Caring for Oily Skin

Remember, there is no way to completely prevent oily skin from occurring, but hopefully these tips will help keep the oil and acne under control:

• Although dirt and oil on the surface of the skin do not cause acne, excessive oil on your skin may exacerbate the clogging of pore openings, so proper washing is often a good way to keep the situation from becoming worse. Washing with very hot water, harsh soaps or cleansers will not improve existing acne or prevent future flare-ups. In fact, these methods can dry and irritate your skin so badly that you will not be able to use effective acne medications in cream or gel form. Most topical acne medications have a drying effect on oily skin.
• Try a mild cleanser that cleanses without drying.
• Do not use any oil-based cosmetics, which will only aggravate oily skin and create further blemishes.
• Use water-based, non-comedogenic cosmetics.
• Always remove your makeup before going to bed, but avoid cold creams and lotions, which may leave a greasy film on your skin.
• Watch your diet. However, it is not chocolate or sweets that you need to watch, some doctors believe that an increased consumption of iodine aggravates acne, and they suggest reduction or elimination of fish and iodized salt.
• Relax! Doctors have seen a connection between stress and acne for a long time. Studies have shown that the body produces more androgens when a person is under stress. The increase may trigger acne flare-ups by stimulating the sebaceous glands to pump out more sebum. Even physical stresses, such as colds, allergies, surgery, or menstration, can trigger break-outs.

Oily Skin and Acne: Keeping In Control

When people complain of oily skin, they are most often referring to the skin on their face. Oily skin is also the largest contibuter towards acne. This page will give a little information on the causes and treatments of oily skin and acne.

The Cause of Oily Skin

The oil is produced by oil glands known as sebaceous glands. These glands are bigger and more active in the region of the nose than any other areas of the face. This is why the nose tends to be a trouble area for even those with normal skin. The pores in this area are also larger, in order to accomodate the large flow of oil produced. Other areas on the body where sebaceous glands are most heavily concentrated are the neck, chest, and back-areas where body acne can be common. The amount of oil that an individual makes is determined by genetics. It is affected by hormones and what is called an "end organ response". The oil gland is considered the end organ because it is this gland that is acted upon by hormones. Many people have the same level of hormones, but make different amount of oil because their oil glands respond differently. During adolescence, a surge in the level of sex hormones, known as androgens, creates a problem of oily skin where sometimes there was none. The reason is that androgens enlarge and stimulate the sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more sebum. While this stimulation is not directly responsible for acne, the extra sebum for which they're responsible produces more fatty acids when a comedo plug closes off a pore opening. The additional fatty acids increase the amount of inflammation, and more severe acne occurs. Despite all the trouble that sebum causes, it is very important to the maintenance of the skin. When the system is working properly, sebum performs the important job of helping to lubricate your skin. Sebum also carries with it dead skin cells shedding from your hair follicle walls. For someone with oily skin, the best thing to do is to take measures to keep pores from getting clogged and forming acne lesions.

Some Food Does Not Cause Acne

You may be asking yourself why a dermatologist-reviewed site from the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) still says that diet does not cause acne. After all, haven’t research studies found that certain foods cause acne? If you have acne, you may even have noticed that when you eat certain foods you break out. With all this evidence, why does the Academy still say that food does not cause acne?

What the Research Really Shows
While studies have been conducted, more research is needed to conclude that what we eat can cause or prevent acne. What these studies have found suggests that diet may play a role in acne. Here is what the research has shown so far.

Milk and acne. Could drinking milk cause acne? One researcher reports that between 75% and 90% of the milk and milk products consumed in the United States come from pregnant cows. Could acne develop because drinking milk exposes us to the hormones that cows produce when they are pregnant? We know that hormones clearly play a role in acne.

To answer these questions, researchers began by asking people to recall what they ate. One such study asked 47,355 women to remember what they ate in high school 9 years prior. Another study asked teenage boys to recall what they ate and to determine the severity of their acne.

After analyzing the foods eaten, researchers concluded that there was one association. Sodas, chocolate, and even potato chips were not associated with acne. Only drinking milk was.

