Natural Skin Care Product to Treat Acne

January 6, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Acne causes unsightly pimples and lesions on your skin, but what causes acne and how can it be prevented? Although the causes of acne are sometimes misunderstood or unknown, there are many natural skin care products designed to help acne. There are many myths and natural skin care techniques which target the treatment of acne.

First, one myth is acne is caused by eating fatty foods or chocolate. In fact one of the principal treatments for acne is best taken with fatty foods. Acne is not directly related to the foods you eat but more to the chemical reaction the food causes in your body. It is not a disease but a skin condition, though bacterial activity is a significant factor. This means it can be treated topically with a natural skin care product.

Natural skin care treatments are most effective when you understand more of the skin condition. Acne can be broken into three specific areas. Acne is basically caused by a sticky plug of oily sebum and dead skin cells blocking up your follicles and skin pores, and becoming infected by bacteria.

The bacteria triggers your immune response to kill the bacteria and also sets off the inflammatory response that causes the inflammation, swelling and redness. All of these reactions are intended to kill off the bacteria, but they also cause you pain and distress as a result. Using a natural skin care product can help to reduce the bacteria and inflammation associated with a break out.

To understand acne you must first understand each of these three components (sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria).

Sebum
Sebum is a natural skin oil, which is generated by the sebaceous glands, and it both protects and waterproofs your skin and hair. The sebum can mix with dead skin cells inside a hair follicle and forms a plug in the follicle (pore). At puberty the increase in sebum accelerates the formation of plugs in the pores, and also speeds up the multiplication of the bacteria on your skin. Natural skin care will help to balance the oil on the skin and reduce the natural bacteria growth. Specifically natural skin care products like grape seed extract will act as an anti-inflammatory antimicrobial treatment.

Skin Cells
Skin cells have a short life, and your skin surface renews itself every two or three weeks. The dead skin cells generally get washed off, but they can also form in the pores of your skin and mix with the sebum to form a gooey mass. You can help to avoid this through regular use of a natural skin care exfoliating body scrub, using a mild natural facial version for your face. You can also use natural skin care products with Vitamin A to flake your dead skin off, again helping to prevent it from mixing with the sebum.

Bacteria
Bacteria grows naturally on your skin, and normally do no harm as long as they are not of a dangerous kind. The bacterium responsible for acne is known as Propionibacterium acnes, and produce substances that initiate your immune system. A good natural body wash or antibacterial soap will help to prevent this from happening.

Although the actual reasons for the onset of acne are unknown, the reason why acne causes the symptoms that you experience are well known. Natural skin care products have been developed as an effective natural treatment for acne. With proper natural skin care and understanding the causes, there is a good chance that your acne condition can be managed successfully.

Milia and Acne Baby Skin Care

March 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Sometimes you can see white bumps on your baby’s nose or chin. These are called milia, and are different from baby acne. Milia are caused as tiny flakes are trapped under the upper layer of your baby’s skin, and are likely to affect boys and girls equally.

Milia are not as common as acne, and are cured on a few weeks, whereas acne may take longer. Some babies have both the problems. Take care that when you wash your baby’s face, use the towel very gently and pad the surface. Both – milia and baby acne do not require any treatment or medication except that if either of these exceed beyond six months. Also, if you notice that there is a change in baby’s complexion while suffering from acne or milia, or both, consult your baby’s doctor.

Skin Care for Baby Acne

March 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Baby acne is quite common for almost all the babies. It usually appears on the cheeks of baby. In medical terms, baby acne happens as a direct result of the mother’s hormone levels when she is giving birth. While giving birth, for a short period of time before, the mother’s hormones are allowed to pass through the placenta to the baby. This is required for any last-minute physical development in the baby’s body. These hormones tend to stimulate oil production in the baby’s skin and this increased level of oil in the baby’s skin causes baby acne.

In certain cases, baby acne represents the reaction of the skin to a relative imbalance of male (androgenic) and female (estrogenic) hormones in the baby’s system. It happens after the withdrawal of maternal estrogens after delivery. Your baby does not require any treatment as it takes care of itself automatically, and it does not leave any scars. However, the boys are more likely to have baby acne than girls.

Your baby can also develop acne as a response of some medications. Though your doctor may have cautioned you of possible acne caused by prescribed medicines; you need to consult the same doctor for some alternative treatment.

Precautions and Cure for Baby Acne

You do not need to be over concerned about small pimples on your baby’s face.  This is quite normal and sometimes, it takes care of itself without any medication. In many cases, a doctor suggests you to wash your baby’s face with fresh water, or may be with mild soap. If there is no improvement for few days, you need not worry about it. Usually it takes about four to six months to disappear. If it persists for more than six months, see a doctor.

Since the recovery of baby acne largely depends on the mood of your baby, the rash may become more severe if your child is crying or irritated for some reason, or if the affected skin is irritated. Ensure that you wash your baby’s towels or bibs carefully to completely remove all detergent or soap. Also, make sure that you clean up saliva or milk from the face, as this may add to the irritation and aggravate acne.

Do not panic and look for any medication to cure acne. The rash disappears on its own, and using any oils and even medication may not be helpful. It is not required as well. Rather, oils may even add to baby acne.

If your baby has acne, you need to be little extra careful in winter. Do not put too many clothes or blankets on your child’s face. If the skin is not able to breathe properly for long hours, it will break out into a heat rash and can worsen the acne.

Do not use the lotions and oils on the affected area of baby, since it can help increase acne and make it worse. Do not rub the baby’s face with towel or any pad, because it can irritate the skin. Instead, prefer using natural products, for example – Aveeno baby washes and soothing lotions. These are prepared for newborn babies or infants to treat acne.