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Acne is such a persistent and annoying problem to so many. This may have led you here because you really want to know how to clear up acne fast. Honestly, I can relate because I have had encounters with people who have suffered with acne. Two of those were quite personal, as they were people very close to me growing up.
One of the wo people whom I grew up with had adolescence acne that persisted into adulthood. Being females, their acne would always worsen days before their menstrual cycle – what you may call adult female acne or “hormonal acne”,
That being said, their encounters with acne have now come under control. I’ll share with you some products that they incorporate into their skincare routine that have helped so far,
I’ll share useful information with you on how to deal with this nagging problem by considering organic food substances you can eat!
DO YOU FALL INTO ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES?
- I have been battling with acne through my teenage years, and well into my adulthood.
- I want to cure my acne through organic/natural means.
- I no longer want to take medications because I have suffered undesirable side effects from them.
- I don’t want to pay huge medical bills on visits to the dermatologist.
- I’m broke and can’t afford any visits to the dermatologists.
If any of the above applies to you, then you’ll benefit from the information I have shared here.
CAUSES OF ACNE
Know the cause, solve the problem! An important approach to adopt when embarking on the path to success. We had previously covered the causes of acne in-depth. I’m not going to bore you with details here. Nevertheless, let’s briefly remind ourselves of the factors that contribute to acne;
- Inflammation
- Foods with high glycemic index (GI)/poor dietary lifestyle
- Insulin resistance
- Stress
- Hormones
- HPA/CRH/Cortisol
- Bacteria (P. Acne)
- Sebum composition and oxidation
- sebum – high level and altered composition
- squalene
- ultraviolet ray/sunlight
- free radicals
RELATED ARTICLES: What Causes Acne: A precise and Clear Understanding
WHAT YOU EAT MATTERS – vitamins and minerals!
You can’t drive your car if you put diesel in a car that requires petrol to drive! Likewise, what you eat matters, as it’s reflected by your skin. In treating acne organically and achieving fast results, consistency on your food choices (in combination with topical organic ingredents/lifestyle changes) is key.
Now let’s consider the following food ingredients the help to clear up acne;
Vitamin A (Retinol)
Retinol is one of the most important vitamins to consider when treating acne organically. Select food choices rich in retinol but BE MINDFUL of the amount you consume as taking too much of it is not good for you. Considering that retinol is a functional food ingredient that helps to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, foods that are rich in retinol can help to reduce inflammation of your acne. Visible results can be seen between 2 to 4 weeks. However, it doesn’t end here! It should be in combination with other organic interventions as well.
There are thousands of retinol rich foods around the world. Please take note of their GI when choosing such foods, as it will be best to focus on those with low GI as opposed to high GI.
- SOURCES of some common retinol rich foods with low GI include beef liver, cod liver oil, lamb liver, tuna, salmon, chicken, hard-boiled egg, mackerel, cereals etc.
- Also available as oral supplements.
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide/Niacin)
Also another very important ingredients, niacinamide has both protective (e.g from sunlight and toxins) and anti-inflammatory. It helps to reduce inflammation and lesion count in acne sufferers. Just be mindful of the serving as well. However, select foods rich in Vitamin B3 but with low GI.
- Some Common SOURCES of vitamin B3 include yeast, green vegetables, milk, peanuts, meat (e.g turkey, chicken breast), beans and cereals etc. With acne, soy milk is a preferred milk option as it does not contain IGF-1.
- Point to note: Niacinamide is also available as oral supplements and is generally considered a preferred choice to niacin since it does not cause flushing unlike niacin.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
Although the role of vitamin C in reducing inflammatory pustules is a “MAYBE”, it’s a well-known antioxidant/anti-inflammatory ingredient. It won’t hurt to incorporate this into one’s dietary routine as part of the fight to cure acne, as it has other multiple benefits such as anti-aging, anti-hyperpigmentation …
- Some Common SOURCES: Generally you’ll find Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables such as green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach), kiwifruits, orange
- Also available in supplements form.
Vitamin D (Calciferol)
Known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, Vitamin D can help in the fight against acne. It also helps with boosting the immune system.
- Very few sources of food SOURCES of vitamin D are available such as liver, fish and egg yolk.
- Sunlight can make acne worse but it’s also a good source of vitamin D
- Certain foods are fortified with vitamin D such as milk. Again, consider soy milk as a preference as it does not contain IGF-1 that can cause or worsen acne.
- Also available in supplement form
Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol)
This is an important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient. It helps to soak up free radicals that are implicated in acne. Among its several functions, it can help in your fight against acne. It works best in conjunction with vitamin C.
- Common SOURCES include vegetable oil, sunflower seed, salmon, avocado, paw-paw, mango, spinach, asparagus (cooked), broccoli (cooked) etc
- Also available as oral supplements
Zinc
Amongst various minerals (such as magnesium and selenium), zinc has the best chances of helping you treat your acne. It has both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent, reduce and treat the inflammation of your acne. It will also help reduce the amount of sebum produced, as increased sebum production contributes to the cause of acne.
- Some common zinc SOURCES include cashews, poultry, fortified dairy (once again, consider soy milk as an alternative) and legumes (such as beans, lentils) etc.
- It is also available in oral supplement form
LAST BUT NOT LEAST – your life, your choice
- You can take the food intolerance test with your doctor to determine what food is aggravating your acne
- Retinol, Niacinamide and Zinc have the most convincing outcome based on general feedback and evidence.
- Try to have the correct serving of foods with the various nutrients (so liaising with your doctor/nutritionists should help)
- If you are taking oral supplements, ensure you have been prescribed the correct doses by your doctor.
- EXCITING: Subsequent topics will cover OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID/y-LINOLEIC ACID, GI/GL IN TREATING ACNE, COMBINING TOPICAL APPLICATIONS OF ORGANIC NUTRIENTS THAT WILL HELP ACHIEVE FASTER RESULTS.
RELATED ARTICLES: Clear up Acne Fast – Natural Topical Linoleic Acid and Vitamin A
RELATED ARTICLES: Foods that Help Cure Acne – What’s Good and What to Avoid
I like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP!