acne questions...

[hollywoodairbrush]

I've had acne since i was about 13 very bad. I have never been completely free of acne since that age. I'm about to turn 27. I've been 100% raw for 3 weeks to a month now. These past three days I have seen (and am now experiencing) a very bad break out of pimples surrounding the mouth area. I have been doing lots of almonds (and other nuts) lately. I cut out the 90% of my almond intake. Also I have been doing alot of pineapple, so i cut out the pineapple. I've been juicing lots of greens:kale, spinach, celery, romaine and then some carrots as well. Right now I'm trying to get in 96oz of freshly juiced vegetables per day. I am also taking a VAXA brands product CLEARIN" have been taking that for 2weeks, haven't seen any difference with that either, but i went ahead and got a three months supply on hand, so I am going to continue with that, since its a homeopathic active ingredients. If anyone here has had any similar experience with this situation (acne, or related skin condition) please share your situation. Im definetely not going to give up raw, but it is very discouraging when I see and hear all this talk about beautiful on raw, and I also manage a health food store, that I am face to face with customers who know me and trust my advice for all facets of nutritional/supplemental needs. I feel like when they see me, that they are thinking "why would I listen to you, when you can't even take care of your own acne problem?" Well, thanks for any help.

[tylerdurden]

I’ve wondered about this myself since I know people that have immaculate diets and struggle with skin problems and people that treat their bodies like garbage and have no problems with their skin. You would think there would be much more straightforward solution to this.

I think your diet can definitely improve the over all health of you skin and take care of slight to moderate skin issues but as far as stopping serious acne I’m not so sure. I wish for everyone’s sake it was that simple of a solution but from what I’ve witnessed there is a major part of the puzzle missing.

Good luck. Keep us posted. I hope everything clears up for you soon!

[juliew]

I totally know what you are dealing with! After like a year of juicing and eating amost all raw, I finally got a handle on my acne and it was a matter of finding the right products! I tried everything. It wasn't related to purely diet for me: stress and the wrong products. Here's what worked immediately for me:
morning
Earth Conscience Clarifying Facial Wash
Clear Choice Clear Balance salicylic acid pads (sounds scary but its got mostly natural ingredients and works wonders; it has water, aloe vera, chamomile, etc)
Aloe Life Organic Skin Gel (just pure aloe with vitamins and so cheap)
Clear Choice Sun Shield (all natural awesome ingredients like grapeseed extract; the only sunscreen that won't block pores and actually dries up oil)

night
same as above minus the sunscreen

[hollywoodairbrush]

Ok, thank you. I havent' been doing anything at all on my skin. Its gotten worse today, i dont even want to go into work. Maybe i will try something on my skin topically. I've eaten very healthy for the last two years, been juicing the whole time...not all raw, but close, Im just now 100% raw. So I guess I'll check out those products you mentioned. Thanks

[Gaius]

Your problem sounds hormonal to me. Try adding maca powder to your diet to balance that out. Also, you should probably switch to natural soaps if you haven't done so already.

[Gaius]

Ok, thank you. I havent' been doing anything at all on my skin. Its gotten worse today, i dont even want to go into work. Maybe i will try something on my skin topically. I've eaten very healthy for the last two years, been juicing the whole time...not all raw, but close, Im just now 100% raw. So I guess I'll check out those products you mentioned. Thanks
I just saw this part. Once you get rid of the bad non-raw food that is specifically harming you, usually a wheat, dairy or nightshade food, your skin will dramatically improve. I've been 100% raw for 2 months now and I haven't seen a pimple in 5 weeks.

[ruffsongraw]

hi!

after only 3 weeks you are still detoxing i would suspect. my skin (same probs as you) got worse initially and only now is SLOWLY getting better. it doesnt happen over night and some folks take longer than others.

BE PATIENT. its supposed to take one month of raw for every one year of SAD that we ate to heal our bodies and only then can we REALLY get the glorious benefits.
i am 4 months of NEARLY 100% and am on Maca (it helps) and altho it isnt 100% yet, its BETTER. avocado and cukes are good for skin too.

good luck. stick with it!!

jen

[Gaius]

To anybody who is reading this, I was obsessed with acne for most of my teenage life and I didn't get rid of it until college when I finally got my head straight about it so here's what I've learned in that obsessive phase:

The 5 most acne causing foods, in order of how much they aggravate acne are:

1) Dairy products, all of them.
2) Wheat-based products, all of them.
3) Red meat and pork. (High fat meats, basically)
4) Anything processed and that includes SOY products!
5) Nightshade plants, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.

