Re: Prone to acne

[Guest guest]

> Any suggestions for someone prone to acne?

Sadly for me, I discovered that dairy causes my pimples. A little

dairy, I'll have a pimple the next day. If I stay away from it, my

skin is clear. I never had full-blown acne, though.

[Guest guest]

>Any suggestions for someone prone to acne?

>

>I do quite a bit to enhance my digestion including HCL, colonics,

>avoiding sugars or too many fruits, refined grains, etc. I don't know

>if it is hormones or what (I am 27).

>

>I also find that eating red meat can slow my digestion which sometimes

>ends up in breakouts.

Judging from the emails over the years, anything that affects

digestion seems to lead to breakouts. I had rosacea for 20 plus

years til I went GF, then it all went away. Gluten DOES mess up

your hormones if you react to it ... it causes even kids to secrete

milk-producing hormones. It doesn't matter if it is refined grain

or otherwise. See:

..................................................

The researchers report in the February issue of the Journal of Tropical

Pediatrics that serum prolactin levels were significantly elevated in children

with

active celiac disease. Mean prolactin levels were 48.3 ng/mL in active celiac

disease, 18.3 ng/mL in children in remission and 9.3 ng/mL in controls.

Prolactin levels were higher among those with long standing disease, with

mean levels of over 75 ng/mL recorded among those with celiac disease for more

than 5 years. Levels also positively correlated with the severity of villous

atrophy, the pathognomic feature of celiac disease, the investigators point out.

The researchers conclude that serum prolactin, because of its positive

correlation with disease activity, can be used as an " additional marker of

disease

activity...and may be a more viable option economically " than use of other

markers http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/471665?mpid=26286

lie (NJ)

.........................

Milk seems to cause acne too, probably for the same reason (hormones).

Ground beef is often from old dairy cattle, so you gotta figure it is

full of hormones also!

>

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hmmmm, is it all dairy that makes you break out or just pasteurized?

I honestly don't think that dairy is a problem for me, but at times

suspect if cream might. I usually eat all of my dairy raw and

cultured/fermented (except for the cream, which I have yet to ferment).

Thanks!

a

> > Any suggestions for someone prone to acne?

>

> Sadly for me, I discovered that dairy causes my pimples. A little

> dairy, I'll have a pimple the next day. If I stay away from it, my

> skin is clear. I never had full-blown acne, though.

>

>

[Guest guest]

> Hi ,

>

> Hmmmm, is it all dairy that makes you break out or just

pasteurized?

> I honestly don't think that dairy is a problem for me, but at times

> suspect if cream might. I usually eat all of my dairy raw and

> cultured/fermented (except for the cream, which I have yet to

ferment).

>

> Thanks!

> a

Unfortunately, both raw and pasteurized make me break out. Kefir

does as well. Yogurt might not -- i haven't tested it enough yet.

I'm both lactose intolerant and have an allergy to casein. (I wonder

sometimes if it's the lactose intolerance or the allergy that causes

the pimples. I think testing more with yogurt would help me figure

it out. However, dairy also gives me brain fog, so it's best if I

avoid it.) I just tried some raw goat cheese the other day -- and

sure enough, 2 pimples appeared the next day.

Hopefully, your acne isn't caused by dairy since it's so delicious.

Good luck in figuring it out.

[Guest guest]

Thanks, . Good luck with the yogurt!

I take it there aren't many people here with acne issues. I guess we

are just lucky.

> > Hi ,

> >

> > Hmmmm, is it all dairy that makes you break out or just

> pasteurized?

> > I honestly don't think that dairy is a problem for me, but at times

> > suspect if cream might. I usually eat all of my dairy raw and

> > cultured/fermented (except for the cream, which I have yet to

> ferment).

> >

> > Thanks!

> > a

>

> Unfortunately, both raw and pasteurized make me break out. Kefir

> does as well. Yogurt might not -- i haven't tested it enough yet.

