The causes of acne and natural ways to treat it

There’s nothing better than waking up with a huge zit on your face.
 
Hugh Jackman could be standing shirtless next to you in the coffee shop, and you’d still think everyone ordering a damn latte was staring at the crater kickin' it on your cheek.
 
Quit cursing at your mother for telling you that it would go away in your early twenties, and let’s get to it: what exactly causes acne and how do we fight it?
 
The Cause
 
Acne is what happens when your skin’s oil glands produce too much oil. Basically, the oil that was designed to lubricate your skin and hair follicles, thereby keeping your skin healthy and moisturized, gets trapped in blocked oil ducts. This triggers good bacteria that normally protects the skin from harmful bacteria to grow in the closed pore. The bacteria then produces chemicals that alter the composition of the oil, irritating the skin and causing inflammation as the body’s immune system attempts to rid itself of a foreign substance. The ‘foreigner’ at hand being the bacteria or irritating compounds they have produced.
 
What Your Body Is Telling You
 
Acne can be a slight indication that your body is begging for an internal spring cleaning. Or, you’re eating, drinking or ingesting way too much or too little of something (see below).
 
Natural Treatments
 
Before you turn to heavy-duty antibiotics or medical treatments, consider some of these natural treatments (or causes):
 
Milk does a body bad. Researchers claim to have found a correlation between milk intake and acne. It appears that milk drinkers develop more severe acne than well, say, non-milk drinkers. Milk also contains hormones that can cause breakouts.
 
Reduce intake of saturated fats and trans fats. A no-brainer, these icky additives can contribute to oily skin.
 
Reduce sodium intake. Ditch the excess sugar and carbonated drinks. It’s all about control, ladies.
 
Load up on zinc. Zinc boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation and heals damaged skin. Load up on zinc-rich foods like almonds and nuts, wheat bran cereal and chickpeas (or supplements).
 
Fall in love with omega-3 fatty acids. They promote healthy skin and prevent acne. Foods high in omega-3s include flax seed, walnuts, cereals, oregano, grape leaves and broccoli.
 
Stimulate the liver. Incorporate some garlic into your diet, sip on a glass of hot water with lemon in the morning, juice some beets, and munch on cruciferous veggies (Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli). All help detox and stimulate the liver.
 
Drink water. Water flushes out toxins. Got it? Carry a reusable water bottle with you and keep refilling throughout the day.
 
Avoid chemical-based cosmetics. Yet another reason to check the ingredients on the back of the box. Chemicals are harsh on the skin and can contribute to inflammation.

Cleanse the skin
 
Here are some savvy ways to wash your skin to be acne-free:
 
Tea tree and carrier oil. Mix two drops of tea tree oil with 30 ml of a carrier oil (i.e. vegetable oil). It acts as a natural antiseptic, is gentle on the skin and speeds the healing of blemishes.
 
Baking soda paste. Create a scrub of 1 tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to form a paste. Gently massage into skin with a soft bristle brush to remove dirt from the pores before infection sets in.
 
Jojoba oil. Rub some jojoba oil into the skin, which will help to unclog pores and eliminate dirt.
 
Steam facial. Take a load off with a steam facial. Heat up a large bowl of clean water, drape a towel over your head and the hot water to envoke a steamy environment. Make sure not to lean too close to avoid risk of scalding and leave an opening to breathe properly. Steam for five minutes.
 
Acne, take a hike.