Beautifying Foods South Shore Skin Center Dermatologists Share Insight on Foods that are Good for the Skin

January 7, 2010 · Health & Fitness · (No comments)

Author: Steve Dubin
Source: articlesbase.com

DATELINE: COHASSET AND PLYMOUTH, MASS… South Shore Skin Center practitioners share their insight on various foods that may (and those that may not) help you maintain beautiful skin:  Foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables are highly beneficial to the skin.  Dairy is not beneficial to the skin, but it’s not bad for it either. There has been some controversy about dairy causing acne, but the doctors at South Shore Skin Center maintain that dairy does not cause acne.  Whole grains that are low-fat are good for the skin. Bear in mind that grains such as flaxseed are better absorbed by the body if they are ground into meal before eating them. Adding at least one teaspoon of ground flaxseed to your diet per day is sufficient.  Good hydration is good for the skin. Beware of drinking beverages containing caffeine, which is a diuretic. Drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages is not recommended because caffeine in large amounts will have a dehydrating effect. Drinking water is best for hydration.  Try to eat foods that are rich in Omega 3s, which are essential fatty acids and benefit all organs. A typical diet that includes soybean oil has a much higher ratio of Omega 6, which actually blocks Omega 3 absorption. It’s better to eat foods made with olive or canola oil as these have a low ratio of Omega 6 and will not block the absorption of Omega 3s.  “When it comes to the health and beauty of the skin, the foods that we eat really do play an important part,” noted Dr. Richard Eisen, a board certified dermatologist and founder of South Shore Skin Center.  South Shore Skin Center Founded in 1984, South Shore Skin Center is one of Massachusetts’ most progressive dermatology practices offering a wide range of medical, surgical and cosmetic services.  South Shore Skin Center’s cosmetic services include Fraxel re:pair and re:store; Gentle YAG, innovative Laser, IPL (Intensive Pulse Light), Thermage and treatments for age spots, acne scarring, birth marks, tattoos and more. The practice also offers a full range of affordable anti-aging services including Botox, wrinkle fillers, Microdermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels.  South Shore Skin Center offices are located at 223 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Suite 202 in Cohasset, Mass. (781) 383-3340, and 45 Resnik Road, Suite 102 in Plymouth, Mass., (508) 747-0711. For more information, visit their website SouthShoreSkinCenter.com.   Â

Have Patience With Your Skin Care Products

December 28, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: JoElla Milanbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Trying a new product on your skin? You use it for 2 days and decide that it is not working. You were expecting beautiful results overnight. Lets be realistic, that does not happen. We all want that jar of cream that gives us beautiful, flawless, porcelain skin, or the perfect canvas to show our beauty. What about those purple spots on the face from picking at our pimples. If you pick at your face, it will not be healed unless you do something positive to help your skin.

The most important thing to remember, is that it took your skin some time to get in this shape. It is going to take time to make it right again. Purple spots do not just disappear. They have to slowly fade. The same with blemishes. They are under the skin. You have to kill the bacteria and heal what is causing your skin breakout.

Anti Aging is another story. We all spent time out in the sun without our sunscreen. Maybe we smoke, or are under stress. All of these will add to the aging process. You still go to bed with make up on the face, just as you always have. You are too tired to clean and nourish the skin before you retire. This has to stop.

Remember everything that you have ever done to your skin in your youth, starts showing up as you get older. I find the early 40s your skin goes through some major changes. You must be ready to nurture your skin before you arrive at that age. If you are 40 and older, dont worry, it is never too late to start.

Working with people online for 14 years, I know how quickly people want results. I support my customers while they are going through the process of changing their skin. If they tell me they do not like a product, I make sure they are using it properly. Most of the time they are not. If a customer is having some type of issue with their skin, we work on it together until we achieve the results we want.

