Acne Magazine

I was reading about a scrub that is used by Greek women (at least it was a trend that was started by Greek women as I understand it), and wondered if it might be more beneficial or harmful to people with acne prone skin or acne rosacea or rosacea prone skin, and thought that it could possibly be good for any skin type, as long as it is not used during periods of flareups for either sufferer, because any “treatment” may be irritating when one’s skin is already suffering an inflammation of some sort.

The simple idea that sugar - just regular, granulated sugar like you’d put in your coffee or on your unsweetened cereal in the morning, mixed with a little fresh lemon juice from a freshly squeezed lemon, may help soothe and smoothe the skin is definitely one that makes sense.  Sugar possesses an exfoliating ability due it’s granular form.  Not only that, but it also does have some beneficial compounds that can help smoothe out the skin.

The lemon juice is pretty obvious, since lemons have a high concentration of Vitamin C, which is one of my favorite topically applied vitamins for helping even out the skin tone and helping to make sure the skin turns over at a rapid rate, which is the key to maintaining that fresh look that so many people associate with youth and vitality.

Lemon juice is also a natural astringent, meaning it can help tighten and clear pores, as well as help kill harmful surface bacteria.  You can use the sugar and lemon juice gentle exfoliant as an occasional cheap exfoliant, but don’t expect any serious exfoliation from this if you are looking for a something akin to a home microdermabrasion system for acne scarring or something to that affect.  This would just be a nice little in between treatment to help pep the skin up and give it a little kick in the pants toward looking fresher and more vibrant, without doing a full on treatment. 

We just recently purchased an infrared sauna, and by recently I mean literally 4 days ago.  Since purchasing and setting the sauna up, we have used it every single night.  It’s primary purpose is for relaxation and muscle and joint pain relief, since both of us suffer from back and neck pain, and have desk jobs that just make it worse during the day. 

However, after extensive reading on infrared saunas, I discovered that many people said nightly or frequent sauna bathing helped their skin problems clear up immensely, one of those skin conditions being our favorite friend, acne.  I have talked before about how I felt that using a regular sauna at my work gym once in a while seemed to really give my skin a nice, soft glow and even helped it to clear up a few years ago. 

Well, this sauna we purchased is not the normal type of sauna, which uses steam heat or regular heat to heat the body.  By regular heat, I mean a heat that heats the air around your body, and therefore may become a little uncomfortable on the eyes and the skin, whereas an infared sauna uses infared heat, which heats the body directly and penetrated the skin and tissue more deeply. 

This deeper penetration supposedly makes the infrared heat sauna a better source of muscle and joint pain soothing, since it can better reach the source of the problem and therapeutically heat it, thereby reducing swelling and pain.

Also, infrared heat helps to stimulate the circulation and is supposed to increase the metabolic rate.  The increase in circulation should be good for the skin because it stimulates healing and promotes a better circulation of impurities out of the skin.  The sweat that is produced by the infrared heat is supposed to contain impurities and toxins, and that is another reason they are supposed to be good for both detoxification and increasing the stimulation of the circulation and healing process.

I am already noticing a softer feel to my skin, and it appears very healthy and well colored after the sauna bathing.  We bathe for about a half hour, sometimes a bit longer, and we make sure we stay in until we break a  pretty good sweat.  More on this to come as I experience the sauna’s hopefully good effects on my skin! 

I have an interesting story about my experience (very recent) with the Master Cleanse detox diet program and my skin.  First of all, I do have to tell you upfront, I only made it on this very strict diet regime for two and a half days.  Second, I have to tell you, I think it did improve my skin in just those two days I was on it.  You may have heard of the Master Cleanse diet system which is known for being extremely hard to follow, as well as being beneficial to those who can complete the ten day regimen without any real food.

The Master Cleanse has had some negative and positive publicity.  I think the negative probably comes from people who’ve tried it and thought it made them sick, when in fact, this was just their body’s way of purging it of the buildup of toxins and foods that have been consumed a long time ago.  For some of the acne products that can help eliminate toxins and hormonal imbalances, see acne product reviews and the Clear Pores review page.

These people usually don’t make it past 3-5 days, and this is the crucial part where you do start to feel sick.  I did experience feeling sick, and I went off of it because I knew I couldn’t deal with the diet’s stringency right now, due to the stress of the holidays and some other personal affairs that are going on.  However, I’m going to definitely do the whole regimen after the holidays, when I don’t have so many obligations and can focus more on healing my body and cleansing it. 

I do have to say, being on the Master Cleanse for just those two days did make my skin look as if it had just had a facial all the time.  It looked “glowing” on the second day of the cleanse, and I didn’t break out or anything, in fact my skin seemed to be healing itself, if that makes any sense.  Here’s why the Master Cleanse is so hard. 

You only drink a lemonade drink that is made of purified water, cayenne pepper, organic lemon juice, and Grade B maple syrup.  The Grade B maple syrup is supposed to provide all the nutrients you need as well as stabilize your blood sugar.  Believe me, you will experience hunger and temptation during the first few days, but I’ve heard it supposedly subsides after 3-5 days for most people. 

