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Herbs in Acne

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

Using herbs to treat acne is nothing new. In fact, in Chinese medicine, herbs and herbal acne remedies have been used for years as a means to help calm the inner turmoil in the body to help the acne heal and also to stop new acne lesions from forming.

Acne is, after all, a form of inflammation and irritation, and Chinese medicine practice is to treat what they term as “internal heat” by using a “cooling” herb or natural remedy to counter the internal heat caused by raging hormones, free radicals that are roaming rampant, destroying healthy skin cells and taking precedent over the good skin cells.

And then there are also other potential deficiencies in the body, such as zinc deficiencies or other vitamin or mineral deficiencies that have been determined to be a possible reason or contributing factor to the continuation and formation of acne vulgaris.

Herbal acne remedies are usually seeked out by those that have either already tried traditional “medical” acne treatments like tetracylcine or a variety of other antibiotics (which I personally am against, being on long term antibiotics is not good for the body), Accutane, erythromycin, Retin-A and other topical acne treatments as well as medications taken orally, or they don’t want to go down the medical road, and would like to try to holistically (naturally) treat their acne with herbal acne remedies instead.

Whatever your reasons may be for searching for alternative methods to treating your acne without traditional medications or straining visits to the dermatologist, you should know that there are some excellent alternatives that qualify as “herbal remedies” in that they use a base of plant-derived nutrients and therapeutic herbs in their formulas as a means to target the causes of acne internally.

As a teenager, the internet was not really available, so I didn’t have the resources to do the right research and find a good herbal acne remedy, so I was relinquished to going to the dermatologists office over and over again after nothing worked correctly and got rid of the acne for me. My parents wasted hundreds of dollars.

I was first prescribed an antibiotic called Tetracylcine, and that made my skin extremely photosensitive (sensitive and susceptible to sunlight and sunburn), and it also would render a birth control pill ineffective.

There are also long term consequences to taking antibiotics for a long time. There has been much speculation that taking antibiotics long term may even promote breast cancer later on in life, among other health issues it is suspect in having a part of.

I was also prescribed numerous topical remedies, including Retin-A, which just dried my skin out so bad it would chafe and bleed in the winter. I still didn’t have clear skin.

Now, with the offerings of superios products in the realm of herbal acne supplements, like the one we discuss here nonstop, which I used successfully for a course of six months a while ago, and have had minimal issues with my (now) adult acne since, young people and older people with acne have some serious alternatives that work for getting rid of acne. It’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

February 12, 2010 at 9:46 pm Comments (0)

Lemongrass Not Only Insect Repellant, May Also Help Acne?

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

I read about the benefits of lemongrass while I was recently reading about how it works as an insect repellant, because I noticed that another one of it’s listed side benefits was that it could also help with acne prone skin because of it’s antiseptic and pore-shrinking and clearing properties.  I have noticed, come to think of it, that lemongrass is listed as an ingredient in a lot of the natural soaps and face washes that I’ve looked at for skin clarity, so this didn’t really shock me.

What I was surprised at though, was that citronella, the ingredient that you always see in those mosquito repellant candles that are used outdoors to keep insects at bay, and lemongrass are one in the same thing.  It hit me though, that yes, they do smell exactly the same, but I guess I had just never thought of it. 

Citronella candles have a wonderful scent, and I’ve also had some products made with the essential oil of lemongrass, and it has a wonderful, squeaky clean smell to it the is reminiscent of freshly squeezed lemons and the feeling of thoroughly cleansed skin.  Lemongrass may be a great pore tightener too if you are interested in trying some product with the ingredient in it (if you happen to love organic and natural skin care lines like I do, or buy natural acne treatments that include ingredients you’re unsure of, lemongrass may be a beneficial one for acne prone skin).

And hey, those aren’t the only uses for this relatively cheap plant.  Lemongrass is also used extensively in both Asian and Indian cooking, and I’ve had it in a variety of exotic dishes (well, more exotic than a burger and fries, I’m not talking anything really fancy here though), and it always gives a wonderful, fresh and light taste to anything that’s seasoned with this versatile spice, skin care ingredient, and additive for natural insect repellant.  Truly, lemongrass is a multi purpose plant! 

 

July 10, 2008 at 6:11 am Comments (0)

Herbal Acne Remedies Question

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

I received this question from a reader about a couple of different herbal acne remedies that we actually recommend here called Zenmed dermacleanse and Acnezine.  Please see the following question and anser, kept anonymous of course for privacy reasons.