Yes, sometimes a products does not work for you. You must give it a chance to see if it is right for your skin, and then you can change. If you have breakouts, you have to understand that the skin must be healed below the surface of the skin. Your skin might purge or bring up the bad stuff under the skin to make you break out. Once the skin purges, then you have the opportunity to heal it with the right products.

Once you are ready for healing, it is best to go slowly. Try one product at a time. If you are trying a new skin care line, you cannot add 5 new products in one day and expect a miracle. Introduce each product slowly, and see the results it is having on your skin. That way, if there is a problem, you know what is causing it.

Many times it is necessary to back off a few days and then start again. Your skin might be sensitive at first until it has acclimated to the new products. Try your new product for a few days. If you see a reaction, stop until your skin calms down. Then go back slowly once a day until you see the results you are looking for.

Our skin needs to be treated gently. There are so many wonderful products to help us through whatever issue we might have. It is a wonderful time for skin care. There is an answer for every problem. We just have to find the right answer…… patiently.

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pJoElla Milan is an Esthetican and Skin Care Consultant that has been online 14 Years online, bringing you the Best for Less in the products she sells. Her website. a target=_new href=http://www.karinherzog-jmilan.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.karinherzog-jmilan.com/a and a target=_new href=http://joellasbeautyblog.com rel=nofollowhttp://joellasbeautyblog.com/a are both very informative She takes the time to find out your needs and works with each individual to explore various products until they find what works for them./pbr
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Sensitive Skin Needs a Lot of TLC

December 16, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: Wendy Owenbr
Source: articleage.combr
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Do you dread trying to find a cosmetic because you know that chances are its going to cause your skin to burn and turn red? Do you have a bathroom cupboard full of creams and lotions that you have only used once or twice because they reacted badly with your face? Then you have sensitive skin which is probably the most frustrating skin type to have. So how do you deal with it?
The main problems with sensitive skin are redness, burning, tightness, dryness and irritation. This skin type can also be prone to dermatitis, eczema or acne. The first course of action would be to find out if an allergy is causing the problem.
A dermatologist may perform a patch test to see if you are susceptible to one of the more common allergens. It may be an ingredient in a cosmetic, it may even be a dietary allergy or food intolerance. If allergy is ruled out then the problem is genetic and there are still several things that can be done to help the situation.
When buying any cosmetic always look for Hypo Allergenic on the label. This does not guarantee it wont react to you skin but it does mean that some or most of the common allergens have been omitted from the product such as sulphates perfume and some colors, check the label if not sure.
Preservatives used to increase the shelf life of a product can be some of the main irritants. Put a little bit on a small patch of skin before spreading all over your face.
Try to find products that have fewer ingredients, the more ingredients in a product, the greater the chance your skin will find one it doesnt like! Avoid fragrances in anything you put on you face, it is an unnecessary ingredient and only included to make the product commercially acceptable.
Dont use exfoliants on sensitive skin, even the gentlest ones are still too harsh, ditto with harsh soaps. Forget toners and astringents that contain alcohol, they are too drying. Try cleansing only at night with perhaps a splash of warm water in the mornings, over-cleansing can irritate sensitive skins.
Do you live in an extreme climate? Extreme heat or cold can take its toll on sensitive skin as can strong winds and, of course, sun exposure. Try not to go outdoors more than you absolutely have to when conditions are extreme. Always wear a sunblock with an SPF of 15 at least.
Is there anything your skin comes into contact with regularly like pillowcases or towels which could be making the problem worse? Wash these in a low irritant detergent or pure soap and rinse really well. Dont use fabric softeners as these add fragrance – see if this helps.
It is also worth having a look at your diet. Do you love spicy foods? Try cutting them out for a week or so and see if this makes any difference. If so bring them back gradually and see if the problems re occur.
Omega oils can help sensitive skin, in fact all skin types benefit from these. They can be found in fish especially oily fish like salmon. Alternatively you can buy them in capsule form if fish is not your thing. Antioxidants like vitamin C and E will improve your skin from the inside and are worth taking if your diet is less than perfect!
Its hard to find anything good to say about smoking, this is no exception! Smoking replaces the oxygen in the blood with carbon monoxide, uses up Vitamin C along with a slew of other things which are bad for the skin and bad for your health. Try cutting it down if you cant cut it out completely
I guess this advice has seemed like a litany of do this, dont do that! There is no simple answer to sensitive skin. Try some or all of these tips and if nothing seems to help visit a dermatologist, they are there to help.
Like to have better looking skin? http://www.holistic-facial-skin-care.com will give you detailed information on all facets of skin care. The author, Wendy Owen has had a lifetime interest in general and alternative health and skin care.br
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Selecting Natural Herbal Skin Care

