:Clear Skin Blog

One thing that frequently strikes me when I look at many natural treatments is how little thought seems to go into creating an effective formula. The fact is, many, if not most, of the natural treatments out there are formulated with ingredients intended more to look good on the bottle than actually bring about results. Simply put, if results were the goal these lists would be shorter and the dosages higher.

This goes not only for treatments intended to fight acne and bring about clear skin, but for basically every ailment out there for which there are natural supplements available. Take arthritis for instance. Glucosamine sulfate has been proven to help alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis, but you need at least 1,500 mg per day. Now, a dozen other natural supplements may also aid in arthritis relief, but many of them require similarly high doses. No supplement is going to be able to contain enough of all of them unless you’re taking 20+ pills per day.

Common sense would say to simply include a few proven ingredients at doses clinically shown to work. Unfortunately, that doesn’t look as good on the bottle. So instead, what companies tend to do is throw in everything that has ever been shown to help with the problem, all in dosages too weak to actually bring about any effect. It’s not hard to get sales, as it looks great on the website to have all those ingredients with their many benefits spelled out, even when the end product is little more than a placebo.

I’ve recently talked about some of the health benefits related to supplements such as vitamins E and C, and noted that these benefits usually require a significant daily intake to be seen. This is simply a fact of life for most vitamins when it comes to treating a specific ailment. However, with some supplements (most often minerals), small doses may indeed be effective. Here’s the thing to remember about ingredients such as heavy minerals that are often effective in small doses - they usually have to be taken in small doses as otherwise they become toxic and/or result in dangerous side effects. So these ingredients may very well work at minimal intake levels, but be careful not to go too far over those levels, and pay attention to your body, as people can differ in how well their bodies tolerate minerals such as zinc.

In the end, most formulas that intend to treat a specific health problem using a long cocktail list of ingredients simply don’t work. The ingredients that do work in small doses are often harmful in larger doses, so protect your body and your pocketbook by doing your homework first. A number of sites provide in-depth information about supplements and treatment levels. The health-notes section of Vitacost is a good place to start.

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Calluses are thick, hardened patches of dead cells that typically build-up in areas that have been aggravated by frequent friction, such as the bottoms of your feet or the palms of your hands if you’ve been doing a lot of lifting. However, calluses can occasionally form even on areas of your face, sometimes following acne or ingrown hairs along problem areas such as your jaw line. People with circulatory problems are especially susceptible.

Treating calluses may not be necessary in mild cases, as they should fade from your skin over time. You shouldn’t try to cut off or remove them by yourself either, as this will likely just make the callus worse, and may result in infection. In serious cases, a doctor may trim the top layer of the callus off or make an incision to remove it below the surface.

For home treatment of moderate calluses, first make sure to avoid anything that may be making the callus worse. If a callus has formed on your face or neck, take extra care to be gentle while shaving. Treat the callus by soaking the area in hot water or applying a hot compress (for about 5 minutes), and then using a wet pumice stone to lightly scrape away the top layer of dead cells. For stubborn calluses, apply salicylic acid to soften up the skin cells before following with a pumice stone. Keep in mind that salicylic acid can be harsh for your surrounding skin, so only apply it directly to the callused area.

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Summer is upon us again, and if you’re planning on getting some sun you should protect your body with the right vitamins. Vitamin E is one of the best supplements when it comes to preventing sun damage, and its benefits are not limited just to that. Vitamin E is a versatile nutrient that can help protect and heal you skin in many ways, often helping the body combat afflictions such as acne scarring.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is available in both natural and synthetic forms. Although both forms are rich in antioxidants, research suggests that the natural form is more readily absorbed by the body and therefore more effective. Since it’s fat-soluble, it is possible to overdose on vitamin E, but toxicity is very rare and the tolerable limit (1,500+ IU per day) is seldom reached even in clinical doses.

Vitamin E plays a direct role in maintaining and protecting the structure of cell membranes, helping to keep your skin cells firm and healthy. It promotes tissue repair and healing. It’s also an essential contributor to your immune system as one of the most versatile antioxidants (along with vitamin C) in your body. One of the best-publicized benefits of vitamin E is the defense it provides against free-radicals caused by sun exposure. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that become oxidized and develop unpaired electrons, making them extremely reactive and capable of setting off chain-reactions within the body that can potentially destroy essential cellular components such as DNA. UV radiation from the sun is one of the major causes of free radicals.

Vitamin E plays a vital role in defending against free radicals, as it can safely interact with them and terminate the chain-reaction prior to any damage being caused to your cells. With its antioxidant properties and the role it plays in promoting healthy membranes, it’s no surprise that some have found it beneficial in combating acne, specifically in speeding the repair process from acne scars.

To promote skin health, vitamin E may be taken internally or applied topically. Research is somewhat divided about topical application, but many users report faster healing from scars that vitamin E is directly applied to, as well as a “healthy glow” to their skin. Some acne sufferers apply vitamin E to their scars at night to speed healing. Vitamin E is also popular in anti-aging products since, by firming-up your cells, it may reduce the appearance of fine lines. However, some users report experiencing more oily skin, which can promote acne.

Taken internally, the daily required dosage for vitamin E is very small at 22 IU, but for the treatment of any affliction, the recommended dosage is much higher, generally 400-800 IU. You are unlikely to see any visible improvement from vitamin E with doses lower than 400 IU. Sufficient supplementation with vitamin E will help not only your skin, but promote your health in countless other ways. For healing, a combination of vitamins E and C are highly recommended. Vitamin A, another important antioxidant for skin care, also works well in combination with vitamin E, as vitamin E regulates levels of vitamin A in the body.

