Conventional acne treatments never really treat the root of the problem.
One of the best ways to gain control of your acne situation is to gain knowledge and understanding. Educate yourself. Understand both your disease and how your medicine works for the most dramatic results in treating acne.
One reason for trying non-conventional acne treatments is that buying acne and skin care products is expensive. Holistic remedies are often a lot cheaper than conventional ones. More than that, treating acne holistically means healing from the inside out.
What are some non-conventional acne treatments?
Start with a healthy diet and lifestyle
The best way to get clear, healthy skin is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats can help keep your skin looking its best.
Here are some tips for improving your diet:
Reduce your sugar intake as much as possible — especially refined sugar found in soda pop, candy bars, baked goods and other processed foods with added sugars. Sugar not only contributes to blemishes on the surface of your skin but also causes an increase in insulin production due to its high glycemic index.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables can help improve the health of your skin by providing vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables are also high in water content, which helps hydrate your body from the inside out.
Choose whole grains over processed grains. Processed grains are stripped of their natural fiber content, so they don’t provide as much nutritional value as whole grains do. Avoid white breads, pastas and rice, and opt for whole-grain versions instead — they’re better for your waistline too!
Reduce stress
Stress can affect your skin in many ways. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol, which can increase oil production and clog pores.
Stress also affects the immune system, which may trigger acne breakouts. Stress may also result in headaches, fatigue and lack of sleep — all of which can cause skin problems.
Reducing stress should be a priority for everyone — especially those with acne! Here are some ways to de-stress yourself:
- Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation
- Spend time outside in nature
- Exercise regularly (even if just walking)
- Spend time with friends or family
Avoid picking at your spots
An important step to having clear skin is to stop picking your acne.
Picking at your skin can cause more damage, spread more bacteria, and leave scars. Don’t pick at blemishes, pop pimples, or squeeze pus from whiteheads or blackheads if you want to heal properly.
If you have a hard time resisting the urge to pick at your skin, try these tricks to distract yourself:
- Get a manicure or pedicure
- Make an appointment with a friend for coffee or something else fun
- Go out for a walk outside
Drink green tea
Drink green tea regularly to reduce inflammation.
Green tea contains antioxidants and nutrients that can help treat acne, as well as prevent future breakouts. In addition, it has antibacterial properties that help fight off the bacteria that cause acne.
Here are some of the benefits of drinking green tea for acne treatment:
- Contains antioxidants and nutrients that fight free radicals
- Has antibacterial properties that kill the bacteria that causes acne
- Helps balance out hormones, which can keep breakouts under control
Get enough sleep
A good night’s sleep is more important than you might think. It can help you lose weight, improve your mood, increase your productivity and reduce stress. But did you know that getting enough sleep can also help cure acne?
The connection between sleep and acne isn’t just anecdotal — there is scientific evidence to support it. In fact, many studies have shown that lack of sleep can cause or worsen acne in some people.
How does lack of sleep affect acne?
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which can cause inflammation in your system. This inflammation can trigger breakouts on your face, neck and back – areas where pimples usually occur. In addition, when you don’t get enough rest, your skin does not have time to renew itself properly which promotes excess oil production and clogged pores which eventually lead to acne breakouts.
As you know by now, acne is a pretty complex condition. There’s a lot that goes into getting rid of acne naturally. However, there are holistic ways to treat acne that the industry doesn’t want you knowing about.
If you’ve been struggling with acne and haven’t had any significant improvements, then consider using these non-conventional, holistic approaches listed above. Good luck!