Saturday, December 30, 2006
Night # 2
Day # 2
In the Middle of the Night
Friday, December 29, 2006
5hrs later
It is finally here!
The Neem Capsules unlike the pimple cream looked like it did on the website. (I think I will call customer service just to double check to see if I got the right thing or not.) The directions on the capsules stated that I am to take 1 or 2 capsules twice daily with meals. So I ate a carrot and walnut muffin drank some OJ and took the capsule. It was easy going down.
If these products don't work I will be so angry but I have decided to give them 60 days before I give up. So for 60 days I will keep you all updated on my journey!! Take care, Dj.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Benzoyl Peroxide
I can't wait to get my products!!
http://www.mouthshut.com/product-reviews/Himalaya_Acne-n-Pimple_Cream-925048182.html
I hope that this experiment of mine is not in vain and that many of you can benefit from it. I am so sick of people trying to market "wonder creams" and over night miracles. I know that the products I am going to try is not a cure but I sure hope it helps and I can't wait to share this part of the journey with you guys.
I have a job interview tomorrow and I was just in the bathroom mirror washing my face (with my Neutrogena face wash) and brushing my teeth when I realized how horrible my face looked. Then fear started to come over me and I really felt, well.....ugly. What if i don't get the job tomorrow because of my acne? What if the interviewer thinks that my face does not represent the image of their company. This is irony at its greatest. Here I am a woman who gives interviewing tips to everyone she meets terrified of going on an interview because of her acne. This really goes to show the emotional scars that acne can leave on a person.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
A Few Home Remedies
Mix the paste of tender neem leaves with turmeric and apply on the affected area, it helps to soothe the acne. | |
A paste made from one teaspoon each of sandalwood powder and turmeric mixed with milk is very good. A paste of nutmeg and water is also beneficial. | |
Half a cup of Aloe Vera pulp can be taken internally (Do not take internally if pregnant) or applied externally to the skin. Dosage: Twice a day. | |
Before going to bed, wash the face thoroughly and then apply a paste of 1-Tsp. coriander juice mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder. | |
For pimples, apply a paste made from one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Remove after one hour. | |
A paste of fresh fenugreek leaves applied and washed off with warm water before going to bed prevents pimples. |
Turmeric
http://www.acne-resource.org/understanding-acne/natural-treatment.html
Acne in severe forms need medical attention, but in its mild form and at the beginning, acne can be treated effectively by natural herbs and following natures way in our daily routine. These herbs, which help even in removing blemishes, are not from any exotic plants or some rare species. These are very common natural products and oils found in our day to day life.
Spices play a major role in keeping the skin, digestive system and immune system healthy. But one should know how to use them, and use them moderately. A little bit of spices in food help digestion, but excessively spicy food may upset digestion. Spices in raw form can be used in getting rid of acne and blemishes left it.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent in skin care if applied directly on the skin also. This happens due to the presence of minerals, essential oils and natural antioxidants in fruits and vegetables.
One very useful spice in treating acne is turmeric. Taken both internally and applied directly on affected skin, it helps a lot due to its antiseptic properties. Taken internally, particularly with warm milk, it helps our immune system and is generally used in India to get rid of colds, and applied as warm poultice in treating inflamed skin due to sprain and strain. In the treatment of acne, turmeric is useful in drying out acne and removing blemishes.
To use it on acne, make a creamy paste of turmeric with coconut oil (or sesame oil). You can either warm this paste in a tea spoon and then apply, or dab it just like that on the acne. Cover the acne and surrounding area completely with this paste. Use this paste at least 20 minutes before going to bed so that it dries before your face contacts the pillow.
Leave it overnight and you would be surprised to find in the morning the difference in the size of acne. Even acne produced by hormonal changes in women responds to this turmeric treatment greatly. It takes hardly 2-3 days for acne to vanish completely, without leaving a hint of ever having been on the skin spot.
This is the greatest advantage of turmeric treatment. It not only dries out the acne, it stops any blemish formation or making skin flaky or dry. It also is useful in having a glowing complexion if applied everyday on the whole face before taking a bath, even for 5-10 minutes. This “face mask” is routinely used by South Indian women and their clear, smooth skin is an indicator of its effectiveness.
