No Hype Info: Herbal Acne Remedy, chinese herbs, and other natural treatments for pimples, zits, and other blemishes:
Taking care of acne using herbs…naturally
The attention of Acne vulgaris treatment turning to herbal acne remedy, there has been a lot of interest generated in treating acne with traditional Chinese herbs. Acne vulgaris, the medical term for the common pimple, affects over 80% of adolescents and teenagers in the USA. Many factors come together to cause this malady affecting the young. Though this starts in the young, it might turn chronic and often persist into middle age.
Most of us have had problems with pimples or zits as teenagers. A look at how zits are formed would give us some idea about common effective precautions that we can take to control this problem. Adolescence is the time when hormones are “running hot”. The notorious hormone testosterone and other such hormones together called androgens are responsible for the increase in the growth of the hairs in this age group. These also cause an increase in the sebum, an oily substance produced in the sebaceous glands lying underneath the skin and close to the hair follicle. Commonly, the shedding of skin cells and the keratin layers from the hair often blocks the duct of these glands as they empty into the skin surface. When this happens, there is an accumulation of the sebum inside the gland which has no route to escape and so gets infected. Thus, a pimple is born.
There are a few precautions and simple treatment measures that can be followed to control the problem of acne. Washing the face twice a day with soap or a cleanser is necessary. Do not rub the pimples, pick or squeeze them. It can lead to scarring which is permanent. Drink lots of water as this keeps the skin hydrated. Avoid oily foods. Diets rich in carbohydrate and fats increase the response of the hormone insulin, which affects other hormones responsible for excess oil secretion in the skin. Frequent inclusion of fruits and vegetables in a diet rich in vitamins prevents excessive free radical formation and keeps the skin healthy.
Interest in finding an effective cure for this chronic condition has led to research to find out the availability of a natural acne remedy. It has been found that pimples are less common in societies that do not subsist on refined cereals and sugar as does the modern Western society. A diet with a lower carbohydrate and fat intake would go a long way in the control of acne.
Medicinal herbs found in nature have been found to be a natural acne remedy. Several herbs have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Chinese herbs such as Angelica dahurica, Rhizoma coptidis and Glycyrrhiza glabra are very effective in treating pimples. They prevent scarring by their anti-inflammatory effects and their antibacterial effects achieve a cure. Another Chinese medicine, xiao cuo fang, when combined with Adapalene gel and applied topically to the affected area, is also effective. In addition, an Indian herbal acne remedy called Sunder Vati, an Ayurvedic formulation, has been found to be very effective in controlling acne. Finally, green tea cream and tea tree oil have been clinically proven to work against acne, when compared to benzoyl peroxide.
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