Archive for September, 2010
Acne Treatment Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions about common acne treatment this article should help shed some light on your concerns. Specifically we’ll take a look at how to properly care for your skin, how to correctly manage your diet to prevent acne outbreaks and how to keep outbreaks from coming back by lowering the levels of stress in your life.
After reviewing these questions and answers you should have a better grasp on how to take important steps to manage and reduce acne. By taking the appropriate actions and cutting out bad habits you are helping your body ease acne out of your system and fight it off from returning.
What is the correct way to clean and treat the acne on my skin?
The best way to do this is to wash your acne ridden skin daily. Here’s the important thing: whatever you do ensure that you do not use any form of rough cloth on your skin as this will irritate your acne and potentially cause more complication. Another important thing to remember is to never ever, under any circumstance attempt to scratch, pick or pop any form of acne. This can lead to scarring and potentially spreading of acne. If your acne spreads, you are being counter productive, so ensure you never do this. Another massive factor in acne treatment is your diet.
What role does my diet play in my acne treatment?
Your diet plays an enormous role in helping you cure acne. When you consume junk food you are filling your body with the right ingredients to produce acne on your skin. What you want to try to do is cut out as much junk food as possible from your diet. This includes, but is not at all limited to: chocolate, candy, sweets, cake, etc. A great suggestion is to replace these things with much healthier snacks. A perfect solution would be to implement carrots as a snack in place of the other junk, because carrots are known for helping to heal acne. When you have a balanced and healthy diet in place your body will not have the oily junk food and will have better tools to help fight off the acne. This will drastically help you cut down the number, frequency, and severity of acne outbreaks. One more great way to help your acne treatment is by reducing stress.
I would like to speed up my acne treatment, would using my medication more frequently than prescribed helps the clearing of my acne?
No–always use your medication exactly as your skin care specialist instructed. Using topical medications more often than prescribed may actually induce more irritation of the skin, redness and follicular plugging, which can delay clearing time. If oral medications are taken more frequently than prescribed, they won’t work any better, but there is a greater chance of side effects. I’ve been told stress in my life is causing my acne. How can this possibly be true and what can I do to overcome it? This is in fact true. It has been proven that there is a direct correlation between stress factors and acne outbreaks. Therefore, if you work hard to try to reduce the amount of stress in your life a decrease in acne will most likely soon follow. I know this sounds hard but the payoff is immense. Another thing to remember is that it is very common for someone with acne to have an outbreak and then be stressed about their appearance during this time. This ensures more stress in their life and in turn leads to more outbreaks. If you have an outbreak you should try to focus less on your appearance because this will increase your stress and not help your acne get better any sooner.Once you take all of the above factors into account you soon realize that the only thing stopping you from healing your acne is usually yourself. Start taking action by implementing proper cleansing methods, adjusting your diet and reducing stress. Once you start taking action, you will start to see drastic results.
Anika Nielsen is an Obagi Nu Derm System” and the advanced Clenziderm Acne Treatment” system for patients with heavy acne problems.
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Stop Acne Forever With These Acne Killer Secrets
Do you suffer from acne? Is acne depriving you of your confidence?Acne can cause tremendous physical and emotional pain. It makes us look ugly!
I desperately tried various over the counter acne products and dermatologist prescribed acne cure treatments with limited success. Why? Because these topical creams & antibiotic treatments do not treat the ROOT cause of Acne problem! As a result, ugly acne kept coming back.
I have discovered that to effectively treat acne, you have to treat the root of the problem. Acne is not only a skin problem, but an internal problem as well.
So now, I will share with you 3 acne killer secrets that I have learned that have given me clear, healthy, and radiant skin.
The Causes of Acne
Your acne is caused when pores in your skin get clogged by dead skin cells and excessive sebum content. Sebum is an oily substance produced by the sebaceous gland.
The clogged pore is the perfect environment for the acne bacteria. This bacteria in the plugged follicle leads to inflammation of the skin. This leads to pimples or acnes. Acne can be either mild, moderate or severe. For severe cases of acne, you should go visit a doctor.
