Acne Myth

What is Acne?

Acne is a problem everyone faces at some point in their lives. It occurs most often during the teenage years though, because there are major hormonal changes happening within the body during puberty. This common fact though, is a key insight to the causes of adult and ongoing chronic acne problems.

Many people mistakenly believe that things such as chocolate will cause acne. And yes some people will break out more when they've eaten too much chocolate, but for most this is not the case. The real culprit is what the chocolate usually indicates about a person's lifestyle choices.

If someone eats too much chocolate, then it's very likely they have poor nutritional habits in general. And poor nutrition is one of the major contributing factors to acne problems too. There are in fact, three primary causes for acne flare ups and ongoing acne problems throughout an adult's life.

1. Hormones.

As mentioned already, the wide fluxuation of hormonal changes and imbalances in teenagers tends to the primary cause of acne during those years. Hormonal problems can also cause acne related problems in adults too though. General hormone imbalances is often the problem, and this can be caused by a variety of lifestyle or environmental factors, as well as certain medications too.

2. Nutrition.

Nutritional deficiences is another common cause of acne problems, and this is where the myth about eating chocolate comes into play. Most people who eat a lot of chocolate also tend to eat a lot of junk food in general, while eating little to no healthy foods.

Most people who have poor eating habits also don't get enough fiber in their diet, because they eat little to no fruits or vegetables each day, and this lack of dietary fiber contributes to the next issue...

3. Toxic waste.

When we don't get enough fiber into our diets each day, the solid waste material in our body starts to stagnate within the colon. As the material sits around unable to move through and out, it slowly starts leaking the toxins and poisons it contains back into the rest of the body through the colon walls. And when this happens, the body responds by trying to get rid of the toxins another way: Through the skin.

Making simple changes to our lifestyles though, such as drinking more water each day and eating more fiber, can help cleanse our body of the solid waste material that has been stagnating inside us. And once we've cleansed that material, the other organs in our bodies are able to start moving the backlogged toxins out too. And all of this combined works to help clear up even the worst acne skin problems.

Common Treatments for Acne

Most people try to reduce or control acne by using harsh chemicals and detergent style facial cleansers. They don't realize though, that these products can often just make the problems worse.

Your body feels that it needs a certain amount of oil on the face for one reason or another, and when you use harsh cleansers which strip that oil off completely, the body will simply react as if your skin is too dry, and it will produce even more oil for your face.

Some people use these harsh cleansers even when they don't have overly oily skin, but just because they have some form of acne on their face instead. In most cases though, anyone - even people with oily skin - can keep their face clean just by rinsing it with clear water several times each day.

Part of the acne problems are caused by dirt building up in the pores of your face, so by rinsing your face with water regularly, you're removing the dirt that's collecting there throughout the day before it can embed itself into your pores and create an acne blemish.

Some women however, deal with acne problems by going on birth control pills. And this is often another key indicator that the acne problems are actually caused by hormonal imbalances or fluctuations in the body. Older women for instance, may not normally have acne related problems. But when they ovulate or begin their menstrual period, they will suddenly break out with pimples for several days. Again, these types of acne breakouts are caused by hormonal changes in the body, and this is completely natural.

Women can help control hormonal related acne break outs by using herbs which help balance their hormone levels.

Some people with severe acne problems choose to use very strong chemical based products to try and fix the problem. Some even go to a specialist, or dermatologist, and get prescription strength cleansers too. And in most cases these products do actually work. They have side effects however, which usually include an extremely dry face, rashes, redness, irritation, burning sensations, and blotchiness.

Some people's skin is too sensitive to use even the mild over the counter acne solutions too, and that's often when they start looking for more natural ways to clean their face, and start getting rid of the acne.

And the first step to natural acne healing, is to start taking better care of your body.

Natural Treatment for Acne - Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the very first and best steps to take when trying to cure acne related problems in adults. Acne is often caused by hormonal imbalances, but a lack of proper nutrition is also a key contributing factor to the problem. And improving your nutritional levels will help with any hormonal problems you may have, while also helping to clear up acne related problems too.

Now, one of the biggest reasons nutrition is so important when trying to clear up chronic acne problems, is because eating better helps to cleanse your entire body. People who eat poorly often do not eat many fresh fruits and vegetables for instance, so they're not getting nearly enough vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients thier bodies need to stay healthy. So the body ends up using the bulk of its energy and resources to stay alive, even if it means being alive in poor health.

Having poor eating habits also often means you're not getting enough fiber in your diet. And when you don't get enough fiber, your body's waste disposal system is unable to do its job properly. The liver is an organ in your body which filters out wastes, toxins, and bacteria from your blood stream. It creates bile from the toxins it filters out, and that bile ends up as solid waste material in your colon.

The colon then moves the solid waste all the way through itself - and the colon is over five feet long so it has to move the waste some distance - and eventually that waste is disposed of through a bowel movement. Since the waste contained toxins and bacteria which were filtered out by the liver, eliminating those wastes takes the toxins out of your system.

If however, you are not eating enough fiber and your colon is unable to move the waste material through your body efficiently, that waste material can get stuck inside the colon instead of being eliminated. When this happens, the toxins which were filtered out by the liver originally, will start leaking back into the body. The body will then try to get rid of the toxins another way: Through your skin. And this is when acne rashes and pimples can flare up.

So the best nutritional changes you can make to your daily diet are: Drinking water; eating more fiber related foods; and boosting your vitamin and mineral intake.

Drinking water helps keep the solid waste material soft and easier to move through the colon. Eating fiber rich foods will also help move the solid waste material through your colon, because it acts like a scrub brush when it's inside your colon. Boosting your vitamin and mineral intake through foods or herbal supplements will help all your body's organs operate at optimal health levels, which will in turn keep the toxins and bacteria moving out of your system quickly.