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Question : Question : Just about everything you read from the medical literature will tell you that acne is nothing to do with diet, it is a normal part of life and simply happens because of hormonal changes around puberty that increase androgens and thereby change the production and thickness of sebum (oil) from glands in the skin. It all sounds scientific and reassuring but it's wrong, and misleading. There is much danger in confusing what’s ‘common’ with what’s ‘normal’. The good news is that, as the ancient saying goes, ‘he who controls his tongue controls his destiny’. The bad news is that eating a primitive, non-refined diet is really difficult to do in the modern world. The worse your acne is the more you need to look into this. It might help to see my thoughts on the ‘metabolic syndrome’ which covers a lot of similar ground.
There are obviously hormonal issues with acne too. Connected to diet I think they may be more related to insulin hormone levels (related to sugar intake) than the sex hormones of puberty but, as with any chronic health problem, there are virtually always a number of factors working together and hardly ever just one issue driving a problem along. For women, the herb Vitex often helps with acne if used for about three months and then given a break before trying again. Women always know when their hormonal cycle affects their acne, especially when there is a patterning of deeper (cystic) spots around the chin and jawline and an association of breakouts to other hormonal signs such as premenstrual tension or painful periods. I have used Vitex with success for men with bad acne too although the first herb I think of for balancing men's hormones is Sarsaparilla. Eating a natural diet with as few processed foods as possible sees these treatments working much faster than they otherwise will.
Acne, like civilization, has been with us for a long time. All the doctors of the ancient world were herbalists; in fact the World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the world’s population even today still uses herbs as their primary source of medicine. Every tradition of medicine, except for modern Western medicine, sees acne as a sign that you need to clean the blood and I can say from my own experience, this does genuinely help. Two of my favourite herbs for deeply and safely cleansing the blood and so helpling with acne are Dandelion root and Burdock root. I can't remember a case of someone with bad acne where we used these two herbs over a decent time frame and there wasn't a good improvement from them. Cleaning the skin is where most commercial acne treatments start and stop. Many of my patients who have acne have tried every mask, exfoliant, cleanser, lotion, cream, antibiotic and antiseptic there is. Their pattern is usually one of a temporary improvement with an eventual re-worsening. I notice that after a certain level of chemical applications people’s skin start to get a kind of ‘raw’ damaged appearance. You can very easily overdo chemical treatment on the skin, especially the face. I have learned to keep it really simple when it comes to external treatments for acne. I like a simple wash of tea-tree oil diluted about 1:20 in water (i.e. 10 drops of tea tree to about a dsp. of water, washed over the face and allowed to naturally evaporate) and I also usually suggest using a clay mask twice a week or once every three days. These masks are very easy to make, we provide the raw powdered clay in our clinic and recommend the person find the right amount of water to add that suits them re consistency and spreadability. You apply the wet clay to the face or affected areas, go relax somewhere comfortable and wait for it to dry out and start to crack. The immediate effect on acne is often to make it look worse for a day or so, but as all the blocked up sebum starts to get drawn out the pore starts to breathe again and there is usually a good improvement after a little while. Clay has been with us as a treatment for acne for thousands of years. Any clay can help but if you have a choice there are some subtle differences as follows. ~ Red Clay: ~ Pink Clay: ~ Yellow Clay: ~ Green Clay: ~ Blue Clay: ~ White Clay:
I have worked with hundreds of people with acne and have had an exceptionally high percentage of success along the way with those who stuck at it but I can tell you that you may need to be very patient with this kind of natural health approach. If you are looking for a quick fix through herbs and natural medicines then I would gently suggest you are not ready for this path. If however you are ready to commit to doing whatever it takes to get better for however long it takes then do find a good herbalist to help you on your way, it will make a world of difference.
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