Alternative Acne Treatments – A Brief Users Guide For Parents, Teens And The Rest Of Us.

Everyday numerous acne suffers turn to alternative methods to treat their acne. The two main reasons for the growing popularity of such treatments are; people looking for medication with less harmful side effects then tradition acne treatments. Secondly are the people who have been unsuccessful with the various over the counter and prescription options. Generally alternative treatments are not regulated by the FDA and hence you will not receive much guidance from medical doctors on their use. Word of month and the alternative medical community is the main source of information on such options.

For teenage girls and women herbs that balance hormone levels such as chaste berry, black cohosh, dong quai, evening primrose, wild yam, and red clover are quite commonly tried. Herbalists believe that these herbs balance the female sex hormone estrogen and will counterbalance the hormone androgen. Since androgen is believed to trigger excess sebrum production, which can cause hair follicles to clog and acne to form, acne could be prevented or reduced.

In an effort to get clear skin that is acne free, you may want to think about putting tea tree oil on the spots that are acne prone. This oil is natural and will not dry out your skin, and helps reduce oil build up in the pores.

Herbs that are thought to help reduce inflammation and infection can be used for both male and female acne suffers. Echinacea, licorice, dandelion root, and burdock are all thought to contain properties that help with the above by killing bacteria. The herbs salvia and red peony are also used sometimes to help acne suffers improve their skins ability to heal.

You can use over-the-counter acne treatments to help with your acne. These are mainly topical and generally include popular acne ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. You must be careful with these though and follow the directions on how much to use and how many times to apply them. Also, these may be too harsh for some, so if you have doubts, ask a physician or dermatologist.

Vitamin B5 also known as pantothenic acid is a commonly used vitamin to treat acne. It become widely popular after Dr. Leung a Hong Kong acne expert published a paper on its effectiveness. His paper was based on the theory that acne sufferers are deficient in vitamin B. The result is excess sebum production, the root cause of clogged hair follicles leading to acne. Dr Leung also tested his theory through a clinical trial where 100 acne suffers were given 10g of B5 daily, after six months Dr. Leung’s test group had a ninety percent success rate.

Don't overdo the commercially "proven" acne treatments. Some of the creams that have been used for years can prevent acne also. A great and effective old-fashioned remedy to prevent acne is using soap and water. Washing your face in the morning and at night will keep your skin clear and helps fight acne and clogged pores.

Topical treatments such as tea tree oil and seaweed, which are both believed to have powerful antibacterial properties are also widely regarded as being effective on acne inflammations. Tea tree oil comes from the ti tree in Australia and seaweed from the oceans.

Don't use multiple acne treatments at once. While it may be tempting to try as many acne creams and lotions as possible, if you use more than one at a time, you run the risk of damaging your skin. Certain acne creams contain very powerful ingredients that can be quite harsh on your skin, and in some cases, they could react with each other and cause irreparable damage.


A common belief is that controlling stress reduces the severity of acne. So anything you can do to alleviate stress will help. Many acne suffers turn to exercise for stress relief, yoga being very popular. Aromatherapy can also be used in stress relief, along with acupuncture, and meditation.

If you have tried all the over-the-counter acne treatments available without success, then Adapalene, also called Differin, could be a useful acne medication for you. Adapalene is a topical retinoid that comes in cream of gel form. It works by reducing the production of sebum, an oily substance that can block pores causing spot, blackheads and inflammation. Currently a doctor's prescription is required to obtain this medication.

While the predominate reason many people turn to alternative acne treatments is to reduce the harmful side effects of tradition medicines the reverse may actually be true. Caution should be used before trying any alternative treatments. They may have adverse side effects not common known due to the lack of regulations on most alternative treatments.

Eliminating Ugly Acne Marks

With some ailments, the name says it all. Acne, the dreaded symptom that manifests itself as pimples or zits, is scientifically called Acne vulgaris. And true to its name, it is unsightly and often causes more than physical scarring among millions of teens worldwide. But like any other bodily manifestation, acne too has a cure.

Sure, there are a wide array of them available in the marketplace to help you choose from, but truth be told, acne is not a permanent condition and acne cures that work actually exist.

Acne scars can be eliminated via a surgery, such as laser surgery. This is something that has to be suggested by your dermatologist though. Basically, they use a gentle laser and go over the scars. Through repeated treatments, you will start to see these scars diminish and go away for long periods of time.

Before one starts looking at available acne cures, it might be a good idea to try and understand what causes acne in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, acne is not caused by bad facial hygiene.

If you have developed acne scars a great effective cure is using medicated and non-medicated lotions. These lotions are easily applied privately at home and prove to be most helpful when used over a long period of time. Medicated lotions will help soften your skin over time and heal/treat existing scar tissue.

Nearly everyone believes this though and any acne cures, that stem from this belief are unlikely to work. What does cause acne however is hormonal changes in the body that result in the production of excessive oil from the sebaceous glands.

You can treat acne scars on your face with a mild bleaching cream, many of which are available over the counter at a local pharmacy. These creams take time to work, some as long as a couple of months, but if you stick with them the results are very much worth it. Once the scars are gone, you'll be able to see how much they detracted from the look of your skin.

In some other cases, acne is caused when the pores are blocked or when the sebaceous glad itself is a victim of some infection. In order to work, acne cures must first target the underlying problem.

One of the best treatments that you can try is micro-needling for your acne scars. This process uses a roller with hundreds of small needles that puncture your skin. Over time, your collagen will grow back, filling in your acne. This treatment is great for deep, cystic acne scarring.

An acne cure that targets the infection of the sebaceous glad for instance is unlikely to work in a case when the acne is a direct result of hair duct blockage. Like with any other illness, acne cures too must target and work on the root cause of the problem.

