More to Skin Blemishes
Here is what you need to know more about skin blemishes:

• Sugar and fatty foods are major culprits of acne and cause persistent skin blemishes (the only way out to treat both the acne skin blemishes is to eat more greens and drink plenty of water)
• Stress is another major contributing factor to acne and skin blemishes

Treatments for Skin Blemishes
Though there are over the counter drugs for removing skin blemishes left behind or caused by acne, the best treatment is to allow them to go naturally. Things you need to focus on to avoid acne and skin blemishes are:

• A routine and nutritious diet
• Clean and remove excess oil
• Exfoliation
• Use mild cleansers, products and cosmetics
• Drink plenty of water
• Get sufficient sleep
• Avoid excess drying up of the skin

Vitamins for Acne
The following vitamins work best for treating acne:

Vitamin A is reportedly the most effective vitamin for skin care. The essential vitamin helps get rid of toxins, controls production of sebum, and strengthens skin tissues thereby leading to clearer and acne-free skin.

B-complex vitamins are also effective for fighting acne. It major function includes controlling stress and maintaining hormonal balance which are major triggers for acne. B-complex vitamins also help in the healing process of frequent acne breakouts.

Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6 also aid digestion and help in increasing to metabolize foods that prevent acne. In addition, they help in flushing toxins and impurities from the body.

Other vitamins that help fight acne include vitamin C, E and K.

Vitamins work best with minerals such as Chromium, Selenium and Zinc. The first helps absorb vitamins in the body, the second aids skin elasticity and zinc controls the extent of oil produced by the skin. One should be very careful about taking vitamin or mineral supplements to cure acne or otherwise due to adverse reactions. Consulting a physician is necessary before resorting to vitamin cum mineral treatment for acne.

Similarly, not all cosmetics react the same way in every skin. Oily foundations too seem to appear very long lasting but they can be quiet harmful for acne prone skin and can aggravate the condition.

Tips for Skin Care
Some tips for skin care and use of oil-free cosmetics are explained below:

• Use alcohol or water based liquid under your foundation
• Oil-free, matte or semi-matte foundations are the best choices always
• Transparent foundations are suggested for blackhead prone skin
• Fuller or opaque foundations for red lesions and scarred skin
• Mix transparent base powders with foundation to give a lasting cover

Though use of cosmetics is not recommended for an acne prone skin; mineral makeup and oil-free cosmetics do come in handy to merge the scars and red lesions. Check the product constitution nevertheless, and confirm whether any makeup is at all permissible for your skin type.

Types of Cleansers
Cleansers are grouped into the following:

• Cold creams and make-up removers (wipe-off cleansers)
• Gentle water soluble cleansers, and
• Soaps

Mild cleansers, such as the water soluble ones (recommended for acne treatment) should bear the following characteristics for acne cure – unscented, non-oily, non-irritable, and should be able to remove excess oil and cosmetics.

Herbs for Acne Cure
Listed below are herbs that help cure acne conditions through bettering liver function:

• Burdock: This herb naturally cleans the system and boosts the immunity. Its laxative and diuretic properties help in the cleansing the system. One teaspoon of burdock mixed with one cup of boiled taken once or thrice daily for 1-2 weeks before the menstrual cycle helps prevent and cure acne breakouts.
• Dandelion root: Dandelion improves liver function by stimulating the bile which aid digestion of fats. It diuretic properties enable flushing the system of all toxins by relieving constipation, bloating and swelling.
• Yellow dock: This herb purifies the blood and also stimulates bile production that aids digestion of fats, thereby improving the sluggish function of the liver. Yellow dock is NOT recommended for people suffering with kidney stones.
• Red clover: This herb also contains diuretic properties for treating affected skin conditions. Non-fermented red clover is considered safe for acne cure. It is also said to contain genistein, a substance with anti-cancerous properties.

Proteins
Proteins are considered essential for skin health because it helps in building and maintaining tissue – skin and muscles. Foods rich in amino acids are particularly considered more beneficial for treating acne such as fish, meat, eggs and cheese.

