Choosing a natural acne skin care regime will go a long way to making sure you will be able to look into the mirror each morning feeling confident with a clearer happier complexion looking back at you.
Firstly, What is Acne?
Acne is usually considered an adolescent affliction affecting up to 80% of teenagers, although it is not uncommon for adults to suffer from acne too.
Types of Acne
- Acne vulgaris, the most common form of acne, consists of whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and deep cysts that appear mainly on the face and to a lesser extent on the chest, shoulders and back.
- Acne Rosacea can look similar to the aforementioned acne vulgaris, and the two types of acne are sometimes confused for one another.
Acne Rosacea sufferers are usually over the age of 30 and usually women, although if men have it, it is usually more severe. It appears as a red rash which is normally confined to the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. The redness is often accompanied by bumps, pimples and skin blemishes, but no blackheads. Blood vessels may also become more visible on the skin. Left untreated, it can cause swelling of the nose and the growth of excess tissue, a condition called rhinophyma. Treatment is different for rosacea than for acne, and it is important for you to consult your dermatologist as well as your naturopath about a natural acne skin care regime specific for acne rosacea.
- Severe forms of acne are rare, but they inflict great hardship to the people who experience them. Examples are Acne Conglobata, Acne Fulminans, Gram-Negative Folliculitis and Pyoderma Faciale.
Causes of Acne
Acne commences when the sebaceous ducts become blocked by skin overgrowth, forming a whitehead, or by plugs of sebum which darken on exposure to air, forming a blackhead.
When the sebum trapped in the whitehead or blackhead is forced into the deeper skin layers, an inflammatory reaction causes a red lump called a papule. If infection follows, pus collects and the classic pimple (pustule) is seen. When the inflammatory condition is severe, large and painful cysts may form.
Acne is often associated with hormonal imbalance, and will typically develop during puberty when hormonal activity increases the size and activity of the sebaceous glands. Some women also experience acne as a component of pre-menstrual syndrome.
The naturopathic view is that acne is aggravated by ineffective toxin elimination, which may be related to a build-up in the system due to the liver’s inability to effectively break down circulatory toxins. It can also be initiated by food sensitivities, nutritional deficiencies, poor gut bacteria, poor diet and stress.