Most acne sufferers will be completely acne-free if they get rid of 1 and 2 but since all people are different, some people MUST get rid of all 5, which is essentially a high raw diet in itself. Personally, I got rid of 90% of my acne by cutting out all dairy products when I was in college.

If you want clear skin, you must limit your stress, and there's no better stress reliever than exercise, coupled with a stress reducing activity such as: a low impact stretching regimen, yoga, meditation or floatation therapy. Exercise at least 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes and couple it with any of the above stress relieving practices for once a week. It's the minimum for good skin.

Maca Powder will fix the hormonal issues that some people have, much faster than even a year of eating a high raw diet.

And finally, a liver cleanse is a good quick fix towards unclogging a liver, which usually results in roseacea, psoriasis, ezcema and acne. Once you've done this a few times, you just need to maintain a strict diet.

And that's it. Do all the above and maintain discipline and you probably never see another pimple in your life.

[hollywoodairbrush]

Ok, I haven't been doing any dairy or wheat, but like you said it's only been 3weeks+ So , I will stay with it. I decided to go with only one soap right now by enzymatic therapy, sulfer based soap...but i might go back to dr.christophers soap. besides the external, i definetely agree with what everyone is saying, im going to go with hormones as a very major player with mine as well...that's what my ultimate consideration was: that a food i was eating was enhancing hormone production, i still have yet to do any research on which foods increase male hormone production, so i can back down on them. We definetely sell Maca, so i will get some tomorrow...Im very bad about over doing supplements for fast results (not typically a good thing) how many MG's of maca are you supplementing. I'm sure there is alot of garbage still wanting to get out of my system. I mean I done all kinds of detoxing, from ESIAK tea (which totally broke me out so bad i had to miss work for 2-3 days), that's is some serious celluar detoxing...did alot of Dr.Christopher's:colon, blood, liver cleansing for months; however i am a recovered heroin and cocaine, lsd.....addict, ate pork 4yrs flat in prison, and nothing but zoom zoom'z and wham wham's (junk food off commissary) the rest of the time. I got out of prison and went straight to carrot juice, juicing 96oz+ day and working my way up to manager in a healthfood store. I owe it all to healthy living, but eventually i fell back into an addictive nature of Monster Energy drinks, even though i would do alot of gluten-free and juicing daily, i would throw in those addictive energy drinks, and still alot of that gluten free stuff is straight trash food, that's why i gave it all up for raw. At least this way the food will have life to it, instead of dead material....Thanks again, geoff

[sweetlime]

To anybody who is reading this, I was obsessed with acne for most of my teenage life and I didn't get rid of it until college when I finally got my head straight about it so here's what I've learned in that obsessive phase:

The 5 most acne causing foods, in order of how much they aggravate acne are:

1) Dairy products, all of them.
2) Wheat-based products, all of them.
3) Red meat and pork. (High fat meats, basically)
4) Anything processed and that includes SOY products!
5) Nightshade plants, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers.

Most acne sufferers will be completely acne-free if they get rid of 1 and 2 but since all people are different, some people MUST get rid of all 5, which is essentially a high raw diet in itself. Personally, I got rid of 90% of my acne by cutting out all dairy products when I was in college.

If you want clear skin, you must limit your stress, and there's no better stress reliever than exercise, coupled with a stress reducing activity such as: a low impact stretching regimen, yoga, meditation or floatation therapy. Exercise at least 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes and couple it with any of the above stress relieving practices for once a week. It's the minimum for good skin.

Maca Powder will fix the hormonal issues that some people have, much faster than even a year of eating a high raw diet.

And finally, a liver cleanse is a good quick fix towards unclogging a liver, which usually results in roseacea, psoriasis, ezcema and acne. Once you've done this a few times, you just need to maintain a strict diet.

And that's it. Do all the above and maintain discipline and you probably never see another pimple in your life.


I wish it was that easy.

I have been raw for almost a year and my skin has never been so bad. I also meditate, work out, and do yoga.

[Gaius]

I wish it was that easy.

I have been raw for almost a year and my skin has never been so bad. I also meditate, work out, and do yoga.
Do you consume maca powder? Do you consume a lot of tomatos?

[sweetlime]

Maca powder infrequently. I eat a lot of tomatoes.

[Raw Angel Mom]

nut give me pimples but not pine or macadamia nut. Almond definitely gives me pimples.

I would consider to go for a colon hydro therapy. It just speed up the process but do research first. Our primary organ to eliminate toxin is our guts but if this doesn't do all the job then the toxin goes to our blood stream to release it through our skin etc.

I am not sure what your condition is cause by but you are surely on the right path to explore raw food. My skin problem got completely eliminated when i went raw vegan.

I would also do something to release the stress, such walk and deep breath.

