Natural Acne Remedies

There has been an uproar in the media recently with information that drugs prescribed for acne- Roaccutane, Diane-35, Yasmin and Yaz are causing very serious problems including teen suicide and blood clots.

I have always had problems with my skin and I was on Dianne for some time in my younger years. The doctors said there were no side effects and my skin did clear up. But now I shudder thinking about what could have gone wrong.

I am a little embarrassed to tell you what else I did to my poor skin when I was younger. Metho! Yes, I was desperate and miserable about it. It’s a horrible thing to have – it can really affect your self-confidence. I never went anywhere without makeup to cover my skin.

Unfortunately, the acne didn’t go away as I got older but I just managed it as best I could. I used Dermalogica products, which were quite good but they used to bleach my towels if I accidentally got some product on them. Yikes!

It really only cleared up properly when I gave up wheat. You will get dermatologists telling you acne is hormonal and yes, it is, but I think everyone is different and you need to try a few things to see what works for you. I know diet and gut health plays a big part in how good my skin is or not.

Now we have teenagers in the house, the whole cycle begins again! So here, are our best tips for you.

♥ Water. Drinking lots of filtered water helps flush out toxins – it’s that simple! Jazz up your water to make it easier to get down.

♥ Cut out the chemicals. Ingesting and applying chemicals to your skin can really cause problems. I have heard so many people say that when they switched to a more natural lifestyle, including skincare, their skin clears up.

♥ Go Easy on dairy, wheat and sugar. Fizzy drinks and lollies play havoc with acne! Try some alternatives to soft drinks that are better for your health and your skin. Limiting dairy or swapping to non-dairy options seems to make a difference with us as well. In my case, wheat was really causing havoc with my skin. So, experiment and find out what flares up your skin.

♥ Acne Complex Homeopathy. I love homeopathy and Owens Homeopathy are great for the home prescriber. I love ordering from Megan at The Simplest Remedy as she has free shipping and great advice! If she doesn’t have something in stock, just ask and she will order it in for you. The Acne Complex has several remedies in one.

♥ Fruit and Vegetables. Time and time again, our family finds that getting stuck into the fruit and vegetables (particularly lots of greens) results in a glowing complexion! Try a green smoothie, daily.

♥ Herbal Tea. Teas like Red Clover, Nettle, Dandelion Leaf, Calendula and Burdock can all help with detoxification in the body and get your skin clear. We drink it hot or cold. My daughter often makes it up a big batch of iced tea and sips on it all day. The Complexion Tea from Tea Tonic is a winner and it tastes delicious.

♥ ACV. We dilute apple cider vinegar with some water (about 1 to 4) and use it on a cotton wool ball after cleaning. It kills off the bacteria and it also makes your skin alkaline, so the bacteria finds it hard to grow again. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash off and apply moisturizer.

♥ Essential Oils. Lemon oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil are all effective on acne. Just pop a drop on the spots using a clean cotton bud or mix one drop with a little coconut oil and use as a moisturiser. Eco Oils actually have a blend called Pimple Clear you might like to try. It’s budget friendly and this blend is safe to apply direct to the skin without a carrier oil.

♥ Good Hygiene. Acne is bacteria, so keeping your face clean, not touching it with dirty hands and washing pillowcases frequently all helps.

♥ Supplements. Find a good supplement to support healthy skin. Zinc, vitamin C and A and omega 3 are all beneficial. These supplements are fantastic and really work well for us. Their skincare is great too.

♥ The Healthy Skin Diet. This book by Aussie mum and nutritionist, Karen Fischer is really worth a read. If you are having persistent problems with any sort of skin problem, Karen guides you through it with eating plans and advice. We found it very useful! Get it here.

♥ De-stress. The cells that produce sebum have receptors for stress hormones. Get stress out of your life and see if it helps your skin. Try yoga, meditation, relaxation exercise and walking.

♥ Natural acne skin care. It’s important to use a good quality, natural skincare designed for acne. Don’t use horrible, harsh chemical-laden products – they just bleach your face and make the problem worse. Here are some that you might like to try:

Skin B5. A little more affordable, the kids found this range to really gentle on their skin and to be very effective at keeping the acne under control.
Botani (pictured). This is an all natural 3 step treatment pack that’s very gentle on troubled skin.
Noosa Basics. This natural company make a face wash and an acne drying lotion.
The Jojoba Company Jojoba Oil. It seems strange to put oil on oily skin but jojoba oil works really for acne because it has anti-bacterial properties and can help prevent excess sebum on the skin.

♥ Professional help. Visit a naturopath or integrative doctor aand get specific help if you feel like nothing is working. The answer could be more complex and involve your gut or liver health.

I hope these tips help! Let me know in the comments below what you have found good for clearing up acne.

I am not a fan of radical detox programs. I think they can be dangerous to your health, not to mention really difficult to do!

The body is pretty good at detoxifying itself, but there are some things you can do to give it a helping hand.

As we have been holidaying for two weeks, we have at times overindulged in food, eaten out more than often and been a little lax!

So, this week, I am giving my body a boost with some easy, achievable things that really make a difference.

1. Inliven. I take it every day. When I am detoxing or when I am sick, I take it twice a day. Inliven is a certified organic probiotic superfood powder. Go here for some more information.

2. Lemon Coconut Drink. I have blogged before about having a hot lemon and water drink in the mornings. It is fabulous ! Now I have been adding some coconut oil to it. I have been doing this for a few weeks and I love it. I squeeze half an organic lemon into a cup and add a tablespoon of extra virgin organic coconut oil. Then I half fill it with hot, filtered water (to melt the coconut oil). Then I top it up with filtered water and drink! The added benefit is that your lips are moisturized at the same time. (see photo above)

3. Dry Skin Brushing. This is simply something that everyone should do daily! Read the blog post I did about it here.

4. Water. It’s no secret! Your body needs lots and lots of filtered water for all it’s systems to function at their peak. 30ml per kg of your body weight is the amount I drink per day. I make up a big batch of fruity flavoured water to make it more appealing. My beverage of choice when I go out is sparkling mineral water with lime. It’s really good! I don’t drink alcohol, so that is one less thing I have to detox from. If you do, then take a week off. You can do it!

5. Epsom Salt Bath. I usually have at least one of these a week. They are incredibly relaxing and will draw toxins out of your body. Add about two cups to your bath and soak for at least 20 minutes to get the full benefit. Go here for some more info. Try this beautiful Epzen brand which also contains detoxing essential oils.

6. Limit Caffeine. I did so enjoy lots of chai tea on holiday! But, my body is really sensitive to caffeine, so I need to limit myself to one or two a day and before noon.

7. Eat good stuff. I do eat good stuff regularly, but this week, I am focusing on eating only organic and only unprocessed foods. I am also using natural sweeteners, cutting out all wheat, limiting dairy and meat and focusing on lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

8. Exercise. I am walking and practicing yoga every day! Some good detoxing yoga poses are here. My favourite is ‘legs up the wall’ which I do all the time!

9. Rest. I am focusing on going to bed early, keeping my life simple and stress free and spending time meditating.

10. Enlist professional help. There are many practitioners who offer therapies that can assist with detoxing. This week I am going to get a lymphatic drainage massage.

Unfortunately, my body is not liking the green smoothies at the moment, but they are a fabulous way to give your body a nutrition boost! My favourite recipe is my Pineapple Mint Green Tea smoothie.

I am also wearing “detox and cleanse” motivational jewellery from Sanctus Stones. I am blogging about this soon, so stay tuned!

So, that’s my plan! Do you need to give your body a bit of a helping hand? What is your favourite way to ‘detox’?