3 Secret Herbal Remedies That Will Bury Acne Alive
When it comes to treating acne, the least expensive remedies are usually the most effective remedies, and three easy-to-find, low-cost herbal remedies are among the very best treatments for almost all cases of common acne. Here is all you need to know about these three acne herbal remedies, tea tree oil, calendula, and, as hard as it may be to believe, yeast.
Tea tree oil is a natural product from Australia. Scientists at the Royal Alfred Hospital in New South Wales in Australia tested tea tree oil against the better-known acne remedy benzoyl peroxide.
Benzoyl peroxide washes got faster results, but that is because they (1) loosen and lift dead skin cells that block inflamed pores and (2) deposit those dead skin cells over healthy pores, so they create new blemishes! Tea tree oil took a little longer to clear up the skin, but once the skin cleared, it stayed clear.
The Australian scientists found that tea tree oil kills 27 of the 32 most common strains of the acne bacterium Propionibacterium acnes. As much as 15 per cent tea tree oil in a cream is OK for the most severe blemishes. Make sure you get your tea tree oil in a childproof container or at least keep it away from babies and toddlers.
Calendula, which is the botanical term for marigold blossoms, is an anti-inflammatory, anti-redness, anti-itching herb that also kills Propionibacterium acnes. Additionally, calendula soaps, washes, and scrubs will kill staph bacterium that can also inflame the skin. (If you have a skin outbreak that causes pimples to pop up overnight and they have a yellow, round center, chances are you have an infection with staph bacteria, rather than acne bacteria.)
Calendula also relives pain. Clinical trials have found that it is about as effective as aspirin or Tylenol, but it delivers pain relief directly to the skin, rather than having to pass through the gastrointestinal tract and the liver before entering the bloodstream to eventually circulate to the skin. You get the most potent pain relief from marigold oil, but don’t spread a lot of marigold oil on your face without doing a skin patch test to make sure you are not allergic. Dab a little bit of marigold oil on your forearm, and wait 8 hours without washing the oil off. If there is no irritation or sign of allergy on your forearm, then it’s safe to use calendula on your face.
Yeast is a traditional American remedy for acne. The chromium in yeast enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it is needed. Yeast beta-D-glucan also stimulates the activity of the white blood cells known as macrophages, which engulf and digest acne-causing bacteria.
Yeast is added to cosmetics to support the elasticity of the skin. Flexible skin is less likely to be clogged. This form of yeast does not cause yeast infections, and there are even reports of better results with antibiotic treatments in acne sufferers who take yeast supplements.
February 02 2010 04:17 pm | Health