The Nourished Life: Acne

Showing posts with label Acne. Show all posts

The Ultimate 33 Nourishing eBook Bundle for 92% Off

How many eBooks can you buy for $39? Most of the time, not even one! I'm all for learning more about living a healthy, nourished life, but a girl's gotta have a budget (at least this one does). So in general, I pass up eBook offers (even if I think it's work the money) because, well, it's just not in the budget!

If you're like me, then you only spring for the wallet if it's a really good deal. And I mean a really good deal. So if you've been waiting around for the ultimate health and wellness eBook sale, you'll be happy to hear the wait is finally over.

Seriously. You can now get 33 popular real food and wellness eBooks for only $39.

This is pennies-on-the-dollar good. We're talking 92% off. All of these books normally retail for $479! So if you're looking for a good sale, you just found it.

Do you want to learn...

how cook grain-free meals the whole family will love?
the top paleo diet myths?
how to stoke your metabolic fire?
everything you need to know to cook with coconut oil?
how to cook indulgent, gluten-free treats?
what your baby needs to be healthy and nourished?
how to make all your skincare products at home?
how to stock your pantry with economical, nourishing food?
how to heal your acne from the inside out?

Then you don't need one eBook: you need 33 eBooks for the price of one! And this week, that's actually possible.

Here's what you'll get in the bundle:

Whew. That's my kind of bundle! If you want to avoid paying retail, then you can purchase all 33 of these incredible eBooks for $39 between now and January 14th at 11:59pm EST.

Then you'll have all 33 eBooks instantly available for download so you can start reading right away. How cool is that?

Click below to buy now or you can click here to learn more!

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Exploring the Root Causes of Acne

There comes a point when you've tried every single over-the-counter product you could find in your battle against the dreaded blight of acne... and yet still the battle rages on. You may have even crossed over to more natural methods of skincare like the honey face mask, homemade toner and coconut oil. And while these certainly help (I know from experience!), they fail to do one important thing: address the root causes of acne.

For a few, cleansing methods alone are enough to eradicate acne. But for the rest of us, there is something going on under the surface that is causing acne to rear its ugly head.

They say beauty isn't just skin deep. Well, neither is your acne.

Getting down to the root of the issue isn't easy. For one thing, we're all different. What causes my acne may have nothing to do with yours. It's all about how our bodies function as individuals. Still, while there are many factors that may be contributing to your acne, they all boil down to four simple categories:

1. Gut Health

2. Stress

3. Toxins

4. Hormonal Imbalance

Keep in mind that these can be tied together (and usually are). Stress can cause hormonal imbalances, poor gut health can cause toxins to build up, toxic overload can cause stress, etc. It's all just one big cycle of cause and effect. Because of this, you may have to address all four of these root issues to truly achieve clear skin (and excellent health). But many of you may experience dramatic results simply by identifying the one factor that's at the bottom of everything and addressing it accordingly.

Let's delve a little deeper into these four categories:

1. Gut Health

I put this one first for a reason--mainly because the condition of your gut affects your entire body far more than most of us realize. Balancing gut flora and rebuilding the strength of your gut lining is imperative to good health. An unhealthy gut system can contribute to toxic overload, hormonal imbalances and stress--gut health is truly the foundation of your overall health and well being.

Acne may actually be one of the first problems to surface when something in your gut isn't functioning properly. Better to catch this one early on than to wait until even more devastating symptoms arise. Simple ways to improve your gut health include eating probiotic foods like raw milk yogurt, taking herbal bitters to improve digestion, and having at least one cup of bone broth every day. Others find they experience more healing when they cut out more difficult to digest foods such as dairy and grains.

If you find yourself facing food intolerances, consider doing the GAPS diet or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) in order to restore gut health and reverse food sensitivities. These are strict diets, but they are also only temporary and can be extremely effective at repairing a damaged gut.

2. Stress

Stress is a common root cause of acne because it raises adrenaline and cortisol levels. When these stress hormones are chronically elevated, certain health issues begin to crop up. Acne is just one of them (others include back pain, irritability, headaches, insomnia and more--read more about high cortisol here).

For me, a telltale sign of stress-induced acne is--for lack of a better term--bacne. I only experience breakouts on my back and shoulders when stress is the issue. Fortunately I rarely experience this anymore, most likely because I've put a lot of effort into learning to manage my stressors and deal with them in a more positive way. I've also taken up a few positive habits like yoga practice and getting plenty of quality sleep.

Read more about how to reduce stress or learn more about the effect of stress on the body.

3. Toxins

Let's face it: in many ways our world is more toxic than ever. Some suggest that when our systems are overloaded with toxins (think chemical dyes, pesticides, synthetic hormones, fluoride, chlorine, etc.), the body has trouble processing and eliminating all of them. This overload ends up manifesting itself as clogged pores and acne. If you are sensitive to certain chemicals, this may be doubly true. Melissa from The Cellulite Investigation has written extensively about her experience with fluoroderma and acne. For her, exposure to fluoride guarantees cystic acne breakouts. Read more about her thoughts on fluoroderma and acne here.

