ACNE FIGHTING & TREATMENT TIPS

Probiotics and Prebiotics – We recommend contacting your dermatologist to ask about the benefits of pro and prebiotics. Probiotic supplements increase the efficiency of the digestive system, which eliminates food as well as excess vitamins and minerals from the body. They add required bacteria to the body that are depleted during antibiotic use. If you take antibiotics for the treatment of acne, the benefits of probiotics are that they will aid in the reduction of breakouts during treatment. Along the same lines, prebiotic food will help to replace missing bacteria in the system. Consider adding honey, bananas, onions and artichokes to your regular diet.

Supplements & Misc Products – Many supplements and other products are stated to help the body while you are fighting acne. It is important to stay healthy and to make sure that your body is getting what it needs!

Maca — Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable, that is plentiful in amino acids, fatty acids and minerals including: calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, potassium and silica, and phytochemicals. This root is helpful in the stabilizing process of hormones and the body’s systems. A suggested use is to incorporate the vegetable powder into your morning smoothie to add a bit of flavor and some added sweetness.

Manuka honey — This honey’s properties include its being a powerful antibiotic, an effective antiseptic and it is also antiviral. Some people swear by the effects on the skin and also in the aiding of the digestive process.

Nature's Living Superfood — This is a nutrient-dense food additive that contains many minerals along with a vast range of essential nutrients; vitamins and trace minerals.

Neem soap — The properties of this product include being antifungal, antibacterial, antoparasitic and antiviral. These qualities are all helpful when using the soap as a prevention and treatment for acne. Those who use it claim that it soothes and calms irritated skin.

Pure Synergy — Another valuable source containing both micronutrients and antioxidant phytonutrients that aid in the control and treatment of acne.

Vita Synergy™ for Men — This men’s supplement contains extract of antioxidant botanicals, along with spices and flowers, (some known for their healing powers from ancient times!) The product claims to restore energy in its strong and effective formula.

Vita Synergy™ for Women — Close in the formulation of the med’s product, the formula also includes adaptogenic herbs that offer advanced nutritional support for the systems of women. It claims to help women reach top-level performance.

Peel-off face and body masks — Masks are made to exfoliate dead skin cells and to unclog pores that are often inflamed. Use of masks can result in clearer skin and less bacteria and oil that will clog pores in the future. Many of the popular formulas will contain Vitamin E, Tea Tree Oil and other essential oils and nutrients for the health and improved appearance of skin.

Tea tree oil and its body products — Tea Tree Oil is known to be beneficial to the health of skin. It generally is contained in products that are gentle and non-irritating to skin when used as directed. The healing and rejuvenation properties of Tea Tree Oil make it a great addition to normal skin care products, thus products containing the oil are rising in popularity among teens and adults seeking to treat and prevent acne. Products containing Tea Tree Oil can be used on all parts of the body, and they are safe for facial use. Some of the products that contain the Oil are: cleansers (generally to be applied with or cotton pads), bubble bath, shower gel and even hair care products like shampoo.

Social and Treatment Tips for Acne Sufferers

The following advice is given in order to aid in acne prevention and treatment along with helping in everyday skin care.

- Whiteheads and blackheads are treated essentially the same way, because both are forms of acne that consist of pockets of oil and bacteria.

- Vitamin D is crucial to skin care, as well as to other parts of the body. In order to ensure that your body gets enough Vitamin D, spend careful time in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. Be sure to use a high SPF sunscreen prior to sun exposure, and if you are performing any strenuous activities while exposed. Vitamin D is not the only benefit to be had here, however. A daily walk in the sunshine and fresh air is good for the stress level, which in some small way plays a part in the health of the skin. It cannot be stated enough that sunscreen is imperative. As mentioned earlier, too much sun or even sunburn will result in extra dead skin cells and increased oil production, the primary actors in the formation of acne breakouts.

- Bad stress is not the only type of stress that affects acne flare ups! Be extra mindful of the stress caused by good events too! Some good events that tend to be stressful include weddings, babies, job changes, graduation and vacations. Several ideas for reducing the effect on the body include meditation, yoga and stretching, massage, focus journaling and extra exercise. Don’t forget to get plenty of rest and to drink at least eight glasses of water per day! You will, through these activities reduce the body’s natural production of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and its reduction is key to reducing acne breakouts. The activities listed above also stimulate the body’s implanted waste elimination, and part of the process is the elimination of toxins within the skin. Have fun, and take time to relax!

- Increasing the number of glasses of water that you dink during the day is a health solution to many health issues, including the care and treatment of acne prone skin. Drinking plenty of water will reduce the threat of dehydration, and it will enable your body to properly shed and eliminate dead skin cells.

- Do not scrub your face, thinking that it will eliminate acne. Dirt is never a cause for a breakout! People who do scrub, find that they actually increase the duration and occurrence of breakouts, because their skin becomes extra oily after production is increased. That leads to more dead skin, in combination with the added oils. This will undoubtedly result in blemishes occurring.

- Be sure to include a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seed in your cooking! Add them to salads, soups and even snack on them in order to add needed nutrients to your body’s defense. Dried fruit snacks, fruit juice and low sugar fruit smoothies can help anyone’s skin!

-Reduce your exposure to processed sugars, caffeine and carbohydrates. It is not necessarily the food or content that is bad for your skin, rather the effects of the food on the rest of your body that eventually react within the skin. Caffeine increases stress levels with very small doses, so try decaf when possible. Stress does play a role in the condition of acne prone skin. Refined carbohydrates and sugars increase insulin production within the body, and when there is a surge of insulin in the body, the chemicals that trigger the production of oil increase. Thus, more oil, more breakouts. It is that simple!

- Dairy products and red meats are hard to digest, so decreasing the amount of both in the diet is advisable for those with acne problems. The digestive process causes acids to be produces, and excess acid affects the body in a very negative manner. When this happens, the skins natural process of sloughing and eliminating dead cells is decreased, and this leads to excess oil, excess dead skin and therefore in many it will aggravate or cause an acne breakout. Additionally, red meat and dairy products in our diet contain many added hormones. These added hormones stimulate process within the body in an irregular fashion. This can result in increased acne as well. Try soy milk and protein substitutes. You won’t be sorry you did.

- Use only natural, noncomedogenic products for skin care. When possible, use products with as few ingredients as can be found. You want to allow the skin to keep a healthy balance of oils, and chemicals can be harmful to this process. If you use harsh products on your skin, the body needs to work harder in order to produce more oil, and acne will be the outcome.

Here are some recommended items to consider when choosing skin care products:

A. Use only noncomedogenic skin care products. This does include cleansers, moisturizers and also cosmetics and tanning and sun block creams.

B. For most skin care products, especially harsh products with a lot of chemicals, use as little as possible!

C. The following terms are those to look for: non-comedogenic, natural, antiviral, antimicrobial, antoparasitic.