Fats
Fats can be both good (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) and bad (saturated and trans-fatty acids). For example, avoid cooking in butter or margarine and go for vegetable oil. Nuts are also healthy and so are olives. Avocado is high on fat but again very nutritious.

Vitamins
Vitamins are very essential for the entire functioning and strength of the body including the skin. For example, vitamin A is considered very essential for skin and treating acne conditions.

Minerals
Minerals again play a very important role in treating acne. Calcium, potassium and iron are considered very helpful in treating acne.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates act like fuel to the body in the form of glucose. But glucose again means sugar. So you would have to limit intake of carbohydrates. Essential carbs include sugar, starch and dietary fiber which aid digestion and maintain bowel movements, a very important pre-requisite for healthy and radiant skin.

Water
Water is absolutely essential for treating acne as it cleanses the system off all impurities, aids digestion again and helps maintain bowel movements.

Why does sulfur soap help?
Sulfur is a natural cure. Just as acne is natural, sulfur does not intentionally stop the effect of acne as such. Instead, sulfur soap helps in shedding the dead skin cells by way of an active ingredient it contains, the Keratolytic. Apart from the excess oil produced by the skin, it is also the dead skin cells that promote the growth of bacteria in skin pores that are blocked. Removing dead skin cells therefore becomes as important as getting rid of acne. Hence, sulfur soaps work as an antibacterial agent that helps fight germs and bacteria to better the acne condition.

Retards Growth of Bacteria
Sulfur also contains compounds called sulfonamides that limit the acids in bacteria which is responsible for the reproduction of bacteria. Hence, sulfur soap helps treat acne faster than bacteria tries to make it worse.

Other Skin Benefits
Sulfur soap has related benefits to treat skin ailments such as scabies, psoriasis, eczema and other kinds of fungal infection too. Sulfur has through research made itself an active agent for many effective medications for skin treatment. Hence it is safe and recommended for washing and cleansing purposes for all acne afflicted.

What exercises are helpful?
Generally, outdoor recreational activities or exercises contribute extensively to the wellness of the mind and body. Some choices for the kind of exercises are:

• Walking
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Team sports

One important precaution for exercise and acne is to maintain one’s hygiene. Ensure that the clothes you wear after exercises are dry, fresh and clean. Bathe and dab your skin dry of all the moisture with a clean towel to prevent acne on the chest or back each time. Exercise also releases endorphins in the body, which is a hormone that is responsible for increasing the happiness levels in a person. Acne is a condition that hits hard on one’s self-esteem and social life. Hence, it cannot be argued that exercise can be helpful in warding off acne.

Proactive Treatment for Acne
Killing acne from its roots would involve the following three steps:

• 1st step: Wash your face with a renewing cleanser that would contain 2.5 percent of benzoyl peroxide as an active ingredient.
• 2nd step: A revitalizing toner helps in removing the excess oil from the face and in opening up the clogged skin pores. Glycolic acid is the active ingredient in this case.
• 3rd step: The last step is to use a repairing lotion. This last step helps in treating and healing blemishes and blackheads. A repairing lotion also helps in reducing the occurrence of pimples and acne. The active ingredient is again benzoyl peroxide (2.5 percent) that kills the bacteria from the roots.

Skin Care for Men
Though for men too, the common procedure for skin care involves exfoliation, cleansing and after care, what is most important to note is that men have thicker skin and hence need more extensive treatment in certain cases.

• Wash: Washing your face with an effective face wash will help in getting rid of the impurities and oily residue on the skin
• Face Tonic: Advanced face tonics dissolve oily residue, dead skin and clogging pores very common in men
• Acne Lotion: This therapy lotion (Benzoyl Peroxide) recommended by a dermatologist is enriched with vitamins that can restore the ingredients lost from the skin

The 3-step acne cure applies to men too (getting rid of dead skin, unclogging swollen pores and killing the bacteria). Salicylic acid works best for dead skin removal and for reducing the inflammation. Glycolic acid works for unclogging the pores and Benzoyl peroxide for killing the bacteria which works well with ice packs after application at night. Discuss the procedure clearly with a dermatologist before starting the 3-step treatment for acne.