December 12, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: Robert G. Thatcherbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
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Whether for themselves or for their kids, many people today are very concerned about their skin care products. Many of the commercial skin care products sold today contain chemicals and preservatives that dont perform what they promise to do. Our skin may be left too dry after moisturizers and lotions go off. This is very bad for the skin since it is more prone to problems at this stage even more so than before putting on the lotion.

General Content of Herbs

An alternative that many seek these days are natural herbal skin care products which are purely made from herbs and other natural resources blended together at the best level. Besides having what they are four, these products generally contain natural herbs such as Goldenseal and Echinacea in almost all of them.

The ingredients in these natural herbal skin care products are used as natural resources for antibiotic and immune building. These herbal products also provide healing to various skin problems such as infections, rashes, cracking and others when used for a long period of time Aromatherapy.

Specific and Harmless Contents

Exclusive herbal ingredients are found in many natural herbal skin care products that work only for a particular purpose without affecting other aspects of the skin, unlike the commercial skin care products on the market today. For example, having exposure to the skin for a maximum period of six hour with a commercial moisturizer would usually cause the chemicals inside to do some other activities on the skin, without the individuals knowledge. The herbs in natural herbal skin care products are very much specific so they are able to perform on the maximum level.

Witchhazel is an ingredient in natural herbal skin care solutions for acne since it acts as a natural astringent for those with oily skin problems. Not harm is done by having these products on the skin, but commercial products with the same function that have ingredients such as 1, 4-dioxane and methylparaben which when exposed for longer period of time can be very harmful to the skin.

Essential oils and herbal extracts are used to hand make these natural herbal skin care products. It takes many years of product researches to come up with one particular one, so that the product does not cause any harm for those who want an alternate to the commercial skin care product Beauty Tips./pbr
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The Best Acne Treatment Is Right In Your Kitchen!

November 30, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: Louise Forrestbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
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So you have broken out with a bad attack of acne, have you? Chances are that you are quite upset and have probably lost no time at all in looking for a remedy for your acne problem. But if you have thought of looking in the shops, why not stop and think about what you can find closer to home, right in your own kitchen, in fact!!

Acne solutions are closer than you think. Before you work yourself into a state of distress over your acne problem, remember that there is help at hand, no more than a stone throw away, in your own kitchen!! All too often, people with skin problems tend to look at products that are commercially available, quite forgetting that they can get so much more from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables, without spending a penny.

Some magic for your acne problems. So let us take a look at what we have got. You will be amazed once you really try to start looking for acne remedies in your kitchen. Here are a few examples:

Apply a paste of honey and cinnamon powder on your acne before you go to sleep at night. Wash it off the next morning, using warm water. Do this for two weeks and watch your acne vanish for good!

Apply toothpaste on your acne at bedtime and wash it off in the morning. You may have to do this a few times, but you will surely see the difference it makes to your skin.

Apply a pulp of ripe tomatoes on your acne, leave it on for one hour and wash it off. Do this a few times and watch the effect on your skin.

Cover painful acne swellings with strawberry leaves and watch the swellings subside.

Wash your face and then pat the acne affected areas with balls of cotton wool soaked in vinegar.

