Torment of many young people in adolescence, pimples (a term commonly used to indicate the skin manifestation of acne) represent a disorder that can be fought, and overcome if the causes are removed and with the constant use and intake of some natural remedies that we will soon see.
I would like to emphasize that this is not a medical indication and that we are not talking about a definitive and 100% effective cure, but about various natural treatments (mostly herbal) used for centuries and handed down to us by folk medicine.
Since these are natural remedies, I want to emphasize that tenacity and consistency are important to obtain good results , because the time required to eradicate pimples can be very variable and almost always not short-lived.
What is acne?
Acne is an era and proper pathology that affects the skin and is characterized by an inflammatory process of the hair follicle and the attached sebaceous gland. In common parlance, acne is also referred to as a ” pimple ” or ” boil “.
The regions of the body affected by the appearance of pimples are usually the face, but also the shoulders and back.
L ‘ juvenile acne is very common and occurs through the development of surveys on the skin (rashes). It affects about 80% of adolescents and its onset coincides with sexual development (puberty) which usually occurs between 12 and 16 years of age, however it can persist up to 25-30 years.
However, there are forms of acne that also affect adults and women in particular (about 15%), while only 3% of adult males suffer from it.
Acne Symptoms
Acne is characterized by :
- oily and shiny skin due to the effect of seborrhea, that is, an increase in the sebaceous secretion of the skin;
- comedones , swollen follicles of ebo that if closed appear white and become black points when they open;
- cysts , large pus-filled pads that are painful to touch;
- nodules , solid formations often painful to touch;
- papules , red patches of various sizes that represent an inflammatory complication of the blackhead.
But what exactly are the causes of the appearance of pimples?
The causes of acne
We know that the appearance of pimples is due to an excessive production of sebum (skin fat) and keratin (skin scales) in the hair follicle, which can in turn be infected by some bacteria that normally live in our skin.
In the dock there is above all hormonal imbalance , due to the excessive production of sex hormones in adolescents.
However, this phenomenon would not be completely normal and it seems to be related in some way to our diet .
For example, this 2006 study [ 1 ], conducted on 6,094 girls between the ages of 9 and 15, shows that there is a strong correlation between the development of pimples and the consumption of animal milk .
A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, which correlates the development of acne with the intake of hyperglycemic foods, or excessive consumption, will confirm that a wrong diet could be guilty of the development of acne 6 years later [ 2 ]. of milk and derivatives , capable of stimulating an excessive production of sebum.
Other causes
Of course, nutrition is not necessarily the only culprit. Stress, excessive use of non-neutral soaps, or creams and cosmetics rich in substances deriving from petroleum, such as parabens, paraffin, silicones, etc. can also affect.
Finally, the prolonged use of drugs and antibiotics can also cause the formation of acne.
Natural remedies for acne
Naturopathy, that is a natural type of treatment approach, provides a very different approach from Official Medicine, where we try to cure only the symptom, without acting on the cause.
A natural approach, on the other hand, involves the use of natural substances that go in part to reduce inflammation (and therefore the symptom), but on the other hand also to restore what Dr. Claude Bernard called it “biological soil”.
The ” biological soil “, commonly called “soil”, is the set of factors and conditions that characterize a specific organism at a certain moment.
Therefore an individual who has “good soil” leaves no room for disease . And this according to Dr. Bernard would be true for a minor pathology such as acne, but also for much more serious diseases.
To combat acne, in addition to removing the cause, which we talked about earlier, natural medicine involves the use of:
- remedies for external use : local applications on the skin;
- remedies for internal use : juices, herbal teas, or natural herbal extracts to be ingested.
Let’s see them both.
Remedies for external use
1. Aloe Vera gel
In his book ” Aloe is not a medicine … yet it heals ” Father Romano Zago – who I remember was one of the first to discover the beneficial properties of this plant also for internal use – suggests topical use to remove pimples in a natural way. of Aloe leaf .
You can use both Aloe Vera and other varieties, such as Aloe Arborescens, or Aloe Ferox.
Father Zago recommends applying the inner part of the leaf, or where the gel is, directly in contact with the boils, without crushing them in any way. The leaves should be left on overnight, applying a patch to secure the leaf to the skin.
That Aloe has a real anti-acne action also seems to confirm this study [ 3 ], where the effect of the topical aloe vera gel combined with tretinoin (a retinoid commonly used in the treatment of pimples) was observed, for the treatment of mild and moderate acne. The study showed that the best results were obtained with the Aloe Vera and tretinoin blend, rather than with tretinoin alone.
In the absence of the fresh leaf, a good product based on Aloe Vera gel could possibly be used.
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2. Marigold oil
Also to ‘ calendula oil are recognized beneficial effects in relation to the treatment of pimples, especially by virtue of its soothing, draining and decongestant action is excellent for reducing inflammation and the appearance of pustules. Furthermore, thanks to its regenerating effect, it promotes healthy regrowth of the underlying tissues.
For an effective action, the calendula oil should be applied repeatedly every day.
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3. Clay Mask
As Dr. Roberto Antonio Bianchi advises in the book “Healing with Italian Medicinal Plants”, clay masks are very effective, because they help mature the follicle and blackheads of acne, also improving the aesthetics of the face .
In particular, green clay is able to absorb excess substances above and below the surface of the skin: not only sebum, but also bacteria, water, toxins and irritants; finally the clay has the ability to exfoliate dead cells without having to exert any friction as for example happens with a scrub or a gommage.
Doctor Roberto Antonio Bianchi recommends applying the mask 3 times a week and each application should last about 15-20 minutes .
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4. Tea tree oil
Dr. Danièl Festy, French pharmacist and author of the book ” The bible of essential oils ” strongly recommends the application of tea tree oil to combat pimples .
In the book he writes:
” Nothing more effective than essential oils, which can help you thanks to their antiseptic, disinfectant, healing, relaxing and hormonal regulating properties, without attacking or drying the skin. Unbeatable!”
The author recommends applying a pure drop for each pustule. One in the morning and one in the evening.
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Remedies for internal use
By virtue of their draining and detoxifying action, the following plants, at least according to the authors, can favor the elimination of acne.
1. Aloe juice
To combat pimples, Father Romano Zago recommends Aloe. In particular, it recommends taking the juice made according to the original recipe (with honey, distillate and whole leaves of Aloe Arborescens) and in the dosage of a soup spoon, 3 times a day. The juice should be taken on an empty stomach about 20-30 minutes before main meals, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This recipe, according to Father Zago, would help free the sebaceous glands from impurities.
2. Nettle herbal tea
According to the experience of a famous herbalist of the 20th century, Maria Treben, one of the most effective plants for treating acne is nettle .
This is because nettle is the best blood-purifying medicinal plant, which also has an excellent hematopoietic effect. In combination with a careful diet, Maria Treben recommends drinking 1 liter of nettle tea (4 cups) every day.
As an alternative to nettle, she recommends drinking dandelion root decoction , which is another great detox herb. In this case 2 cups a day.
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NB : All information published on this site is informative and should not be considered as advice, or medical prescriptions, or other.