Benzoyl Peroxide for curing Acne Sunday, May 31 2009 

Benzoyl peroxide is one of the most frequently used acne treatment medications. Benzoyl peroxide is the active ingredient in countless over-the-counter products, such as Clearasil and ProActiv. One of the first proven treatments for acne, it has been used for decades and is still one of the most popular and successful treatments for acne.

Benzoyl peroxide can be found over the counter in cleansers, gels, and lotions, as well as in stronger prescription creams. It is generally an inexpensive treatment, and can be found in both name brands and generic products. All benzoyl peroxide products work similarly. Benzoyl peroxide is often the first treatment choice for those suffering from mild to moderate acne.

 How It Works

Propionibacteria acnes, or P. acnes, are the bacteria responsible for acne breakouts. They cannot live in an aerobic (oxygen-rich) environment. Benzoyl peroxide works by introducing oxygen into the pore, thereby killing P. acnes. When the bacteria population is reduced, the number of breakouts on the skin is reduced as well.

 Another factor that makes benzoyl peroxide so effective is its ability to help rid the follicle of excess dead skin cells. Clearing the pore of cellular debris will lessen the chance of pore blockages, orcomedones. Because of this, benzoyl peroxide helps prevent breakouts before they start.

The use of benzoyl peroxide often must be continued, even after acne clears up. Once treatments are stopped, bacterium populations can increase and acne may return. Your dermatologistcan help you determine how long to continue your benzoyl peroxide treatments.

 Common Usage Directions

Benzoyl peroxide makes an effective treatment for mild to moderate acne. Start with a lotion or gel in a 2.5% strength. Higher percentages are available but may irritate the skin. Start with a lower strength to allow your skin to become acclimated to the benzoyl peroxide treatments. Move up to a higher strength if results are not seen after several weeks.

 Most common treatment methods call for a thin layer of benzoyl peroxide lotion to be applied over a thoroughly cleansed and dried skin. It can be used once or twice daily. Apply thoroughly over all areas affected by acne. Do not use just as a spot treatment. Benzoyl peroxide must be applied to all affected areas of the skin, as it works to stop pimples before they erupt.

Benzoyl peroxide may bleach hair, towels, and clothing. Take great care during and after application to avoid letting it come in contact with any of these materials. You may want to wear an old shirt if benzoyl peroxide is applied to the back or body. Let the lotion dry thoroughly after your nightly skin care treatments before getting into bed at night, to avoid bleaching your pillowcase.

 

Possible Side Effects

The most common side effects from benzoyl peroxide are dryness and flaking. They are generally mild and can be reduced by using an oil-free moisturizing lotion daily. Other side effects include excessive dryness and flaking, redness, and burning.

You can reduce the chances of experiencing side effects by following all directions on the product package, or those given to you by your dermatologist. If unwanted side effects occur, you may want to scale back use to every other day, or use a benzoyl peroxide lotion in a lower strength.

Tea Tree Oil Sunday, May 31 2009 

one of the best topical acne herbal remedies

The last of the acne herbs to be discussed is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a fantastic antibacterial and antiviral substance to use as a topical herbal acne treatment. As far as herbal remedies for acne go, this is one of the best spot-treatments available. It is certainly more desirable than commercial products such as benzyl peroxide.

The only downside is its strong, unique scent. If you are about to go out of town, tea tree oil may not be a good choice.

Use 14% tea tree oil that is diluted. 100% tea tree oil is extremely strong, and can dry the skin out when used frequently. If you cannot find diluted tea tree oil, you can dilute it yourself by mixing it with water or apple cider vinegar.

Neem Sunday, May 31 2009 


Neem is a classic acne herb. It helps to balance the effects of refined sugars, and is also said to make the skin cells more resistant to viruses. Neem is an ingredient in special facial soaps. High quality neem soap can be beneficial for most people.

Just remember that neem is not a miracle herbal cure for acne, and if you are still powering down soda pop by the quart, candy, and fried foods, a little neem soap probably isn’t going to change much. In fact, this applies to all possible herbal remedies for acne.

You can also make an infusion tea out of neem. This is probably the most effective way to use this herb. You can buy teabags, or you can just buy the raw herb yourself to make a simple tea. Teabags can be more convenient, but purchasing the bulk raw herb is probably much cheaper.

Jojoba Oil Sunday, May 31 2009 


Jojoba oil is made of a small molecule that will not clog the pores. It is extremely soothing and beneficial to the skin. Jojoba oil is a fantastic natural moisturizer, and it can help to counter excessive sebum production.

The white pus-like substance that comes out when you pop a pimple comes from sebum. Sebum production is part of maintaining healthy skin, but an excess amount results in acne. You can purchase jojoba oil at most health food stores. NOW is an excellent brand to look for when buying jojoba oil.

Burdock Root Tea Sunday, May 31 2009 

 
good detoxifiers, thus they are useful herbal remedies for acne

Burdock root is a great herb that helps to purge the toxins trapped in between, or near the layers of the skin. This makes it another one of the good herbal remedies for acne relief.

Buy the raw herb from a good supplier, and make a tea using the standard method for making a decoction. To do this, place the herb inside a wire teabag, and let it soak in cold water for an hour or so. You can even let it soak overnight if you want. After soaking, take that pot of water and bring it up to a low simmer – after that, simmer for about 15-30 minutes. If you don’t have a wire teabag, you can just place the herb directly in the pot, and filter it through a coffee filter or fine strainer afterwards. Use 1-2 tablespoons of raw herb per pint of water.

Although burdock is one of the herbal remedies for acne which may be useful, to a certain extent, when used alone, keep in mind that because burdock is an herb that purges toxins, it is best used in conjunction with a natural detox program.

If your body is clogged up, the purging effect of the burdock can cause it to expel toxins through the skin instead of the colon and kidneys. The effect of the toxins moving through the skin can cause various rashes, severe itchiness, and other skin symptoms. Other than the severe unpleasantness, this is not a serious issue. However, if that does happen, it’s a sign that your body’s elimination channels are clogged up.

Apple Cider Vinegar Sunday, May 31 2009 

one of the best herbal remedies for acne relief

Out of all the natural and herbal remedies for acne, apple cider vinegar is one of the most effective and best herbs for acne. If you could only pick one herb or treatment, this would be a top choice. You ideally need to use raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar. Bragg’s is an excellent brand, and can be found in many grocery stores. You can consume it internally, and you can also use it externally.

To use it externally, make a solution of 30-50% apple cider vinegar, and the other 50-70% of pure water. You can also add drops of tea tree oil to the mixture. Simply apply this liquid to your skin, and rub it in a bit. Keep re-applying it often enough to keep your skin wet. Do this for 5-10 minutes, then let the remaining liquid simply dry.

There is no need to rinse afterwards, unless you want to get rid of the vinegar smell. You can do this several times throughout the day. If your skin starts to get dry because of this, you can apply some aloe vera gel to soothe and moisten it.

Consuming apple cider vinegar internally is a fantastic herbal acne treatment, and is also excellent for many other aspects of health as well. Take 1-2 oz and mix it in a cup of water. You can also add a bit of raw honey for taste. Raw honey (do not confuse with processed honey) is also very beneficial for health. You can drink this mixture 1-3 times per day. After drinking the vinegar, quickly rinse your mouth out with water to wash the acetic acid, which is the natural acid in vinegar, off your teeth.

Herbal Remedies Sunday, May 31 2009 

Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel is one of the most soothing and healing substances in the world. In fact, aloe vera gel can speed up the healing of skin injuries by up to 10 times. Aloe vera gel is an outstanding herb for the skin, and is excellent to use as an acne herb. You can apply it to the skin at any time to help soothe and heal it. Aloe vera gel is one of the best herbal remedies for acne, burns and other skin issues.

Understand that to get significant results, you must you 100% pure, natural aloe vera gel. The gel that you purchase in a pump-bottle that has the consistency of hair gel is garbage. Colored aloe vera gel is also garbage.

Pure aloe vera gel must be bought from a health food store, and it has an extremely runny consistency. It needs to be stored in the refrigerator. The best way to get pure aloe vera gel is to buy some plants and start growing them around the house. When you need some gel, you just cut off a portion of the leaf.

Role of Vitamins in Curing Acne Sunday, May 31 2009 

Vitamin supplements play an important role in the treatment of acne because vitamins support the body’s ability to create energy for cellular processes as well as provide the basic nutrients for life.

There are a number of common vitamins used for the treatment of acne.  Some of the more common are as follows:

            Vitamin A: Produces a lot of the effects of the isotretinoin and retinoids without side effects (such as birth defects.

            Vitamin E: Aids in skin repair and hinders the aging of cells.

            Zinc: Aids in the absorption of Vitamin A and in regulating levels of Vitamin E within the blood.  Zinc has also been known to boost the immune system and help kill acne-causing bacteria

            Selenium:  An important factor in the elasticity of the skin.  Selenium also boosts the action of other anti-oxidants.         

            Magnesium:  Plays a role in hormone balance.

Acne pills Sunday, May 31 2009 

Since the body naturally expands its glands and produces more sebum in order to balance itself, there are medications in the form of Acne Pills that can be taken to help the balancing out process without the enlarged pores and excess production of sebum.

One of the most common and effective ways to treat acne from the inside out is through the use of acne pills. By taking pills directly into your body, you are able to combat the acne from the inside out.

Acne Creams Sunday, May 31 2009 

One of the most common and effective ways to treat acne is through the use of topical creams. By applying creams directly to the affected areas, acne creams are able to aggressively battle the stubborn bacteria from the outside in.

While acne is not contagious, there are other factors, such as environmental changes, which researchers believe are making this pubescent disorder more long term.

One this is certain: untreated acne will lead to scarring and discoloration of the face. It is time to take charge!

In order to tackle this treatable disease, dermatologists and scientific research have given new hope to sufferers of acne with revolutionary treatments. There are a variety of treatment options out there, varying from washes to internal medications, usually being taken in the form of a pill. By finding out what treatment works best for you, those stubborn zits will be packing up before you know it.

Also, through the use of acne creams, future breakouts can be controlled. The bacteria fighting agent is introduced to the affected skin and by using it on the entire problem area, skin that currently appears clear has a higher chance of staying that way. The use of acne creams not only fights the breakout, but it also helps keep pores bacteria free.

Topical creams help keep your face scar-free by treating those large, sore breakouts now and stopping bacteria from spreading. Plus, because topical acne creams are usually applied at night, this treatment option is extremely practical. It also helps you avoid the embarrassment of treating such a visible problem.

Acne is treatable! You can find what topical acne cream will work best for you. To see what consumers like you have rated as the top acne products based on price, quality, effectiveness, safety and overall satisfaction, keep reading!

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