Acne.

Michael J. Collins, Marjie Gill, Sharilyn, Feb 1996, afh

Newsgroup: alt.folklore.herbs
From: collins.user1.channel1.com (Michael J. Collins)
Date: 11 Feb 1996 22:11:36 GMT
Subject: Re: Acne--Advice Please

>I was wondering if someone can advice me on herbs to cure acute acne. I realize that traditional medicines (antibiotics etc) only provide temporary cure.

When I was younger, acne was a terrible problem for me. You'll hear some people say that the cause is hereditary and not what you eat. Wrong.

The title of a book that I read with the answer no longer comes to mind but the gist of the subject does. Acne prone skin is hereditary but hydrogenated oils are the cause of the affliction.

Most Mediterranean and Oriental cultures have virtually no acne because their diets contain mostly unhydrogenated oils.

Think of all the foods that contain hydrogenated/animal fats - ice cream, chocolate, butter, cheese, most meat, peanut butter.. these are all types of food that cause skin problems. The same foods that cause heart attacks when you're old cause skin problems when you're young.

Aloe vera applied directly to the skin is healing. Long hot showers and and other procedures that dry the skin are irritating and worsen the condition.

From: Marjie Gill <magill.gl.umbc.edu>

>> What kind of "remedies" do some of you have on minor acne problems? I have tried off the shelf products like Alpha Hydrox face wash but no luck.
> Nutrition.. I'm pretty sure it's nutrition... acne need not be..

I totally agree. i have bought a bread maker to make my own bread...can watch the ingredients. However since switching from margarine to butter, my complexion has improved. i find I use less butter than margarine, the flavor is there. I also use a face wash of oatmeal, honey, baking soda and vanilla yogurt. My skin is so temperamental to soaps I can't use it and shampoos I have to keep away from my face. The yogurt helps to heal and the oatmeal is an exfoliant. The baking soda is for the scrub and the honey is for healing. I use it at night every other day when it is dry weather and everyday in the summer. I often leave out the baking soda if my skin gets red...too abrasive.

I hope this works. There isn't any combination I just mix and test rial until I get the right combo for my skin type.

From: Sharilyn <sneidhardt.ikonic.com>

> What kind of "remedies" do some of you have on minor acne problems? I have tried off the shelf products like Alpha Hydrox face wash but no luck.

I make a tea of 2 parts Red Clover, 1 part Pennyroyal, 1 part sassafras. I let the tea cool and wash my face with it several times. I have oily skin and large pores and this seems to work for most problems.