These studies had limitations. Trying to accurately recall what you ate years ago — or even days ago — can be difficult, so the collected data cannot be considered entirely reliable. What the data does show is that there may an association between drinking milk and acne. An association means that more research is needed to prove whether this is just an association or a cause.

It is possible that other causes were at work. These studies did not account for known causes of acne, such as heredity. Acne is known to run in families, and some of the women and teenage boys may have had acne because they inherited genes for acne. The researchers acknowledge the limitations of these studies and conclude that more research is needed.

Western diet and acne. Some researchers hypothesize (explanation that needs to be proven) that more than milk could be causing acne. It could be our Western diet, a diet rich in refined carbohydrates. A few studies have looked at this possibility. One study observed that people in 2 non-westernized societies — Kitavan Islanders (remote islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea) and the Aché hunter-gathers of Paraguay — did not have acne. The researchers attributed this to the people’s low-glycemic diet. A low-glycemic diet consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

When people eat a low-glycemic diet, the body works more efficiently. The body needs only produce relatively small amounts of insulin to keep blood glucose levels (glucose gives us energy) within the normal range. When the body works this way, the person is said to be insulin sensitive. This means the body requires relatively small amounts of insulin.

A high-glycemic diet can lead to insulin resistance, which means the body needs to produce a lot more insulin to maintain glucose levels. Insulin resistance can cause numerous health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

The researchers concluded that a Western diet, which often causes insulin resistance, might also be fueling known causes of acne such as the production of excess sebum (oily substance) and inflammation. More research is needed to find out if a low-glycemic diet can prevent acne and lead to clearer skin.

To find out, small studies have been conducted to look at the effect of a low-glycemic diet on acne. These studies suggest that a low-glycemic diet maybe helpful, but further research is needed to explain the role that diet plays.

There are still many unanswered questions. One question researchers must answer is why every obese person does not have long-term acne. Individuals who are obese generally have had insulin resistance for years. If insulin resistance leads to acne, then everyone living with diabetes would be expected to have acne. Why is this not the case?

The diet-recall studies also did not show an association between eating high-glycemic foods such as soda and chocolate and acne. Why is this?

More Research Needed
While the research shows that there may be an association between diet and acne, the researchers conclude that more evidence is needed to prove this association. Until research proves that diet causes acne, this site will continue to state what the research shows. To date, the research does not prove that diet causes acne.

References:²
Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Berkey CS et al. Milk consumption and acne in teenaged boys. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008; 58: 787-93.

Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Danby FW et al. High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005; 52: 207-14.

Arbesman H. Dairy and acne--the iodine connection. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005; 53: 1102.

Bershad SV. Diet and acne--slim evidence, again. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005; 53: 1102; author reply 3.

Cordain L, Lindeberg S, Hurtado M et al. Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization. Arch Dermatol 2002; 138: 1584-90.

Danby FW. Acne and milk, the diet myth, and beyond. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005; 52: 360-2.

Smith RN, Braue A, Varigos GA et al. The effect of a low glycemic load diet on acne vulgaris and the fatty acid composition of skin surface triglycerides. J Dermatol Sci 2008; 50: 41-52.

Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 86: 107-15.

Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A et al. The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 2007; 57: 247-56.

Thiboutot DM, Strauss JS. Diet and acne revisited. Arch Dermatol 2002; 138: 1591-2.

Treloar V, Logan AC, Danby FW et al. Comment on acne and glycemic index. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008; 58: 175-7.

Webster GF. Commentary: Diet and acne. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008; 58: 794-5.

Links Between Acne, Food And Stress

It is a common notion that there is a link between specific foods and acne. However, scientists have not found this to be the case. For example, the popular thought that chocolate causes acne is no more than an urban legend. To date no scientific link between foods that have a lot of sugar or grease and acne has been found. This does not lessen the importance of a healthy diet though. A leading medical journal wrote, "Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients". It also found that even large amounts of certain foods thought to cause acne did not cause a measurable problem.

