that can help maintain your slim but healthy figure. You can increase your antioxidant intake by eating at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and leafy vegetables a day. Eating these nutritious foods is much better for the body rather than taking prescription acne pills.
Water intake also plays a big part in your skin's health. Doctors recommend that you take at least 10 to 12 glasses of water a day. This is to avoid dehydration that will affect your cellular metabolism. Drinking enough water a day can make your skin clearer and healthier.
The substance that makes your hair grow strong and shine under the sun is the protein. Most people do not realize this, so they eat food that are lacking in the protein needed by the body. You must remember to increase your protein intake every day by choosing protein-rich food such as poultry, fish, chicken, and shellfish. As much as possible, lessen your red meat intake so you can avoid clogging your arteries with saturated fat.
Carbohydrates are food components that act as a source of energy. However, too much carbohydrate is not always beneficial to the body. When you eat too much food that is rich in carbohydrates, your pancreas has to increase its insulin production. This results in damaged cells and premature aging. Choose carbohydrates that have low glycaemic index to help the body absorb it.
You must also lessen you sugar intake by eating fruits instead of drinking fruit juices. This practice will prevent age spots and discoloration of the skin.
Again, you can treat acne by simply changing your diet. You will need products that were designed and developed to help your cure pimples. Changing your diet is only one step on this road.
Acne & Diet: Minerals
You should also choose food rich in minerals.
Zinc is for boosting the immune system and promoting optimum health. Zinc can be found in eggs, seafood, turkey, pork, whole grains, nuts and mushrooms. This trace mineral helps maintain collagen and elastin fibers that give skin its firmness, helping to prevent sagging and wrinkles. It also links together amino acids that are needed for the formation of collagen -- essential in wound healing.
Selenium is a mineral antioxidant that will help minimized the damage of ultraviolet lights. Researches show that it might even aid in skin cancer prevention. Good sources of selenium include tuna, wheat germ, sesame seeds, nuts, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushroom and whole grains.
A great skin can be achieved by eating food that is rich with minerals. But if you want to leave acne no chance, choose the acne treatment products.
Acne & Diet: Vitamins
You should choose food rich in vitamins. However, this is not the only way to have healthy skin. If you want to get rid of acne, you should use acne treatment solutions. Taking vitamins and minerals is the only one way to prevent acne.
Vitamin A. Naturally occurring vitamin A or retinol is commonly found in fish oils, dairy products and liver. Vitamin A found in plants is called beta-carotene and is commonly found in yellow/ orange fruits and vegetables like carrot and cantaloupe. This is essential for the maintenance and healing of epithelial tissues, with skin being the largest expanse of epithelial tissues we have. This diet includes plenty of dark orange (carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash) and dark green (broccoli, spinach, kale) vegetables - all of which are high in vitamin A.
B vitamins. These foods convert calories into energy for metabolism and are components of enzymes that maintain normal skin function. The best sources for these are green leafy vegetables, lean meats, eggs, avocados, fish, brewer's yeast, whole grains and peanuts.
Vitamin C for collagen maintenance. Best sources are citrus fruits and juices, slow cantaloupe, strawberries, tomato sweet peppers and green peas.
Vitamin E to protect your cells against free radicals. This is a powerful antioxidant that helps slow the aging of skin cells and promote healthy skin. A powerful antioxidant, it protects your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism. Foods rich in vitamin E include almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, wheat germ, peanuts and vegetable oils.
A great skin can be achieved by eating food that is rich with vitamins. But if you want to leave acne no chance, choose the acne treatment products.
Herbal acne treatment
Purple Coneflower (powder)
Echinacea Purpurea
Echinacea acts as a stimulant to the immune system by increasing the production of specific types of white blood cells and strengthening human cell walls so bacteria and viruses have a harder time getting into cells. Using this herb can protect one against inflammatory conditions of the skin. These wildflowers originally grew wild on the plains of the United States and Canada, but they are now being cultivated in Europe and parts of Asia, as well as in North America. They are taken orally to enhance immune system response and to lessen the duration and symptoms of colds and flu. When applied to the skin, they can relieve conditions such as eczema, insect bites, and psoriasis. Purple Coneflower can also inhibit bacteria and the formation of pus.