It is hard when you are around people who are eating right in front of you, but if you have the willpower to cleanse your body and purge it of the buildup of toxins, you can do it.  I did get sick with a slight sore throat and also a constant coating on my tongue for the second day, but that wasn’t too bad to deal with. 

You also have to take an herbal laxative tea every night and morning, or you can do the saltwater internal bath every morning, and you have to be close to a toilet for that!  Like I said, it is extreme, and definitely not for everyone, but I do believe it could benefit acne sufferers by cleansing the body as well as helping with sugar cravings and other naughty food cravings, which we all know can lead to acne in the future. 

I also like the fact that you are drinking organic lemon juice which I believe has many skin benefits, and the cayenne also helps to increase circulation, which might also account for my “glowing complexion”.   When I actually do the full run of the Master Cleanse, I will keep you posted on what it has done for my complexion and acne breakouts!

I have told you about an alternative acne treatment device that uses laser light therapy to help treat light lines and wrinkles, as well as rosacea and acne rosacea, well now, a company is working on and having younger teenage subjects test out, a laser light pen that uses varying degrees of light therapy - blue light and red light - to help treat existing acne lesions as well as target those ones below the surface that have yet to make an appearance, before they come up to the surface.

One wavelength the subjects can use treats the acne that’s already on the surface, and then there is another light that they can adjust their small, portable pen to that is a stronger light wavelength, which penetrates the layers of skin more deeply and targets those below-the-surface zits that are brewing underneath, and tend to be more agressive, more painful, and harder to get rid of.

The brains behind the new acne light treatment pen says that the goal right now is to give relief of acne lesions within 24 hours, but his overall goal is to give the patient relief in total - meaning no acne at all I guess - within 48 hours.  We’ll see how this new pen tests out.  I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be offered as a prescription only device, and will be FDA approved, or will be sold online as the newscast I watched did not specify, but it has yet to finish it’s trials. 

Next on the horizon, the company who has thought of the acne pen wants to create a whole face mask that uses light therapy, and treats a wide range of facial skin issues, but allover at once, since the mask can be treating the entire face at one time, instead of moving a pen over the face, which would be more of a spot treatment option.  This could be one of the greatest alternative acne treatments ever, if it proves to be as successful as the company is hoping! 

If you’re a requent reader, you’ve probably noticed how I’ve talked about the ways in which I believe my (albeit infrequent) trips to the sauna where I work helped my skin look much clearer, working as part of an alternative acne treatment regimen and may have even helped my skin heal some acne blemishes a lot quicker. Our sauna at work does use infrared heat I believe, which means that it does not rely on heat to heat the actual area around your body to warm the body up like a steambath would, but rather radiant or infrared heat actually has the ability to heat the body’s tissues directly.

I think that being on the birth control pill Ortho Tri Cyclen is actually helping my acne after about a month and a half on it.  I finally noticed that it was helping yesterday, when I looked in the mirror and had less bumps on my face, and also when I wash my face, I notice that I feel smoother.  I will say though, that being on the pill tends to make my face look more uneven it seems, at least until I actually grow accustomed to it.  I guess what I mean by uneven is that the coloring is off.  It’s not all one even color, whether it’s tan or pale, like it should be.

I went on the generic form of the Ortho Tri Cyclen pill, which actually concerned me because my doctor did tell me that contrary to what most people think, generics of medications do not actually legally have to be identical to their brand name counterparts, but they do have to have a percentage of similarity to pass the “generic” test.  It concerned me since I thought that the reason that specifically Ortho Tri Cyclen was recommended for those that have acne was that it had a specific blend of hormones and inert ingredients that helped with the production of acne and excess oil by hormonally balancing the body. 

However, my physician also told me that several birth control pills do help with acne, even the ones that are not triphasic in nature, but they just can’t claim that because they didn’t pay to have the studies done like Ortho did to be able to make the claim that it can help clear acne.  So, from there I guess that I made the decision that it was ok to get the generic, and I’m glad I did make that decision since most insurance companies will pay significantly more of the cost of the medication if you go with generic, and it seems I am getting the same results as I would have with brand name. 

I still have some acne, and don’t believe that the pill should be used as the only means to clear it, so I’ll keep buying and trying products to review and see if I like, but I think the pill is helping.  The weight gain sucks though.  I don’t care what they say, the pill does make you gain weight - at least for me it does. 

I was shopping on Amazon.com the other day, and ran across this book, which received very high reviews and marks from readers, about how women of any age can and should cope with acne.  I think the book is a great idea, especially considering the fact that more women than ever now are suffering from acne well into their thirties and forties these days thanks to higher stress levels, and it may also be attributed to the higher levels of hormones in our food, as well as other outside factors that are beyond our control. 