> I'm both lactose intolerant and have an allergy to casein. (I wonder

> sometimes if it's the lactose intolerance or the allergy that causes

> the pimples. I think testing more with yogurt would help me figure

> it out. However, dairy also gives me brain fog, so it's best if I

> avoid it.) I just tried some raw goat cheese the other day -- and

> sure enough, 2 pimples appeared the next day.

>

> Hopefully, y

our acne isn't caused by dairy since it's so delicious.

> Good luck in figuring it out.

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

> I take it there aren't many people here with acne issues. I guess we

> are just lucky.

>

I have acne issues, too. Just small blemishes, mostly, not the nasty

cystic kind, but it's still very frustrating because I'm 33 years old

and I should have left this behind in my teen years. The acne seem to

be getting worse (too bad Retin-A worked so well! I don't use it

anymore), but I've been stressed and sleep deprived lately, so that

may contribute to the problem. I have avoided gluten for close to a

month now (not long, I realise) and I have goat milk kefir and organic

cow milk butter and occassionally raw milk cheese. I'm seeing a

WAP-savvy nutritionist, so hopefully I'll get some help with this -

figure out what's going on.

[Guest guest]

>

> I take it there aren't many people here with acne issues. I guess we

> are just lucky.

>

I am 45 now, but I had acne until my 20s, the lumpy cystic kind. I also have

very mild rosacea, although it manifests exclusively as flushing, never as

acne.

There is very little connection between specific foods in the diet and acne,

barring things like gluten sensitivities or actual allergic reactions. For

instance, eating fatty food or chocolate really will not make your acne

worse, no matter what you were told as an adolescent. <G> Cystic acne is

almost exclusively hormonal, and the person who noticed it was worse during

stress and when deprived of sleep was quite right: Those are hormonal

events, too.

Eating plenty of good, healthy fats, drinking lots of water, sleeping

abundantly and deeply, developing stress management techniques such as yoga

or meditation, and seeking to restore your hormonal system to its proper

balance can help a great deal with this type of acne, especially the kind

that is mostly on the jawline and lower face rather than the forehead, nose,

and cheeks.

There is also a serious problem with people with acne doing the EXACT things

to their skin that will make their acne much, much worse. If you are using

any kind of soap, stop. Use gentle cleansing creams. If you use any kind of

drying " toner " with alcohol or even witch hazel in it, stop. Use pure

hydrosols, alternating among those that are anti-inflammatory in nature such

as rose, rose geranium, and chamomile.

Get an essential oil blend in jojoba or other very light carrier oil - Aveda

makes them, Aromaleigh.com has some wonderful ones, and there are probably

others that you might be able to find in your local health food store. You

want one that says it is calming or soothing, rather than one that is drying

or " balances oil production. " Your problem has nothing to do with oil

production, or not NOTHING, but that's not the primary problem. Something

with blue chamomile essential oil in it would be good, or you can buy plain

blue chamomile essential oil and apply a few drops to damp skin.

DO use a moisturizer - Aromaleigh.com makes a free radical serum that is

very light and can help irritated, reddened skin. Their Nurture line is one

of the few things that can really keep my rosacea in almost complete

abeyance. I use the cleanser and the serum, use a Simpler hydrosol as a

" toner, " and use the free radical serum as a moisturizer. I also had great

results with Aveda's Oil Free moisturizer.

What eventually cured my own acne was starting on a better way of eating.

Not so much WAP, which I hadn't heard of yet, but that is back when I got

off sugar and did some other nutritional housecleaning. <G> I also switched

to the Aveda products then, which literally cleared up all my residual skin

problems 100 percent. It was quite dramatic - I went from having real

problem skin to being stopped in the street and told by total strangers that

I have gorgeous skin.

I hope some of this helps!

Christie

[Guest guest]

Hi Christie,

Wow, that is inspiring. If only I had stranger-stopping skin.

> I am 45 now, but I had acne until my 20s, the lumpy cystic kind. I

also have

> very mild rosacea, although it manifests exclusively as flushing,

never as

> acne.

Mine is not really cystic, just whiteheads that tend to mature and

start to fade within a couple of days. Mostly I get it on my chin,

around the mouth, and my lower cheeks near the smile lines and nose.

