When your acne flares from stress, use acne alternative treatments instead of harsh chemicals. You can improve your skin without adding toxins to your system.
When you are under stress, your body’s chemical balance is disrupted. Among many imbalances, your body increases inflammation (an overactive immune response). Toxins of all kinds create the same response and so adding toxins to an already overloaded immune system just makes your body’s health worse.
Acne is caused when the follicles, or pores, of the skin get blocked and the sebum, or oil, inside the follicle is blocked from draining. Once this happens, bacteria begin to grow in the blocked follicle. This blockage can remain un-inflammatory (a whitehead or blackhead) or it can become inflammatory acne (papule or pustule). In either case, the acne is the result of the follicle being blocked from properly draining the sebum.
There are several factors which some believe contribute to acne. Poor diet may exacerbate it, as can stress.
Some people believe that heavy or greasy makeup can make it worse. Some people mistakenly believe that acne is caused by not washing the skin frequently enough. In fact, washing the skin may increase the acne. While all of these causes are sometime disputed, the one cause I found most frequently agreed upon is that acne can be caused by hormone imbalances.
Natural Acne Cures
Organic essential oils can be a boon to people with acne. Alternative treatments using essential oils can help dissolve sebum, and can help kill the bacteria that start to grow. And because our bodies have a natural symbiosis with plants, the organic essential oils are more supportive to our bodies than artificial chemicals.
- Tea Tree oil is one of the first oils to think of for natural acne cures. In fact in a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, tea tree oil was found to be as effective as benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of mild to moderate acne, and although it took longer to work, it also had fewer side affects. You can dilute tea tree oil 50-50 with an organic vegetable oil and apply it over the oily areas, or you can take a drop on a cotton swab and put it directly on an inflamed pore.
- Other essential oils which have anti-bacterial affects are clove, and the blends Thieves, Melrose, and Purification.
- Oils which have the effect of reducing sebum production (drying skin) are bergamot (remember that this oil is photosensitive and should not be applied before going out in the sun), geranium, vetiver, and lemongrass.
- Oils which soothing to the skin are lavender, rosewood, and patchouli.
All of these essential oils can help acne problems, but they can also be drying. If you notice that your skin is getting too dry, just combine them 50-50 with and organic vegetable oil. When you apply the oils, rub them in very gently; do not irritate the skin. And for maximum effectiveness, alternate your oils every day.
Hormone Balancing
The other way to use essential oils in your acne alternative treatment is to use oils which help balance your hormones. Essential oils have homeostatic intelligence–they work to balance natural functions. This means that the same oil may stimulate in one circumstance and calm in another. Using oils which have hormone regulating effects will support your body finding its normal hormonal balance.
To use the oils, rub a few drops on the soles of the feet or crown of the head 1-3 time/day.
Oils which balance female hormones include fennel, anise, clary sage, sage, geranium and the blends Dragon Time, SclarEssence and Lady Sclareol.
Detoxing and Cleansing
- Eat a healthy diet for both your stress levels and for your skin. Avoid dairy products, fried food, chemical additives and sugar.
- Avoid chemical make-up. Try some pure mineral make-up to reduce the toxins on your skin.
- Avoid plastics. Some plastics exude estrogenic chemicals and may cause more hormonal imbalance. Drink water from glass or ceramic containers. Do not eat food that has been heated in a plastic container.
- Begin a cleanse. Increase your fiber to cleanse your colon and consider a short fast. Like your colon, your skin is an organ of elimination. If your colon can’t do its work, your skin works overtime.
When stress increases your acne, alternative treatments are the best way to clear your skin and support your overall health at the same time.