It discusses those things that most mature women aren’t sure of if they still suffer from acne, such as what products are appropriate for aging skin, skin that is approaching menopause, skin of a woman who is pregnant, and generally, adult female skin.  In other words, what products will treat the acne on a full grown adult woman’s skin without completely ruining her skin around the acne, or helping to accelerate the aging process elsewhere by drying out the skin and irritating it in the most delicate of areas. 

I know for myself as an adult woman, one of the biggest challenges is to find products that I can use that will both be effective in preventing and treating existing acne, but also be good for my skin allover, and gentle.  The author of the book approaches such subjects as how to buy over the counter products that won’t ruin your skin but will also be effective at treating their acne, how to emergency-treat acne lesions that pop up virtually overnight with products that you may already have in your bathroom or even your kitchen, and how to keep acne scarring to a minimum and also to reduce the appearance of current acne scars.

And, best of all, she goes into alternative acne treatments such as herbal acne supplements (such as Acnezine), vitamins for acne and for the skin, and other alternative, non-prescription or pharmaceutical ways to get rid of adult acne in women.  Who knows, this book also sounds like an adult male with acne may benefit from reading it, but it is geared toward women’s skin.  Maybe she’ll come out with a Man’s Guide to Dealing with Adult Acne too! 

This isn’t much of a stretch actually, that the nervous system-calming practice of yoga could help clear up acne, which is a problem often made worse by taxed nerves and stress (at least in my case, 90% of the time I get a big zit, it is brought on by stress and anxiety of various kinds).  Yoga is an ancient practice that has some religious undertones, but which primarily exists for the peaceful existence and a peaceful coexistence between humans and nature, bringing people more in tune with themselves, and with nature. 

I practice yoga for its benefits for the immune system and for its stress-fighting benefits both.  I also like to practice yoga because it keeps me in a peaceful state of mind, and keeps my nervous system more even, smooth and more calm.  Likewise, it does seem when I am exercising regularly as well as practicing yoga, my skin tends to look it’s best. 

Is yoga the end to the means or the means to the end in this case, I don’t know, but I take what I can get when it comes to my skin, even if it is just a psychosomatic benefit I am getting from it. 

Practicing yoga not only can help with stress and increase muscle flexibility, keeping you young and lithe, but it also increases blood oxygenation, another key to beautiful, youthful, blemish-free and resilient skin.  When we do not get enough oxygen in our blood, our body tends to age faster, and our skin definitely shows this in its tone, luster and clarity.  It can be an excellent addition to our alternative acne treatment regimens that most of us have undoubtedly made for ourselves if we have had this touchy skin condition ever. 

Also, when we are stressed, we tend to breathe less efficiently, and yoga teaches us and conditions us to constantly keep a smooth, even breath, which keeps that oxygen flow going, and in turn destresses our mind and skin. 

A reader had a question about alternatives to traditional acne treatments : Please read :

Reader Question :

Hi,

I just visited your website for the first time today and, for the most
part, I found it really helpful. It’s really hard for me to trust the
reviews of acne products on their actual websites and I feel that you
bring a much needed honest opinion about many of the products.

Now, onto my question. I have had acne since I was around 13 or so (I
am now 21) and I have gone to many dermatologists to aid me in finding
a solution to my mild case of cystic acne. So far, very few topical
and oral medications have produced any results and if they have, the
results never last. Because of this, my current dermatologist wants
to me to try accutane. I am very afraid to try it and I simply cannot
afford it.

I want to try some sort of herbal medication, such as Acnezine,
Clearpores, or the Zemned Dermacleanse herbal capsules, all of which
you have given positive reviews. Of these three, which, in your
honest opinion, has worked the best? I would like to order one of the
three as soon as possible, but I’m not sure which one to get.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this rather long but
desperate email.

AcneMagazine.com Answer :

Hi XXXXX.  I understand, trust me.  I was on many different antibiotics as a teen, and on through my twenties I also suffered acne, bordering on cystic acne.  My favorite product, and actually one that I am on now because I had a recurrence of acne (I’m now 32, and need follow up treatments every once in a while - it seems my oil glands are overproductive again due to stress and hormonal imbalances right now), is the Dermacleanse system from Zenmed. 

The Dermacleanse capsules in particular, I find are superior for treating acne naturally.  You do have a waiting period, and I’ve found myself that my acne actually has gotten worse during the first week to three weeks while on the product, but after about 3-4 months, I noticed a great clearing of my skin, a new smoothness, that I can only attrribute to this system. 

I did use it once before, about five years ago, and experienced similar results.  I recommend you check it out, definitely - here’s a link if you want to hear more info - Dermacleanse Review.

Good luck in whatever you choose, whether it be Accutane, or any other dermatological treatment, or natural acne treatment Angie!  I know what you’re going through……

Please bookmark AcneMagazine.com for more updates, tips and information on acne skin care. 

Actually, you’re not alone. Many women, both younger and older, who have stopped taking the birth control pill, experience a resurgence of their acne. Especially those women who had acne before they went on the pill and experienced a skin clearing effect from being on the birth control pill.