Cystic acne is

> almost exclusively hormonal, and the person who noticed it was worse

during

> stress and when deprived of sleep was quite right: Those are hormonal

> events, too.

Mine is probably hormonal, too. I just ovulated for the first time in

about a year. My cycles stopped completely, thanks to the raw vegan

diet that I was on.

> There is also a serious problem with people with acne doing the

EXACT things

> to their skin that will make their acne much, much worse. If you are

using

> any kind of soap, stop. Use gentle cleansing creams. If you use any

kind of

> drying " toner " with alcohol or even witch hazel in it, stop. Use pure

> hydrosols, alternating among those that are anti-inflammatory in

nature such

> as rose, rose geranium, and chamomile.

I don't use anything but water on my face in the morning, and then a

few drops of Bronner's baby-mild soap in the evening, followed by a

spritz of a water and raw ACV combo. An aestitician told me to do

this (someone that was also in the raw community), but if Aveda

products are really that amazing, I am very willing to make the switch.

> DO use a moisturizer - Aromaleigh.com makes a free radical serum that is

> very light and can help irritated, reddened skin. Their Nurture line

is one

> of the few things that can really keep my rosacea in almost complete

> abeyance. I use the cleanser and the serum, use a Simpler hydrosol as a

> " toner, " and use the free radical serum as a moisturizer. I also had

great

> results with Aveda's Oil Free moisturizer.

That is so funny...I was under the impression that using a moisturizer

would somehow throw off my skin's natural moisture balance.

> What eventually cured my own acne was starting on a better way of

eating.

> Not so much WAP, which I hadn't heard of yet, but that is back when

I got

> off sugar and did some other nutritional housecleaning. <G> I also

switched

> to the Aveda products then, which literally cleared up all my

residual skin

> problems 100 percent. It was quite dramatic - I went from having real

> problem skin to being stopped in the street and told by total

strangers that

> I have gorgeous skin.

Again, wow. Which of their products did you use?

I found that my skin was at it's worst when I was eating a diet of all

fruits and greens with no fats (ala doug graham).

>

> I hope some of this helps!

>

> Christie

Very much so, thanks!!

Blessings,

a

[Guest guest]

Good luck, ! Let us know if you find out anything that is

helpful for you...

a

> >

> >

> > I take it there aren't many people here with acne issues. I guess we

> > are just lucky.

> >

>

> I have acne issues, too. Just small blemishes, mostly, not the nasty

> cystic kind, but it's still very frustrating because I'm 33 years old

> and I should have left this behind in my teen years. The acne seem to

> be getting worse (too bad Retin-A worked so well! I don't use it

> anymore), but I've been stressed and sleep deprived lately, so that

> may contribute to the problem. I have avoided gluten for close to a

> month now (not long, I realise) and I have goat milk kefir and organic

> cow milk butter and occassionally raw milk cheese. I'm seeing a

> WAP-savvy nutritionist, so hopefully I'll get some help with this -

> figure out what's going on.

>

>

[Guest guest]

> That is so funny...I was under the impression that using a moisturizer

> would somehow throw off my skin's natural moisture balance.

Well, I would say your skin's moisture balance is already thrown off. <G>

The scenario I was laying out was this: Most people with acne feel their

skin is " too oily. " Sometimes it is, but other times it is not. However,

regardless of which camp you fall in, the worst, absolutely worst, thing you

can do is try to " dry up " your skin.

Your skin, which is the first line defense of your immune system and one of

your body's most essential and active organs, has a normal pH range and a

little assortment of microbial life that helps with the skin's many

functions. This is called the acid mantle.

When people strip the acid mantle with soap, it triggers the oil glands to

produce more oil, and also destroys the healthy microbial balance of the

skin, leaving it open to colonization by pathogenic bacteria. If the

products you use are not soaps (no matter how mild they are, anything called

soap is bad news for this type of skin), and you don't strip the acid mantle

with any other products, and your skin feels hydrated and soft and never

shiny or tight or flaky or dry or excessively oily, then you probably do not

need a moisturizer. In other words, if the ONLY problem with your skin is

the breakouts, but the texture of your skin is smooth and moist and not too

dry or too oily, then it's probably fine. The serum I use is not a cream or

anything like that - it's a very light, clear blend of essential oils,

herbs, and vitamins. It's designed to preserve the acid mantle, not

moisturize per se.