A paste of fenugreek leaves applied to your acne overnight and washed off the next day is very effective.

Lightly apply a small quantity of egg white on your pimples, leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off.

Grind sesame seeds to a paste with water and use it as a pack to heal skin that has been inflamed by rashes, allergies or acne.

Do the same thing with orange peel, use it as a facemask and remove it after half an hour. Watch your skin glow!

Another effective remedy for acne is a paste of sandalwood made with rose water and applied to the acne. Wash it away after half an hour.

Your best bet for acne problems. Well, those are just a few examples of acne remedies that could be available to you any time you want. Why go through the headache of coping with treatments and medications you know very little about and take the risk of dealing with unpleasant side effects, when you can get so much for so little right in your own home?

What could be better than treating your acne with natural products straight from your kitchen? Even acne treatment products that claim to contain natural ingredients can never be quite the same as the stuff that comes right out of your kitchen. You would surely agree with that!

Of course it is true that some of these treatments may have to be repeated several times before you can really see the difference. But then, you know that you are getting the very best of care from natural products. What more could you want?

So the next time you have an outbreak of acne, resist the urge to look for remedies in the shops and go instead to your very own kitchen, where you know you will find everything you need to treat your acne. Plenty of reason to keep smiling!!/pbr
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Choosing an Acne Skin Care System

November 30, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: Jayden Andersonbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Choosing an acne skin care system can be difficult with all of the options that are currently available on the market. Each system has a skin type that it tends to work really well with, and luckily for you Ive done the research! Well take a look at three skin types; oily, balanced, and sensitive and share which skin care systems will give the best results.

For oily skin Acne Free delivers the best results. The active ingredients in Acne Free are a bit harsher than the ones in the other acne care systems were going to look at. For people with a dry face, Acne Free tends to dry it out severely and cause major breakouts before beginning the healing process. While this is bad for those with dry skin, people with an oily face can use this as a major advantage to getting their acne cleared up.

For balanced skin Proactiv gives the best results. It seems as if Proactive was developed to be the generic blend of ingredients that will deliver results to almost anyone who uses it, just at different speeds. If youre lucky enough to have balanced skin, you probably dont need much of a push to get it cleared up, and Proactiv will do exactly that.

If you suffer from having a sensitive face the Neutrogena Advanced Solutions treatment system will get you the clear skin you want. All of Neutrogenas products work great on a sensitive face, and this isnt an exception. They design their products so that they can clear acne without causing any more irritation than whats already there.

These certainly arent the only acne treatment systems around, but they are the most popular. If you suffer from acne, these can be the cure that youve been looking for!

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pJayden Anderson is the author of the blog Best Acne Treatment Guide. There he examines what the a target=_new href=http://bestacnetreatmentguide.com rel=nofollowbest treatments for acne/a are and other, more technical things like a target=_new href=http://bestacnetreatmentguide.com/popping-zits rel=nofollowpopping zits/a./pbr
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Acne Free Treatment

November 28, 2009 · Uncategorized · (No comments)

Author: Chelsea Ciszewskicbr
Source: isnare.combr
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Acne is very common among teenagers, and adolescents. No one is really sure what causes acne, or why it is known to form in the teen years. Although scientists dont know what causes it but heredity is at the top of the list of possible factors. Heredity has long been thought to be a large roll in who gets acne. If someone in your family has had, or has, acne, then you are more then likely going to develop it.

Acne can vary from mild to very severe. It is commonly formed when the skin ducts and oil glands start to work overtime. The lining of the duct will actually shed cells which are then moved away to the outside layer of skin. The skin duct clogs and oil is trapped underneath. This plug of the pore is called a comedo. When the plug is below the skin it is called a whitehead, or closed comedo. But then, if the plug pushed up and pops out of the skin duct, pore, it is then called an open comedo, or blackhead. It is called black head because the top of it appears dark, although it is not dirt that is trapped in your skin, and it cannot be easily washed away.

