Seeing Spots :: Beauty :: Skin Care

Seeing Spots
by author Jenn Farrell

Ask most adults, and they’ll tell you it’s a normal part of growing up. Easy for them to say. Whatever you call blemishes - spots, breakouts, pimples, zits - they can hurt, feel gross, and make you feel like everyone’s staring, and not in a good way. There are some things you can do to help rein in your zits!

Anatomy of a Zit

You skin is full of sebaceous glands which produce sebum, an oil that helps your skin stay soft. Changes in puberty, including the production of hormones like testosterone and other androgens, speed up sebum production. Get some dead skin cells trapped in that sebum in your pore, add a dose of bacteria to create inflammation, and you’ve got yourself a pimple. You’ve probably noticed that there are a couple different kinds of zits too. A blackhead occurs when the pore gets clogged but the top stays open and you can see the blockage. A whitehead occurs when the pore gets completely blocked; creating a visible “head” that contains white or yellowish pus. Eww!

Pimple-Killing Products that Kill Skin

The natural way to treat a breakout caused by oil and bacteria is to eliminate them, right? The acne treatments available at your drugstore contain a variety of ingredients to zap zits, including zinc, sulphur, and benzyl peroxide. Unfortunately, these products can also irritate skin and leave it dry and blotchy. These remedies can also create a rebound effect, where they strip the skin so much that it produces even more oil to counteract the chemicals you’ve applied.

You Are What You Eat

A trip to the food court doesn’t automatically equal a breakout - chocolate and fries won’t cause zits on their own. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t watch your diet to improve your skin. It’s good to limit stuff like refined sugar and fatty foods. Getting vitamins and fibre from fruits and vegetables can also help. Skin-friendly vitamins include: vitamins, A, C, and E, zinc, and selenium. Last but not least, drink plenty of water - it’s your body’s natural source of moisture and it helps flush out toxins.

An Ounce of Prevention

To help manage breakouts and prevent future ones avoid doing things that rub more oil into your skin. Wear your hair off your face if possible and avoid heavy conditioners and hairsprays. Change your pillowcase frequently. Keep your hands off your face. Also, Don’t be too harsh with your skin. Over-washing, and alcohol-based toners can upset your skin even more.

The Power of Plants

Your health food store has loads of products worth trying for oily and blemish-prone skin, including cleansers, toners, and makeup. The salespeople can recommend some good ones. They may recommend chamomile, calendula, lavender, rosemary, comfrey leaf, and nettles. Also consider tea tree oil (super antibacterial), green tea (gentle on skin), or vitamins C and E which reduce infection and inflammation.

Most importantly, remember that a blemish doesn’t define you. And don’t worry, nobody’s staring at you - they’re too busy worrying that everyone is staring at their zits!

Jenn Farrell is a Vancouver writer with an interest in natural health, fitness, and beauty. She welcomes your questions and comments at jfarrell@bust.com.

Source: alive #262, August 2004

Acne's Bumpy Road
Do you have acne? Well, you are not alone. Eighty per cent of the population, ages 12 to 24, is affected by blackheads, whiteheads and pimples. Acne occurs for two reasons. During puberty there is a change in the cells lining the pores in the skin.

Facing Acne
Acne is a chronic disorder of the sebaceous glands (our skin's oil glands), which leads to the development of lesions, known as comedones, pimples, or, more commonly, "zits.

Wheat-Free and Beautiful
I love food. Yet I've never been overweight. Lucky? Um. Instead of fat, I get acne. Am I lucky? Yes.

Seeing Spots?
Not only are teenagers challenged with peer pressure, hormonal changes, and decisions about college and careers, but approximately 85 percent also deal with acne. In 30 percent of them, the acne will persist into adulthood.

Teen Acne Alert
Pimples and blackheads may be the worst part of becoming a teenager. Maintaining good hygiene and choosing healthy foods and nutritional supplements can help build and maintain healthy skin.

Facing the New Year
What's this? A miner's headlamp on your forehead? You've just awakened to find a giant pimple there, and you know your skin was clear the night before. And it would appear on the same day as the big dinner/dance. Emergency action is called for, but don't panic.

Looking East
I have always struggled with skin breakouts, and no matter which expensive cleansers and medications I have used, the acne always came back. Like many people I expected to be plagued my whole life with outbreaks of acne.

Natural Blemish Busters

Herbal Eye Wash

Eye Soothers

Cellulite Solutions

Refined Starches Behind Pimple Problem

Duct Tape Banishes Warts

Face Down Acne
Are your eating habits written all over your face? If you've got acne, this just might be the case. It's the rare teen who escapes unscathed: acne affects an estimated 85 to 100 percent of teens and young adults in Western countries.

Acne's Oily Secret
From sunburn to psoriasis, acne to eczema, inflammation is often the common thread in unwanted skin conditions. Now, as nutritional medicine advances, it is becoming increasingly clear that dietary choices can influence inflammation in all parts of the human body, including the skin.