Thus, the contributors of acne are clogging of the pores by oil and dead skin cells and the presence of bacteria. To effectively fight acne, one must address it from both the outside of the body and inside of the body.
Acne Killer Secret #1 – Preventing acne by taking care of your skin
The basic things you can do to prevent acne is to follow basic hygiene and skin care regimen. Your basic skin care regimen should include cleansing of the skin, applying an alcohol-free toner, and finish with a moisturizer + sunscreen. Toning your skin restores skin pH back to it’s normal range and it closes the pores to your skin to prevent dust and the air borne particles from settling in your pores.
You should clean your skin with a gentle cleanser at least twice a day to remove your skin from oil, dead skin cells, dry skin – substances that can clog the pores. It is imperative for the pores of your skin to remain bacteria free. The presence of bacteria is something which contributes substantially to the growth of pimples. If you have overall cleanliness of the skin, you can lessen the chance of pimples.
Look for cleansing products that contain salicylic acid. Salicylic Acid is a naturally occurring organic acid and a gentle, effective exfoliator. It is very effective for acne and oily skin and helps to unclog pores by removing dead skin cells, loosen and remove blackheads and whiteheads, and prevent future outbreaks. Products should contain 1-2% concentration of salicylic acid in order for it to be effective. For sensitive skin types, a 1% concentration would be suitable and for stubborn acne, 2% concentration is recommended.
Note that Salicylic Acid also makes skin sensitive to the sun. Sunscreen should therefore be used while applying Salicylic Acid. Sunscreen also guard your skin from harmful rays of the sun and helps slow down aging of the skin. If you have oily skin, you should use an oil-free sunscreen product.
Acne Killer Secret #2- Fighting Acne from the inside
The main cause of acne is the concentration of toxins inside the body. The body expels toxins through excretion, sweating, or through the skin. If the body is not efficient in expelling the toxins through excretion or through sweating, some of the toxins go out through the skin. This causes inflammation of the skin and increases the bacteria level on the surface of the skin, leading to acne problem.
To effectively fight acne and achieve radiant, youthful, and healthy skin, one must take good care of the body by practicing the following healthy habits:
(1)Reduce Stress – Stress causes the body’s level of cortisol (stress hormone) to go up. This leads to increase of your blood sugar and produces more oil on the skin, which can lead to skin aging and acne prone skin. Stress can be controlled by getting adequate sleep and rest and doing meditation and practicing deep breathing. Deep breathing also helps to remove the toxins in the body.
(2)Get on an exercise program – Exercise reduces stress and helps improve blood circulation to the skin, making the skin more healthy and radiant. Also, the sweating from exercise also removes the toxins in the body.
(3)Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables each day – colorful fruits and vegetables, garlic, and onions are essential for clear, healthy skin. The more colors, the more they contain antioxidants and vitamins that help to nourish the skin. Carrots, tomatoes, romaine lettuces, spinachs, cantaloupes, berries, beets, cabbages, broccolis, and kales are excellent sources.
“Water intake also plays a big role in keeping your skin healthy and beautiful. It helps to keep the skin hydrated and get rids of toxins in the body. It is recommended to take at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
(4)Consume these healthy fats – Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fats that the body cannot produce. They must be consumed through diet. These essential fats are responsible for reducing skin inflammation and improving blood circulation, giving you a clear, glowing skin and helping you to prevent premature aging. Food that are rich in these healthy fats include salmon, sardines, mackerels, nuts (walnuts, almonds), seeds (pumpkins, sunflower), and flaxseed and olive oil., especially wild salmon. You can also take fish oil supplements.
Acne Killer Secrets #3 – Use an acne treatment system that fights acne from inside and outside the body
By following the above steps, it goes a long way in preventing and controlling your acne problems. However, for some of us unfortunate acne victims, our acne problems are more serious. Therefore, tougher measures must be taken. In addition to following the above recommendations, it is recommended to use an acne curing system that fights acne bacteria both from inside the body as well as outside the body. Most over the counter acne products in the market such as Clearsil, Oxy-10, ProActiv only address acne problems at the skin level and that is not enough to effectively fight acne.
