Natural Remedies For Cystic Acne

by K. F.
(CT, USA)

I just started within the last year, to eat more organic, whole foods. At the same time ridding my house of toxic chemicals and using natural remedies when needed.

My constant bane since I was in my teens is cystic acne. Is there something, along with my recent diet changes, that would help this?

I had read somewhere that activated charcoal could be effective. As well as a mixture of honey and cinnamon rubbed on the face, left overnight and washed in the morning. Any suggestions?

Michelle says: Hopefully you'll be able to find a solution that works for your cystic acne soon.

Have you noticed any difference at all in your skin after you made the changes in your diet?

Here are some more things you can try:

Pay attention to any foods that may be causing a flare up. Some people find that their skin breaks out more when they eat wheat products. If you think this may be happening for you, you can test it by cutting all wheat from your diet for a couple of weeks to see if your skin clears up.

If wheat is not the problem, some other possible foods may be soy or dairy products.

Maybe you can try keeping a food journal where you record everything you eat as well as the condition of your skin. That should help you be able to identify any problem causing foods.

Aside from that, you can increase the amount of raw green vegetables that you eat. They tend to promote a clearer complexion.

Increase your water intake. Drinking lots of water helps to flush out any impurities and keeps your system clean. Learn more about water on this page: http://www.natural-health-restored.com/benefits-of-water.html

Try adding freshly squeezed lemon to your water helps with the cleansing process too.

Other great acne fighting foods to add to your diet are:
-fresh vegetable juice (a combination of carrot, beets, celery, cucumber, and spinach is great)
-carrots
-beets
-virgin coconut oil
-flax seeds and flax seed oil
-lots of raw foods
-brown rice
-sunflower seeds
-pumpkin seeds

You can take activated charcoal internally to help cleanse your system. I don't recommend using it as a facial mask though because washing it off completely can be very difficult and time consuming.

Honey is great too. Adding cinnamon adds extra antiseptic properties. I'm not sure about leaving honey on overnight over your entire face. That would be pretty messy. It would be better to do a spot treatment, I think.

You should get good results from using honey (and cinnamon) instead of a regular facial wash. It gets your face clean without stripping it of all the oils. I use honey as a cleanser sometimes and it leaves my skin feeling very soft.

Another effective natural remedy for acne is bentonite clay. Use a bentonite clay mask a couple of times a week. It helps to cleanse and soothe the skin. Many people have had success with it. You can use it internally as well. Here's a website where you can learn more about clay and how to use it: http://aboutclay.com/clay_info.htm

Hope that helps!

Michelle