September 20, 2004
Are you sure this will help with acne? Colonics On Trial
My first education on how to buy acne skin care products came from Johnson & Johnson and Noxema. They had their models wash their clear complexions with the perfect acne cleanser and then, once the suds vanished, the models were dancing around so happy not having to worry about zits.
Alas, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and most other acne washes do not wash away zits.
One trap to fall into with cleansers is over cleansing, which can aggravate acne. The next trap, which is common, is to expect too much from one product.
For example, benzoyl peroxide works by destroying excess acne provoking bacteria. Salicylic acid exfoliates the skin and clears the pores, which reduces the chances for waste buildup in the pores and producing a zit.
If you have severe acne like I did, over the counter acne washes cannot provide the amount of bacteria control and exfoliation you need to keep acne at bay.
It's like trying to empty a bathtub with a teaspoon instead of just unplugging the water clog. Severe acne requires regulating the skin on an internal and external level. You can regulate the growth of excess bacteria on the face and body in a number of ways.
1. Decrease or control your stress response. Stress sets off a series of hormonal reactions that can ultimately produce excess oil on the face and provide an ideal environment for excess acne-causing bacteria growth on the face.
2. Moderate sugar consumption. Excess sugar, like stress, moves the hormones to excrete more oil on the face. It's not the chocolate the causes the acne, just the collective hormonal response of a sugar overload.
3. Take a multi-vitamin. It may sound silly, or trivial, but taking a multivitamin can provide vital nutrients that boosts the immune system and help you manage stress better. Collectively, strong immunity and stress control help reduce acne breakouts.
I learned these three points the hard way. Trial and error and buying a lot of acne skin care products. If you're at a loss about choosing an acne product, I can only say this, high price does not guarantee high quality. When I used Oxy 10 for instance, I found it worked just as well as products that costs 5 times as much. One drawback is that these drying products are not ideal for maturing skin. If you are battling acne and wrinkles, I suggest using essential oils to combat acne flair-ups such as tea tree or eucalyptus oil.
On a final note, if you've been using an acne cleanser for months with no noticeable improvement in your skin, I suggest trying to regulate you skin's condition from the inside, with sound nutrition and relaxation.
Next I'll talk about my colonic experience to treat acne.
Posted by San Jay on September 20, 2004 07:29 PM
Comments
Dear San Jay,I am really interested in your 'column'. My daughter is 18 and has had her father's severe acne, deep blackheads under white layers of skin, described by a dermatologist as orange peel skin, because of the texture. My Jen is a beautiful girl, and we've tried:Nature's Cure tablets and topical treatments, helped someProactive expensive, a hassle to use, and only slight improvement.AVON Clearskin cleansing, masks, and oil free moisturizer, some improvement.I know she's tried other stuff that she bought herself too. But to no avail.We went to a dermatologist's office about a year ago and the Nurse Practioner prescribed a body wide antibiotic, since there are also breakouts on her arms chest and back. She put her on a mild otc wash for cleansing, Duac topical treatment, another topical I can't remember the name. At the same time as Jen was taking the pills and doing the topicals, I paid $100 a month for her to have midcroderm abrasion and after each session the nurse practioner and her assistant would do a bit of picking and clearing with their tools. Jen's body was blemish free, but the deep stuff in her cheeks continued. She got discouraged, she got busy with her Sr year in HS and friends and quit taking the pills and finished the current tubes of topicals....even though I'd refilled the pills and topicals and they were under her sink and she knew it.She now has worse skin yet again. She went to the GYN for the 2nd time on Monday and got an RX for 'the pill'. (the first time was due to irregular periods after her father's sudden unexpected death(stroke)).When she was on it before she said that her periods were lighter and regular and pms wasn't as bad.Her reason for the pill now is to request the dermatologist 'team' rx Accutane. As we understand it, it could cause horrific birth defects so any female user must be on the pill.So I guess she'll go for the Accutane and also start microderm abrasions and acne facials at the docs to clear up. She has high hopes about the Accutane as friends ahve used it and it cleared them right up.Wondered if you ever went that route??Thanks again for sharing and I hope to read more of you here.Hugs, Judy
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TITLE: Yes, I'll take a cleanser that instantly washes away zits
AUTHOR: San Jay
DATE: 9/8/2004 08:07:52 PM
Posted by: Judy in AZ at October 5, 2004 05:01 AM
