Herbal
Remedies for Acne
Saho-Mei
Zhang, M.S.(China) L.Ac.
Acne is characterized by skin blemishes or pimples and can
occur at any point throughout one's lifetime. Since it is related to hormonal
imbalance, acne frequently appears at puberty and in women over forty as they
approach menopause. The western medical approach is to treat acne with
antibiotics, but this can harm the liver. In Chinese terminology the skin is
controlled by the lung system and affected by the liver system, and acne is commonly
a condition of heat and toxin in the lungs and damp heat in the liver and
gallbladder. Therefore, the approach to this condition is to cool the heat,
cleanse and detoxify the organ system, and topically work on the healing
process.
Some foods that help alleviate acne include squash,
cucumbers, celery, carrots, carrot tops, lettuce, potato, cabbage, beet tops,
buckwheat, alfalfa sprouts, millet, brown rice, mung beans, dandelions, pears,
cherries, papaya, persimmons, raspberries, watermelon, winter melon, aloe vera
and mulberry leaves. Drinking plenty of water helps, too.
Foods to avoid are those that are spicy and oily and
include: coffee, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks, dairy
foods, red meat, shellfish, bamboo shoots and white mushrooms. Other things
that aggravate acne are smoking, emotional stress, constipation, makeup, and
washing with chemicals or soap. The face should be washed with cool water; if
it is especially dirty, steam it with hot water to induce sweating, then wash
with cold water.
Try some of these remedies for acne:
1. Blend a cucumber, apply externally, leave on for 20
minutes, then wash off.
2. Rub watermelon rind on the acne.
3. Apply aloe Vera.
4. Eat watermelon or drink watermelon juice.
5. Drink tea made from carrots including the tops and beet
tops.
6. Drink lukewarm water with 2 teaspoons of honey every
morning on an empty stomach. This effectively lubricates the intestines. If one
does not evacuate the intestines regularly, the toxins either end up in the
liver or come out in the skin.
 Recommended
book:
"Skin Deep: Natural
Recipes for Healthy Skin & Hair" by
Margaret Dinsdale
Info/order this book
About The
Author
First
printed in "Yo San University Health Letter", Summer 1993. YSU offers
an accredited 4 year program leading to a Master of Acupuncture and Traditional
Chinese Medicine. You may reach YSU at: 1314 Second St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Reprinted with permission.
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