You can have skin that's dehyrdated AND oily, and skin like that will

benefit mostly from drinking more water. I also find that taking EFAs,

especially fish oils, is very helpful. However, Suze has got me thinking if

I'm maybe overdoing the Omega 3s, and I wouldn't rule out things like

evening primrose oil. While technically Omega 6s, EPO seems to have some

pretty powerful hormone-balancing properties.

Anyway, if you have a lot of whiteheads, then you may have over-active oil

glands or you may have extremely small pores, or you might have both! And

you can have either of those things plus dry skin, too, because oil and

water are not the same thing in your skin. So drink lots of water no matter

what, it really makes a difference.

Given your story I would bet as you eat a lot more good, healthy fats and

get further away from this vegan thing you did, you skin will get better on

its own. But if you want to hurry it up, look at the Aveda or Aromaleigh.com

products, and I have NO doubt there are others - those are just the two I

have used personally. The specific Aveda products I used are a bit foggy to

me now, as that was over 20 years ago and they have changed their line, or

at least the names of the products, several times during that period. I

would probably check out the Aromaleigh.com skincare products, or try

Aveda - the moisturizer was called " Oil Free Hydrating Lotion, " the cleanser

was not the one made for oily skin, it was the one in the middle, and the

Balancing Infusion was made for " Sensitive Skin. " If you try Aromaleigh.com,

the line I use is called " Nurture " and it's specifically for my kind of

skin - thin, sensitive, and with a tendency to rosacea. They have a few

other lines, you can read the info and see if another one matches your skin

type better. The " toner " I use is not a toner (you can't really " tone " skin

with a spray, LOL), it's just a hydrosol formula I get at Whole Foods made

by the Simpler Herb Company.

I also agree with Heidi that allergies and sensitivities can trigger skin

breakouts - I did mention that in my first post. What is NOT true is the

belief that many parents have that eating certain foods, such as fatty foods

or chocolate, will make acne worse by making the skin " oilier. " I find that

my skin is even better on Atkins, which for me is 100 percent gluten free

(although I do know that many low carbers consume a lot of gluten in low

carb junk good - not me), but I attribute it to the water I drink and the

high fat levels I eat, rather than removing gluten from my diet. But who the

heck knows? I'm no fan of grain foods anyway, so it would certainly be

something to consider.

As to dairy and red meat triggering it, I always tend to doubt anyone who

says they can't handle these foods, although I realize that there really are

people who can't. I wonder if it's not really the modern factory-farmed

meats and milks that are creating the problem, and if you were eating

pastured dairy and beef if they wouldn't be just fine for you. But you'll

only know that by trial and error. I eat a great deal of both myself.

GOOD LUCK!

Christie

[Guest guest]

Aveda's products are lovely BUT they all contain parabens... I've stop using

them.

BTW... my DH used to have really bad acne as a teenager on his face, chest and

back... he grew out of most of it by his early twenties except for his back...

when he went gluten and dairy free nearly 2 yrs ago ALL of his acne cleared up

along with his severe and almost crippling hay-fever... guess food does have

something to do with acne...

Dedy

From: shawnalendzion <<... if Aveda products are really that amazing, I am very

willing to make the switch.>>

[Guest guest]

>> guess food does have something to do with acne... <<

I think I was pretty clear about this.... that I believe food and acne have

a systemic connection in the case of allergies or things like gluten

sensitivity, but that " fatty foods " won't make the skin more " greasy " in the

way parents often tell their adolescents. In fact, those were almost my

exact words.

>> Aveda's products are lovely BUT they all contain parabens... I've stop

using them.<<

I agree about Aveda and some of its additives, that is one of the reasons I

switched to the skincare line from Aromaleigh.com, which is extremely pure

and free of anything that I find objectionable. Still, the Aveda products

are better than most of what you can buy and did work for me. And a few of

their products do not contain parabens, mostly the essential oil blends.