Best wishes!

[Gaius]

Maca powder infrequently. I eat a lot of tomatoes.
For some people, tomatoes and other nightshade plants are toxic and inflammatory. It sounds like you may be one of them.

I know it sounds like a pain, but try cutting them out for a month and see what happens. Substitute those tomatoes with more fruit.

Also, if anybody else is out there who has other skin conditions besides acne like eczema, psoriasis or generally dry skin, nightshades are the only likely culprit in a raw vegan diet.

[hollywoodairbrush]

I actually did get a colonic done about one year ago, I had a very good bill of health. She only suggested a minimal enzyme for digestion. Other than that she couldn't see anything wrong in the stool, at the time i was doing juicing over 80+oz of juice a day though. I got MACA today, i took a dose. Oh, one thing i do remember though. There actually was a time when I didnt have acne at all, and that was when i was doing heroin...? explain that" I would harldy ever even eat. I would only maybe drink a slushy ( a really bad one, like at a snow cone stand) and eat a bowl of cereal every other day. Other
than that, i injected heroin all day and night, which left me with an extremely good feeling (no worries, no cares, no stress) Probably what did it for me...stress free living! So who knows...weird stuff.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Oh bingo,

That poison probably stored in your fat. Your body did what it could to preserve your health, now this is getting eliminating. Continue your raw food, it will eventually clear up.

I am so happy that you are done with this poison. Green smoothie, and have tone of it. Do research on finding the best food to clear left over drugs in your body.

Matt Monarch says that we need hydro therapy at least once a year, but only if this resonate with you.

Best wishes!

[hollywoodairbrush]

I can go for another round of hydrotherapy. It's actually illegal in the state in live in (kentucky) so i just travel an hour to tennessee to get it done. It's $50.00 per session there. Both my grandparents are N.D.'s and they say the hydrotherapy clinic i go to is about average. However they say they have been to different clinics in other states where they really really get the job done better then where i go. I will talk to them and see how far it is to the good place. yeah i love the green smoothies after reading green for life. I'll check into more detoxing, well I'm going to make "save-the-tuna pate" by Ani Phyo, see how that tastes...thanx for all tha help and support !

[TreeStar]

Since hitting puberty I've had moderate acne...have tried everything from Proacvtiv to Accutane to antibiotics, usually with some positive results, but also with far too many negative ones. At the moment I'm trying to be very gentle with my skin, using a mild, natural facial soap bar (minimally), tea tree oil, honey masks, and oil cleansing. I haven't tried dry brushing before - I will have to add it to my regimen!
I've now committed to a 100% raw diet after a couple years of eating about 75% raw. I'm cutting all nuts out of my diet as of today...I know several, if not all, give me digestive issues so...in turn skin issues? I'm also cutting down my sugar intake significantly. In a couple of days I'll be beginning a colon cleanse...I'll report if these changes coincide with clearer skin!

[hollywoodairbrush]

My acne is almost all the way cleared up. Im still 100% raw and I have been on homeopathic acne capsules, maca and L-Theanine...Im very happy, its clearing up more and more each day, alot actually!:)

[Davylp25]

Around the mouth are acupoints connected to the colon. So do extra cleaning down there. Doesnt matter if your poo' is regular. Raw cleanses much more that you may think. So make sure things are moving down there as you are in the beginning stages.

Be careful... your gonna get alot of different answers here... So pick which ever may feel good. But, the garbage disposal down there is first priority. Then everythang can flow out.

[hollywoodairbrush]

No matter what ailment in life, I do certainly agree having proper bowel movements is vital. It could mean the difference between life and death. I agree whole heartedly with you!! I took Dr. Christophers Herbal courses, and agree with his method of cleansing. Always starting with the colon. Thank you, Geoff

[curlygirl82]

Thanks for updating us on how you're doing. So good to hear that it's clearing up! And it sounds like you're making so many positive changes for yourself - just wonderful, keep it up!
(ps, don't you just love l-theanine? :) )

[petaltothemetal]

I still break out (and I'm in my 40s!). I'm both allergic to many beauty products and very broke. Here's my topical acne aid:

aloe vera - about 8 oz
tea tree oil - about 1/2 oz
vitamin e oil - a tablespoon or so

I put it on just my pimples during the day and smear some on my whole face a few times a week. It helps a lot.

Also, it works for the allergic rashes I get. I'm so sensitive if I BREATHE in something bad, like air "fresheners," someone else's perfume or hairspray, cleaning products, etc, I get hives and rashes as well as headaches and asthma. After I've left the area, can breathe normally and my headache's gone, my face still has a rash! The aloe usually clears it up overnight.