Red Clover (blossom)
Trifolium Pratense
Traditionally used to expel toxins from the bloodstream, red clover is prized for being an effective treatment of skin problems because of its high dosage of vitamin B-complex. In folk medicine, fresh red clover flowers have been chopped or mashed and applied directly to skin inflammations such as insect bites. More recently, creams, lotions, or ointments containing red clover extract have been under observation for treating psoriasis and other skin conditions.
Licorice (root)
Glycyrrhiza glaba
The ingestion of licorice in the proper quantities reduces inflammation and redness of the skin. It has also been used in poultices for treatment of dermatitis and skin infections. Licorice is used in combination with other cleansing and healing herbs as an emollient also used a cosmetic skin lightener.
Atlantic Kelp (powder)
Ascophyllum nodosum
Atlantic Kelp is rich in compounds that have specific use in the cosmetic industry, such as polygalactosides, fucose polymers and ursolic acid. These compounds contain abundant non-essential and essential amino acids such as proline, glycine and lycine -- all of which are also found in the elastic fibers of the skin -- and maintain and improve skin elasticity by improving hydration. This unique seaweed grows exclusively on the North Atlantic coast of North America and Europe and is highly valued as a detoxifier and blood purifier. Its anti-inflammatory properties also benefit blemishes of the skin.
Cayenne (40 HU)
Capsicum Fructescens
The hot and spicy taste of cayenne pepper is primarily due to an ingredient known as capsaicin which when applied topically to the skin can relieve pain and itching by acting on sensory nerves. This same dulling property can reduce itching and inflammation associated with psoriasis. Cayenne functions as a carrier agent that can stimulate and assist the movement of the other ingredients to the sebaceous glands and pores of the skin.
That's it. Why did we ever publish this list? Sure you don't want to mix them on your kitchen and treat acne at home. But if you are looking for the reliable and natural solution to treat your acne you can pay attention to whether it contains any of these herbs or not. They are proven to help you clean you skin and prevent acne in future.
Herbal acne treatment
Let's take a look at the herbs that may help you treat acne.
Dandelion (root)
Taraxacum offcinale
Dandelion is a common meadow herb of the Asteraceae or sunflower family that has general detoxifying qualities, making it effective in the treatment of skin blemishes. This common yard plant contains much that is beneficial to our bodies: bitter compounds, choline, inulin, minerals such as calcium, sodium, silicic acid, sulfur, and a high concentration of potassium and in the fresh leaves. In skin care and cosmetics, it helps clear up acne, eczema, and other skin eruptions.
Burdock (root)
Arctium lappa
Burdock is a thistled plant native to the Northern USA, Europe and Asia. The roots and leaves of this plant have been used for centuries as a remedy against skin cancer, acne, eczema, and other skin ailments and diseases. It is mildly antibiotic and can help restore smoothness to the skin.
Yellow Dock (root)
Rumex crispus
Yellow dock, a general systemic toner, when combined with sarsaparilla, provides a treatment for chronic skin disorders. Its active ingredients such as the astringent tannis and the antimicrobial properties of the purgative anthraquinones combine to make decoctions of the plant useful in treating skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, as well as skin rashes.
Sarsaparilla (root)
Smiilax offcinalls
Sarsaparilla is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems indigenous to tropical America and the West Indies. Generally classified as a blood purifier, sarsaparilla is combined with yellow dock to correct chronic skin ailments, especially psoriasis. Individuals suffering from psoriasis have been found to have high levels of endotoxins (cell wall fragments of normal gut bacteria) circulating in the bloodstream. Sarsaponin, one of sarsaparilla's main steroids was found to bind to these endotoxins and remove them, thus relieving the afflicted person from psoriasis. Other health conditions associated with high endotoxin levels include eczema, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis, and can be alleviated also with the use of sarsaparilla.