Question :

Im twenty-xxxx years old and hav had acne for about eight years.  I went on accutane when I was twenty-one years old and it greatly helped my acne.  However, my face still breaks out and I’m determined to get rid of my acne.  About two months ago, I started taking two pills of Acnezine and two pills of Biodermazen daily.  I was taking the Acnezine by itself for about two weeks and it improved my skin, but I’m now not sure if the Biodermazen is doing anything since I’ve only taken it in combination with the Acnezine.  Have you heard of quality results from taking Biodermazen?  I’m also about to buy Zenmed capsules.  Acne magazine seems to promote Zenmed and I was wondering if you would recommend it?  Zenmed says to take six of its product daily and I was wondering if I could continue taking two pills of acnezine along with six pills of zenmed daily?  I’m not mentioning topical products because I’ve been using xxxxxx (name of product removed per the company’s overzealous copywrite dept., sorry) and just recently switched to Exposed.
Would eight pills a day be too many?
Do you have any other internal suggestions?
I appreciate your help but please leave out the topical suggestions.
I am prepared to pay any amount of money so don’t be afraid to mention an insanely expensive great working product.
Thanks
Answer :
Wow, well I must congratulate you on your thorough research!  I’m also surprised at how many people write me to tell me that Accutane helped and then stopped working, or only got rid of so much of their acne problem and they still needed more.  As far as Zenmed goes, I highly recommend their Dermacleanse capsules.
I took the product for about two months, and continued to take the product for a few months after to maintain results.  I still periodically use the capsules if I am going through a stressful period, which for me indicates a surefire acne breakout.  I hesitate to tell you to combine so many pills.  First of all, some of the ingredients may actually negate eachother, and second I’m not so sure that cluttering your system with too many herbs and vitamins is a good idea.
You may want to contact the folks at Zenmed and get their opinion on combining products so they can give you a better idea of any interactions, but I myself would hesitate to tell anyone to take three different products at the same time.  As far as Biodermazen, unfortunately I have not gotten any feedback from readers on this over the past two or so years this site has been up and running.
I have gotten some positive feedback though on the Acnezine product as a good antioxidant for the skin and sort of an “internal cleanser” of the cells and the underlying reasons for acne.  The difference between Acnezine and Zenmed Dermacleanse is that Acnezine uses a strong antioxidant to help eradicate free radicals which in part cause acne, and Zenmed uses principals in Chinese medicine and the idea of “internal heat” and cooling (you can read more on their site about that).  Good luck with whatever you choose, but I’d recommend contact Zenmed for further direction.
December 2, 2007 at 11:24 am Comments (0)

Chaste Berry Follow Up Question

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies, Questions by Clear Skin Consultant

I received this question from a reader and wanted to post it (anonymously) so that if anyone else had the same question they could find the answer here. 

Question :
Hello,

I have just read an article on the acne magazine website about
vitex/chaste berry and its ability to regulate female hormones. I am
23 years old and about a year ago I started suffering from moderate
acne. My acne has developed because I have an excess of androgens in
my body and I am trying to seeks a natural remedy to bring my hormones
into their natural balance. I have conducted some research about vitex
and I cannot seem to fully understand whether it would help me. I have
read that it decrease estrogen is that correct? does that mean is I
take it it would just worsen my androgen-estrogen imbalance? I have
taken birth control to regulate my acne and it worked but my sex drive
was reduced and I had countless yeast infections.

Could you answer my question for me or is there someone you could
recommend me to? preferrably someone I can interact with via email
since i am in XXXXXX.

Your assistance is much appreciated.

Answer :

Hello.  Yes, I remember writing this after I had heard some interesting information about how the berry/herb is used to alleviate PMS symptoms in women by helping to manipulate the hormone levels a little better than our bodies naturally do during this period when our hormones seem to dictate our bodies actions and our moods many times as well. 
As an acne treatment on its own, I cannot say whether it would be effective, and for this information you may want to join a forum where there is a licensed herbalist that can answer that for sure for you, or perhaps seek out further advice online or from a naturopath to put you more in the right direction as to whether this herbal acne formula or acne skin vitamin whatever you might want to call it, on its own could help to treat a hormonal imbalance which results in acne.  It does sound promising though, doesn’t it?  Thanks for reading! 
 

