Home Treatments And Herbal Remedies To Treat Acne

Acne can be caused by more than a few factors such as use of medication, for instance, contraceptive pills and steroids; contact with oily substances such as mineral oil, vegetable oil, or petroleum; or secretion of certain hormones in the body. The secretion of androgens, male sex hormones that are initially secreted during the start of puberty, is usually the cause of acne. Female also secretes androgen hormones. This hormone stimulates the production of oil or sebum from the oil glands to protect the skin; however, when the oil gland become overactive and secretes more sebum, this can cause the skin pores to clog.

Continuous secretion of more oil creates oil build up in the clogged pore and causes swelling thus forming acne. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacterium that normally colonizes swollen gland. Once the gland is infected, inflammation occurs and pus is created. In severe cases, glands may burst into the skin resulting to cyst.

Mostly, acne develops on the face, neck, back and chest. Recently, acne is associated with a fungus on the face. Patients suffering from acne normally respond to treatment. A clogged colon can also contribute to the growth of acne thus it is recommended to use a colon cleanser to keep the bowel clean.

There are quite a few methods to treat acne. The following are few natural remedies to cure acne.

Acne Home Remedies:

- To reduce the incidence of acne breakouts, a non-oily face wash that contains tea tree oil or echinacea is a good help. Your face should be washed in the mornings and in the evenings. Use warm purified water in rinsing.

- Oily and chemically ridden cosmetics should be avoided. Cosmetics and facial products that contain socetyl stearate, isoprophyl palmitate, isopropyl isostearate, isopropyl myristate, and sodium chloride must also be avoided for they may cause or aggravate acne.

- Dry skin should be given extra care. When washing, products especially made for dry skin should be used.

- To remove oil build up, natural astringent cleansers must be used. It should be remembered though that these products may cause dryness, redness, and itching thus it must be made sure that they should be used only on problem areas.

- Oxy-Skin™ is a very effective natural medication for the removal or treatment of acne.

Herbal Remedies To Treat Acne:

Chamomile, juniper, lavender, bergamot, burdock root and dandelion root are herbs that can be used to reduce toxicity and the skin's overall condition. Red clover may be beneficial for its estrogenic action and poke root and Echinacea are used for their anti-inflammatory properties. Another herb that has excellent astringent properties is witch hazel. This herb can also be very effective on acne. The following are some natural herbal recipes that can be excellent for treatment of acne.

- Combine milk and ground ginger then apply to acne.

- Make a paste of cinnamon and honey. The paste should be applied to the affected area at night. In the morning, wash this from your face with warm water. This procedure must be continued for one-two weeks.

- Mix cinnamon with lemon juice and apply to the affected area.

- Make a paste of ground orange peel and water and apply to the affected area. After twenty to thirty minutes, wash with warm water.

- At frequent intervals, rub fresh garlic on acne.

- To relieve the swelling of acne, the juice of raw papaya can be used.

- Mix salt and vinegar to form paste. Wash off after twenty to thirty minutes.

- The juice of fresh mint can be rubbed over acne.

- Combine turmeric and vinegar to form paste. Apply to acne. After twenty to thirty minutes, rinse with lukewarm water.

- Drink the juice of wheat grass to prevent and cure acne.

- To reduce inflammation, apply a poultice of ground sesame seeds and water on affected spots.

Complementary Acne Treatment

- Acupuncture

The cause of acne is said to be the stagnant of Chi in the channels of the face thus acupuncture is performed on these points of the face to help relieve acne.

- Homeopathy

Kali brom may help patients with blind boils and pustules on the face, back and neck. Those who have oily skin, blackheads and pustules, may use selenium for their acne.

Conventional Acne Treatment

Medication:

Medications such as benzoyl peroxide, retinoic acid, steroids, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and isotretinoin (Accutane) are examples of conventional acne medications. They may be applied directly to the skin or taken internally.

Therapeutic Injections:

In severe cases of acne such as the appearance of scars and growth of cysts, injecting steroids directly into the affected area may be of success. Doctors performed this procedure and have had positive results.

Surgery:

Doctors may perform surgery to open up the blemishes and remove whiteheads and blackheads. This is done in moderate to severe cases of acne. The effects of acne surgery are normally more immediate than medication treatments.