Skin
Facial Acne
Acne occurs when the oil that is produced by the sebaceous glands, which are
located in each hair follicle, becomes trapped, encouraging the growth of
bacteria that in turn multiply and cause the surrounding skin to become
inflamed.
Acne tends to affect young males more than females as the male hormones
stimulate the production of keratin and sebum, which lead to the pores clogging.
Many other factors can also contribute to the occurrence of acne and when it
comes to treating any acne condition I’m afraid correcting the
diet comes first. It is important to avoid all added
sugars, white breads, fast foods, all soft drinks, especially coke, and keep up
the fresh fruit and juices as well as more fresh vegetables, brown rice,
wholemeal breads etc. Try and buy organic foods to increase mineral levels.
In most cases of severe acne the best results are obtained when improvement
of function is made to the digestion (so that foods are properly broken down),
to the liver (so that toxins are eliminated from the blood stream) and to the
bowel (so that all toxins are removed from the body).
To improve the digestion take food enzymes with each meal or
eat paw paw (papaya) or organic kiwifruit 20 minutes prior to meals. (I
recommend ‘NESS’ enzyme products which are entirely plant
derived, contain an effective dosage of digestive enzymes and are extremely well
tolerated). See page on ‘Ezymes – facts’
Herbal liver tonics containing St Mary’s Thistle, Globe
Artichoke, Greater Celandine and Dandelion root support liver detoxification and
also can improve bowel function. Turmeric is another good herb to use and can be
added to food.
Blood cleansing herbals that contain herbs such as Clivers,
Burdock, Yellow dock and Sarsaparilla are also often used with good effect.
If bowel function is still sluggish (less than to two good
motions daily), add 1 – 2 tsp of psyllium, flaxseed fibre or slippery elm to the
diet to add bulk and a little aloe vera or raw beetroot juice to further promote
peristalsis. See page on ‘Bowel – improving action’
Also, many people with acne need not only to
move the bowel more effectively but also improve the bowel flora and
immunoglobulin status. Lactobacillus acidophilus will help (eat lots of good
quality yoghurt) but often better results are obtained if specific strains ( see page on ‘Probiotics’)are used and often in combination with Colostrum.
If using Colostrum be sure to use it in conjunction with food enzymes as it is a high protein product.