November 29, 2007 at 6:17 am Comments (0)

Can Chaste Berry Help Regulate Female Hormones?

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

Well, it appears that there may be a new herb for female hormone regulation that I had either never heard of as a female hormone regulator, or just didn’t read enough about it.  I had, though, heard of the ChasteBerry herbal remedy before, I just didn’t understand what it’s therapeutic uses were for before I recently read about women using it to help regulate their hormones. 

Chasteberry or Vitex, as it is also called, is a remedy derived from the Chaste Tree.  It is known for having diverse qualities, meaning that it may have a totally opposite effect when either taken by a different person, or taken in varying quantities by the same person. 

A good example of this in my life is when I took too much Kava Kava, an herbal relaxant, one night before bed, and kept waking up with restless legs and a buzzing head because of the quantity.  Because I had taken too much, the oppositie, ideal effect of the herbal remedy, which is relaxation, then turned in to stimulation! 

The same can be true with Chasteberry, so you just want to be careful in dosage if you want to try it as a woman to help regulate the endocrine system, or help to normalize your male vs. female hormones, which happens to be the single most major contributor to acne vulgaris. 

In addition to its reputation in helping to regulate the hormones, Chaste also has been known to possibly produce aphrodisiac-like qualities, and is often used as a period regulator and as an herbal remedy to help stop premenstrual cramping in women.  This is probably not supposed to be used in men for regulating hormones, because it specifically is indicated to help normalize and balance the female hormone production of progesterone. 

Another herbal remedy that I feel helps normalize the whole endocrine system and also helps to internally “calm” stress and help reduce inflammation and acne all together is the Dermacleanse system – the good thing about it is that it can be used by men and women though. 

May 25, 2007 at 10:49 am Comments (0)

Question From Reader About Herbal Acne Remedy

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

Question from reader : Hi,

Thank you so much for your tips. I also break out with stress and I
am almost always stressed out with school work.

I’ve been on the Zenmed treatment for about a week and my acne has
gotten a little worse so far, but I am also a week away from my period
and that usually causes me to break out more as well. About how long
did it take to work on you?

Thanks,
XXXXX

Answer : 

Hi XXXX.  It took a good 3-4 weeks before I started to clear up.  I did get worse for the first few weeks I was on it as well.  I would definitely give it some time, as you may just be adjusting to it, and of course stress and hormonal factors could also play a factor, but this herbal remedy should really help to counterbalance those once it “kicks in”.  Hope this helps.
February 7, 2007 at 11:09 pm Comments (0)

Dermacleanse Herbal Acne Capsules : What’s In Them?

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies by Clear Skin Consultant

Dermacleanse capsules are one of my favorite natural acne remedies right now.  Of course, it’s been over four years since I used them, but I loved what they did for my face and still consider them one of the best natural acne treatments on the market today. 

I stayed on the natural acne pills for about four months, and while my skin did get worse at first, as is common from what I understand on many herbal and even medical pills used to treat acne, my face cleared beautifully while using the entire Dermacleanse system, and I never had to use the capsules again. 

I’ve had the occasional breakout since then of course, but not nearly the severity of what they used to be.  I usually just use spot treatments now when I have problem areas.  I would recommend you take a look at them for sure.  I wouldn’t have them on here if they didn’t work (at least they worked well for me!). 

Here are the active ingredients in the Dermacleanse Capsules by Zenmed :

Neem 100 mg
Chaste Tree 91 mg
Forsythia 70 mg
Gardenia 70 mg
Honeysuckle 70 mg
Red Dahlia 70 mg
Yellow Dock 70 mg
Burdock 70 mg
Dandelion 56 mg
Chamomile 50 mg
Sarsaparilla 50 mg
Milk Thistle 45 mg
Schizonepeta 42 mg
Red Peony Root
October 25, 2006 at 5:50 am Comments (0)

Dietary Supplements : Definition

Filed under Herbal Acne Remedies, Vitamins for Acne by Clear Skin Consultant

You’ve undoubtedly read that there are certain “dietary supplements” which can supposedly help clear your acne up, and are probably curious if they really work, are worth the time, money and hope, and if they are safe. 

Well, I thought it would be good to go over exactly how the government regulating agency the FDA actually defines a “dietary supplement” – whether it claims to help with acne or other skin conditions, or has other purposes in human health promotion. 