Antioxidants and Skin Care
An antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidation reactions are chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from a substance to an oxidising agent. Antioxidants are particularly important in the context of organic chemistry and biology: all living cells contain complex systems of antioxidant chemicals and/or enzymes to prevent chemical damage to the cells' components by oxidation. The importance and complexity of antioxidants in biology is reflected in a medical literature of more than 142,000 scholarly articles.
Sounds like a boring lecture, right? Well, it's easy. Antioxidants play the housekeeper's role, getting rid of those bad elements that "want" to do harm in your body. What does it have to do with skin care? Most skin experts are claiming that antioxidant vitamins and minerals can help in our overall well being by combating the free radicals (they are those "bad elements") in our body.
Here are several antioxidant nutrients which appear the most likely to produce benefits to your skin.
Vitamin A or Beta Carotene. It has been discovered that beta-carotene protects dark green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits from solar radiation damage and it is thought that it plays a similar role in human body. Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots are particularly rich sources of beta-carotene.
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is a water-soluble compound that fulfills antioxidant role, among others, in living systems. Important sources include citrus fruits (like oranges, sweet lime etc.), green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, raw cabbage and tomatoes.
Vitamin E is a principal fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin in the body. It protects cellular membranes, lipoproteins and other "oily" structures. Skin is high in unsaturated fatty acids ("oily" molecules especially susceptible to free radical damage), and can benefit from vitamin E protection (both oral and topical). Sources include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and fish-liver oil.
Flavonoids are a diverse group of plant pigments with antioxidant properties that contain proanthocyanins and polyphenols that are good for the skin. These substances are responsible for color in many fruits, vegetables and flowers. In addition to providing color that attracts insects or animals, these pigments protect plants from environmental stress. In addition to being potent antioxidants, some flavonoids have antiallergic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity. Over 4,000 flavonoids have been characterized and classified, but only a few have been researched.
Coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, cysteine and methionine are potent antioxidants.
OK, this sounds like a boring lecture again. The bottom line is: if you want to find a skin care product that will work - look for these vitamins and antioxidants. We can recommend this skin care product: The ClearPores™ Body System is designed to give you back your clean and clear skin.
Prevent Acne with Diet
Here we will not talk about some special diet that you should follow to get rid of acne. Maybe this is also a thing to discuss but let us make it a topic for another article. And here we will just discuss diet as nutrition.
So in this case we will mention diet rather like a thing to prevent acne but definitely not like a thing to get rid of this disease. Proper nutrition is one of the main things you should observe in order to be sure that no acne will ever intrude in your life. Of course, nobody and nothing can give you a 100% guarantee that you will not have any acne, because sometimes acne appears as if from nowhere, especially when it is triggered by internal causes.
This is especially so in teen age, when almost every person suffers from acne – some persons more, the others less – but still the risk of having acne in adolescence is much more than 90%. However, it may seem odd and contradictive but actually in puberty age (i.e. teen age or adolescence) observing proper diet is one of the main methods to prevent acne. Why? Just because in puberty all the reasons that causes acne are the same as for adult age, but for teens they are just more keen and distinguishable.
For example, it is a well-known fact that hormones cause acne. And it is a rather common cause of acne among adult people, especially women, and especially those who take birth control pills. And in puberty hormones simply overfill the young organism, resulting in so sadly known teen acne. So, see – the cause is the same but for teenagers it is sharper.
This is also the case with diet. Frequently acne appears when something is lacking in the organism (or vice versa – i.e. when there is too much of some matter in the body which causes allergy). And many people have a lack of vitamins and useful minerals in their organism. That weakens a person’s immunity and as a result he or she is weak in the fight against acne. This is what happens with teens – without necessary minerals and vitamins their skin is too vulnerable.