It is important that you do not let having acne restrict or control your life. Here are some tips for and easy Acne Free Treatment.

One of the most dismissed treatments for acne is water. Something so easy as drinking enough water a day is very effective in getting rid of acne. This is thought to be because water is alkaline, with a pH of 7.3, and is considered a natural treatment to become acne free. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will help your body get rid of oil and waste toxins that can damage your skin. Water even helps moisten your skin and keep your pores from clogging. Drinking water will also lower your stress levels and relax your body, letting you get a better sleep. Along with drinking more water, try to lessen your intake of coffees, sodas, teas, and alcohols. These types of drinks are diuretics that take more water out of your cells then they put in.

Although astringents shrink your pores and decrease the appearance of acne for a short while, they are unhealthy for your skin in the long one. For one, they dry out your skin, forcing your cells to produce more oils, and that can lead to acne outbreaks. Also, when your pores shrink, oil is trapped in there, clogging the pores.

Another thing to avoid is stimulants. Stimulants such as coffee, tea, cigarettes, and sugar from sweets and soda should be considered unhealthy for the entire body. These stimulants affect the whole nervous system and brain, and can easily stimulate the oil glands to start producing more oil than usual. These can also trigger stress, which is also bad for your skin.

Watching what you eat is a good way to limit your acne breakouts. Diet does affect acne, so be careful what you eat. Try to stay away from foods that are high in fat, or foods that tend to be greasy. Think low fat foods and you will be just fine.

Alcohol is thought of as one of the best ways to relieve stress, alcohol is also a big contributor to acne. It is an astringent and shrinks pores. Also, alcohol inhibits sleep and can cause stress. You need rest and a stress free lifestyle to have healthy skin.
Scrubbing your skin, along with abrasive soaps should be avoided. They irritate the skin and damage the natural barrier between you and the acne causing bacteria.

Sure, the sun does kill most bacteria, but it also harms the skin. The skin is very fragile, and is harmed easily. The sun acts as an astringent that tightens and clogs the skin pores. It also dries out the skin, and there is also sun spots, freckles, and skin cancer. You should spend 15 minutes under the sun daily.

There are many medicines and cream that are used to fight acne. But so far, maintains a healthy lifestyle is the easiest way to go. It is important to say that by leading a healthy lifestyle, you will not only get healthier skin, but also a healthier body. Changing habits will be hard at first, but in the long run you will have a better general health, and more energy, and clearer, healthier skin.br
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How Do I Find Out What Is Causing My Acne?

November 22, 2009 · Health & Fitness · (No comments)

Author: Louise Forrest
Source: articledashboard.com

This is a question virtually anyone with acne wants to know the answer to. Knowing what is causing your acne gives you the power to potentially stop the cause in its tracks, leaving you acne free and a great deal happier.

Of course, one of the easiest ways to figure out the answer to the reasons behind your acne is to visit your dermatologist. However, this may not always be possible. Perhaps you do not like doctors. Maybe you do not have the extra money to visit a dermatologist.

Or you are concerned the dermatologist may not know, and then you will be back to square one. The latter is a very real possibility; the dermatologist may not be entirely sure of the cause of your acne and simply provide you medication to get rid of it. Medication can be great, except you are now stuck using the medication until your pocketbook runs dry or you stop having outbreaks altogether.

It is time to take matters into your own hands. You need to consider all the angles and possibilities you may have acne, examine them yourself, and take steps towards changing any aspects that need changing. Some steps that can be taken may be small. Others may mean changing very large portions of your life. Asking yourself certain questions can lead you to the answers behind your acne.

What kinds of foods do you eat?

If you are constantly eating junk food and do not get enough fresh, healthy foods, then it is time to stop and rethink your diet. There has never been any proof that certain foods cause acne; chocolate has been debunked outright. However, there is a direct correlation between healthy skin and healthy eating.