A dietary supplement is one that is sold over the counter (OTC), and is taken voluntarily by an individual, whether it be to improve upon a health condition, or simply enhance their health, well being (mental and physical), or perhaps comsetically improve their appearance. 

The latter, cosmetic dietary supplements, are becoming more popular and widely used, such as herbal acne supplements aimed at clearing up acne and other skin problems, or simply improving the overall condition of the skin. 

There is an act that was enforced by the FDA called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), which stated that the dietary supplement maker was responsible for ensuring that it’s dietary products was safe for human consumption, before any marketing even took place, and certainly before anyone was sold the dietary supplement.

The FDA is also responsible for taking action against any dietary supplement which is deemed unsafe through a series of checks and balances after it reaches the consumer’s market. While dietary acne supplement manufacturers do not need to register their product or gain approval with the FDA, they are not allowed to label the supplement in any way that is misleading or omits any ingredients. 

August 4, 2006 at 5:03 am Comments (0)

How Many Folks Ask Dermatologists About Natural Options?

Filed under Acne News, Acne Skin Care, Herbal Acne Remedies, Medical Acne Treatments, Natural Acne Treatments by Clear Skin Consultant

I had a curious conversation with a good friend tonight over dinner.  She said she asked her dermatologist about a very well known natural alternative to treat her particular skin condition, and although hundreds of people have experienced great relief using this particular skin car product, the dermatologist “poo pooed” the treatment.

This doesn’t really surprise me all that much.  I mean, if these natural treatments really did work, oh my gosh, the dermatologists might be out of a job some day.  While I’m being facetious of course, this is a good example of how the medical field will try to discredit a number of natural treatment options, on everything from cancer to skin care, without actually knowing or studying that particular natural treatment.

It’s just interesting, that’s all.  Especially when I receive emails all the time telling me how natural acne treatments have worked for people where traditional medical acne treatments have failed them.

June 23, 2006 at 11:06 pm Comments (0)

Acnezine Email Received

Filed under Acne Product Reviews, Herbal Acne Remedies, Questions by Clear Skin Consultant

I get a lot of email from people who’ve read reviews or articles posted on this magazine, and want more information or simply want to share their thoughts or ideas on how best to treat acne, acne scarring, teen acne, adult acne, rosacea, acne rosacea, etc.  I thought it would be a great service to start posting these emails, without names of course, for privacy, for everyone to see. 

I figured if one person has this question, there must be others out there who have the same question too.  You may have noticed I’ve posted a few already, but I just decided to make it regular practice.  Here goes, this one is about the medical acne treatment alternative Acnezine :

Comment : I definitely like your review about acnezine and thank you
very much for it because people these days tend to be very skeptical
about acne products since there are so many on the market. I know acuzine
will work for me since i have acne and acne scars and the thing is that
my dermatologist told me to take accutane since i have a long history
of acne including pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, on the face,
back,chest and arm as well. That is why i have the acne scars and am trying to
eradicate them. if you have any additional comments of acuzine that
will be great otherwise i will order 6 month supply since your website
stated to use it longer for the permanent results right? please offer any
other suggestions if possible one more thing, i am using a medication,
topical one, for my face acne so topically i am fine but i think my
problem is more internal 

Reply : You are correct, that you can only do so much topically to treat your acne, then at some point, you do need to start treating it internally, and there are natural ways to do this, that are not harmful like antibiotics can be, and we all know accutane’s reputation. 

Acnezine is indeed a good product to take which internally goes to work on treating acne.  What it is, is a powerful antioxidant combo which internally “cleanses” your skin and again brings you back to clarity through a series of attacks on the internal impurities and toxins that are causing your hormones to tell your skin to produce acne.  Now, what I always tell people about Acnezine, is to be patient. 

True, some people may clear up in just weeks, but also some people may find that their skin gets worse in the first few weeks of treatment (similar to accutane and some other medical acne treatments), because the skin is bringing all of these impurities to the surface, before they are all eradicated.  This is normal, so don’t think it’s not working - this SHOULD just be temporary, if it even happens to you at all.  This is also why I recommend longer treatments – 6 months if possible, to ensure permanent, lasting results, as well as allow for this possible “adjustment period”.

I only mention this because it has been reported, but these people also report their skin then cleared up very well after this “adjustment period”.  Acnezine is an excellent choice.

Hope this helps.

Please feel free to join this free forum on acne discussion also:

DiscussAcne.com
 

 

June 6, 2006 at 9:16 am Comments (0)

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