If you are looking for a remedy for your acne, you may want to try applying an aspirin mask to your face. Aspirin has salicylic acid in it. When you put this mixture on your face, it can help get rid of existing acne and can also help fade away acne scars.

There are several kinds of acne cures available in the market. First, there are topical acne cures. These usually comprise some creams or lotions that can be applied directly to the affected area.

One easy and inexpensive way to prevent acne is to make an aspirin mask. Crush up some aspirin that has no coating, and mix with water till a paste forms. Apply a thin layer to your face and leave on for 10 minutes. This will clean your pores and can help fade acne scars.

These kinds of acne cures normally include topical antibiotics, glycolic acid, lactic acid and gluconic acid. In some cases, such acne cures might also involve an active ingredient like azelaic acid cream and in cases where the acne is severe, accutane and sotret might be active components.

If you want to improve your acne, never pop your zits. Popping pimples can cause bacteria to spread over your face and has the potential to increase the amount of acne you get. Popping zits is also very risky because it can lead to permanent acne scars that will never go away.

Apart from the topical, there are also several oral acne cures available. Most chemists and drugstores have a wide variety of oral acne cures available readily on their shelves.

For people with excessive acne or acne scars, it is wise to visit a dermatologist. They can have methods of helping to clear and prevent acne that cannot be bought in a store. Also, they can prescribe special creams and lotions that a person can use daily at home.

However, before using such acne cures, it might be a good idea to see a dermatologist, who can not only identify the cause of your individual acne, but also prescribe the most suitable treatment for you.

Baking soda is often overlooked as a treatment for many things but it is going to help you eliminate your acne problems. Apply a baking soda paste to your blemishes and you will see them begin to heal over night. Use it as an exfoliating wash and it will clean and unclog your pores. It will also reduce the appearance of acne scars.

A recent innovation in the acne research field has brought to the fore another kind of acne cure. This is laser acne treatment and is becoming increasingly popular as the results have proven to be spectacular.

A Natural Approach To Managing Acne

Almost everyone has suffered from acne at one time or another in his or her lives. It is primarily a disorder of the sebaceous gland (glands in the skin that secrete an oily substance) of the face, the neck and back. When the sebaceous glands become clogged with the oily substance they create, the accumulation results in pimples. There are several forms of acne, but the most common is acne vulgaris, found primarily in adolescents.

The exact cause of acne is not known, but factors that contribute to this condition include heredity, oily skin and androgens. Additional factors include allergies, stress, the use of certain drugs, nutritional deficiencies, liver dysfunction, exposure to industrial pollutants, cosmetics and the monthly menstrual cycle.

In addition, the skin functions to eliminate a portion of the body's toxic waste by sweating. If the body contains more toxins than the kidneys or liver can effectively discharge, the skin takes over. In fact, some doctors call the skin the 3rd kidney. As toxins escape through the skin, they can disrupt the health and integrity of the skin, creating issues.
If you do happen to get a pimple, don't pick at it. Scratching or breaking open a pimple can cause it to become infected, creating more breakouts. You are also taking the risk of leaving a scar

Recommendations for Wellness

Note: Some of these recommendations may take 2-4 weeks before any results or improvements are experienced.

One way to combat acne is to minimize the amount of dairy and meat in your diet. Many people feel that hormones in meat and milk can adversely affect acne; therefore, reducing your consumption of them will probably help your acne.

Apply distilled white vinegar (can be diluted if too strong) to the face and affected areas. Allow this to sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off with cool water.

Lemon or any citric fruit works great as a natural exfoliate, removing dead skin cells that may clog the pours. As with the white vinegar, apply the juice of a lemon (or desired citric juice) to the face. Allow it to dry for about 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. You may feel a mild sting or burn when the lemon juice is applied. If so, diluting the juice is acceptable.

Extreme changes in the temperature can affect the amount of acne breakouts you have. When conditions are hot, you are likely to sweat a great deal. When you perspire heavily, your pores become clogged and can become irritated. This can cause your acne problems. When the weather is cool, your skin may dry out. Take the necessary measures to keep your skin clean and protected.

Increase water consumption. Water helps flush toxin out and help transport nutrients in the body.

Eat a properly balanced diet to ensure proper nutrition. Take a high quality multiple vitamin and mineral supplement to make up for nutrients missing in today's foods.

In order to take care of your acne, experiment with not wearing makeup for a while if you normally wear makeup, or switch to water based makeup. It is tempting to put makeup on to cover acne, but it will only clog your pores and make the situation worse. Keeping your face clean and fresh for a while, can help bring your acne back under control.

Echinacea or Oregon grape can be used to boost the immune system and fight acne-causing bacteria.

Dandelion, Burdock or red clover can help to keep the liver clear of toxic overload.

As much as possible, make an attempt to avoid situations which cause you to become overly stressed. Stress may not be a direct cause of acne breakouts, but it can actually exacerbate the problem.

Herbal combinations such as Natures Sunshine’s Ayurvedic Skin Detox, and BP-X can also be used to cleanse and detoxify the liver and reduce acne.

Large quantities of vitamin A have been successfully used to treat severe acne. Large amounts, however, can be toxic and should only be used when working with your health care provider.

Drinks like soda, tea, coffee and energy drinks can cause caffeine-induced breakouts in some people and lower the overall quality of your skin. Cutting back on your caffeine can reduce some of your breakouts.

Consider adding additional zinc to your diet. Zinc aids in the healing of tissues and assists in preventing scarring. It is also important for the body in resisting infection and inflammation.

To clear and heal the skin, try a homeopathic Acne remedy. It can help to dry up pimples & prevent future outbreaks.