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Perfectly Natural Acne Treatments
Below are some helpful tips on what to do to keep your acne under control and keep your skin clear. Natural treatment methods are cheaper and always a better choice for acne due to less exposure to drugs and chemical-laden acne products. While most forms of acne are merely troublesome or embarrassing, there are some forms of acne that can lead to scarring and pitting of the skin.
In a survey conducted in Great Britain, 95% of 16-year-old males and 83% of 16 year-old females had acne. There are several different types of acne. Nearly 17 million people in the United States have acne. Acne will affect almost every person at some stage of their life.
As time goes by, more research may help determine just how male and female hormones influence acne and the role diet plays. Doctors think certain factors might cause or contribute to acne including hormone increases in teenage years, hormone changes in pregnancy, starting or stopping birth control pills, heredity, medicines and greasy make-up. New studies show that during times of high emotional stress, such as during exam time in high school, there are more acne breakouts; so are stress hormones the culprits?
There are many natural acne home remedies; you may have to try several to find one that works best for your skin type. Besides acne, if you also have eczema, damaged or dry skin, coconut oil will treat these skin conditions too. Try applying a thin layer of coconut oil and massaging it deep into the skin to heal and soothe the affected area.
A new, non-invasive treatment using red light and blue light in combination has been extremely successful on severe acne. Use baking soda on a test area carefully for exfoliation, if you feel you need it. When you wash your face use a soft touch, taking care not to rub or scrub your skin.
Shave carefully and try both electric and safety razors to see which works best for you. One treatment method some people have used is applying cornstarch, egg whites or milk of magnesia as a facial mask. Any makeup you use should list on the label non-acnegenic or non-comedogenic.
Popping pimples can cause infection and scarring; best not to do it. Use only products that have natural ingredients or try to use fewer products to allow your skin to heal naturally. No over-the-counter creams can help your acne from the inside out; they can only kill some of the bacteria on your face and help reduce the redness.
It’s easy to treat acne cheaply, simply, naturally, yet effectively, at home. Some natural home remedies include dabbing on non-gel toothpaste or lemon juice to dry out zits.
When you change your diet, your lesions should start getting better within a week or two, with significant improvement the first month. Drink lots and lots of pure, filtered water every day. In any case, no matter what skin or acne treatment you choose, whether it’s chemical, drugs, alternative, or natural methods, changing your diet alone will be the best treatment you can do for your acne and you’ll achieve overall good health in the process.
People with skin disorders such as acne, rosacea, and psoriasis often suffer from constipation; if you are, make sure you’re drinking lots of water every day and add more natural fiber from raw fruits to your diet. Besides external acne treatment it’s even more important to work from the inside out too.
Consider taking cod liver oil or fish oil supplements every day. Good nutrition will help your skin from the inside out. You want to keep your digestive tract healthy. For an easy fiber boost, mix in two tablespoons of ground up flaxseeds into raw applesauce, from two to three apples, made in your food processor. Good clear skin is often a reflection of a good digestive system. The two most common digestive concerns that affect your skin are not enough water and not enough fiber.
Analyze all the acne treatments available and make the best decision for you, based on your circumstances. Be assured, scientists are constantly looking at new non-invasive ways to treat acne. Pick two or three cheap home remedies or natural treatments and try them out on your skin carefully.
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Cure for Acne What is the Best One?
Almost everybody has experienced acne sometime or other in their lives and everybody has their own homegrown cures for acne. Acne can be categorized into three stages, mild, moderate and severe. While severe acne may even want surgery, mild and moderate acne can be cured at home. Here are some adult acne cures:
Water: Water is one of the best detoxifying and cleaning agents for the body and skin. Water is known to be an active agent that can prevent any acne growths. Your body needs water to flush out the harmful wastes and toxins from the body. The suggest amount of water is about eight glasses of water per day.
Zinc: Zinc is a significant antibacterial agent. It is very essential for the production of the glands in the skin that produce oil. Zinc is therefore a very good combatant against acne. In fact, if you do not have a zinc rich appetite, you may be a victim of a acne breakout.
Don’t Get Physical: Whatever you do, do not get touch or squeeze the prevalent pimples and blackheads on your body. Squeezing, rubbing or scratching pimples and blackheads increase the sebum production and therefore result in more pimples. Squeezing of pimples can cause a rupture in the membranes below the skin, thereby causing an infection and the sebum to spread under your skin.
Clean Your Makeup: First off, to prevent acne, you should steer clear of the makeup. However, though makeup is an essential part of a modern person’s lifestyle, ensure that you do not leave your makeup on during the night or for very long periods of time. Some makeup products increase the clogging of your skin and contribute to the production of blackheads and pimples to your body.
Hair Care: Take care of your hair to take care of acne, its that simple. Apart from the artificial oil that you would apply to your hair, your hair has natural oil that will only contribute to the creation of pimples and blackheads in your body.
Vitamins: One of the best ways to prevent acne is to have a healthy skin. The skin is after all an organ and suffers the same wear and tear and therefore requires the same care that any other organ of the body may require. Therefore, acne can sometimes be termed as a simple symptom of a weak or unhealthy skin. Ensure that you take the proper amount of vitamins that are essential to your body.
These and other treatments will shield you from mild and moderate acne. However, if your acne is severe, the best bet for a complete cure is a qualified skincare specialist, a dermatologist for example.
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Any Arbonne Product Recalls on the Market?
If you are searching for Arbonne product recalls on the internet you will definitely not find any useful information concerning any product pulls from Arbonne. What you will find instead is a mixure of satisfied and dissatisfied customers who gladly paid an enormous price for Arbonnes skin care products.
The most popular acne brands like Arbonne and Proactiv are doing a fairly decent job of helping some people with their acne but there are others that do not find an answer in these products. So many people have spent their money purchasing these expensive acne brand products and have yet to see any improvement in their skin. Why is that? Why do people easily buy into the claims that these companies make? There is one reason why people are so gullible. The reason is they are lazy and want someone else to fix their problems not realizing that they helped create the acne monster.
Acne is a condition in most peoples lives that lingers for years. Acne leaves a legacy of bad memories and unsightly photos showing its wrath. The only counter the average acne sufferer has as a defense against acne is using the latest product claiming to be a miracle cure. The reality is the product does not get rid of acne totally and you are left frustrated.
The first mistake people make in finding a cure for acne is they decide to purchase an advertised product. This is a mistake. Your first step in curing acne should be to learn what causes acne. The second step should be to learn in what ways you contributed to your own acne breakouts. Do your research. You will find answers to your problems if you are willing to pay attention to your body and what you put in your body.
You are not a victim of acne but rather a cause agent of it. There are so many ways we incite acne breakouts on our face and body due to bad personal hygiene habits. If you seriously want to learn practical ways of getting rid of acne research the internet. Read the acne blogs and forums that give alternative methods for controlling acne.
Are Arbonne product recalls happening? No, not as long as customers are willing to shell out the cash for their products. Consumers will still flock to buy their products on autoship. These companies know their products will not work on everyone. They know defeating acne goes beyond cleansers and creams and pills. The issue is does the consumer know this? The sad reality is no. Many consumers are eager to part with their money and continue hoping that they have found the cream that will cure them.
There are practical ways and home remedies which do a better job of controlling acne than acne products. How did our parents and grandparents deal with acne? What did they do to counteract this problem? Did they suffer with acne like we do now? ProActiv and Arbonne were not around then to help them so what did they do? These questions should help lead you into a different frame of thinking about how you should combat your acne.
The reality is there will be no Arbonne product recalls but instead you will have to learn the difference in what works and what does not work. Take the time to research everything you can about acne before you decide to purchase the next great product.