Whether you are sensitive to specific chemicals or just suffer from general toxic overload, practicing some simple detoxification methods may prove to be very helpful. Try things like dry brushing your skin, drinking a glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning, oil pulling, taking Epsom salt baths, or rebounding.

4. Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalance is another common underlying cause of acne, but unfortunately conventional medicine offers only one solution: birth control pills. Not my cup of tea!

But hormonal imbalances is last on my list simply because restoring gut health, managing stress and detoxing can all help balance your hormones. But for some, hormones are truly the root cause of their acne, and in that case it's an appropriate place to focus your efforts. I always recommend natural remedies for balancing hormones first and foremost. For instance, many people experience positive results with raw maca powder or vitex (chaste berry extract), both of which are well known for their ability to naturally balance hormones.

Elevated levels of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) may also contribute to your acne, especially if you experience mostly cystic acne along your jawline and chin. Herbs that balance DHT levels include saw palmetto extract and spearmint tea.

Managing blood sugar and insulin levels is also a key in balancing your hormones. Balanced, real food meals are the best way to get your blood sugar under control. Include some protein and fat with your carbs (specific amounts will vary based on your individual metabolism), and eat smaller meals to avoid drastic upswings in your blood sugar and insulin levels. Some people find specific foods trigger a blood sugar roller coaster. Refined white flour and white sugar seem to be the most common culprits.

If you suspect hormonal imbalance to be the root cause of your acne, then getting a hormone profile test may be needed to determine where you should focus your efforts and if bioidentical hormone replacement is necessary in your particular case.

Try to remember the bigger picture when figuring out the root causes of your acne. Addressing the above issues may not solve your acne woes overnight. It takes time to heal. Impatience will only conjure up feelings of stress--which we know does nothing to improve your complexion! So think long term and make healing your acne just as much about healing your body as a whole. That's when the real benefits happen.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday and Real Food Wednesday.

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The Best Homemade Toner for Acne Prone Skin

A homemade toner for acne prone skin should be two things: simple and economical. No long list of required ingredients, and no sourcing ingredients all over town (or all over the internet!). And of course, it needs to be effective for problematic, blemish-prone skin. Luckily, all of these requirements are fulfilled easily by two simple ingredients: green tea and apple cider vinegar. (See below for the recipe.)

Why not use commercial toner?

More often than not, commercial toners contain ingredients that irritate the skin and disrupt its natural balance. These ingredients include things like propylene glycol, harsh exfoliating acids, alcohol, mineral oil, glycerin, fragrance, and dyes. And if you're lucky enough to find a quality toner that doesn't contain unwanted chemicals, you'll usually find a hefty price tag attached.

Personally, I don't feel like you need to sacrifice quality or hard-earned cash for something like facial toner. Instead, get the best of both worlds by making your own homemade toner.

Two Important Ingredients for Homemade Toner

My experiments with homemade toner led me to two primary ingredients: fresh green tea and raw apple cider vinegar.

Why green tea?

Green tea has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that repair skin damage and reduce redness. I personally notice a decrease in inflammation within minutes of applying green tea to my skin. As a bonus: the antioxidants in green tea may also fight the aging process. So banish blemishes and wrinkles in one fell swoop!

Why raw apple cider vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar helps restore the natural pH balance of your skin. Healthy skin is protected by what is called the acid mantle, a natural barrier that guards against pathogenic bacteria. In her book The Truth About Beauty, Kat James says this about the acid mantle:

"It can easily be obliterated by skin products that contain detergents, soaps, or antiseptics, and in many women--and even teens!--it is never given the change to recover or perform its intended function. Its absence inevitably leads to skin problems that can only be controlled but never resolved until we restore the acid mantle."

Homemade Toner for Acne Recipe

3/4 cup strong green tea
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

That's it! Simply pour the green tea and apple cider vinegar into a glass bottle or jar with a lid. Use a cotton ball to apply toner after cleansing or as often as desired. Store this toner in the refrigerator--it should keep for a week or two this way.

Looking for a quality source of green tea leaves? Check out my Resources page.

While these two ingredients alone are enough to make a spectacular homemade toner, you can also experiment with adding things like:

Orange essential oil (astringent, oil-reducing, stimulates collagen production).

Lavender essential oil (antimicrobial, soothing, anti-inflammatory).

Lemon juice (brightening, toning, helps reduce red marks).

Aloe vera juice (anti-inflammatory, soothing, healing).

Have any other suggestions for homemade toner ingredients? Share your insights in the comments below!

Read more!

You may be interesting in trying out more natural skincare for acne:

Coconut Oil for Clear Skin

Raw Honey Mask for Acne

Also, check out this post: Exploring the Root Causes of Acne

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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Coconut Oil for Acne

Coconut oil for acne was at the top of my list of posts to write about getting clear skin. While I don't agree with outright food worship, I have to admit that coconut oil deserves a lot of the attention it gets. When it comes to promoting clear, healthy skin, coconut oil is definitely just what the doctor (dermatologist?) should be ordering. You can use coconut oil for acne in two primary ways:

How to Use Coconut Oil for Acne

1. In Your Body

Coconut oil is brimming with medium chain fatty acids like lauric acid and caprylic acid which are metabolized into potent antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents in the body. These work to fight some of the underlying causes of acne such as candida overgrowth, autoimmunity and inflammation.

The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)

Recently I've been considering the times I've had exceptionally clear skin during the past few years, and one factor that keeps popping up is that whenever I had really clear skin I was also eating a lot of coconut oil at the time. I'm still not sure whether or not eating more coconut oil is a determining factor in my acne, but it's certainly worth experimenting with.

And so I've renewed my commitment to eat at least three tablespoons of coconut oil every day, the minimum amount recommended by Bruce Fife in The Coconut Oil Miracle, as well as Mary Enig and Sally Fallon in Eat Fat, Lose Fat.

2. On Your Body

I know what you're thinking: Coconut oil on your skin? Won't it make you break out?!? ...At one point in time I too was terrified of putting anything oily on my skin. Using coconut oil for acne sounded ludicrous.

I figured that acne is caused by oil so the best thing to do is kill it with dryness. Well, you know what's worse than acne? Acne and dry skin at the same time! (And let me tell you it's no picnic trying to apply makeup to dry, flaky skin.)

The Truth About Beauty: Transform Your Looks And Your Life From The Inside Out

My exploration in the world of real food and natural living led me to realize that oil is not your skin's enemy. After reading what Kat James had to say in her book The Truth About Beauty, I was struck by the realization that I had been stripping my skin of everything it needed to protect and replenish itself. I was punishing my skin for having acne, and it was most definitely backfiring on me.

So I've tried to use gentler methods for cleansing, toning and moisturizing my face. Coconut oil is a regular part of my regimen. And believe me, my skin is oh so grateful.

Why is coconut oil good for your skin? The same antibacterial and antifungal properties in coconut oil that work wonders in your body can do the same on your skin as well. It is far more gentle than chemical antibacterial agents and yet surprisingly effective for many people. Because it consists primarily of short and medium chain fatty acids, coconut oil is also absorbed easily through the skin and provides moisture without leaving your skin feeling greasy.

Tip: If you are left feeling like an oil slick after applying coconut oil, consider scaling back on the amount you use. A very small amount goes a long way. I get much better results working a small amount into my skin rather than slathering it on too liberally.

There is always a jar of coconut oil in my bathroom now (I use it for oil pulling too). I don't personally use it on my face every single day, but whenever my skin feels the need, I reach for my jar of coconut oil without hesitation. It has yet to produce anything but positive benefits for my skin.

For a trustworthy source of high quality coconut oil, check out the marketplace!

Do you use coconut oil for acne? How has it benefited your body and your skin? Share your thoughts and tips below in the comments!

This post is part of Fight Back Friday and Real Food Wednesday.

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Raw Honey Mask for Acne

The best face mask for acne can't be purchased at a pricey department store. In fact, it only contains one ingredient and it's probably already in your pantry! It's one of my personal favorites: the raw honey face mask.

Raw honey has been prized for its healing properties since ancient times--it was even used like a modern-day antibiotic ointment on burns and scrapes. The raw honey mask for acne is an excellent alternative to conventional acne treatments that often do little more than make your skin dry and scaly. Raw honey, on the other hand, softens the skin and gives it a natural glow. Over time, honey's natural antibacterial properties can help prevent breakouts, but you will notice a difference in the suppleness of your skin right away!

Instructions for a Raw Honey Face Mask

One of the reasons I think honey makes the best face mask for acne is that it's so simple:

Use about one teaspoon of high quality raw honey.

Gently spread it over the entire face.

Leave the honey face mask on for about 15-60 minutes.

Rinse with lukewarm or cool water and pat face dry.

Tip: Don't be tempted to use too much honey. About one teaspoon is plenty. Any more than that and you'll be dripping honey all over the place! I had a problem with dripping at first, but once I cut back on the amount of honey I used, the problem resolved itself. Not to mention that it's a little more economical that way, too!

Question: What honey is best for a honey face mask?

Answer: Any honey will do, but I highly recommend using raw, unfiltered honey for your face mask because it retains more of the potent healing properties. I can even tell the difference between raw honey brands I use for my honey mask. A high quality local raw honey made my skin glow in a way I didn't notice with the other raw honey I tried. You can find a great source of high quality raw honey here on my Resources page.

Have you tried the raw honey mask for acne? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday.

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The Ultimate 33 Nourishing eBook Bundle for 92% Off

Do you want to learn...

Here's what you'll get in the bundle:

Paleo, real food, grain free and coconut oil cookbooks

Lacto-Fermentation, pantry overhaul and freezer guide

Indulge in treats without feeling guilty

Give birth, nourish your newborn, then educate him/her on real food

Heal PCOS and boost metabolism

Simplify, live exuberantly, camp w/ your family & play music

Paleo time: travel, myths, cleanse, start anew or go wild

Take care of your skin homemade style and heal acne

Exploring the Root Causes of Acne

The Best Homemade Toner for Acne Prone Skin

Coconut Oil for Acne

How to Use Coconut Oil for Acne

Raw Honey Mask for Acne