Acne is not to be taken lightly as some people have comitted suicide because how acne affected their appearance. Often acne occurs during a person's teen years when their self esteem is at a delicate point. Lately, adult acne seems to be on the rise--more than likely because of the endocrine disruptors in the environment. Thankfully there are herbal remedies that are effective against acne. This article will discuss both natural and synthetic remedies.

When pores become congested with debris--oil, dirt, dead skin cells--a breakout occurs. Breakouts in the form of pimples, blackheads, and the resulting scarring cause a mottled complexion even after the pimples fade. It's quite possible to take meticulous care of your skin and still get acne.

There are numerous herbal and natural remedies to treat mild or moderate acne successfully. Many people prefer these remedies because there are fewer, if any, side effects than drugs. However, to be honest, cystic acne is one condition where synthetic chemicals get a better result. If you have mild or moderate acne, you can treat it by combining diet and natural skin care products for a good outcome.

Detoxification

A detox is a good place to start. Since the liver purifies the blood by removing toxins, this is a starting point. If you don't drink enough water, or get enough exercise, toxins can stagnate in the liver and result in skin breakouts. There are many good liver detox products on the market; however, a good simple way to detox is to squeeze one lemon into 12 ounces of hot water. Drink this first thing in the morning when you wake up.

Make detoxifying juices from apples, aloe vera, beet greens, asparagus, cabbage, carrot greens, celery, cucumbers, parsley, and turnips.

Make a vegetable broth from the following items: collards, Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, dandelion, Brussels sprouts, daikon radish, watercress, seaweed, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, leeks, fennel, anise, ginger, and turmeric.

Finally, to help draw out toxins, take a 20-minute bath daily with infusions of seaweed, wintergreen, eucalyptus, peppermint, fennel, cinnamon, and epsom salts.

Diet

Each person can have different triggers. What sets off a breakout for you may not have an effect on someone else. The ony way to tell what your triggers are is to carefully monitor what you eat. It may not even be the food but a chemical ingredient like a food coloring or a preservative.

You should eat as much organic food as possible--the fewer pesticides in your diet, the better. Your diet should include beans, brown rice, oat bran, vegetables, fruits, and chicken or turkey. Still, one of these foods could be your triggers. Everyone is different and you have to learn to know your body.

Acne can occur for several reasons. Don't assume a person with bad skin has a bad diet or just doesn't take care of their skin. There are genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences and nailing down the cause of your particular outbreak can be a hard nut to crack.

Some of the herbal remedies for acne are burdock root, chaparral, yellow dock root, red clover, dandelion, lavender, strawberry leaves, turmeric, horsetail, angelica, and gota-kola.

For acne-prone skin you can make the following face mask by adding about five bay leaves to a cup of distilled boiling water. Allow it to cool, strain the liquid. Add the liquid to about four tablespoons of French clay until it forms a thick paste. Apply on the skin, wait for fifteen minutes and rinse with warm water.
French clay has good absorbent properties and hence removes toxins and oils from skin, tightens the pores, and revitalizes complexion so it's considered good for acne prone skin.

Burdock seeds have been crushed to make a popular tincture used to purify the blood, to treat gout and ulcers, arthritis, rheumatism, and help with skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. Chaparral in standardized extracts or tinctures is useful as a topical agent for skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. Yellow dock root is recognized primarily for its powerful laxative effect, but it has multiple uses. Acting on the liver, this bitter herb stimulates bile production which strengthens digestion. It is commonly prescribed to treat the liver condition known as jaundice. Due to the root's hepatoprotective activity (ability to protect the liver), yellow dock is used to cleanse the blood and to treat chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis--do not use it in large quantities though.

Red clover used externally is considered a treatment for chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Dandelion is known as a blood purifier or an excellent tonic that cleanses poisons from the body. Through its action both on the liver and kidneys (as its French name, pis en lit, translated as "wet the bed" indicates), it gently eliminates toxic wastes from the body. The natural nutritive salts work to purify the blood and also help to neutralize the acids in the blood. Dandelion leaf's powerful blood purifying and liver cleansing properties help to clear skin problems, especially acne. A liver that is not performing at its best can worsen acne, because it cannot break down and clear excess hormones from the body.

Dandelion used externally, can treat acne. Applied topically, the essential oils in lavender act as an antiseptic and painkiller, helping to relieve insect bites and stings, skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, and minor burns. Turmeric is a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory since the compound curcumin found in turmeric apparently deactivates immune cells that may cause inflammation, without harming other parts of the immune system that are essential in fighting infection. It is important to reduce inflammation since excess inflammation can aggravate acne. Tumeric can also be used as an astringent for the face that is great for acne.

In the case of cystic acne--that's the acne with lots of inflammation and red nodules--the best cure seems to be Accutane. In almost all cases, Accutane seems to get rid of cystic acne within three to six months of use. However, there are two caveats. The first is that it is extremely drying to the skin. The second is that it will cause birth defects if you are pregnant. In the past, doctors have failed to test young women for pregnancy and prescribed Accutane with terrible results for the fetus.

Always keep in mind that you should talk to your physician or herbal professional before taking any herbs, especially if you are already taking medication since they may interact. NewsTarget DrugWatch is a good resource to see how herbs and drugs interact.

References:

Acne Messages: Crack the Code of Zits and Say Goodbye to Acne

Herbs for Detoxification

Detoxification - All you need to know to recharge, renew and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit!