Acne: Cause & Treatment Protocol

Acne Is An Adolescent Problem 

Most cases of acne have their beginning in adolescence, and most persons with acne are teenagers.

It has been determined that three out of every four American teenagers have at least a mild case of acne. It is caused when the SEBACEOUS OIL GLAND in the skin is plugged up by dirt or the skin cells themselves.

If the skin isn’t cleaned frequently and some of the oil becomes trapped, bacteria multiply in the pit of the hair follicle, and the skin becomes inflamed. Each plug is called a COMEDONE. They turn into BLACKHEADS when the sebaceous fluid called SEBUM turns black because of oxidation. Blackheads may be contaminated by bacteria that can break down the walls of the surrounding skin cells. If this happens, the blackhead turns into a highly visible infection known as a PIMPLE.

The Causes Of Acne 

One author states that ACNE is caused by: 

• BAD FOOD 🍔🌭🍕

• a ZINC DEFICIENCY, 

• VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY, 

• and ALLERGIES. 

It may also be caused by: 

• too many refined STARCHES, 

• FRIED FOODS, 

• HIGH PROTEIN CONSUMPTION, 

• DAIRY PRODUCTS, 🧀🍫🍧

• AND REFINED SUGAR. 

The skin is used to throw off excess waste which the kidneys and liver are unable to handle. Next to FAT, SUGAR is the most offending food. Once inside the body, sugar converts to TRIGLYCERIDES or FATTY ACIDS, which burden the blood and lymph, causing waste to accumulate in the tissues.

Acne is linked to an increase in the production of the male hormone TESTOSTERONE which makes the sebaceous gland larger. Everyone, both male and female, produces some male and female hormones, but males produce more testosterone, and they produce it more rapidly at puberty. Therefore they are more likely than females to have severe acne during adolescence. Some cases of acne do not begin until a person reaches the late twenties or early thirties.

This kind of acne, known as ADULT ACNE, seems to target women more often than men.

It often appears right before a woman’s menstrual period when estrogen production slows, and clears up afterwards when it starts to rise again. 

We must remember that the skin is one of the main organs of elimination through which body impurities are expelled from the system, when it is convenient for the body to do so. One aspect in the cause of acne is the contribution made by the condition of INTESTINAL TOXEMIA. 

One study showed that 50 percent of patients with acne had increased blood level toxins which were absorbed from the intestines. 

In general it is said that acne is caused by: 

• CONSTIPATION, 

• SWEETS, 

• URIC ACID, 

• and PUTREFACTIVE BACTERIA.

Food, Vitamin, And Mineral Therapies For Acne

Step 1: Eliminate All Concentrated Carbohydrates

Skin biopsies have shown that in acne the skin’s glucose tolerance is impaired. In this sense one researcher called acne “skin diabetes.” Since we know the immune suppressing effect of sugar and its role in the development of adult-onset diabetes, it is suggested that all refined and concentrated carbohydrates be eliminated. 

Foods containing TRANS FATTY ACIDS, such as: 

• MILK, 

• MILK PRODUCTS, 

• MARGARINE, 

• SHORTENING, 

• and all other synthetically hydrogenated VEGETABLE OILS, or OXIDIZED FATTY ACIDS such as fried oils, should be avoided. 

Milk consumption, due to its high hormone content, should be limited.

HIGH POLYUNSATURATED FATS AND LOW ANIMAL FATS:

Dr. Gustav Hoehn, a dermatologist, believes that a diet high in polyunsaturated fats and very low in animal fats will cure acne. He says that WHOLE MILK is the biggest problem. He believes that the moles will disappear when you put people on SKIM MILK and eliminate hard fats. He also advises against FRIED FOODS.

FRESH FRUIT JUICE:

Extra iodine can aggravate acne, so the doctor advises patients to avoid IODIZED SALT. Many commercial soft drinks contain BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL as stabilizers which may irritate the acne condition. Instead of such drinks people should drink FRESH FRUIT JUICES. 

ADDED ZINC:

Foods rich in ZINC are:

• WHEAT GERM, 

• SESAME SEEDS, 

• SOY BEANS, 

• SUNFLOWER SEEDS, 

• EGG YOLK, 

• BREWERS YEAST, 

• MOLASSES, 

• OATS, 

• CORN, 

• BEANS, 

• and AVOCADOS. 

In one experiment, zinc worked as well as the antibiotic TETRACYCLINE, and without any side-effects. 

