Did you know that 90% of dermatological consultations in young people are for acne?; But what is acne? is a disease in which the pores of the skin become clogged, causing the accumulation of dead cells; what we know as “grains”, “blackheads”, “pimples”, “comedowns”, “barrels”, “muds”.
These obstructions can occur in various areas of the body such as: face, back and arms.
Causes of acne
Specialists still do not determine for sure the causes of acne, but here are some of the possible causes:
- Age: acne can really appear at any age, but commonly in the stage of adolescence, between 12 and 18 years, is when we are most likely to this happen. Why?, because it is when the production of hormones such as testosterone increases; causing increased oiliness of the skin.
- Do not remove makeup correctly: by not having a correct cleaning of the remains of makeup or dirt accumulated during the day; clogging pores giving rise to undesirable pimples.
- The use of very greasy or inappropriate products for your skin type: oily skin is the most prone to suffer from acne; then if you have a oily complexion and use products made from oils you will favor the appearance of acne.
- Bacterial proliferation: we all have bacteria that live on our skin, but there is a specific one that causes acne; this is the Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) that lives inside the pores, and is responsible for producing a molecule that causes an inflammatory response within the pore. Resulting in the typical redness of acne.
- Hormonal imbalances: any condition that alters the hormonal balance of your body can cause acne; for example, polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance, hormonal changes in adolescence, menstrual cycle, hormone treatments. Hormones are responsible for: maintaining an adequate production of sebum by the sebaceous glands, in addition to a correct immune response.
- Diet: surely you have read or heard that the consumption of certain foods predisposes to the appearance of acne; high-fat meals, chocolates, dairy, sweets. The truth is that high-fat foods have nothing to do with acne.
Not being so in the case of chocolates or sweets since these have high sugar content, causing then high blood sugar levels, a fact that is related to acne.
In the same way, milk intake, which according to a series of investigations, is also associated with the manifestation of acne, this because milk is rich in a hormone called Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), and this impairs metabolism and hormonal balance.
- Do not stay hydrated: remember that our body is composed of 80% water; therefore, the deficit of the vital liquid leads to a series of alterations in our body, among them we have a dry and weak skin, pores and inefficient sebaceous glands.
- Medications: some medications such as anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids or even vitamin B12, can cause as parts of their side effects inflammatory reactions on the skin with the consequent appearance of acne
- Do not use sunscreen: prolonged exposure to uv sun rays without any protection generates direct damage to skin cells, inflaming them and thus increasing the number of dead cells and their accumulation in the pores, as well as accelerating the production of fats.
- Genetic background: the activity of your sebaceous glands, the configuration of your follicle or pore, your hormone levels and your immune response to bacteria are directly affected by your genetic background; so if your parents suffer or suffered from acne you have a predisposition to suffer from it too.
- Pregnancy: in some women when they are pregnant acne may appear, this due to the increase in the production of progesterone which implies greater oiliness of the skin.
- The weather: your environment can directly affect the appearance or exacerbation of acne. Cold climates cause the sebum of the skin to become denser, which causes clogging of the pores. On the other hand, dry climates generate greater sebum production by the skin, as a protection mechanism.
Instructions for removing acne
Once you have all these elements put on your gloves and follow the following steps:
- Take 10 ml of coconut oil and give yourself a facial massage in a circular and ascending way. Do it for about 5 minutes. This will help soften and remove dead cells on the surface of the skin.
- Wash your face with neutral or glycerin-based liquid soap to remove coconut oil, dry with the towel and then
- In a cup: mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of sugar or coffee, once they are well mixed apply it on your face with circular and ascending massages for 5 minutes, respecting the eyelid area. Honey plus sugar or coffee act as great natural exfoliates.
- Moisten cotton with water and remove with upward movements the remains of honey and sugar / coffee, repeat this step as many times as necessary so that your face is clean, dry with the towel and then
- Soak cotton with rose water, apply it all over your face with compressive movements. Rose water is an excellent tonic, being refrigerated its cold temperature helps the pores close. When this tonic dries continue with the next step:
- In one cup: combine 2 tablespoons of red clay powder with the amount of water needed to make a homogeneous mixture of semi-soft consistency, resulting in a wonderful revitalizing mask. Cover your entire face with the mask, respecting the eyelid area. Relax and wait for it to dry completely, then
- Wash your face with plenty of water, removing the mask completely, dry with the towel and you’re good to go.
With these 7 steps you will feel the difference from the first time and the best thing is that it is perfect for all skin types. You can repeat it once or twice a week.
What do you need to remove acne?
Because you have several possible causes you must take into account several points: maintain a healthy diet including adequate hydration, exercise regularly, practice activities that relax you, consult a specialist if you think you have a hormonal problem and the most important pay special attention to the care of your skin.
The skin is the largest organ in our body, so it is not for less that you must take care of it as such. For many years thousands of treatments, preparations, ointments, recipes, among others have been used to prevent or cure acne, but which of all is the most effective? Keeping your skin free of impurities is the key to fighting acne, then I’ll give you a list of everything you need to end acne:
- Coconut oil
- Neutral or glycerin-based liquid soap
- Bee honey
- Sugar or coffee
- Rose water (previously refrigerated)
- Powdered red clay
- 2 cups
- Cotton
- Drinking water
- 1 towel
- A pair of gloves of your size
Tips to remove acne
As we mentioned before, knowing your skin type and keeping it free of impurities is essential to cure acne, but there are also a series of care that you must take into account every day:
