Acne Vulgaris

Your skin produces sebum, or oil, to protect itself and lubricate it. This oil keeps your skin soft and healthy if produced in the right quantities.

Stress, toxins and hormones gone wild can cause your skin to overproduce sebum, leading to oil filled follicles that trap dirt and dead skin cells within them.

Bacteria breeds in these clogged pores. Your immune system deals with bacteria by sending white blood cells to fight these invaders. Dead bacteria and dead cells accumulate as pus in your skin. A pimple is born.

To get rid of acne, you have to go straight to the root cause of the problem. Blocked pores, Bacteria and Overactive hormones.

Step 1 - Unblock Pores

That can be done through cleansing and exfoliation. Home Microdermabrasion Kits are very effective in unblocking and cleaning up the pores. Products with salicylic acid remove the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, hence unclogging the pores. Blemish Treatment Lotion and Biotherm Biopur Purifying Cleansing Crystal Gel 150ml/5oz both contain salicylic acid which would help unblock the pores.

Step 2 - Kill Bacteria

There are several ways to do this. The doctor would prescribe antibiotics that kills the bacteria effectively.

Over the counter, you can buy acne products with benzoyl peroxide that would kill the bacteria. Basically, acne bacteria thrives in places without oxygen, hence once the pore is clogged, the bacteria has a field day.

Benzoyl peroxide forces oxygen into the pores, making the pores uninhabitable for the acne bacteria.


Bioelements Breakout Control 1 oz. contains benzoyl peroxide which would help eliminate bacteria.

For those who prefer natural remedies, tea tree oil is a potent bacteria killer that is easily tolerated by most people. It is one of the 2 essential oils I know of that can be used undiluted. I use it directly on the zit. But some people may not be able to take it undiluted and may end up with a stinging rash instead. A safer method would be to use a skin care product that contains tea tree oil like Tea Tree Liquid Castile Soap

This third step is the one most acne sufferers tend to neglect and is the reason why acne recurs.

Everyday, you encounter toxins, stress and other environmental factors that mess up with your hormones. Dealing with these would help you keep acne at bay. If you only go through the first 2 steps, you would only be fire fighting. This final step is about being proactive. Preventing acne from forming in the first place.

Since acne is caused by the mixture of dirt, sebum and dead skin cells, you could reduce the dirt factor by keeping your home clean. Seeking out and removing the dust balls in your home, in the corners, on the lights, under the table, and everywhere else is a first step. Changing your bedsheets, especially your pillow case weekly is another. Keeping your hands and hair off your face is the third.

Next, learn to relax. Stress messes with your hormones. Take a break. Take a long bath. Do whatever it takes to unwind at the end of a long day to keep stress from mucking up with your body.

Finally detox. Foot detox pads are quite an interesting way to detox. So are some herbs. Healthy Pores System includes a herbal supplement that detoxifies the body and balances the hormones. It also has a cleanser that contains salicylic acid to unclog pores and a cream that has tea tree oil to kill the bacteria. It is an all in one acne system that effectively clears acne for good.

If you prefer all natural home remedies, you could in fact use aloe vera, kaolin and witch hazel in a daily facial to beat acne.


Thayers Witch Hazel Astringent Original with Aloe Vera 11.5 oz

Wash your face with an acne cleanser.

Pat dry your skin and mix 1 tablespoon of kaolin with 1 tablespoon of witch hazel to form a paste.

Apply the paste on the skin and let it dry completely.

Rinse away the dried clay, pat dry with a clean towel.
Aloe vera heals the skin so apply aloe vera gel as a moisturizer.