Written by Vera Coetsee, Health and Nutrition Coach
20 April 2023
Acne is one of the most common skin problems among teenagers and young adults, but you can experience it throughout your life. The condition is primarily caused due to the clogging of hair follicles with oil or dead skin cells, bacterial infections, and skin inflammation. The causes for the appearance of acne vary and can include bacteria, genetics, hormones and stress, among other things. Acne can make your skin look dull and if attention is not paid on time, your skin can develop scars and blemishes. The good news is there are natural resources out there that can help treat your acne and pimples naturally.
Book an anti-acne facial
Facial care is just as important as caring for your general health, and it is important to take regular care of your face and skin. While at-home cleanses can go a long way in helping to keep the blemishes and blackheads off our skin, it pays to invest in a facial treatment to give your skin a boost. An anti-acne facial is designed to combat acne, blackheads and blemishes. They focus on cleanses, extractions, facial masks, and blue light therapy to clean and invigorate your skin. The added benefits of getting a facial include stress reduction, improved circulation, reduced congestion, and boosting the glow of your skin.
Invest in skin supporting supplements
- Vitamin A is an antioxidant and is essential to the normal shedding of dead skin cells that build up inside the pore and ultimately cause acne.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are a great anti-inflammatory and inflammation is at the core of acne. An anti-inflammatory supplement is, therefore, key to clearing acne
- Probiotics create a healthy gut microbiome which helps to digest your food and better absorb the nutrients needed for skin health. When your gut bacteria is imbalanced, it can cause problems in your body and this can lead to inflammation, including on your skin.
- Zinc plays a strong role in cell division and regrowth, which means it accelerates the development of skin cells necessary for clear skin.
Clean up your diet
Research shows that underlying gut health issues can manifest on the skin in many ways, from blemishes to flushing. An unhealthy gut microbiome can play a key role in the development of many inflammatory disorders of the skin such as acne. In order to digest well, produce energy, and provide our skin with the right nutrients it needs, our body needs enough macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals). So ditch the processed foods and focus on adding wholefoods to your diet. A special focus should also be placed on your liver, our major detoxification organ. If our liver is not able to properly detox our toxins, then it will appear on our skin. Liver supporting foods include beets, lemons, grapefruit, blueberries, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, eggs, fatty fish and nuts.
Try IV therapy for skin glow
IV therapy can target multiple facial skin concerns by delivering a high dosage of beneficial vitamins to the skin. This treatment delivers the essential nutrients needed to fight acne to your bloodstream, which means that your body absorbs more of the nutrients and maximises the benefits. An IV liver detox with antioxidants helps to enhance liver detoxification which helps to expel toxins and the delivery of antioxidants can help enhance the brightening of the skin.
About our Acne Program
Acne is an inflammatory disorder of pilosebaceous units and is prevalent in adolescence but can occur at any age. It can appear as papules, pustules, cysts and nodules which may lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation. In our acne program, we aim to address the root causes of diet, hormones and gut issues which may lead to the skin eruptions. We have put together a program to include proper nutrients, enhance liver detoxification and hormone balance, and provide targeted facial with chemical peels and blue light therapy to reduce inflammation, clear the comedones and improve skin repair. There is also the doctor prescribed nutraceuticals and topical acne medications to improve acne healing.
If you would like to learn more about our acne program, please book an appointment at our clinic here.