reorganizing your diet ( no sugar or unnatural sweeteners, no dairy, less meat, low fat, 70%+ raw veggies, more fruit, organic foods, drink plenty of water,eat fish full of healthy oils)
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do body cleanse ( colon, kidney, liver, parasite...)
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take suppliments like:
zinc picolinate (picolinate is the most active source you can put into your body.so you get faster results then with other mineral sources)
chromium picolinate
Vitamin A (E is also good but not required)
potassium
pantothenic Acid ( daily 500mg, but there is a program that requires to take 10g daily for at least 2 months. do your own homework . its a promising method but has some dangers to keep in mind)
psyllium fiber
chlorophill
msm
flaxseed oil
lecithin
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there are drugs like
accutane
spironolactone (sorry cant remember the brand name)
birth control pills, if you are a woman ( Diane35, yasmin, ortho try cyclen are great because they a have progestins that block testosterone... be careful, there are other birth controls that can actually make acne worse)
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there are also more high end skin care products
Proactiv (meh... pretty much the same stuff you get form drug store but only packaged in a 3 step program. might be worth a try but i personally found my acne returned and i was back a square one)
Murad( love this product, works well. its BP free. definately worth a try if drug store products stop working. the spot treatment, perfecting lotion, and the exfoliating gel work great. the products are expensive. you can just buy the stop treatment and use cheaper alternatives for the lotion, exfoliating gel and the face wash)
disposable wash cloths- Dove has a nice line of face cloths. find a cloth thats Ph balanced [slightly acidic]. or look for cloths with BHA or AHAs in the ingredients lists. if you prefer regular liquid cleansers then look for one thats ph balanced and non drying to the skin.
MAMA lotion- great for acne and hyperpigmentation. a great alternative to the murad exfoliating gel.
Vitamin C serum- 5-20% serum with L-ascorbic acid or MAP. make your own with powder vitamin C. its best to start with 10% and work up. but remember vit C gets oxidized my air and light. its best to make a fresh batch daily or at least weekly. or buy small tubes or individual treatment packets of vit C serums. keep the serum covered and out of the light.
pocket sized oil absorbing sheets- great to put in your purse/bag when you are on the go. helps to reduce shine and removes any excess oil between washing.
oxy cleansing pads- great for removing dirt,dead skin and oil. not as strong as the mama lotion, vit C serum and the murad exfoliating gel. it contains only BHA ,which is a good start , but you can buy higher end products that use AHA. if you are using cleaning cloths then dont bother with these pads (too many abrasive products can irritate the skin).
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Spa Treatments
light therapy- blue and red light therapy is great for acne. blue light kills the acne causing bacteria while the red light fights inflammation (reducing the swelling)
asprin/iron oxide/niacinamide mask- these ingredients helps to reduce inflammation. its simular to the murad spot treatment (except its cheap). make a thick paste with equal parts of all 3 using lemon juice. leave the mask on for 5-15 minutes (or till it dry) then wash it off. you can leave the mask over night on individual acne spots but dont leave it on clear skin.
get hydrocortisone injections- you need to see a doc for this. it helps stop bumps from errupting. so when you feel a tingle or if you feel like a bump is about to form then you can get an injection. this is great for people who need to be acne free for an important ocation. there are also botox injections into acne bumps but you will have to do more research on your own with that.
microdermabrasion- if you dont know what that is then look it up.
laser therapy- the skin is zapped with a lazer and it shrinks the oil glands and tightens the pores. im not too sure but i read that its a semi-permanent method for acne
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some basic stuff
dont use products with ingredients that are bad for acne (mineral oil, petroleum jelly are just the big ones). there are ingredients that irritate the skin and clog the pores. both are bad for acne prone skin. do some research. to be safe, stick with products that are high end for oily/acne prone skin. do research on the ingredients. this site will help with researching ingredients that are good/bad for acne prone skin
Become an Acne Detective .
use a seperate towel for drying your face when you take a shower. and wash both your regular bath towel and your face towel more often (change or wash towels 2x a week).
change pillow case more often (2-3x week).
shower after workouts
keep up with your dental hygene
use a good moisturizer if you are using BP products. BP is great but very drying. dry skin is easily irritated and acne can get worse.
exercise and have a healthy diet
avoid oily/greasy/waxy hair products. keep hair clean. look for natural (organic) unscented shampoos and conditioner. if you have an oily scalp then look for ingredients that are simular to what you would use on the face and avoid ingredients that are bad for acne prone skin.
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check out these sites
there, i just saved you from having to buy any acne cure books and a few hundred hours of research and googling. but you still must do some of your own homework. so check out these sites:
acne.org
Curezone (acne forum... look for the acne protocol).
now you have new things to research and try.
