Acne is not caused by dirt, though careful attention to hygiene
helps to keep inflammation at bay. A trial done in Singapore a
few years ago points to acne being caused by the failure of the
body to break down and metabolize oil in the body. Why does this
happen?
According to an article published by Lit-Hung Leung, MD in the
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 12, Number 2, 1997, when
the particular vitamin that is responsible for the job of
metabolizing the oil is needed by the body for a different
function - such as the development of the sex organs, eg, - a
deficiency is created and there is not enough of this vitamin to
do both jobs. This is why acne often shows up at puberty.
While deficiency syndromes are by and large dismissed by the
main stream medical profession, Linus Pauling, in his book, How
to Live Longer and Feel Better, challenges the assumption that
vitamins are not needed in large amounts and provides proof
through his studies of animals that optimal amounts of vitamins
are needed for optimal health. For instance, he believes that
Vitamin C is needed in far greater amounts by the body than most
health practitioners would believe.
In the trial conducted in Singapore, pantothenic acid was given
to acne sufferers at the rate of 10 grams a day divided into
four equal doses. At the same time the patients were required to
apply a pantothenic cream to the acne. Within a few days there
was a marked reduction in the amount of oil, or sebum being
secreted and after 2 weeks the acne started to heal visibly,
with less new pimples appearing. In most cases, the acne was
completely healed by the end of 2 months, and flare-ups were
reduced considerably.
An unexpected bonus was that the enlarged pores of the face
began to shrink and the skin became much finer. It was found
that if the patient was an adolescent, a maintenance dose was
needed until the sexual characteristics had been fully
developed. That pantothenic acid is found to be present in all
tissues of the body is an indication of its importance. VitaCure
B5 ClearSkin is the acne product that resulted from the above
trials.
Benzoyl peroxide is the main ingredient found in many
over-the-counter products for treating acne. The label should be
read carefully to find out how much of this chemical is actually
in the product. When trying these for the first time, it is
advisable to start off with the lowest dose, or skin irritation
could occur, exacerbating the problem. 2.5% is usually the
lowest dose and this can also cause the skin to become dry and
irritated, but this problem will mostly clear up after a few
days. These products are meant to be used over the whole area
affected by acne, so don't just dab it on single zits.
Zinc gluconate is another herbal type of remedy for acne. It
should be taken orally.
If after two months of trying herbal products the acne has not
improved, a doctor's advice should be sought.
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