Treating Acne

Treating Acne Related Information:

While many people actively look for ways of treating acne, some others prefer to take a more natural approach to treat their problem. Some of the causes of acne lend themselves to natural treatments. For most teenagers, acne starts with puberty when the body starts to produce hormones called androgens. These cause the over stimulation and enlargement of glands and some girls may notice that acne develops around the time of their menstrual cycles. Stress can cause the activation of cortisol hormones, which also leads to acne. Although acne is sometimes genetic, using cosmetics and abrasive cleansers will aggravate the problem. There are also certain foods that bring on a breakout of acne.

Skin needs to be cleansed from the inside out, since this is where the root of the problem lies. Following a healthy diet and exercise plan will really help the skin and get rid of acne. You can rebalance your hormones by avoiding things that cause stress, relax more, avoid caffeine, and exercise on a regular basis. There are certain foods that tend to bring on acne. These include:

Dairy products

Refined and cooked carbohydrates

Cooked fats

Meat

These foods form acids in the body and you can counteract their effects by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, because you can’t cut all of these foods out of your diet.

You should avoid using any products on your skin that contain alcohol because this ingredient has a drying effect on the skin. Natural oils, such as tea tree oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil and coconut oil, are very pleasing to the skin and help to restore natural oils that cleanse the clogged pores. You should also use natural products to exfoliate your skin at least twice a week.

Exercise can help to unclog the pores by increasing the blood flow to the skin and provide oxygen to the skin cells. Sweating will help to clean out the pores and help to reduce further outbreaks of acne. Make sure that you shower as soon as possible after you exercise to wash off the sweat that leads to bacteria growth. Relaxation techniques will also help your acne problem. When you control the stress in your life, you also reduce the production of cortisol and the severity of the acne. Two common relaxation techniques that help are meditation and breathing exercises.

One of the main things that makes acne worse is picking at the pimples and trying to squeeze them out. Helpful tips for helping you to deal with your acne and keep it from getting worse are:

Keep your skin clean by washing at least twice a day using warm water and a mild soap or cleanser.

Do not use harsh scrubs when you exfoliate. It is best to use a formula with small granules and avoid any products that contain fragments of apricot or almond shells.

Avoid using any skin cleansers or toners that contain alcohol. This strips off the top layer of the skin causing it to produce more oil.

Don’t squeeze or pick any pimples on your face. This can force the bacteria deep into the skin and cause redness and inflammation.

Choose cosmetic products that do not contain oils. You have to make sure that the cosmetics are non- comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores even more and cause the acne to get worse.

Be smart about the sun. Small amounts of tanning can help your acne problem, but staying out in the sun for long periods can cause sunburn on top of the acne, thus making the problem worse.