Chocolate Binges! Does Chocolate Cause Acne?
Young people have been suffering with acne since the dawn of time.
To some degree, it affects about 80% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 44 and has now become the most commonly treated skin abnormality.
I don't care what your mother told you, what you eat does not cause acne.
Chocolate and fast food does not case acne - REALLY! It's not what you DO eat but it could be what you DON"T eat that could be adding to your acne problem.
Let's take a few steps back, and give you some facts about acne: •Acne often starts at puberty when the body increases its production of androgens (hormones) •These hormones stimulate the production of sebum (an oily skin lubricant) •If sebum is secreted faster than it can move through the pores, a blemish arises •This excess oil makes the pores 'sticky', allowing bacteria to become trapped inside •Blackheads form when sebum combines with skin pigments and plugs the pores Although proper skin care is important in the treatment of acne, acne is not caused by uncleanliness, but more likely to be a result of overactive oil glands.
Right, back to your diet - we have established that what you eat does not cause acne BUT eating the right foods sure does help! The average American diet is atrocious and the average American teenager's diet is worse than atrocious! You don't have to give up all the 'good' stuff like chocolates, French fries, pizzas etc but you really do need to add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as they contain essential vitamins and minerals which will assist with the healing process.
Eat a high-fibre diet - this will help to keep your colon clean and healthy as well as ridding the body of toxins.
You will be surprised at the difference adding these foods to your diet can make to your skin.
Before rushing off to a dermatologist to get some of the magic creams, pills etc that will make the acne go away, remember that this is not the only option available.
There are some natural treatments for acne that really do work.
•Tea Tree Oil is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic.
Mix a little with carrier oil and apply to the lesions (that's the medical term for 'zits').
DO NOT apply undiluted Tea Tree oil to your skin - it WILL Burn!!! Alternatively add 1 teaspoon of Tea Tree oil to a ¼ cup of warm water and pat onto the affected area with a little cotton wool.
•Add a Zinc supplement to your diet as it will aid in the healing of tissue and helps to prevent scarring.
Zinc is also a necessary element in the oil-producing glands of the skin.
Do not exceed 100mg per day as it can upset your stomach •A good place to begin an acne program is herbal cleansing of the blood and liver.
A herbal tea consisting of Dandelion leaves, milk thistle and red clover is excellent for this purpose.
Drink a cup of this tea twice a day - do not add sugar.
Most importantly, do not squeeze the spots.
To do so is to risk increasing the inflammation by causing breaks in the skin in which the harmful bacteria can grow.
And of course, gentle, twice-daily facial cleansing is the first line of defense.
Nothing will work if you don't practice good hygiene.
That also means not touching your face with dirty hands!
To some degree, it affects about 80% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 44 and has now become the most commonly treated skin abnormality.
I don't care what your mother told you, what you eat does not cause acne.
Chocolate and fast food does not case acne - REALLY! It's not what you DO eat but it could be what you DON"T eat that could be adding to your acne problem.
Let's take a few steps back, and give you some facts about acne: •Acne often starts at puberty when the body increases its production of androgens (hormones) •These hormones stimulate the production of sebum (an oily skin lubricant) •If sebum is secreted faster than it can move through the pores, a blemish arises •This excess oil makes the pores 'sticky', allowing bacteria to become trapped inside •Blackheads form when sebum combines with skin pigments and plugs the pores Although proper skin care is important in the treatment of acne, acne is not caused by uncleanliness, but more likely to be a result of overactive oil glands.
Right, back to your diet - we have established that what you eat does not cause acne BUT eating the right foods sure does help! The average American diet is atrocious and the average American teenager's diet is worse than atrocious! You don't have to give up all the 'good' stuff like chocolates, French fries, pizzas etc but you really do need to add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as they contain essential vitamins and minerals which will assist with the healing process.
Eat a high-fibre diet - this will help to keep your colon clean and healthy as well as ridding the body of toxins.
You will be surprised at the difference adding these foods to your diet can make to your skin.
Before rushing off to a dermatologist to get some of the magic creams, pills etc that will make the acne go away, remember that this is not the only option available.
There are some natural treatments for acne that really do work.
•Tea Tree Oil is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic.
Mix a little with carrier oil and apply to the lesions (that's the medical term for 'zits').
DO NOT apply undiluted Tea Tree oil to your skin - it WILL Burn!!! Alternatively add 1 teaspoon of Tea Tree oil to a ¼ cup of warm water and pat onto the affected area with a little cotton wool.
•Add a Zinc supplement to your diet as it will aid in the healing of tissue and helps to prevent scarring.
Zinc is also a necessary element in the oil-producing glands of the skin.
Do not exceed 100mg per day as it can upset your stomach •A good place to begin an acne program is herbal cleansing of the blood and liver.
A herbal tea consisting of Dandelion leaves, milk thistle and red clover is excellent for this purpose.
Drink a cup of this tea twice a day - do not add sugar.
Most importantly, do not squeeze the spots.
To do so is to risk increasing the inflammation by causing breaks in the skin in which the harmful bacteria can grow.
And of course, gentle, twice-daily facial cleansing is the first line of defense.
Nothing will work if you don't practice good hygiene.
That also means not touching your face with dirty hands!
