Acne Is for Kids... Right?

Irrespective of your age, acne probably troubles you at some point. Even though you may think it only affects kids! Well, these are the stark facts in the Western World:

• The average age of acne patients has now increased from 20 to 26 years old.
• Millions of adults are experiencing acne for the first time.
• Acne rates are rising, in the USA, eight million people see a dermatologist every year for acne and millions more rely on infomercial products hawked by celebrities or over-the-counter products that total $100 million in sales every year.
• Healthcare costs for prescription acne treatment exceed $1 billion a year.
• All of which contradict the long-held beliefs that acne is for kids and caused by genes.

What is Happening?

The key to healthy skin isn't to just smother the symptoms with acidic, antibiotic potions and lotions, or by popping and pricking pimples, or even by taking strong liver-damaging medication like Accutane.

Rather, an excellent solution is found in ‘The Clear Skin Diet’ by dermatologist Val Trelor, MD and Alan Logan, ND, a naturopath. They identify the real causes of acne: your nutritional status, stress, toxicity, inflammation, hormonal and gut imbalances.

Good Skin Comes from the Inside Out, Not the Outside In!

In fact, they show how acne results from:

1. A diet rich in sugars, saturated and processed fats, dairy, grains, and grain-fed meat.
2. A diet poor in fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, fibre, omega-3 fish oils, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and eggs. In other words, nutrient deficiencies.
3. Hormonal imbalances with a key trigger being the glycemic load of your diet (how quickly the food increases your blood sugar and insulin levels).
4. Inadequate liquid especially in the form of pure water. You need a min of 2 litres per day.
5. Leaky gut and food allergies: Foods like gluten, dairy, yeast, and nuts cause allergies if you have a leaky gut.
6. Stress causes inflammation and oxidative stress, raising cortisol and depleting zinc, magnesium, and selenium, which help control acne.
7. Toxicity from poor diet, pollution, negative thoughts and feelings.
8. Lack of regular exercise: a combination of aerobic, anerobic, cardio and interval training are known to oxygenate your entire body which in turn regularises hormones, weight, blood flow and pressure, improves mental clarity and mood and helps with detoxification. Healthy, vibrant, clear skin depends on the optimal function of many of the core systems of the body: your nutritional status, immune system, gut, hormones, toxic load, oxygenation, and mind-body health.

We can help to an extent with your nutritional deficiencies through Total Balance and our Omega 3 DHA fish oil but, all the other components mentioned above need to be considered if you want really good looking skin.

This applies to all of us, at any age!