4 replies to this topic

[ZBlue]

I've had acne for 3 or 4 years and really want to be clear now, including no redness, by the end of the year before I go to university. In the past I've used cheap regimens like Clearasil and T-Zone, and even used prescription Differin from a dermatologist, but neither of these products helped or I got too impatient and lazy with them and gave up early. Recently I've developed an interest in natural and herbal health. This has been my path for a few months, to clear acne naturally. This is my current regimen:

Supplements (per day)
*30 mg zinc chelate (with added herbs and betacarotene)
*30000 IU vitamin A
*cod liver oil capsules
*spirulina, chlorella and barley leaf detoxing/alkalising mixture

Internal (I'm going to start the teas in about a week as they are in the post)
*saw palmetto organic herbal tea
*detox organic herbal tea (milkthistle, cleavers, calendula, dandelion, peppermint)
*4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar a day
*pumpkin and sunflower seed as snacks daily
*3 litres of water a day (have been on this for months, will reduce amount when I get the teas)

Topical
*cleanse with Weleda Baby Calendula Soap
*tone with: 1:1 apple cider vinegar and green tea, with tea tree oil
*moisturise/treat with natural calendula/beeswax/olive oil ointment

My diet rarely includes contemporary fast food, and frequent servings of vegetables, although cooked. I still live at home, with home cooked meals, so a radical change in diet (eg. eliminating dairy, gluten) is out of my hands. However the spirulina/chlorella/barley leaf is a good substitute for fruit and vegetables. I hope I have luck and that you are able to see me (hopefully) find success! Please ask questions or message me if you want =)

Edited by ZBlue, 04 September 2009 - 08:05 PM.

[ZBlue]

A FEW DAYS IN:

Most of my spots have become red spots under the surface (i.e. no longer bumps), due to the tea tree oil. This is really good but redness still remains on chin, cheeks, between eye brows, and I still get whiteheads. I think I also have scarring on my cheeks a little bit, but especially between my eyebrows.

So I'm going to buy this organic rosehip oil sometime http://www.healthy.co.nz/view-product-2068.html which is supposed to help a lot with scarring.

I'll post pics in a day or two of my current acne...unfortunately I haven't got any of 2 days before or a month before (I've been on most of my supplements for a month+, the new stuff are those teas and the tea tree oil toner).

My acne is 'light-mild', concentrated on my chin with some on upper lip, both cheeks, forehead/hair-line and between eyebrows where it is very pockmarked and 'ice-picked', and better than it was when I was 15 or 16 (I'm almost 18 now), even though I only started supplements a few months ago and have been using more or less no facial products, or some but not really natural. Never had cysts. Never pick it (but used to).

[ZBlue]

Have some pictures taken today of my acne on cheeks, chin and forehead.

Can someone please tell me what type of acne I have and if I am right in calling it light/moderate?

Thanks!

UPDATE: I haven't used tea tree oil toner in a week, because for 5 days I've been using the Trilogy Rosehip Oil I mentioned before (presumably the small indents on my cheeks are scars, they are also present between my eyebrows) so that nay help the scars. But I've been getting whiteheads or whatever they're called, probably as a result of the oil, I expected this but don't know how to treat whiteheads since tea tree oil doesn't really work on them.

For 5 days I've also been drinking an organic infused herbal tea of detox herbs (milkthistle, cleavers, dandelion, calendula) and saw palmetto (a herb for balancing mens hormones). This may work since its targeting two possible causes of acne...hormones and liver toxicity. They are only teas though, so pretty light and not very potent.

So my regimen has substituted the tea tree oil toner and the calendula ointment for rosehip oil. I'm not sure if I should go back to the tea tree oil, because rosehip oil doesn't seem to be doing too well being applied on my current cheek acne, and I just realised how yucky looking my acne is with closeup photos so I should concentrate on trwating rather than healing sccars at the moment.

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[ZBlue]

UPDATE:

A few days ago my acne seemed to be going away, and the redness dissappearing. I was excited. I thought that maybe this was due to the organic teas.

However it has now returned to its usual state. I have upped my dose of zinc, started apple cider vinegar 4 tablespoons a day just then after a 1-2 week break from it, stopped using the rosehip oil and only use the tea tree oil toner occasionally. I also haven't taken vitamin A/fish oil in a few days. My regimen as of today:

Apple cider vinegar 4 tblspoons daily
3 cups of herbal tea, detox + saw palmetto blends, + added herbs for helping sleep
Zinc 45mg daily (chelated amino acid zinc)
2-3 litres water daily
Weleda Calendula soap cleanser
(Occasionally) tea tree oil toner spot treatment
(Occasionally) baking soda mixed with cleanser for exfoliation

Have discontinued the spirulina/etc blend and haven't used in weeks because its too much hassle to prepare in a drink.

Pictures in a week if there is noticeable change. Comments welcome! re my acne and scarring, and anything else

[ZBlue]

UPDATE:

No progress. Getting slack with my regimen because of no results. I'm updating my regimen from today:

Evening Primrose Oil 4000mg daily until I see results

Calendula bar soap
Lavender oil applied with cotton bud

It's not much, and I got sick of zinc after taking it for over 2 months.

I also got natural shampoo and deodorant today. The deodorant is aluminium-free, so the toxins exiting my body through my armpits will be able to actually exit instead og being clogged inside by aluminium, which may be making the oils excrete elsewhere like my face and hence acne. And the shampoo is just for safety measures, it doesn't contain nasty chemicals which get on my face during a shower with regukar shampoo.