Tips on how to control Acne
1. Keep problem areas clean: Wash it twice a day with a mild cleanser but don’t overdo it. Excessive scrubbing will aggravate your acne even more. Since acne bacteria (P. acnes) is spreading quickly and causes new pimples, always use clean towels and keep everything that touches your skin clean, for example your pillows. Imagine how many acne bacteria can be found, right there on your pillows! So, change your pillowcase at least twice a week.
2. Keep your hands off your acne: It is important not to pick and squeeze pimples since it will make it worse. Infection and even scaring can result.
3. Use oil-free moisturizers: Since they are “noncomedogenic”, meaning they won’t clog up your pores and will help with alleviating excessive dryness, scaling and peeling of your skin caused by acne products.
4. Appropriate diet: Avoid foods that make your acne worse such as junk food, deep fried food, sugar and milk. Hormones in cow milk and dairy products can stimulate acne since up to 90 % of milk and milk products are derived from pregnant cows (and therefore rich in hormones). Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Besides the beneficial effects of vitamins and antioxidants contained in fruits and vegetables, the fibres are essential for digestion and toxin elimination. Try using olive oil for cooking and in your salad. Saturated fats (usually come from animal source) and partially hydrogenated fats (such as margarine) promote inflammation of your skin.
5. Detoxify your body: Drink lots of water (8 glasses a day) to flush out toxins! Try one-week de-tox program at least once a year. Getting rid of toxins from your body will help in clearing up your skin.
6. Exercise
Exercising is not only important for your overall well-being and weight management but is also key in controlling acne. When you exercise your sweat a lot and therefore you flush your body from toxins that can otherwise block your skin pores and cause acne flare-ups. If you want to sweat a lot try Bikram Yoga (hot yoga). Furthermore, exercising is an excellent way of fighting stress, which has strong relationship with acne. Under the stress body produces hormonal steroids, such as cortisol, which target the skin and causes acne.
7. Choose right acne products
There are lots of acne products available as over-the-counter or prescription drugs. They all work in different ways depending on active ingredients; but you don’t have to make decision yourself. Talk to your pharmacist if you have mild acne but if you have bad acne, don’t wait until it gets worse, go see your doctor/dermatologist immediately! Many products and physical therapies are available for acne. Depending on the level of severity of the acne, many wash solutions, creams and lotions, topical and systemic antibiotics, retinoids and physical therapies (laser surgery) are used to treat acne. Products that enhance the drying and peeling of the skin include: sulfur containing lotions and gels, retinoic acid (derivative of vitamin A), glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide containing washes, gels, and lotions.
Topical antibiotics and corticosteroids are commonly used to treat acne. For more severe cases, systemic antibiotics, especially tetracycline and erythromycin, and birth control pills, are used. Other treatments include ultraviolet light treatment, corticosteroids injections, and laser surgery.
Retinoids, forms of vitamin A, are the most popular treatment for acne. Retinoids prevent acne by removing acne plugs and by normalizing the cycle of cell growth in the sebaceous follicle. One of the best known topical retinoids is Tretinoin, while Accutane is the best known systemic retinoid. Typically, a combination of more than one treatment is used to avoid side effects associated with extensive use of a single treatment. For example, systemic tetracycline may cause nausea, diarrhea and teeth discoloration. Topical treatments cause irritation and allergic reactions, and the most commonly used anti acne systemic drug, Accutane, is linked with depression and possible suicidal effects. To date, approximately 1,400 suicides have been linked to the use of Accutane (Sahoo, 2003).
8. Clear acne naturally
Exfoliate your skin with naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acid in citrus fruits.
Simply wash your face with hot water and apply lemon or orange juice (for sensitive skin dilute juice with filtered water) to your face. Let it dry for 10 minutes before you rinse it with cold water. Rinse your skin with chamomile tea since chamomile is well known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
Use honey facial (apply uncooked honey on your face and leave it for five minutes) since honey has antibacterial effects and contains enzymes that rejuvenate your skin. Active Manuka Honey has been considered a remedy for many health conditions since ancient times including acne. Manuka honey is unique to New Zealand and contains antibacterial agents, which inhibits the growth of some bacteria that cause acne and prevents infection.
Another good natural antiseptic is tea tree oil, which has been shown to remove and stop the growth of bacteria on the skin. This essential oil can be applied directly to the skin as part of your daily regiments.
Other natural actives that are beneficial for acne prone skin are listed in the table below:
| Sebum regulation: |
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| Anti-scarring, decrease of abnormal keratinization: |
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| Anti-microbial against “Propionibacterium acnes”: |
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| Anti-inflammatory efficacy: |
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| Hyperpigmentation: |
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(Source: http://www.scf-online.com/english/38_e/naturalactives38_e.htm#abb2).
References:
Shoo, A., (2003). Dermatologic & Skin Therapeutics: World Markets & Advances. Report No. 1230. Theta Reports PJB Medical Publication Inc.
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