:Clear Skin Blog

The trend of colon cleanse treatments has become a big part of the natural health market in recent years, despite the fact of how unnatural these solutions are. The general line of reasoning is that a layer toxins and waste becomes caked up along the insides of our intestines due to the foods we eat, and this layer then contributes to everything from obesity to acne. The most popular use of colon cleanse programs is for weight loss, but acne is another problem that the treatment is touted to cure.

To state it plainly, colon cleansing is by and large a scam. There is no medical evidence for the build-up of a “waste layer” inside the intestinal walls, certainly not for any real length of time or of any consequential volume. It is true that many foods include pesticides and preservatives that can deliver toxic chemicals to the body when ingested, but as with any ingredient found in foods, the contents are either absorbed through the receptor molecules of the intestinal wall, or flushed out of the body. They do not stay caked up along the inside of your intestines for years. If that were true, you would do more than gain weight - you would become very ill and possibly die.

When it comes to acne treatments, the argument is that these waste products accumulated in your intestines are expelled from the body by way of your pores. Can the body expel waste through the pores? The answer is yes. Your sweat, for instance, is full of waste chemicals expelled by your skin cells. However, acne pustules are quite different in composition. Acne is not simply composed of waste toxins. The pustules that form under your skin are hardened clumps of skin oil that result when excess sebum is pressurized. This sebum then attracts bacteria (the P. Acnes bacteria feeds off it). What you eat can make a difference in sebum production, but this has to do with the insulin effect, not some mysterious layer of toxins building up in the intestines.

My advice is to stay clear of these products. Beside the unscientific claims, they typically show a lack of understanding about the acne formation process. If you want to keep your insides clean, the natural answer is simply to drink enough water. Your body knows well how to flush out unwanted substances as long as it is kept hydrated. It can of course do you well to watch what you eat and avoid a diet of highly processed foods, but forcing a draino-solution through your intestines will do more harm than good. These treatments often eliminate receptors and good nutrients along with any toxins that might not have passed through your bowels yet. And keep in mind that no foods stay in your intestines for long, certainly not years. This is a myth, and one that most GI doctors (of which I have one in the family) simply laugh at. Natural cures that work don’t contradict real science.

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Poor blood circulation can make a bad acne problem worse. Often, circulation is one of those factors that people don’t even realize, and yet can contribute to your skin’s health and appearance. When your blood isn’t circulating well, the results can be seen in a poor complexion, small wounds (such as irritated acne pustules) swelling excessively and taking longer to heal, and less efficient transport of good nutrients into your skin cells and unwanted toxins out.

So what can you do to promote healthy blood circulation? Taking the right vitamins and minerals can certainly help. Many essential vitamins, including (and especially) vitamins B5 and C, can work to enhance circulation. A daily multivitamin is a good place to start. Another fairly easy solution is simply making sure to get a little sun. A healthy dose of sun exposure (about 15 minutes, no sunscreen) will promote circulation and help with exfoliation of your skin cells as well.

One of the most obvious (and most healthy) solutions is exercise. Nothing gets your blood pumping like a good cardio workout. Of course, to have any lasting effect you need to make exercise a regular part of your lifestyle. Keep in mind that for this purpose it’s better to work out briefly every day, rather than to work yourself really hard, but less often. By maintaining a healthy level of circulation, you can keep your skin looking its best, and the rest of your body too!

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Economic conditions got you feeling down? Coping with acne is hard enough without any extra stress, so here are some recommendations for cheap, affordable acne treatments that shouldn’t put too much strain on your pocketbook.

First, let’s start off with a helpful natural treatment that’s both effective and affordable: tea tree oil. Now, at first sight, tea tree oil can appear to actually be a bit on the pricy side, considering that a small bottle can easily run over $10. But here’s the thing: that bottle will last you a long time, much longer than a tube of benzoyl peroxide. Tea tree oil is a great natural alternative to BP for those in need of a strong spot treatment.

Second, there’s a legitimate “acne home remedy” that’s easy to come by: baking soda. Baking soda is cheap, and with a little warm water it can be turned into a paste that is effective both as a cleanser and a spot treatment (don’t leave it on too long if covering your whole face, it can be quite strong). A simple baking soda solution works better than most over-the-counter cleansers.

Third, there’s my all-time favorite natural acne treatment, vitamin B5. Yes, yes, I sell a B5 treatment (Clear5), but seriously, it saved me a ton of money back when I first found out about it. B5 treatments themselves don’t cost that much, especially once you get past the initial period and only need to take a maintenance dose. But even more helpful is the simple fact that with less skin oil, you usually don’t need to take anything else at all, meaning no more money wasted on creams and cleansers. It easily cut my acne budget in half when I started using it.

Lastly, here’s a cheap acne treatment that you really can’t go wrong with: water! Drink more water! This often-overlooked element can make a powerful difference in the health of your skin. Simply getting those 8 glasses of water per day can protect your skin from damage, help it heal faster, help flush out unwanted toxins….the list goes on and on. Your body needs it, and it’s not going to break the bank, so don’t skimp on the water.

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