Just when you thought acne was bad enough, other similar skin conditions occasionally occur with acne. Some of these conditions simply co-exist with the conditions leading to acne, like dandruff, others tend to look like acne but require entirely different methods of treatment. Understanding these conditions can help you make the best choices for your own health. Below are seven ‘false acne’ conditions.

Acne Cosmetica

This is a mild form of acne common when using cosmetic products. Certain cosmetic products are more likely to induce acne than others – especially those that are not marked non comedogenic. In this case, anyone who…

The link between stress and acne has been explored for decades. Only recently, however, have studies actually confirmed what scientists always suspected – that stress does have a role in acne. Whether stress causes acne is not yet fully known, however, but it certainly can exasperate the condition.

How Does Stress Cause Acne

When your body is under stress, a whole host of hormones are released by your adrenal glands and endocrine system. These hormones then go on to cause inflammation in the tissues throughout your body. In the case of your skin, the inflammation may break pores which are already clogging with…

Perhaps the greatest trigger for acne comes from our own bodies. Hormones starting around the age of 10 and peaking in puberty contribute significantly to breakouts. For adults with acne, this process can continue for decades.

Onset of puberty

The main acne hormones are the class known as Androgens. These include Testosterone, DHEA-S, Andro, DHT. They are also precursors for the female sex hormone estrogen. At puberty, the body goes into full production of these hormones. As they stimulate the sebaceous glands into producing more oil, the conditions for acne are set.

Acne During Menstration

Another time hormonal acne tends to rear its ugly…

For decades, conventional medicine has been declaring there is no link between diet and acne. Yet the combined personal experience of millions of people and truly independent scientific studies today are finding out just the opposite – there is a significant connection between your skin’s health and the quality of your diet.

Does Milk Cause Acne?

Not the least of these connections is milk and other diary products to increased acne. For a variety of currently theoretical reasons, milk and dairy products have been found to be associated with an increase in acne amongst both teens and adults. And while the major…

The connection between diet and acne has been disputed for ages. Since at least the 1950’s, scientists have been testing various dietary ‘links’ associated with acne. Most of their studies focused on fatty foods – such as chocolate candy, potato chips, pizza, and others. The basic idea was that fatty, oily foods could somehow affect sebum production and thus exasperate acne. When these studies failed to demonstrate an increase in acne, however, health scientists were forced to conclude that diet was not a factor.

Does “You Are What You Eat” Apply to Acne?

More free from the limitations of corporate sponsored hypothesis,…

Milk of Magnesia, or Magnesium Hydroxide, is a milky white saline laxative containing Magnesium. It is affectionately referred to by acne sufferers as MoM, and sold under the brand name ‘Phillips Milk of Magnesia – named after its founder, Charles Henry Phillip in 1880 (Today the rights are owned by Bayer).

Milk of Magnesia for Acne Treatment

MoM first gained popular use as a potential ‘household’ acne treatment in the early 20th century. Because of its alkaline properties, it tends to cause shrinkage of skin pores and a reduction of sebum production. Less sebum would theoretically result in a reduction of acne…

Acne Treatment with Vinegar has been used by society since the ancient times. The many medicinal and practical properties of Vinegar have made it virtually timeless, and this is just one of them. However, there are many types of vinegar, the two most popular for acne treatment being Distilled White Vinegar – commonly found in most grocery stores, and Apple Cider Vinegar – also found commonly in distilled form. There are differences between the two, and even between different brands of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Treating Acne with Distilled White Vinegar

The typical white vinegar found on store shelves (in the USA) is the…

As a natural treatment for acne, the number of benefits vinegar offers our body is surprising. Some of these benefits have been utilized for thousands of years, others only recently discovered. Some types of vinegars offer greater benefits than others. The list below details some benefits of the two most common vinegars for acne treatment.

White Vinegar (common store bought vinegar usually distiled to 5% acidity)

• Vinegar helps to reduce the body’s glycemic response after a high carbohydrate meal. It does this by both reducing blood sugar spikes and improving insulin sensitivity in tissues. Both blood sugar spikes and the resulting insulin spike cause…

In the ‘war against acne’, vinegar is a historic weapon. Traced back to ancient China and Egypt, it has been used by ancient peoples for thousands of years. Similar wine, vinegar is made from alcohol based liquids. It is highly acidic and usually sold diluted with water – often to around 5 percent.

How Vinegar Works to Cure Acne

Although no conclusive scientific answer exists at this time, there are four primary methods by which vinegar is believed to reduce acne.

1. Vinegar lowers skin PH. The first and primary method by which vinegar reduces acne is by lowering PH in the pores of…

Our previous post detailed basic tips to help clear acne. Here are some more:

Its a terrible feeling waking up, walking into the restroom, and looking into the mirror to see your face broken out and looking bad. At some point in time, we’ve all confronted this situation. And if you’re like everybody else, the first thing which comes to mind is: “How do I rid myself of this real fast?!” Although it may be too late for a fast solution at that point, fortunately it is easily preventable in the future. Take precaution with a few simple methods to rid yourself…