Pat Thomas has some good insight into this tricky subject. Given the pr oven link with fluctuating hormone levels and the possible underlying genetic influences, many doctors believe there is no way to prevent acne. This means that most doctors are concentrating on disease control rather than prevention, often prescribing powerful antibiotics, steroids or other forms of anti-inflammatory medications.

And, despite the advertising hype, very few commercial skin medications have anything really to offer acne sufferers. Although it is generally accepted is that good hygiene and diet don't make much of a difference either, certain healthy practises might have an effect on acne,and are worth trying.

They are:

Balance blood sugar.

Avoid iodine-rich foods and supplements such as kelp, seafood, fish, mushrooms, garlic, onions, watercress and iodised salt, as these can trigger hormone-related acne.

Substitute natural tea tree oil for harsh benzoyl peroxide.

Low stomach acid can exacerbate acne. Hydrochloric acid, along with vitamin B complex, can improve rosacea, as will supplementation with pancreatic digestive enzymes, especially fat-digesting lipases, which acne sufferers may be lacking

Give acupuncture a try. As few as eight to 15 treatments can improve acne in up to 80 per cent of patients

Herbs may help. The Ayurvedic herb guggul (Commiphora mukul) at a dosage of 500 mg twice a day may be as effective as tetracycline in some people.


Eat fresh foods. Experts agree that chocolate, fats and other foods do not cause acne, but may cause allergic reactions that can aggravate the condition. Organic meats and milk are also preferable since they are hormone-free.

De-stress. Although a relationship between emotional stress and acne has not been scientifically pr oven, cortisol - the body’s primary stress hormone - does have a few side-effects, such as an increased glucose production, immune-system suppression and nerve-cell damage. Excess cortisol has been implicated in some cases of female adult acne.

* Cosmetics and toiletries as well as hair products with oil and suntan lotions can all worsen acne. Watch out for ingredients such as synthetic lanolins (for example, acetylated lanolin alcohol, lanolic acid or anhydrous lanolin), mineral oils, isopropyl myristate, butyl stearate, capric/caprylic triglyceride, and octyl palmitate and stearate. Certain D&C red pigments, such as those used in blushers, can also clog pores. In particular, teenage girls should use such pore-clogging ‘beauty’ products sparingly.


Thanks Pat!

Thank you so much for sharing, very informative and helpful. You see I have a problem my pimples has returned popping out again from after the past 5years.. I don't know what happened it just come out.. grrrr! I hate it.. I'll your advice or better go the dermatologist to have some treatment.

I have a colleague who is a skin specialist and she has written a really interesting article on this. Basically she says that we do too much to our skin and that if we leave it alone to do its own thing, things will resolve naturally in a lot of cases. In the article she particularly mentions acne saying:

The skin of the face has its own support and protect mechanism in the form of sebum. Sebum has been in and out of fashion over the years yet nature, not the beauty houses dictates its production when declaring matt skin ‘this years’ look’! Sebum is the new black. I discovered the miracle of sebum quite by chance. In my work with long-term acne clients, it turned out that once their acne had cleared and their skin had returned to health they barely had any wrinkles. In fact, now when I treat acne clients I try to impress upon them the anti-ageing benefits of their skin condition, every cloud…! This fact led me to investigate further. Black skin with its abundance of sebaceous glands ages far, far slower than white skin. But the best news is that we produce sebum for free! Every day, there it is, doing its job, or rather it is until we begin over cleansing, scrubbing and generally making the sebaceous gland’s life a lot harder.
Interesting huh? She will have a website up soon and I will put the link on here.

Olive oil contains oleic acid, which not only moisturizes but helps regenerate the skin. Similarly, Vitamin E oil has been shown to heal scars as well as nourish the skin.

You know that olive oil seems to the elixir of life! I am always hearing it used in all sorts of different application and uses and it does seem that it has a lot of benefits.

I suppose that it might be the answer for some people to experiment and make up your own application for your skin but I do think that a skin specialist is the best start. I know the woman that Rob mentions she is Samantha Braby and she is now in an on line magazine [url]www.evolvemagazine.com[/url] with a regular skin clinic which might be useful for some people.