Acne

A closer look: Acne is an inflammation of the skin that occurs when a sebaceous gland, located at the bottom of each hair follicle, becomes trapped with natural oils, causing bacterial buildup and inflammation.

Symptoms:
Symptoms of acne include blackheads, whiteheads, and/or inflamed spots or elevations either on or under the skin.
Root: Acne may be worsened at adolescence, during the pre-menstrual and/or mid-menstrual cycle due to hormonal action, and when under stress, on contraceptives, eating a poor diet that causes an over acidic system, or taking prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Eat The Cure:
Note: It may take up to one year to eliminate skin problems. They are some of the slowest conditions to respond to natural therapies, but the response is often more complete than with drugs.

Aromatherapy: Massage affected areas with bergamot, camphor, geranium, juniper, lavender, or neroli essential oils.

Ayurveda: Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine recommend applying tumeric and sandalwood paste (1/2 teaspoon of each and enough water to make a paste) to pimples, and drinking half a cup of aloe vera juice twice daily until acne clears.

Diet: Whole foods diet with special emphasis on vegetables (four to five servings per day, try to eat half of servings raw) and whole fruits (one to three times per day). The more severe the acne, the more you should reduce animal fats (saturated). Some people get acne in response to stressor foods such as caffeine, refined sugars, and alcohol. Processed foods such as colas, candies, and frozen and processed foods may also be a problem. Be sure to increase your intake of pure water and eat more fiber foods.

Mono Meals: For one to two days per week for several months may be helpful in people who are not hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), debilitated, or require food to keep up strength for working. Examples of a mono-meals might include one steamed vegetable such as broccoli and brown rice without any animal products. Use pro-biotics, found in the chilled section of your health food store as directed on label. Fasting one day a week may also be helpful. Consider colon, candida, and liver cleansing

Flower Essences: Add 3-5 drops of Crab Apple essence to pure water and drink throughout the day. This will help detox and purification and alleviate feelings of unattractiveness. Rescue Remedy® should also be used if your acne leaves you feeling stressed.

Herbs: When used with appropriate nutritional support, herbs may be helpful in the treatment of acne. Combine the tinctures of sarsaparilla, burdock, and cleavers in equal parts and take 1/2 teaspoonful of this mixture three times a day. An infusion of nettle can also be drunk two or three times a day. Tea tee oil is another effective acne solution that can be applied topically. Also helpful is an infusion of calendula mixed with equal parts of distilled witch hazel that may be applied topically as a cleansing wash. Forsythia works against bacteria by removing skin toxins. You can also use a steam sauna for face with red clover, lavender, and strawberry leaves. Place these herbs in a pan of boiling water, then allow the steam to cover your face as you face the pan, with your head covered with a towel to keep the steam concentrated in front of you.

Homeopathy: Pulsatilla, Silicea, Berberis, Ledum, Sulfur, Arsen alb., Belladonna, and/or Carbo veg are all useful remedies for acne.

Juice Therapy: Drink two glasses of raw juice daily. Carrot, beet, and celery juice is particularly helpful, as is carrot, cucumber, lettuce (not iceberg), and spinach juice, with carrot predominating (50% of total juice content).

Nutritional Supplementation: The following nutrients are all useful for treating acne and can be used in combination with each other: vitamin A (10,000 IU daily for two weeks), beta carotene (50,000 IU for one month, then reduce to 25,000 IU), vitamin B complex (two to three times daily), vitamin C (1,000 mg three times daily), vitamin E (800 IU daily), and zinc, which helps prevent acne by regulating the oil glands (20-60 mg daily).