Acne - causes, treatment (natural remedies, herbs, nutrients, diet)
LETS TALK ACNE
Acne can be caused by:
Source
High sugar diets
Food and environmental allergies and intolerances, with dairy being the most common
Stress
Nutritional deficiencies, such as essential fatty acids, vitamin A and zinc
Gastrointestinal disorders such as dysbiosis (imbalances of the bacteria and fungus in the gut) and irritable bowel syndrome
Hormonal conditions relating to puberty, including premenstrual syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome
Medications such as the oral contraceptive pill and steroids
Poor skin hygiene routines
Skin barrier dysfunction
Infection with Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes
Genetics
What happens?
Acne occurs via:
1. Excess sebum production, or in more familiar terms, increased oil production
2. Blocking of your follicles with sebum (oil) and skin cells (keratinocytes)
3. Increased presence of the bacteria p.acnes
4. Release of multiple inflammatory mediators (Keri, 2018)
Acne typically presents on the face, chest, upper back, and upper arms. It can be painful, and cause scarring, which can lead to emotional, psychological, and social issues, including low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.
What can I do about it?
Reduce your intake of refined, processed and sweetened food and beverages. This includes white bread and pastas, pastries, cakes, soft drinks, chocolate and ice-cream. Follow a low GI diet to reduce circulating levels of glucose in the bloodstream.
Support your lymphatic system by maintaining adequate hydration, and incorporating an exercise regime.
Minimise/eliminate your intake of dairy as this has a strong association with acne due to it increasing insulin-like growth factor 1. This includes milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, butter, and any dairy additives found in food.
Establish a dermal hygiene routine. Reduce cosmetics that would be irritating, by opting for natural alternatives. Consider an antibacterial face wash using ingredients like tea tree.
Support a healthy digestive flora balance by supplementing a strain specific probiotic, and increasing your probiotic foods. Examples include plant based yoghurts, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and kefir.
Ensure you’re consuming adequate fibre, to aid in the elimination of wastes in the body. This is to prevent the reabsorption of toxins which may present on the skin. Aim for 35g per day.
Increase your antioxidants. Introduce plenty of fresh, colourful whole fruit and vegetables to your diet. Include green tea, berries, leafy green vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices.
Balance your dietary fats by reducing processed fats and refined vegetable oils (such as margarine and bakery goods), and increase omega 3’s. Include oily fish, flax, chia, hemp, olive oil, and a variety of nuts and seeds.
Key herbs
Key herbs are hard to pick, due to many underlying causes contributing to acne. Naturopathic medicine will take the time to take a thorough and holistic approach to determine the underlying cause.
Topical herbs could include:
Tea tree: contains monoterpenes which have antibacterial properties against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria,
Echinacea: has antimicrobial properties shown to readily kill a main contributor of acen, P. acnes. It is also a great anti-inflammatory and has traditional applications in red and inflamed skin conditions,
Green tea: contains tannins and flavonoids which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects (Nasri et al., 2015).
Other herbs targeting the nervous system, reproductive, lymphatic, endocrine, liver and gastrointestinal systems would be indicated.
Key nutrients
Zinc: low zinc levels have long been correlated with acne, and many other skin conditions in fact. Zinc has shown promise in a number of clinical trials in the treatment of acne.
Vitamin C: the combination of vitamin C with zinc has shown a reduction in the proliferation of P. acnes. It also has shown improvements in acne scares, skin integrity and inflammation.
Vitamin A: Low levels have been associated with acne, as with vitamin E and zinc (Ozuguz et al., 2013).
Vitamin D: low serum levels of vitamin D has been inversely associated with acne (El-Hamd et al., 2018)
Essential fatty acids: Imbalances of essential fatty acids have been associated with a variety of skin problems. Linoleic acid deficiency has been particularly implicated in acne (Pappas, 2009).
References
Cervantes, J., Eber, A. E., Perper, M., Nascimento, V. M., Nouri, K., & Keri, J. E. (2017). The role of zinc in the treatment of acne: A review of the literature. Dermatologic Therapy, 31(1), e12576. doi:10.1111/dth.12576
El-Hamd, M., Taieb, M., Ibrahim, H, H. & Aly, S. (2018). Vitamin D levels in acne vulgaris patients treated with oral isotretinoin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 18(1). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12503
Nasri, H., Bahmani, M., Shahinfard, N., Moradi Nafchi, A., Saberianpour, S., & Rafieian Kopaei, M. (2015). Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Review of Recent Evidences. Jundishapur journal of microbiology, 8(11), e25580. doi:10.5812/jjm.25580
Ozuguz, P., Kacar, S., Ekiz, O., Takci, Z., Balta, I. & Kalkan, G. (2013). Evaluation of serum vitamins A and E and zinc levels according to the severity of acne vulgaris. Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 33(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/15569527.2013.808656
Pappas, A. (2009). The relationship of diet and acne. Dermato-endocrinology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.1.5.10192
Wang, K., Jiang, H., Li, W., Qiang, M., Dong, T, & Li, H. (2018). Role of Vitmain C in Skin Diseases. Frontiers in Physiology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00819.