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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