Foods contain many nutrients that are known to help in the overall health of a person. When these nutrients are being supplied to the body, it will be readily apparent in the overall feeling of well being and the person's appearance. The American Academy of Dermatology states, "A healthy diet is important for improving raw materials for healthy skin". The largest organ of a person's body is their skin. Like any other organ, the correct nutrients should be provided to obtain peak health.

The skin and mucous membranes function as a first line of defense in the barrier to stop bacteria and viruses from causing problems such as acne. Vitamin A which is a fat soluble vitamin helps maintain helps keep the skin and mucous membranes healthy and vibrant. Beta-Carotene is the Vitamin A produced by plants. Beta-Carotene is typically found in yellow and orange fruits and in the dark, leafy green vegetables. It is important to always be aware of the fact that high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic. It must be consumed in moderation. Some common orange and yellow fruits and vegetables that contain Vitamin A are carrots, cantaloupe, apricots and yams. Some common dark, leafy green vegetables that contain Vitamin A are kale, spinach and parsley. Not to be forgotten are tomatoes which are a surprisingly good source of Vitamin A.

If a person already has acne, stress has been known to cause it to flare up. To keep stress low and keep acne in control, Vitamin B-2 has been found to work very well. Common food sources of Vitamin B-2 are eggs, fish, whole grains, milk, meat and again leafy green vegetables.

Another important factor in maintaining healthy skin is improving the circulation. Vitamin B-3 or Niacin plays an important role in this. Cholesterol levels are also reduced with the use of Vitamin B-3. An additional benefit is it helps to metabolize fat, sugar and protein in the body. Common food sources of Vitamin B-3 are avocado, lean meats, eggs and peanuts. Your mother may have been right in admonishing you to eat liver as it is also a good source of Vitamin B-3.

The most powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body's cells from the damage caused by free radicals is Vitamin E. Air radiation, pollution and peroxides produce free radicals which are unstable molecules in the body. The body's natural metabolism process can also produce free radicals that could lead to a variety of problems including acne. Common food sources of Vitamin E are sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds, peanuts and vegetable oil. Everybody's favorite, broccoli, is also a good source of Vitamin E!

Maintaining a healthy and vibrant immune system will show in a person's skin as well. This can be done by including foods that contain zinc in your diet. Common food sources of Zinc are nuts, mushrooms, whole grains and eggs.

Finally, everybody is different so acne varies among different people. It is a good idea to keep a food diary. There may be certain foods that help one person maintain healthy skin but do not help somebody else. Keeping a food diary will help you determine which is best for you. Maintain a balanced diet and if you are not getting enough of the nutrients in your diet that promotes healthy skin try using a supplement. Most important is to drink plenty of water each day. Water flushes damaging toxins out of the body's system. The common rule of thumb is six to eight glasses per day.

ten rule:food to clear acne

The best way to protect acne is having a regular diet. This can help you to solve problems of acne. Lifestyle of people is changing and everyone prefers to have fast food rather than vegetable and fruit diet.
1.) It is advised to have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in diet. Try and have 4-5 servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit in a day.

2) Always take salad along with your food. Salad is a good source of fiber and keeps you away from constipation which could lead to excessive toxin release.

3) Addiction to tea or coffee is also not good for acne. Try and avoid them.

4) Refined sugar, carbohydrates and fried food. These foods give good platform for acne to flourish.

5) Include pulses in your diet.

6) Avoid food that you are allergic to.

7) Avoid food items with .Vitamin B 12 Source of B12 is fish, milk and milk products, egg, and meat.

8) Try and drink 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday.

Stress Related Acne

Is your lifestyle causing your acne? Certainly not. But the way you live affects your whole body,
including its largest organ: the skin. The place you work, the hours you keep, the ways you play — all of these can take a toll on the epidermis, especially in those who are prone to acne. Following are a few everyday acne triggers you might not be aware of, and a few things you can do to avoid them.Comedones on the job. Since some part of your skin is always in contact with your environment, it’s important to pay attention to the substances with which you come into contact on a regular basis. You may be exposing yourself to comedogenic (pore-clogging) substances on the job without even knowing it; while these substances are not the cause of your acne, they can aggravate it. For example: the airborne grease in a fast-food restaurant can create an invisible film on your skin, clogging your pores. Most industrial oils — the kinds used in cars, in factories, on bicycles — are comedogenic as well. Acne & Sleep - Sleep and your skin. The simplest good deed you can do for your skin may surprise you: sleep! Scientists and mothers around the world agree that a good night’s sleep — at least eight hours —can do wonders for your complexion. How? A healthy, well-rested body has the resources to build astrong immune system. While a robust immune system won’t prevent acne altogether, it can help fight infection so your lesions clear up more quickly. Luckily, your body isn’t picky; uninterrupted sleep in the
daytime is just as beneficial. So if you work late, sleep late — and try to maintain a regular schedule.
Acne & Sun - Savvy sun worshipping. While it’s true that small amounts of sun exposure may initially improve acne, don’t be fooled; the benefit is temporary. Consistent sun bathing will dry your skin,causing your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Also, skin that has been exposed to the sun has to slough old cells more frequently; when you combine the extra oil and extra dead cells, you create the ideal environment for Comedones, or blocked pores. So if you work (or play) in the sun, it’s important to protect your skin with sunscreen. Look for oil-free products that provide at least an SPF 15 protection level from UVA and UVB rays. Acne & Stress - The stress connection. Not surprisingly, stress often has a starring role in the ongoing acne drama. “Ninety percent of my patients complain about what stress does to their skin. It has a huge impact, and it’s becoming a bigger problem every day,” says Katie Rodan, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford University. How can stress — emotional anxiety caused by any number of factors in your life — show up on your face? The connection is purely chemical. When you become tense, your adrenal glands go work, flooding your bloodstream with the hormone cortisol. This triggers the sweat glands in your face to produce more oil. When your sebaceous glands go into high gear, there’s a higher probability that this excess oil will mix with dead skin cells and clog your pores, trapping bacteria inside. The result? More acne, primarily inflamed papules rather than blackheads or whiteheads.12 What can you do? Of course, you can't eliminate stress from your life — it's part of being human. But you can minimize its damage by leading a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet and at least seven hours of sleep every night will help you build a stronger physical foundation; if you're well fed and well rested,you're less likely to feel irritated by the events of your day. Try to get some exercise every day, even if it's just a walk around the block at lunchtime. It's also important to take time out of every day to relax —read a book, take a bath, practice yoga, or do whatever makes you feel happy and calm. It's an important step towards overall good health, and therefore the health of your skin.

Three Fast Methods to Treating and Eliminating Acne Quickly

If you have ever had acne before, you’ll find it is not a very pretty experience. Most times, it is even unforgettable as you find that you still remember al the taunting of your friends and peers at your pimple ridden face. If you are thinking about how you can easily clear and cure all signs of acne on your face, then you need to listen up as you do not necessarily need to spend tons of cash -if it isn’t genetic or caused by constipation- trying to cure it all. Most people who are looking to cure their pimples are usually thinking how can I get rid of this very fast and as a result, they end up spending lots of money on the next miracle drug that will “permanently cure” the pimples. The bad thing about this is most people have not even stuck with all the treatment regimens and as a result the have not even found out how effective the regimens and products they use are before moving to the next thing. So, the very first thing you need to do once you realize that you’ve got to know that you have pimples is that you have to consult a dermatologist.These “skin consultants” have seen it all; think any skin infection, they have already seen them. So,consult with them and find out what he root cause of your acne is. Then follow all the regimen and prescription you are given. This is very important. If not, I can guarantee that you’ll soon follow the new wonder drug that comes out and unfortunately, most of them are not as fast acting as they are hyped. Now, you can also opt for natural treatments which actually work but of which not much is said currently.One of the most important nutrients that we all need is vitamins in all its forms but it most important for all those who have acne. One of the regimens is really simple: slice a potato in half, and rub the flat edge along the acne areas. The alkaline in the potato actually breaks down the bacteria inside your skin
pores while the vitamins remove the redness that is caused by acne while improving your complexion.