VITAMIN A:

RETINOLS, a form of vitamin A present in animal tissues, have been shown to reduce sebum production. They must be used in large quantities. 

VITAMIN E AND ZINC:

Some doctors recommend 400 IU of vitamin E and 50 mg of zinc daily. 

A RAW FOOD DIET:

A natural raw food diet of either fruits or vegetables, lasting 5 to 10 days, has been recommended. FASTING with fresh raw fruit and vegetable juices for a few days, including CARROT, SPINACH, and GRAPEFRUIT juice, is very helpful. A GARLIC preparation called KYOLIC has helped people with acne. A NATURAL DIET, while avoiding refined sugar, saturated fats, fried foods, and chocolate, has eliminated acne in many cases. 

YEAST:

Yeast has a beneficial effect on the skin, and has long been used as a remedy for pimples and acne. Vitamins in the yeast help the deranged liver to oxidize fats in the diet properly. It is the incompletely oxidized fats in the diet that clog the oil and sebaceous glands. A HIGH-CHROMIUM YEAST known to improve glucose tolerance and enhance insulin sensitivity, has been reported to produce rapid improvement in patients with acne. 

EPSOM SALTS:

A hot Epsom salts bath, two or three times a week, will be extremely helpful in all cases of acne.

Herbs

Echinacea

Echinacea is beneficial for skin eruptions of all kinds including acne. It can be used as a tea as well as an ointment. ECHINACIN ointment, which can be obtained in the health food store, was used in a trial of 4,598 patients with inflammatory skin conditions. It had a success rate of 85%. On the average the symptoms disappeared within four days. It is an ointment which is free of side-effects as compared with ointments containing steroids or antibiotics.

Goldenseal 

Goldenseal is indicated for acne due to its detoxifying and antibacterial properties. Its anti-microbial activity is due primarily to its major alkaloid BERBERINE, which is effective against bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. It kills toxic bacteria while not affecting the beneficial bacteria. Yogurt will do the same. Other herbal teas that are helpful are COMFREY ROOT, RED CLOVER, and DANDELION ROOT TEA.

Stinging Nettle Tea 

A useful treatment for ACNE has traditionally been sipping up to one quart daily of this tea. The reason being that disfiguring PIMPLES are often caused by sluggish KIDNEYS and a diet of CHOCOLATE, FATS, STRONG SPICES, SALTY and ACID FOODS. These foods should be omitted in order to give the kidneys the rest they need.

Calendula Flowers

Apply a tea made from CALENDULA FLOWERS. Steep 2 tablespoons of calendula flowers in one cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, cool, and apply with a cotton ball. Calendula heals and soothes the skin through its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. A skincare product containing calendula can be purchased at a natural foods store.

Tea Tree Oil 

Tea tree oil is a broad spectrum FUNGICIDE and ANTISEPTIC that has been proven effective for a wide variety of skin problems, including ACNE. The oil is derived from the leaves of the MELALEUCA ALTERNEFOLIA, a tree that grows in New South Wales, Australia. It was nicknamed the “tea tree” by Captain Cook, who led a sailing expedition into the area in the 1770’s, and used the leaves to make tea for his crew. It can be diluted with water or vegetable oil. With it one can treat: 

• ACNE, 

• BOILS, 

• STINGS and BITES, 

• ATHLETES FOOT, 

• WARTS, 

• COLD SORES and BLISTERS, 

• and SKIN RASHES. 

A cream has been developed with it which eliminates many cases of CANDIDA ALBICANS.

General Detoxification 

According to Kushi, excess proteins and fats, are discharged also in the form of WARTS, MOLES, CALLOUSES, and TUMORS. BEAUTY SPOTS, FRECKLES, and BROWN MOLES may be the result of TOO MUCH SUGAR. When the body cannot process substances naturally, it will push them out through the SKIN. 

A boy wrote to Dr. Hemermann, a naturalist, about how his mother helped him get rid of acne. He said that his mother made him stop eating all junk foods such as candy, potato chips, fries, shakes, colas, soft drinks, and ice-cream. He said that he about died when his mother told him this. But he could see a change for the better right away. Then she had him wash his face with PINE TAR SOAP. She also had him take 1500 mg of VITAMIN C daily, as well as a spoonful of WHEAT GERM OIL. In a couple of weeks his acne was 90% cleared up. If one takes as little as one teaspoonful of wheat germ oil, it is almost equivalent to getting under an oxygen tent.