Christie

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info, Heidi.

I have been eating one or two pieces of Ezekiel bread, which I didn't

notice any problems with. I used to eat GF and dairy-free, but still

had acne.

All of the dairy I eat is from a local farm (no hormones) and the meat

I get is from Whole Foods Market.

I think I am just going through puberty again.

a

>

> >Any suggestions for someone prone to acne?

> >

> >I do quite a bit to enhance my digestion including HCL, colonics,

> >avoiding sugars or too many fruits, refined grains, etc. I don't know

> >if it is hormones or what (I am 27).

> >

> >I also find that eating red meat can slow my digestion which sometimes

> >ends up in breakouts.

>

> Judging from the emails over the years, anything that affects

> digestion seems to lead to breakouts. I had rosacea for 20 plus

> years til I went GF, then it all went away. Gluten DOES mess up

> your hormones if you react to it ... it causes even kids to secrete

> milk-producing hormones. It doesn't matter if it is refined grain

> or otherwise. See:

> .................................................

>

> The researchers report in the February issue of the Journal of Tropical

> Pediatrics t

hat serum prolactin levels were significantly elevated in children with

> active celiac disease. Mean prolactin levels were 48.3 ng/mL in

active celiac

> disease, 18.3 ng/mL in children in remission and 9.3 ng/mL in controls.

> Prolactin levels were higher among those with long standing disease,

with

> mean levels of over 75 ng/mL recorded among those with celiac

disease for more

> than 5 years. Levels also positively correlated with the severity of

villous

> atrophy, the pathognomic feature of celiac disease, the

investigators point out.

> The researchers conclude that serum prolactin, because of its positive

> correlation with disease activity, can be used as an " additional

marker of disease

> activity...and may be a more viable option economically " than use of

other

> markers http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/471665?mpid=26286

> lie (NJ)

>

> ........................

>

> Milk seems to cause acne too, probably for the same reason (hormones).

> Ground beef is often from old dairy cattle, so you gotta figure it is

> full of hormones also!

>

> >

>

> Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

At 01:46 AM 9/10/2004, you wrote:

>Thanks for the info, Heidi.

>

>I have been eating one or two pieces of Ezekiel bread, which I didn't

>notice any problems with. I used to eat GF and dairy-free, but still

>had acne.

>

>All of the dairy I eat is from a local farm (no hormones) and the meat

>I get is from Whole Foods Market.

>

>I think I am just going through puberty again.

>

>a

in that case, how's your liver? try burdock root and dandelion root tea, a

quart a day for a month, and see if that doesn't improve things.

-katja

[Guest guest]

katja,

could you describe how to prepare the tea properly? how much tea?

boil for how long? i've been wanting to try a *gentle* liver clense

for awhile since every alternative healer type I see says there's

something funky with my liver...

jessica

> in that case, how's your liver? try burdock root and dandelion root tea, a

> quart a day for a month, and see if that doesn't improve things.

>

> -katja

[Guest guest]

At 02:51 PM 9/10/2004, you wrote:

>katja,

>

>could you describe how to prepare the tea properly? how much tea?

>boil for how long? i've been wanting to try a *gentle* liver clense

>for awhile since every alternative healer type I see says there's

>something funky with my liver...

>

>jessica

*gentle* is the way to go! otherwise your body is stressed out trying to

deal with everything.

with the roots, you want to really boil them...

so you'll buy dandelion root and burdock root loose, and make sure they're

organic. you can try rosemary's garden, frontier herbs, or the new link

someone sent out - mountain rose i think. they looked like a great site.

in a large saucepot, you'll boil (covered) more than a quart of water and a

generous tablespoon of the roots. you want to keep it boiling for a good 15

minutes. strain and drink the tea, and you can reuse the roots for a second

batch. make sure to drink it every day, or at least most days, and to do it

for at least a month. three months isn't untoward for a really unhealthy

person. if you store the tea, use a glass or ceramic container, and don't

store it for more than a day.

presto!

