Acne

Are you tired of a huge pink dot on the end of your nose. You detest the glimpse of whiteheads sprouting under your bottom lip. You don't like this at all and want toget rid of acne. So lets understand the causes of acne.

Acne may be the scourge of the adolscent years, but it can follow some people into middle age and beyond.” Women can have flare-ups at 25 or 35 years old and even older.

Acne is really a catchall term for a variety of symptoms such as pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. “It's a condition where the pores of the skin become clogged and the person gets inflamed and non inflamed lesions.”

So what's the cause of all the clogging?

“Chocolate doesn't cause acne.” “Dirty hair or skin doesn't cause it. Sex, either too much of it or a lack of it, doesn't cause it either.”

So what does? Heredity- at least for the most part.
“Acne is genetic; it tends to run in families. It is an inherited defect of your pores.”

If both of your parent had acne, three out of four of your brothers and sisters will get it, too. But if your sister is pimple-free while your face is a war zone, be aware that other factors can aggravate an acne outbreak.

“Stress, sun exposure, seasonal changes, and climate can precipitate an acne attack.” Certain types of makeup and taking birth control pills can also cause a breakout.

“Working women are especially vulnerable as they are prone to lots of stress, plus they tend to wear makeup a lot.”
So here's some natural remedies, keeping in mind those who need to get rid of acne, the most.

Change your Makeup
Makeup is the major factor in acne outbreaks. “Oil-based makeup is the problem.” The oil is usually a derivative of fatty acids that are more potent than your own fatty acids. Use a non-oil-based makeup if you are prone to acne.

Read the Labels
Cosmetic products that contain lanolins, iso-propyl myristate, sodium lauryl sulfate, laureth-4, and D & C red dyes should also be avoided as these ingredients are too rich for the skin.

Rinse your Face
“Wash your makeup off thoroughly every night.” “Use a mild soap twice a day and make sure you rinse the soap entirely off your face. Rinsing six or seven times with fresh rose water should do it.”

Stay out of the Sun.
Acne medications may cause adverse reactions to the sun. Minimize exposure to sunlight, infrared heat lamps, and sunscreens.

Scrub that skin.
Cleanse your skin thoroughly every time with some good herbal scrubbers followed by a good toner. These days there are lot of herbal and organic range available, but if you have time then you can try some natural tips like the oatmeal which cleanses pores by absorbing oil and exfoliates the skin. Honey eases application and serves as a skin toner.
Know more about benefits of honey
Soothe your skin.
After cleansing use a good astringent & a toner to soothe your skin. Lemon juice is a natural astringent and mild antibacterial agent. Rose petals, from which rose water is made, also have antibacterial properties. It is a also a skin toner and helps to mitigate the rather harsh, acidic quality of straight lemon juice.
Use natural home remedies acne treatment packs.

1. Make a thicker paste out of baking soda and water. Apply to face for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Follow up with a light moisturizer.
2. Make orange peel paste by grinding it in some water. Apply on and around pimples.
3. Rub garlic on and around pimples.
4. Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night.
5. Pulverize 1/3 cup uncooked oats and then add ¼ cup of water. When it becomes the consistency of paste, add approximately 1/4 cup honey and mix thoroughly and allow to cool then apply on the pimples for 10-20 minutes. Do not leave it on too long or it will become difficult to remove. You can also try oatmeal, yogurt and sour cream with a few drops of lemon juice. These ingredients are mixed together and applied on affected areas for 15 minutes and then rinsed with water.
6. Apply fresh lime juice mixed to a glass of boiled milk as a face wash
7. Lemon juice and rose water acne treatment. Mix equal parts lemon juice and rose water. Apply directly to skin. You might feel an initial sting from the lemon juice. Rinse after 15-30 minutes. Be careful of exposing your skin to direct sunlight if you have been using lemon juice on your face. Also, though a strong reaction is unlikely, do not continue this treatment if it irritates your skin.
8. For acne scars, “Tomato is known to remove acne scars”. You can easily get tomatoes from your kitchen and slice it. Apply the tomato slices to your scars. Regular application of tomato slices on your scars can visibly give you excellent results. Another technique frequently used to get rid of acne scars is rubbing ice cubes against the pimples to reduce inflammation and slowly erase the scars.

Try herbs to cure your acne naturally.

Aloevera for Acne
There are hundreds of varieties of aloe that grow all over the world. Most have medicinal properties. However, it is aloe barbadensis that is known as aloe vera, the species with the most value as a natural remedy. Transparent gel from the pulp of the meaty leaves of Aloe vera has been used topically for thousands of years to treat wounds, skin infections, burns, etc. Use aloe vera juice on the pimples daily morning and night or as long as necessary (perhaps five months or longer). It is also a natural antibiotic

Mint for Acne
M. balsamea (peppermint) Peppermint is preferable to spearmint as a medicinal herb because it contains menthol which is a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

• • Take a handful of mint (pudina) leaves and crush them thoroughly with a mortar and pestle.
• • Rub the leaves and juice on affected skin and leave for 5-10 minutes.
• • Rinse with cold water.
• • Repeat as often as desired to alleviate pain and inflammation.

Note: Do not continue this acne treatment if it irritates your skin.
Other important antibacterial herbs are:
Pudina
Punica Granatum

To know more about herbs and their benefits
Acne Diet, some important Do's & Don'ts
Do's

• • Drink six glasses of water every day.
• • Five daily servings of fresh red/orange/yellow vegetables and fruits.
• • Each day have one tablespoon of mixed fresh seeds, e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, sesame or ground hemp/linseed. (Learn Health Benefits of Sesame, Rapeseed, Linseed & Groundnut)
• • Eat plenty of whole grains, root vegetables, lentils and beans. Include some soya, and sprouted seeds.
• • Limit intake of foods made from wheat, oats, rye, etc. to one or two portions each day.
• • Yoghurt: Have low-fat, live, organic yoghurt.
• • Limit vegetable oils to a little olive oil and/or cold pressed sunflower or other oils.
• • Prefer fish and chicken over red meat and avoid excessive oil.
• • Switch to organic foods
• • Switch from dairy products to alternatives like Soya, milk and tofu.
• • Restrict tea to not more than two cups a day.
• • Avoid completely or limit your alcohol intake.

Don'ts

• • Avoid sugar and sweets
• • Don't have foods containing white flour, such as bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries and pasta.
• • Avoid canned, preserved or processed foods.
• • Don't have fried foods. Boil, steam, bake or lightly grill them instead.
• • Avoid fatty foods like butter, cream and ice cream.
• • Don't have processed foods as most of them contain trans-fats.
• Avoid smoking