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The
Real Reason Your Acne Is Out Of Control
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by:
Burgundy Shank
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There
are many opinions on what exactly causes acne and how to best prevent
breakouts. If you look on the web, you’ll find lots of conflicting
information and expensive products that don’t put you any closer to
your goal of blemish-free skin. As an adult with previous acne problems
in childhood, I can tell you what worked for me and what has worked for
others that I have consulted about adult acne.
Acne is believed by many people to be caused by improper hygiene, but
the main culprit is an excess of sebum, which is the natural oil that
your skin produces. Why do some people produce more sebum than others?
In many cases it has to do with improper diet, hormonal imbalances and
over-cleansing of the skin. Once the skin begins producing too much
sebum the pores become clogged, allowing them to become infected and
inflamed, resulting in blackheads, whiteheads, and painful red bumps.
If these symptoms are not treated properly, they can cause pain and
scarring, leading to discomfort and embarrassment.
First of all, all things regarding your body stem from a well balanced
diet. You can use the most expensive, most researched products on the
planet and you’ll be wasting your dollars if you do not pay attention
to what types of foods you put into your body. Most people know that
they should be drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily, avoiding sweets
and refined carbohydrates, and consuming as many raw fruits and
vegetables as possible. At the same time, some healthy foods can
aggravate acne breakouts due to food allergies. For example, many
people have skin problems when eating oranges. Different foods will
affect people individually, and keeping a journal of what you ate
coupled with your symptoms may be helpful in determining which foods
you should avoid.
Hormone imbalances come frequently for women before their menstrual
cycle, but these fluctuations can be controlled by a balanced diet as
well. Certain herbal supplements may also help to level out
uncontrollable hormones, such as black cohosh, dong quai, or Siberian
ginseng. Soy is especially good for many women in helping with hormone
balancing for both menstrual and menopausal women. I highly recommend
soy in any of its forms (tofu, edamame, miso, tempeh, etc.) not just
for women, but as a healthier lifestyle choice that will dramatically
improve overall health and nutrition, and therefore assist with acne
concerns.
For those who realize that excess sebum can cause problems with acne,
their line of defense is to repeatedly wash their face with harsh,
drying ingredients in order to cut down on their skin’s oily
appearance. Cleansers that include alcohol, along with rinsing with hot
water can actually trigger your skin to produce more sebum. Excessive
exfoliation opens up pores and will most certainly leave your skin to
infection, which results in painful blackheads. Instead, try using a
mild cleanser such as witch hazel once a day, exfoliating only once a
week while avoiding the eye area. Moisturizers with mineral oil,
petrolatum and lanolin should be avoided in order to prevent clogged
pores, which can trap sebum and cause breakouts.
If you’ve already developed a problem with acne and need a solution,
there are many natural ingredients that will work best with your
healthy eating regimen without expensive medical treatments. A few
drops of tea tree oil and lavender essential oils can be mixed into a
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and applied directly to any spot
where acne is present. This can be done twice daily with improvements
in as little as a day. Cedarwood, chamomile and lemongrass are also
essential oils that are easy to find, inexpensive, and quite effective.
About the Author
Burgundy Shank makes natural handmade skin
products using Beauty Secrets from Around the World. To receive her
FREE Report, “The Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid in Your Personal Skin
Care Products,” sign up for her newsletter at
http://www.burgundysoap.com
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