Healing Acne

A member wrote recently:

Hi Kathryn,

Do you have any recommendations for acne … a customer is asking me:

Would you recommend a treatment for teenage acne?  My 13 year old daughter's skin has been breaking out more recently (quite badly).  She has not had her period yet.  She has tried a few different products (Deacnel by Avene, Pro Active and the prescription drug Clindoxyl).  Nothing seems to be working right now and I would prefer her only use a natural product anyways.

I do have some suggestions for her to try.  Many teenagers (and adults!) have had great success with clearing up acne by using some or all of these practices.

• First and most important;  stop drinking milk, eating butter, cheese, ice cream, and virtually all milk products for 4 weeks.  Milk products, especially those processed for sale in the store, are mucus causing foods.  I have seen numerous teenagers greatly minimize acne just by eliminating dairy products.  Stop eating all dairy foods for 4 weeks.  In that time frame, she should begin to see an obvious difference in her skin, if this is one of the causes.  She can try nut milks, soy milk, and coconut milk and their products as a replacement; all are available in grocery stores and health food stores.  (If you are concerned about getting enough calcium, add more lightly cooked greens to the diet!  Spinach, collards, chard, cress, dandelion, parsley, cilantro, and other greens contain a much more absorbable form of calcium than homogenized milk. Some people may be able to eat fermented dairy foods--also higher in calcium--after the first month or two of abstaining.  If so, the best forms are plain unsweetened yogurts such as Horizon brand, Nancy's, or Mountain High; or Kefir with live cultures.  If the acne gets worse again after adding these back into the diet, you will have to avoid them for a longer period.).

• Replace all soap and skin cleansers with pure Aloe vera gel, available in health food stores.  Aloe vera is very mild and can be used in place of commercial skin cleansers, which contain irritating chemicals that may make the acne worse.

• Certain essential oils can be very helpful in drying up and clearing up the break outs.  Lavender, Geranium, Lemon myrtle, and my favorite--Tea tree--are all greatly effective when applied with a Q-tip to the affected area just before sleeping at night.  

• I also suggest a weekly facial mask using Kaolin mixed with a little water.  It draws toxicity out of the skin and helps clear it up.  (Here is a set that we offer online that may give you ideas of how to make your own recipe to treat acne).  The facial mask should be followed by:

• Argan oil applied to the whole face.  (Neem oil can also be effective).  You may think that applying an oil to already oily skin is counterintuitive; yet these oils do wonders to heal the skin, clear infection, and balance the production of sebum.  It disappears quickly and does not leave an oil slick over time.  If you are attempting to heal old scarring from acne, add a few drops of Everlasting essential oil to this, and apply it nightly for 3 months.

• Add Flax oil and one of these three oils: borage oil, evening primrose oil, or black currant seed oil; to your diet.  They can be added to a smoothie, or poured over vegetable dishes and rice dishes after cooking.  These oils contain nutrients that inhibit inflammation and help the Liver process fats and toxins more efficiently.

• There is also an herbal tea that I would recommend for young people over 12 who are experiencing acne.  Hormones are often greatly out of balance during this time, inhibiting the Liver's ability to break them down, which leads to toxicity accumulating in the blood.  When that happens, the body must find a way to release these toxins, and it often reverts to sending them out through the skin (break outs and pimples). This tea recipe is great for supporting the Liver, purifying the blood, and stimulating the release of toxins through the bladder and colon instead.

ACNE TEA

Have these dried herbs ready in a small bowl:

Stinging Nettles leaf  1 Tablespoon

Dandelion leaf   1 Tablespoon

Milk Thistle seed 1 teaspoon

Raspberry leaf 1 teaspoon

Marshmallow root powder  1 teaspoon

Dried Kelp or Seaweed  1/4 teaspoon

Cleavers 1/4 teaspoon

Clover leaf/flower  1/4 teaspoon

Put one quart of water in a pan and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and add the herbs; cover the pan.  Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Strain the herbs out, and put the tea into a quart jar and let it cool.  Drink at least 1 cup, 2 times daily until the acne has cleared up (no less than 3 months).  If needed, keep taking the tea at a maintenance dose after that, maybe a half cup to one cup daily.  

Making it taste better:  You can improve the flavor by adding raw honey, molasses, or maple syrup; or add a bit of cranberry juice (unsweetened); or nut milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.

Visit our Sources page for online herb sources.

I know that many of our readers have their own experiences with healing acne.  Please drop a line here and let us know what has worked for you!

In Gratitude,

Kathryn