Getting the right nutrition in your diet can help even out your skin, make your body function better, and lead to less acne outbreaks.

How much are you stressing?

Stress has been connected to acne. The more you stress, the more resulting acne will show up. If you realize you have been stressing more than normal, take a step back and examine your life. What is it that is causing you to become stressed? School? Work? Family? Something else? Find out what is behind your stress and do what you can to eliminate it. If your acne is really bad and you realize your job is behind your stress, you might do well in looking for a new job. You will have far less acne and a more relaxed life. A win win situation.

Are you in a place in your life where your hormones are imbalanced?

A huge reason behind acne is the hormones a body produces. When these hormones are fluctuating, they can cause sebaceous glands to act up, produce more oil, clog pores, and cause infections that lead to acne. Many things can cause your hormones to fluctuate.

Teens, because they go through puberty and have to deal with many changes, are particularly susceptible to hormones changes and hence, acne. Birth control actively meddles with hormones can may cause outbreaks of acne. The same can be said if you are pregnant. Even menopause can form a hiccup in your hormones and lead to a sudden outbreak of acne.

What are you putting on your face every day?

If you wear a lot of makeup, do not often wash your face, or constantly find yourself touching your face, you may be contributing to your acne problem. While makeup may not be doing it right away, if you put on makeup and fail to wash it off at night, you may be rubbing it into your pores during the course of the night.

Constantly touching your face with dirty hands and fingers may lead to you actively putting bacteria and other acne causing impurities into place. Check your routine and make sure whatever products you put on your face that may be helping cause acne are being removed before bed.

If not, make sure you keep your face clean to help reduce the possibilities of extra dirt and oil buildup. Avoid touching your face with your hands; all these may help reduce your chances of dealing with an acne outbreak.

Taking a look at the way you run your life and making the right adjustments can help in your fight against acne. Making the necessary changes and combining them with acne medication may help you significantly reduce acne and give you peace of mind.

Ways To Prevent Acne

November 10, 2009 · Health & Fitness · (No comments)

Author: Louise Forrest
Source: articledashboard.com

Has your acne got you in the dumps? If you have an acne problem, it is very likely that you will succumb to depression and let it drag you down. More so, if you realize that there were steps you could have taken to prevent acne from becoming a problem in the first place. You know what they say about prevention.

In other words, if you have a sensible lifestyle and make sure you follow good habits, you may never have a problem with acne to begin with. How nice would that be? Well, even if you have acne, you will probably be happy to take some guidance from pointers to improving your situation.

What you can do about your acne. The answer is really rather simple, although you will probably not be too happy about that, considering the mess you may have got yourself into. Either way, it is time to think of what you can do to rectify the situation.

Following good habits will go a long way to keeping acne at bay. Simple steps such as removing stale makeup can be vital to the health of your skin. This is because stale makeup tends to clog pores and clogged pores set the stage for acne to develop. In case you do have acne, you should be aware that the problem has been caused by both internal and external factors.

Hands off!! Leave your acne alone. There are some other steps you could take to prevent the acne problem from taking hold. One of the most basic facts to remember is that you should never touch your acne. Avoid picking scabs because skin that has been affected by acne is infected. By picking scabs, all you are doing is spreading the infection. This ultimately means that your acne problem will get worse and you will sink further into depression.

Fight acne the natural way. In case you have decided to go in for acne treatment products, remember that you have everything to gain from selecting products that make use of natural ingredients.

What you can do about your acne. Take care of your general health and you can be sure that the health of your skin will improve. Make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water and take in enough fresh air. It would help to spend some time in the sun as well. However, if you are going to be out in the sun for long periods, it would be wise to use a good sun block ointment or cream.

Contaminated linen can aggravate acne. Another important point to remember which could make all the difference to your acne problem is to check out that your bed and bath linen is clean. This is vital as it is in such places that bacteria breed. Whatever else you may be doing to keep your acne in check, you will be fighting a losing battle if you ignore the basic rules of hygiene.

