Natural Acne Solutions – The 3 Vitamins That Help You Fight Acne
Author: Ken Y Fongbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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In the search for the best natural acne solutions, you may come across various forms of treatments that claim to hold the secret to eradicating your acne problems. These may be custom-diets, balms, specially brewed drinks or even creams, but it is important to recognize one thing all these treatments have in common. That common denominator is the infusion of essential nutrients, minerals or vitamins as part of the solution.
This article explores how 3 vital vitamins play a major role in helping your body regulate the most important functions that assist in battling acne. I call them the A-B-C of anti-acne nutrition precisely because, yes you guessed it - they are vitamins A, B and C! We will explore some fundamental facts about them, how they work internally and also how to best get the required amounts for your bodies.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A can actually be found in 3 major chemical forms, retinol, other retinoids and the carotenes (alpha carotene, beta carotene, etc). Without being too technical, they are simply the different forms in which Vitamin A exist, depending on which food source you absorb them from. This vitamin plays a plethora of roles, such as enabling normal vision function, maintaining bone metabolism, promoting good skin health and regulating antioxidant activity. So, how exactly does Vitamin A act as a natural acne solution?
Well, certain forms of Vitamin A are believed to reduce not only the size but amount of secretion produced by your sebaceous glands (the glands that produce oil for your skin). Because bacteria rely on this sebum as its nutrition source, Vitamin A will reduce bacterial numbers by cutting off the food supply. A word of warning however, excessive Vitamin A consumption tends to cause over dryness of skin and in some cases, light flaky skin.
The best sources of Vitamin A would be bright coloured fruits and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potato. For an extra boost, supplement your diet with essentials such as eggs (natures best source of protein), cod-liver oil, broccoli as well as spinach. Although I did mention the side-effects of excessive Vitamin A, rest assured that it is actually a rare occurrence and unlikely to be caused by over consumption of the foods listed above. On the contrary, Vitamin A toxicity can often be traced back to over supplementing with inorganic forms found such as those found in pills and other medication.
Vitamin B
The B-vitamins actually consist of 8 separate vitamins that each play important roles in cell metabolism. In general there is B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), B12 (cobalamins). Phew, quite a list!
The primary functions of this group of vitamins are ensuring normal functions of immune and nervous systems, maintaining healthy skin and muscle tone as well as promote cell growth and division. As a natural acne solution, this is important so your skin is able to heal from severe acne scarring and to also allow inflammation caused by pimples to subside. There are so many ways to get your daily supplement of Vitamin B, so Ill just list the major groups of food that best provide you with your necessary intake - Whole grains, eggs, leafy green vegetables, legumes and poultry. These vitamins are only needed in very small amounts to maximize their effects, so as long as you ensure you have a good food variety, you should be fine. Otherwise, a good alternative is to take Vitamin B complex supplements in a liquid of colloidal form, for maximum absorption.
Vitamin C
Undoubtedly the superstar of all the vitamins, Vitamin C is a fantastic antioxidant and an absolute must for gorgeous skin, an absolute gem as a natural acne solution. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and is required for a range of metabolic reactions that are essential to our overall well-being. The RDA for Vitamin C is between 90 miligrams and no more than 2000 miligrams per day. Over consumption of Vitamin C is not a major problem, as Vitamin C has extremely low toxicity and the fact that your body is able to efficiently dispose of any excess. In fact, many nutritionist advocate the use of Vitamin C mega-dosing as a means of treating a variety of disorders.
As a natural acne solution, the most useful function of Vitamin C is as an antioxidant. Antioxidants fight particles called free radicals that ravage and damage your cells. Vitamin C helps to maintain healthy young skin by reversing the effects of oxidation of skin. Among the best sources of Vitamin C are oranges, other citrus fruits, broccoli, parsley, capsicums and strawberries. The kiwifruit is commonly known as a Vitamin C superfruit, containing at least 10 times the amount of compared to an average orange. So instead of drinking half a litre of freshly squeezed orange juice, why not consider one of these lovely fruits for your daily fix.
From this short piece, you can begin to see that various vitamins come from all different sources of foods. It can sometimes be confusing to remember which foods provide the most of any vitamin. However, rather than being stuck in confusion paralysis, embrace the fact that many of these dietary staples each contain a variety of different vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the key to having enough nutrition is to ensure that you have a well rounded diet that consists of enough carbohydrates (but not too much), a variety of fruits and vegetables and lots of water. A favourite trick of mine is to rotate the fruits and vegetables I have on a daily basis, thus giving myself the best chance of getting as many of the vital nutrients necessary. Why not do the same for yourself?
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pAbout The Author/ppKen Y Fong is a passionate believer in the benefits of natural remedies towards curing skin ailments such as acne, eczema and psoriasis. His main research interests are how nutrition can be integrated into holistic acne solutions and the formulation of effective acne treatments with ready made everyday ingredients. To find out more about his best tips on treating acne naturally, and other great skin treatment tips visit a target=_new href=http://AcneFreeSkinToday.com rel=nofollowhttp://AcneFreeSkinToday.com/a./pp(c) Copyright - Ken Y Fong. All Rights Reserved Worldwide./pbr
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Body Acne Solutions
Author: Peter Emerson
Source: articleage.com
Surveys reveal that over 75% of people having facial acne also suffer from body acne as well. Of these 90% carry this infection on their back, neck, shoulders and chest. A small percentage has acne on their legs and abdomen. While facial acne is undoubtedly harmful to a person's personality, body acne is no less damaging. Body acne makes it difficult for men to go shirtless in public and prevents women from wearing low cut dresses, sleeveless garments and swim wear. The impact and severity of body acne can be minimized by taking a few precautions and by using time-tested medications.
Body acne poses a greater challenge than facial acne. For one thing, the back is not easy to reach. Secondly, these parts contain a large number of pores that produce more oil and are more vulnerable to infections than the face. Thirdly, the skin on the back is thicker and does not respond to doses of topical or oral medications that work for facial acne.
Almost all commercial creams and lotions contain one of the three commonly used antidotes - benzoyl peroxide, a glycolic acid derivative or salicylic acid. These compounds unclog the pores and possess an anti-bacterial property that helps fight acne. Further, they help in reducing the oil content of the skin. While these compounds have produced promising results, they can over-dry the skin and care must be taken to use moisturizing agents to prevent this condition.
Supporters of herbal cures recommend creams containing combinations of extracts from a variety of herbs. These include neem, honeysuckle, yellow dock, dandelion root and sarsaparilla roots. They act as mild antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents and claim to detoxify blood. Body scrubs enhance exfoliation and are used to promote a healthy skin. Apricots are commonly used in these scrubs to provide roughage. Oral antibiotics and vitamins (B2, B3, A and E) are a useful adjuvant in battling acne.
Some simple health and hygiene measures go a long way in controlling acne. First of all, dermatologists agree that stress induces hormonal changes that in turn aggravate acne. Staying "cool" helps control acne.
Hygiene measures include regular body washes using antibacterial soaps, using moisturizing creams, using a soft towel to dry the skin, removing sweaty garments as soon as possible, avoiding pinching affected areas, exercising and getting enough rest. The best thing to do always is to consult a dermatologist before using any medication - oral or topical.
Acne Solutions provides detailed information about acne solutions, natural acne solutions, acne scar solutions, best acne solutions and more. Acne Solutions is the sister site of Acne Treatment Web.