Hi,

If anyone has had great success with using herbs or homeopathic remedies for acne then please share! I have used so many topical gels and creams and taken anti biotics for a long time and now I have stopped all of that and I'm looking for an alternative natural solution. I keep getting many whiteheads and pimples on a daily basis. Always on my facial cheeks and around the jawline. I think the problem is internal (which is why the acne keeps coming back and doesn't permently go away). Would love to hear some success stories, please share :)

Firstly if you have been taking antibiotics for a long time I would look at getting some good probiotics and prebiotics into your body. Your gut flora is probably in need of attention.

Make sure you have a good healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg and fibre. Also look at the balance of fats in your diet. Most diets are short of essential fatty acids, particualrly omega 3, flax seed oil is a good source. The skin needs the right kind of good fats to be healthy. Try to keep processed foods to a minimum and drink plenty of water.

What do you put on your skin? I find it helpful to avoid putting lots of chemicals on my skin. Many products contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) which can be irritating. I use african black soap or an unscented organic liquid soap base, to which I sometimes add herbs to help clear the skin, neem and basil are helpful. Many people swear by using oils to clean their face, although I don't find this works well for me, the commonest choice is a mixture of castor oil and olive oil.

I sometime use an epsom salts scrub to give my face a really deep clean. The salts can be mixed with water or blended with a moisturising product such as cacao butter or shea butter. Betonite clay also makes a good deep cleanser. Make sure you don't get into eyes. I find manuka honey brilliant for all sorts of skin problems. You can mix some with natural yorhurt and oatmeal to make a natural face scrub (just make small amounts and use immediately as it doesn't keep well).

Herbs you can take internally to help clear skin include parsely, ginger and turmeric. No need to buy them as supplements just use more in food.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. Ive been seeing a lot online about taking probiotics (acidophilus in particular). Ive been taking antibiotics for around 2 and a half yrs so I think it's a good option to take some probiotics (apparently a yeast infection called candida occurs from long term use of antibiotics) - maybe that's what I have? But Ive also read that merely taking probiotics wouldn't help unless I completely cleanse my body and flush out everything 1st.

I have manuka honey (UMF 20). Its too expensive for me to use as a daily facial cleanser so I use Organic honey from a supermarket on a daily basis to cleanse my skin and I use the manuka honey as a mask once a week. I agree with you about chemicals, I stick with natural skincare, using honey as a cleanser and one moisturizer which has natural oils in there (like calendula, comfrey, avacado oil etc)

I also steam my face once a week.

I also have been drinking 2-3 litres of water for the last 2 yrs or so, I have a special re-usable plastic bottle which I fill up everyday.

I never eat processed foods, but once a week (on sunday) I eat a takeout with family (have to indulge now and again!). Andi I have freshly squeezed vegetable juice everyday.

As you can see, I do a lot to try and stop my acne, but it won't go away. I also exercise for 45mins every morning when I wake up (exercise also has mixed reviews online because some say its bad for acne because it increases testosterone levels and others say its good because it improves circulation, relieves stress (in turn helping acne) and flushes out toxins in sweat. So confusing!

All in all, there's no simple or obvious answer as to why I keep getting pimples and whiteheads everyday (and the skin around them is also tender to touch), its so annoying... its hard to incorporate a lot of the advice that online articles give as well because they often conflict with other online articles (e.g - don't eat too much fruit because it contains a lot of sugar and sugar is bad for ance, but then another article would day 'eat lots of fruits and veg'... aaaaaarrrrghhhhhhh

Im lost! Thanks though QLP, I will definitely try some probiotics! :)

Well it sounds like you are doing lots of good things.

Two and a half years is a long time on antibiotics, so even if you are eating all the right things my guess is that there could be a gut flora imbalance, and yes possibly a yeast problem, then not all the nutrients may be getting absorbed efficiently. Natural unsweetened yoghurt, eaten daily, can be a good way to help with this.

Would definitely go for a good probiotic and prebiotic formulation. Keep refined sugars to a minimum as these will encourage yeast growth, but I personally think the beneficial nutrients in fruits are too good to avoid fruit, though I would lean more towards vegetables overall so that you aren't overdoing the fructose.

Do have a think about your omega 3 intake, I know several people that inproved their skin just by upping this. Flax seeds can be sprinked on salads, mixed into rice, anything really. Flax seed oil can be used as a salad or pasta dressing or mixed into smoothies. Best not to cook them though, add after cooking.

Too many benefits in excercising to worry that it might worsen the acne in my opinion, and I would think it might be more likely to improve it in the long run even if it makes it worse in the short term. If your body is flushing toxins out in sweat that would probably make acne worse initially.

Many people find that when the change to a more natural diet and cosmetics routine etc their skins get worse before it gets better, particularly if they have come off a long-term regime like the antibiotics. If your health is otherwise good then I would say stick to all the good things you are doing and give your body chance to get used to being off the antibiotics before you worry too much.

My older son discovered that taking zinc supplements (I think it was zinc gluconate) improved his complexion over the course of a month or so. He started with 22mg. Tablets spaced out, three tabs a day. After a week he upped it to two tabs each time, three times a day.

Please Google "zinc acne" (without quote marks) for more information. My son had learned about this from his (now deceased) great aunt who had owned a health food store for years and was very knowledgeable about nutritional and alternative medicine.

Thanks QLP, il continue with the exercising, it certainly makes me feel better each morning!. I will get some flaxseed oil, I think I will get some evening primrose as well... ive read things about this as well.

I will also incorporate some yogurt into my diet and buy some probiotics. I was wondering, is there any way I can go to my GP and get him to test me (or recommend for me to get tested) to see if I have a gut flora imbalence or a yeast infection. If I explain that I've been on antibiotics for 2 and half years then would he maybe consider it? Is such a test possible? Is it simple (like a urine sample or something similar)?

Yeah I think that's good advice about waiting a while, maybe my body is adjusting to coming off the anti biotics.

Thanks wondergirl! I read all the rave reviews about zinc a few weeks ago and have started taking some. It is definitely something which helps. It takes the redness out of my spots and it makes pimples go down and vanish quite quickly (within a day or 2). The only problem is that I don't find it a 'cure' for my acne. By this I basically mean that new pimples still form everyday. The zinc isn't helping stop the new pimples. But no doubt, its certainly good for making them go away fast. Ideally, I would love to find something which stops them from actually forming on a daily basis. Thanks for recommending, it is certainly useful, I think a lot of acne sufferers who have a problem with pimple healing time or redness could benefit from zinc

Hello Try,

I found that Brewers yeast vitamins and vitamin E worked very well. Also drinking a lot of water.

Acne? Okay.. first a you put your head above a bowl with steamy hot wather and lay a great towel spread over your head and the bowl so the steam stays in. this going to put all your poriens wide open. After that you take some face wash and put 5-6 droplets ''thea-tree oil'' and mixes with the face wash. You cleans your skin with this groundly and rinse it with very cold wather,this closes the porien. Also you can put a droplet or 2 thea tree oil on a ear rod and rub it to a existing zip , this while make it disappear faster.