Some preaching. No big motivational speeches. And what i have observed and experimented with personally over the sixteen years that have passed since i first got acne.

#1- Stop worrying about how to make your acne appear smaller or less noticeable. Including scars. Stop worrying about how to deal with whiteheads.

#2- Start worrying about how to make your acne smaller of less noticeable. Including scars. Stop worrying about how to deal with whiteheads.

#3- Start making diet your #1 defense. You do not need gluten. Too risky and used in glue products....so..... Greens? Cook them in soups in large quantities and consume. Also yellows and oranges and reds. This is in regards to vegetables. Fruits are great as long as you don't have a crazy allergy to them. If your acne is severe, the test may be worth it. Omega 3 fatty acids are great just don't overdo it. As in.... don't take 20 doses of Cod Liver Oil at once. Balance is key here. Protein is the building block of just about everything in our body. If you get a pure whey protein it contains the amino acids needed to repair skin and create skin anti-aging growth hormone. The good kind. Carbs? Which you may or may not need depending on who you ask....Brown rice? Sweet potato. Banana. Quinoa.

#4- Use blood cleansers/anti-inflammatory herbs. Burdock Root tea, Red Clover tea, Milk Thistle, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic tea, Ginger tea, Cilantro tea, Dandelion Root tea, Chicory root tea, Fenugreek tea......or any detox tea that has many of these herbs in it already. Browse your natural and organic markets for them.

#5- HYGIENE-

Be careful with hygiene. Benzoyl Peroxide.....Salicylic Acid.......they may be promising methods of treatment topically.....but they have nothing to do with what is going on internally, which in my own opinion is the MUCH bigger issue. If you wash your face too often with strong facial cleansers you will be in a world or hurt. Your skin ends up tightening and becoming more irritated, which actually restricts the size of your skin pours by a great deal. Skin feel tight after washing? This is bad because it makes it easier for skin cells and dirt and oil to become unable to be released naturally because of the restricted space they have to leave the skin pour and be excreted onto your skin, and then naturally sloughed away. Lesson I learned the hard way. After popping many a zit across my forehead.....nose.....cheeks....neck and chin. Oh and upper back and shoulders. Yeah..... My advice? Don't wash your face. Take a shower. Afterwards.....make a natural toner such as a strong green tea toner and apply to skin generously and go to sleep. If you shower at night. Don't shower in the morning. Your hormones are at their best in the morning and that is why when you wake up you always think "wow my skin looks so much better than it did last night" Which brings me to the next point.

#6 Hormones- These are the bane of our existence. They are also the eicosanoids, steroids, and amino acid/protein derivatives that target our organs to regulate our physiology and behavior. They basically make you feel the way you feel. That is the simplest definition of their function i guess. Balancing these is important. And difficult. Male or female.....you have a balance of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, androgen's......to name a few. TRY to balance these for the maker's sake! Countless posts are at your disposal in regards to balancing hormones in these forums. Excess testosterone can be combated with peppermint tea and licorice root tea. Excess estrogen"s.....? Cleanse your liver, using the liver/blood cleansing herbs fore-mentioned. Avoid soy. Reduce your stress!!!! By whatever means possible.

(These are mostly just bullet points addressing every possible avenue acne has at beating you.)

#9- Despair/Doubt/Fear- Rid yourself of these afflictions and you will clear your mind to make way for the acne destroying solutions that you would have passed on had you not cleared your mind of them. Do not fear another promise made by an infomercial. Turn off your damn TV. Do not look at models advertising acne solutions.....models who have maybe had two zits in their lives....and listen to their advice. Not a great idea. Acne is an industry. Companies that promise you acne free skin after using their products thrive on your desire to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and no longer wish you didn't exist. So.....basically.....listen to your fellow acne sufferers instead of companies that are using your hopes of being acne free to make a huge profit.

#10- Do not be afraid to experiment. I have rubbed oils of every kind on my face after years of fearing oil of any kind, thinking it would worsen my acne. I have taken submerged baths in salt water and magnesium water using a straw to breathe. I have rubbed honey all over my face at night as a mask. I have not applied urine to my face because....seriously? Don't want to step on any tows here but.....for real? No. And do not drink your own urine. Ever. But do not be afraid to break free from what you feel is the only way to deal with your acne. Your cure is just around the corner, so do not EVER give up.

I hope this post opens up your minds to new possibilities in regards to how to address your acne. Never give up. Ever