Herbal Acne treatments
Herbal treatments for Acne have been around for a
long time. Acne is not caused by dirt, though careful attention to hygiene helps
to keep inflammation at bay. A trial done in Singapore a few years ago
points to acne being caused by the failure of the body to break down and
metabolize oil in the body. Why does this happen?
According to an article published by Lit-Hung Leung, MD in the Journal
of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 12, Number 2, 1997, when the particular
vitamin that is responsible for the job of metabolizing the oil is
needed by the body for a different function such as the development of
the sex organs, eg, a deficiency is created and there is not enough of
this vitamin to do both jobs. This is why acne often shows up at
puberty.
While deficiency syndromes are by and large dismissed by the main stream
medical profession, Linus Pauling, in his book, How to Live Longer and
Feel Better, challenges the assumption that vitamins are not needed in
large amounts and provides proof through his studies of animals that
optimal amounts of vitamins are needed for optimal health. For instance,
he believes that Vitamin C is needed in far greater amounts by the body
than most health practitioners would believe.
In the trial conducted in Singapore, pantothenic acid was given to acne
sufferers at the rate of 10 grams a day divided into four equal doses.
At the same time the patients were required to apply a pantothenic cream
to the acne. Within a few days there was a marked reduction in the
amount of oil, or sebum being secreted and after 2 weeks the acne
started to heal visibly, with less new pimples appearing. In most cases,
the acne was completely healed by the end of 2 months, and flare-ups
were reduced considerably.
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An unexpected bonus was that the enlarged pores of the face began to
shrink and the skin became much finer.
It was found that if the patient
was an adolescent, a maintenance dose was needed until the sexual
characteristics had been fully developed. That pantothenic acid is found
to be present in all tissues of the body is an indication of its
importance. VitaCure B5 ClearSkin is the acne product that resulted from
the above trials.
Benzoyl peroxide is the main ingredient found in many over-the-counter
products for treating acne. The label should be read carefully to find
out how much of this chemical is actually in the product. When trying
these for the first time, it is advisable to start off with the lowest
dose, or skin irritation could occur, exacerbating the problem. 2.5% is
usually the lowest dose and this can also cause the skin to become dry
and irritated, but this problem will mostly clear up after a few days.
These products are meant to be used over the whole area affected by
acne, so dont just dab it on single zits.
Zinc gluconate is another herbal type of remedy for acne. It should be
taken orally. If after two months of trying herbal products the acne has not improved,
a doctors advice should be sought.
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