Healing Acne from the Inside Out: Natural Home Remedies

Acne is a very emotionally distressing skin condition. Our face is the first thing people see when they meet us. Being able to put our best face forward can give us renewed self confidence. Many people suffer with acne for years before finding the solution. The solution is different for everyone because the actual cause of acne varies from person to person. For some people acne is purely hormonal, for others it has to do with the over production of sebum, and for some there are diet and hereditary links. The root cause of acne (bacteria and dead skin cells), is the same, but there are various triggers for different people.

Acne can start at any age and it can progressively get worse over time. Acne is basically an inflammatory condition which affects the sebaceous glands located within the hair follicles. There are many different types of acne and in some cases this skin condition requires treatment by a doctor. If you try everything listed in this article for at least 6 months, and you don't see an improvement, the next best step is to see a dermatologist.

The Diet Factor

According to, Dr. Linda Page, your diet is where you should start first when addressing skin problems. A diet full of excessive starches, fried fatty foods, and other junk foods has been shown to aggravate acne. Chronic constipation is also a contributing factor. This happens because as toxins accumulate in the system, the skin starts to push some of these out through the skin. Address this issue right away! It is important to have at least 3 regular bowel movements each day. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of PURIFIED water, each day and increase your fiber intake. People who suffer with acne tend to have fewer breakouts when they follow a diet that is centered on whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables along with other healthy unprocessed foods. Look at your diet very carefully! The old saying "you are what you eat" is totally true! You need 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Some people like to drink their veggies by blending them in a juicer.

Try to avoid fruit juices, instead opt for vegetable juices. A good vegetable juice combines carrots, beats, cucumber, and celery. The carrots are loaded with beta carotene which is good for the skin, and the cucumber has many antiseptic and soothing properties. Although remember that the fiber is taken out during the juicing process, so you can use the pulp to add to cakes or other baked goods, to add the fiber back in your diet. You can also put a few tablespoons of the pulp back in your juice to add some fiber directly back into the drink. Juicing helps to make things easy when you're trying to get plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables into your body. Other foods that benefit people with acne, are foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids. These special fatty acids can be found in many different foods such as nuts and fish. You can also pick up some flax seed oil or cod liver oil at your local health food store, as these foods contain the essential omega 3 fatty acids.

Lemon Juice Remedy

Drink 1 8 oz glass of lemon juice daily to cleanse and detoxify. Lemon juice has also been shown to be quite effective at treating acne on the skin. Also apply some lemon juice directly to the skin to help with inflammation.

Supplements

Vitamin A (15,000) IU of Beta Carotene each day

Vitamin A has been shown to help acne by reducing sebum production. It is important to make sure that your supplement has beta carotene as the form of vitamin of A as this is the safest type.

Niacin 100 Mg per day

Zinc 200 mg per day

Zinc helps to heal blemishes and prevent future breakouts, especially if your acne is hormonal.

Garlic Remedy

Rub raw garlic several times a day on the acne prone areas of your face. Garlic might sting a little but it's very tough on acne. Eating three cloves of garlic each day for a month can also help to dramatically reduce the incidence of acne as it purifies the system and blood.

Cucumber Remedy

Grate cucumber and apply to the face for fifteen to twenty minutes. Cucumber is a natural purifier and skin astringent.

Tea tree oil put on the acne can help reduce inflammation and bacteria helping the acne to heal faster.

Distilled Water Remedy

Distilled water is known as the purest form of water. Distilled water will draw out toxins very fast that would otherwise go to your skin and aggravate or cause acne. After only a week of drinking distilled water the skin typically clears up quite a bit. If a person has many toxins in their body and many heavy metals they will feel tired and sick for the first few days of drinking distilled water. The main reason for this is because the body is drawing out very harmful substances which have been imbedded in tissues. Colon cleansing will also have the same effect and it also helps to cleanse the body reducing the incidence of acne. During the cleansing process, sometimes the purging of toxins can be seen on the skin. Don't worry, this will subside, just continue what you are doing and it will improve ten fold. Some things can get worse before they get better.

It can also be helpful to invest in a charcoal chlorine filter for your shower. Chlorine can be very drying on the skin, which can also contribute to acne. Use an oil-free moisturizer. Good luck.

Please leave comments about your results with these remedies, or feel free to tell others what works for you.

(In the up coming months, I will be trying a product, seen on TV, for wrinkles called derma wand. I've heard that a side benefit is clearing break-outs and improving the health of the skin. I will be reporting my results, so check back to hear about my experience.

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