Avoid tanning, it is bad for acne. If you are trying to prevent acne from developing, the last thing you need is to develop a tan. Even if you think it looks good, remember that a tanned skin is more likely to develop acne, so be careful not to be in the sun for too long, or you will have more problems to deal with than just the acne you had in the beginning. Apart from anything else, if that happens, you will probably begin to lose heart, and that would never do, would it?

Check out home remedies for acne. Lastly, before you go shopping for products to treat your acne, it may be better to start closer to home and take a look at your own kitchen first. Simple ingredients such as vegetable peels, tomato juice etc will work wonders for your skin. That way you can use natural products for your acne problem costing nothing and guaranteed to be safe. A far better choice than products that are commercially available, most of which have some side effect or the other.

So now you know that you can do plenty to treat your acne and much more to prevent it from becoming a problem in the first place. If you have been in the dumps, that should lift your spirits!!

The Acne Diet: Choosing Foods That Heal Acne

November 5, 2009 · Health & Fitness · (No comments)

Author: C. L. Jackson
Source: articledashboard.com

I’m sure that most of us at one time or another have been told that certain foods can cause acne. I must admit, I have always been a skeptic when hearing that idea…after all, I was eating the food, not wearing it on my face, so how could it cause a problem?? Most people think in terms of avoiding foods that cause acne, rather than eating foods that help heal and get rid of acne. So while the acne-food link may not be as direct as “drink water and get rid of your acne,” many studies suggest that by considering the components of food on a smaller scale, we can figure out what our skin best needs to get and remain healthy.

Fats in the diet are often a major target for acne diet campaigners; saturated and trans fatty acids are thought to encourage inflammation in the body and lead to oily skin. It seems fairly intuitive that fats that are bad for the body are bad for the skin too, but what many of us don’t know are that some types of fats are absolutely crucial to having healthy acne-free skin. Acne is often caused by the over-production of sebum as a result of high androgen (male hormone) levels in the body. Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 essential fatty acids play a large role in regulating those androgen levels, preventing excess sebum in the pores and hair follicles and the consequent acne outbreaks. The Western diet tends to be rich in omega-6 fatty acids, so the main focus should be on reducing those and increasing omega-3’s and/or omega-9’s.

In addition to essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals are critical components of a healthy skin care diet. Retinol (vitamin A) is most successful in healing acne in people who are already deficient in this vitamin, although it can also play a part in reducing sebum production. Vitamin-E contributes to healthy skin, through regulating vitamin-A. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an antioxidant that improves circulation. Deficiencies in riboflavin (B2), Niacinamide (B3) and pyridoxine (B6) are all known to cause acne, and pantothenic acid (B5) is thought to reduce acne indirectly through counteracting the physiological effects of stress. Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) is another antioxidant that functions in tissue growth and repair, and bioflavanoids (sometimes called vitamin P) can help prevent acne through their antibacterial effects.

Important minerals include zinc, and chromium. Zinc is a micromineral that helps wounds heal and speeds tissue regeneration. A deficiency in zinc can actually increase the production of androgen hormones, leading to oily skin and acne breakouts. Finally, chromium is a trace mineral that has strong ties to one’s blood sugar level. Cravings for sugary foods are often linked to chromium deficiencies, which has unfortunate effects on one’s skin. People with the highest incidence of severe acne generally have very unstable blood sugar; too much sugar and too little chromium to help balance it out. Also, chromium reduces skin infection rates, helping acne heal more quickly and without complications.

Many acne gurus tell you what not to eat in order to get rid of acne. However, research seems to show that, with the exception of acne-causing food allergies, it is more important to focus on what you need to eat in order to maintain healthy skin. If you want to focus on acne control, one of the easiest steps possible is enhancing your diet to ensure that your skin is receiving the necessary nutrients. These nutrients include essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, and are the building blocks for great looking skin!

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