-katja

[Guest guest]

Hi Katja,

Thanks so much for the reminder. Yes, I am very aware that my liver

has been compromised from taking a bunch of antibiotics in my youth.

I think that doing a series of colonics has really helped my liver in

giving it somewhere to dump the toxic waste it deals with, now that my

colon is much more functional. However, I have been meaning to do a

very mild liver cleanse as well.

The liver is such a fascinating organ. It does so much!

I have been drinking beet kvass morning and night in hopes that it is

helping out the liver. Am I right in thinking that this drink serves

as a liver tonic?

Blessings,

a

> >Thanks for the info, Heidi.

> >

> >I have been eating one or two pieces of Ezekiel bread, which I didn't

> >notice any problems with. I used to eat GF and dairy-free, but still

> >had acne.

> >

> >All of the dairy I eat is from a local farm (no hormones) and the meat

> >I get is from Whole Foods Market.

> >

> >I think I am just going through puberty again.

> >

> >a

>

>

> in that case, how's your liver? try burdock root and dandelion root

tea, a

> quart a day for a month, and see if that doesn't improve things.

>

> -katja

[Guest guest]

--- shawnalendzion <services@...> wrote:

> Thanks, . Good luck with the yogurt!

>

> I take it there aren't many people here with acne

> issues. I guess we

> are just lucky.

>

I have acne. Dairy gives me large, painful blind

spots, but I also get lots of little pimples. Primal

Defense clears my skin up TOTALLY! however, it's too

expensive to be on for life. And I shouldn't have to

be either. I'm currently experimenting with Olive

Leaf Extract which isn't making any difference at all.

I did a liver flush once which didn't work, and I

would like to find a more gentle method. We have a

store nearby called Dr and Herbs and might ask them

for the dandelion root that's been discussed here.

Jo

___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW

Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.

[Guest guest]

:Message: 54573 From: Joanne Pollack Received: Sat Sep 11, 2004 1:03 PM

:Subject: Re: Re: Prone to acne

:

:Primal

:Defense clears my skin up TOTALLY! however, it's too

:expensive to be on for life.

Joanne,

You may be interested to check out a synergistic microbial product called EM

which stands for Effective Microorganisms. Some of the species in EM are

powerful for several reasons which you can read about at:

http://www.eminfo.info

I am currently activating a batch which I spiked with a teaspoon of kefir whey

so theres an extra 30 to 40 types of microbes in it. A 1-liter bottle of EM goes

for $18 US and makes 20-22 liters worth of (Activated) EM.

Darrell

[Guest guest]

Thanks katja!

Question: is there a difference between roasted and raw dandelion

root, medicinally speaking? Would you recommend adding something

yummy (like mint) to the dandelion/burdock tea so that I will actually

DRINK it?

Thanks,

--

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

[Guest guest]

At 12:50 PM 9/14/2004, you wrote:

>Thanks katja!

>

>Question: is there a difference between roasted and raw dandelion

>root, medicinally speaking? Would you recommend adding something

>yummy (like mint) to the dandelion/burdock tea so that I will actually

>DRINK it?

>

>Thanks,

>

>

>--

>If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

by the way, such a good tagline.

i would go with the just straight, dried dandelion root. the roasted stuff

is used for " coffee " , and i'm not sure if they add to it, nor am i certain

how they do the roasting. all around, the medicinal punch will be better

the less processed it is.

you probably won't mind the taste - it's really not bad! but if you don't

like it, then i'd recommend adding sassafras and sarsaparilla, and licorice

root - any one or all three. these three will also help your liver, and

they make your tea taste like rootbeer. just use equal parts of all the

roots, and remember to get organic. in fact, all my liver combinations

contain all of those roots, just the latter three are a bit harder to find

- but are widely available online.

you don't want to add mint, though - one, it would taste pretty odd, i

think, and two it's pesky to mix roots and leaves, since the roots really

need to be boiled like crazy, and the leaves only want to be

steeped/infused. if there were a case that you needed to mix roots and

leaves, you could boil the heck outta the roots, and when it was done, pour

the root tea over the leaves and let that steep...but in this case, i don't

recommend it - the tastes are just not compatible.

-katja