Benefits Of Using Herbs For Acne
When it comes to dealing with acne people can often turn to some pretty strange alternatives in an attempt to cure it. One of the not so often discussed remedies for helping acne sufferers is herbs, although not really a ‘way out there’ alternative, it generally doesn’t get the recognition that it should.
More and more people are finding out the benefits of using herbs for their acne now that the traditional methods, normally prescriptions, are showing some nasty side effects. Below you will find the top herbs for acne sufferers.
- Tea Tree Oil – This is a firm favourite and widely used in over the counter medication. It is well known to have antibacterial properties and will help control the levels of bacteria on your skin. Always be sure to dilute tea tree oil before putting it on your skin.
- Basil – This is a very powerful herb for acne sufferers. Not only does it have an antiseptic property it is also works much deeper than that. It is known to cleanse the blood which is what carries bacteria around your body. Even the soil that basil is planted in becomes so pure that it can be used as an effective mud bath!
- Alo Gel – An antiseptic plant that can be applied to the skin with amazing results.
- Lavender – It also has antiseptic properties but will also help against inflammation which can be a god send for sufferers of acne. A good herb for acne.
- Witch Hazel – A powerful antiseptic herb for acne.
Each of these herbs can help against the fight with acne, perhaps it’s worth you having a look next time you are looking for help with your own acne.
Top 5 Acne And Spot Myths
Today I want to talk to you about the myths about spots and acne that just don’t seem to go away – no matter how much scientific evidence is presented. They just seem to stand the test of time and wont vanish – that’s why we are going to go through the top 5 myths about Acne and Spots.
Myth 1 – Acne Only Affects Your Appearance
This is wrong and I hate it when I hear people saying things like this. Acne and spots go much deeper and lead to deep psychological problems such as depression, low self esteem and image problems. It’s very common for doctors to see a strong link between really severe acne and social withdrawal.
Myth 2 – Acne Will Run It’s Course And Go
Again, this is utter rubbish. Acne is often associated to teenage years and this is indeed when it is most common. The problem is that people just don’t know when it is going to end or even if it is! Acne and spots can stay for years after teenagers are all grown up. It’s commonly known as Adult Acne and can have real debilitating effects on adults.
Myth 3 – Sunbathing Is Good For Acne And Spot Treatment
Although you might see some change in your acne after sunbathing, I’m afraid that it’s only short lived. It will dry out the skin which may show an improvement in acne – the problem is that it continues to dry out the skin to the point that essential oils in the skin are gone and you end up with very dry skin that will start to cause you more problems such as your acne adjusting to the new conditions. You end up with two problems instead of just the one!
Myth 4 – Make Up Causes Acne
Make up is not a DIRECT reason for acne or spots but it can contribute to them. Make up can be very heavy on the skin and block the pores causing dirt to become trapped which can lead to infection becoming rife. Look for some make up that are labeled ‘noncomedogenic’ or even search for make ups that are designed for spot prone and acne sufferers.
Myth 5 – Popping Pimples Is The Best Way To Get Rid Of Them
It’s just wrong, wrong, wrong. You are only going to make it worse. Not only will you damage your skin by applying force in order to pop the pimple, you are also going to spread the bacteria around your face and into other pores. It’s really hard to try and control the urge to pop them, but remember, a popped pimple can lead to acne scarring which can be permanent.
The Cause Of Spots And Acne
This one question, “The Cause Of Spots And Acne” really used to drive me mad. I just couldn’t work out why some people got spots and others never even had a pimple! I saw six different dietitians and doctors in my hunt for the cure and each one of them told me that same thing ……
It’s just unlucky that your body is built the way it is.
They all told me that the number one cause of acne and spots is your hormones, something that you just cannot control. It seems that when your body starts to produce the sex hormone known as androgen, your body just gets a little carried away and gets covered in spots. You would probably already noticed that the biggest sufferers of spots and acne are teenagers (don’t worry, I was way past teens too) and they get it when their body starts to change and evolve into adulthood.
It seems that when the body starts to get enough of this ‘androgen’ into it’s system, it also starts producing sebum, the natural oil in the skin and this combined with the dead skin cells found naturally on the skin, bacteria that lives on all of us too, you have the exact ingredients or the main causes of spots and acne.
Stress is also a major factor in causing spots and acne, so the more stressed out we get about it, the worst our skin is likely to get. When our bodies are stressed, they start to produce more hormones or increase the hormones that we have already, one of the new hormones that it produces in times of stress is cortisol, this little bugger is known to aggravate acne and spots!
Don’t Get Stressed – Help Is Here
You might well have heard some people tell you that make-up is a big cause of spots and acne. It doesn’t cause spots but it wont help them either. Your skin conditions are ripe all by themselves to give you spots, make-up (especially the heavy or oily ones) will just help block your pores even more.
The list goes on and on, but I have found a great list of what causes acne and you can read more about the causes on this spots and acne site. It has a lot of good information on dealing with spots and acne and is well worth reading.
