Natural Herbal Treatment for Acne
An herbal blend that can help with acne consists of equal parts of the herbal extracts of sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock, and cleavers. These herbs are believed to be potent blood and lymph cleansers. Half a teaspoon per day of this blend can be taken three times per day combined with a healthy diet.
Spot application of tea tree oil to erupted blemishes can help to eliminate bacteria and reduce inflammation.
Supplementation with herbs such as burdock root (Arctium lappa), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and milk thistle (Silybum marianum), and with nutrients such as essential fatty acids, vitamin B complex, zinc, vitamin A, and chromium is also recommended. Chinese herbal remedies used for acne include cnidium seed (Cnidium monnieri) and honeysuckle flower (Lonicera japonica). Wholistic physicians or nutritionists can recommend the proper amounts of these herbs.
More innovative supplements include saw palmetto. The saw palmetto plant is recognized as a treatment for prostate disorders, because it interferes with the production of certain male hormones. The same process which helps with prostate disorders has also been seen to be useful for acne patients, especially for those whose troubles are obviously linked to hormone production; pre-menstrual acne responds particularly well.
Your job here, then, is to sort out the useful from the simply silly (and overpriced). Obvious as it may seem, effective treatments tend to be the most popular one: the use of tea tree oil in personal care preparations has skyrocketed in recent years, and for good reason. Tea tree oil is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial agent, and has a drying effect on the skin. You can try prepared remedies, small applications of undiluted oil, or, in a frequently overlooked option, you can simply add the tea tree oil to the skin preparations you are already using.
A less widely seen but increasingly popular option involves the topical application of zinc, long believed to be useful for acne when taken internally but only recently recognized as a topical treatment that may help with skin oiliness. Herbs categorized as "calming" such as chamomile and lavender are also useful, particularly if the skin is inflamed from overly aggressive anti-acne treatment.
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