While vitamin E will not specifically kill acne spots, it’s one of the best vitamins to use for helping to heal and eliminate the appearance of small scars or wounds that follow acne. The effects of free radicals can damage your skin cells and make you more susceptible to blemishes as well, so taking vitamin E is especially good advice if you spend a lot of time out in the sun.

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Anyone can review a product online. Acne-Vitamins has posted our own reviews of some competing products based on ingredients and customer feedback from sites such as acne.org. However, it’s quite another thing when a site claims to be an objective, “scientific” source of reviews as some of the sites you see advertising on Google and elsewhere do - and even go so far as to give numerical scores to products without any testing.

I recently came across one such site which gave low scores to many acne treatments without any explanation (including B5 treatments such as Clear5, and well, almost everything), while awarding near perfect scores to a bunch of products I’d never heard of that are mostly sold through ebay (and generally overpriced). Fraudulent review sites like pricesexposed.org may be easy to pick out by those that spend a lot of time online, but they no doubt fool many casual surfers. A truly scientific review should have stats - a test group of significant size that is monitored over a period of time for results, preferably alongside a similar group using a placebo. At the very least, you would expect some explanation for how things like “acne fighting power” are measured and scores are tallied…

While no acne treatment works in 100% of cases, most of them work in at least some situations, as anyone who studies the popular active ingredients and understands how they work would know. A serious review should explain what ingredients a product uses and how successful it is given its method.

In any case, a heads up about shipping prices - The US Postal Service is raising their rates effective May 14th, and so we’re bumping up shipping costs a bit. I think you’ll find we’re still a lot cheaper on shipping than most of competition, but I apologize for the slight raise. Let’s just hope gas doesn’t hit $4 a barrel and drive postage any higher.

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Acne comes in a variety of forms. Compared to cystic acne, the typical blackheads and whiteheads are easier to cope with, but understanding why they occur can help you determine the best way to treat them.

Blackheads, or open comedones, are the darker “plugs” of acne that occur on the surface of your skin. Large or swollen pores allow sebum, dead cells and bacteria to build up, eventually hardening into a plug that clogs the pore. Because blackheads rest directly on the surface of your skin, the melanin present becomes oxidized, resulting in the darker color that gives blackheads their name.

Whiteheads, on the other hand, are closed comedones in which bacteria and sebum harden before ever reaching the surface. This typically occurs within or directly near the oil glands, which rest in a side pocket which branches off the main channel of the pore. The hardened acne pustule may not even be able to fit into the pore’s main channel. In these cases, air cannot reach the pustule and so oxidation does not occur, leaving the blemish white.

Blackheads are generally less serious than whiteheads, since whiteheads can easily damage the inside of the pore, causing inflammation that, besides making acne more visible, requires a longer time to heal from. Topical treatments are more likely to be successful against blackheads, and they can even be manually extracted, usually without much risk. Prevention usually requires either regular exfoliation to prevent the buildup of dead cells, and/or internal treatments such as vitamin B5 or vitamin A derivatives (like Accutane) which cause your pores to tighten.

When treating whiteheads, many of the products that focus on exfoliation (removing dead skin cells) simply don’t work, since these blemishes have little or nothing to do with dead cells on the surface of your skin. Stronger drugs such as benzoyl peroxide may be required that can penetrate beneath the surface and kill acne-causing bacteria. However, this bacteria feeds off sebum, and the fact is that hardened clumps of sebum can form regardless of bacteria. Regular application of antibacterial chemicals may be enough for mild acne sufferers, but internal treatments often work better in more serious cases. Vitamin B5 and A-derivatives are effective at tightening pores because they reduce the sebum levels which otherwise causes them to swell, and reducing oil levels is still the most effective means to prevent whiteheads.

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Coconut oil is a member of the tropical oil family, traditionally used in regions such as the pacific islands. It has a variety of both internal and external applications, and may be a helpful addition to your clear skin regimen - or simply something new to try if you’re not having luck with other products.

While coconut oil has passed under the radar of most acne users, it’s uses in typical skin care are more well known. Coconut oil has traditionally been used to treat dry skin and eczema. It has been shown to soften rough patches of dry skin, sooth wounds and reduce inflammation. Coconut oil also combats bacteria and free-radicals created by UV exposure. Much like vitamin E, it both destroys free-radicals and prevents against their formation. Coconut oil also strengthens the connective tissues to keep skin strong and supple, and can even act as an exfoliant to shed off dead skin cells.

One nice thing about coconut oil is that it can benefit you both internally and externally. If you don’t want to bother with applying it topically, simply taking it internally can promote healthy skin (in addition to other benefits). Coconut oil is a great cooking oil, as it doesn’t turn rancid at high temperatures as other oils do. It makes for an idea oil to use in a stir fry, for instance. It can also be taken straight or with a hot drink such as tea. Topically, coconut oil is an excellent after-washing alternative to typical moisturizers. The fatty acids in skin oil provide a natural layer of protection which is stripped away after washing. While moisturizers may make you feel better, they cannot replace these fatty acids. Coconut oil, however, includes such acids, and therefore provides a great way to protect your skin after washing with a soap or cleanser.

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