Vegetables like cucumber and tomato are good in cleaning skin of extra oiliness. You can extract the juice of these vegetables your face five minutes every day and get a clean skin. But, remember, natural products do not work overnight. You have to give them at least 3-4 week’s time before you skin starts showing results.
All fruits and vegetables contain a high amount of water. Water in itself is a potent source of getting rid of toxic body chemicals and helping in the transport of nutrients to the body. Water alone does not remove acne but taken in higher quantities internally and used to wash face as warm water and as ice cubes, it greatly helps skin in remaining healthy.
Exfoliation is necessary in keeping skin healthy and preventing accumulation of dead cells in skin because dead cells are one more cause of acne. Instead of using chemicals for exfoliation as face scrubs, you can use gram flour with a pinch of turmeric and a few drops of coconut oil to make a face mask which not only removes dead cells, but controls bacteria and smoothes skin also.
Its regular use gives a clear complexion and is useful in controlling acne. It’s particularly useful during summers and humid weather when it controls sweating, and keeps your skin fresh for longer duration.
A little more on Neem
http://www.morphemeremedies.com/neem.htm
A cornerstone of the Ayurvedic tradition, neem was known as sarva roga nivarin or "healer of all ailments" in prehistoric India. Today, in tropical regions around the world, neem is often called "the village pharmacy. Its principle constituents are nimbin, nimbinin and nimbidin.
It is used for external applications in skin diseases. Neem extracts possess antidiabetic, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The tree stem, root and bark possess astringent, tonic and antiperiodic properties. The bark is beneficial in fever and useful in cutaneous diseases. Neem's traditional use is based on its detoxifying benefits that help maintain healthy circulatory, digestive, respiratory and urinary systems. It is used for external applications in skin diseases. All parts of the plant yield b-sitosterol.
Neem is highly recommended for the effects it has upon the skin. It is advised to maintain a healthy glow on the skin. Due to neem's antibacterial properties, it is effective in fighting most epidermal dysfunctions such as
- Acne
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
Neem's function as a fungicide depends on the compounds gedunin and nimbidol in its leaf. After almost 4,500 years of almost continuous use, even the Indian equivalent of the FDA apparently believes that "anything from neem has to be good" (Larson, 1993)
neem oil and acne
http://www.acne-advice.com/products/skin_care/xynergy/neem_oil/index.shtmlNeem kills the bacteria that cause acne, spots and pimples and reduces redness and inflammation. Neem oil also has moisturising properties from its high fatty acid content that are great at reducing acne scars. People often wash with neem soap first, and then apply the neem oil to the affected areas. A few drops can be added to bentonite clay to make a very effective acne clay mask.
Neem
www.wikipedia.com
Due to Neem's antibacterial properties, it is effective in against the bacteria that causes acne. Its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce inflammation of the skin. Neem also helps repair skin damage caused by acne.(1)
Acne and Neem
Neem kills the bacteria that cause acne and reduces the inflammation that makes it so noticeable. Neem-based creams have even improved the appearance of people who have reddened skin from acne that ended years before.
I got this information from the Neem foundation check out their website
http://www.neemfoundation.org/health.htm
Neem has been highly successfully against harmful fungi, parasites, and viruses. Although it can destroy these, it does not kill off beneficial intestinal flora nor produce adverse side effects. Neem is toxic to several fungi that attack humans, including the causes of athlete’s foot and ringworm and candida, which cause yeast infections and thrush. In fact, neem extracts are some of the most powerful Antifungal plant extracts found in the Indian pharmacopia that are used for these conditions. The compounds gedunin and nimbidol, found in the tree’s leaves, control the fungi listed above. Basing their studies on the ancient tradition of using neem to purify the air surrounding sick people, two Indian researchers found that neem smoke was successful in suppressing fungal growth and germination.
One of neem’s stronger advantages is its effect upon the skin in general. It has been most helpful in treating a variety of skin problems and diseases including psoriasis, eczema and other persistent conditions.
According to a report from the National Research Council’s Ad Hoc Panel of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development, neem preparation from the leaves or oils can be used as general antiseptics. Because neem contains antibacterial properties, it is highly effective in treating epidermal conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. It is also used for treating septic sores, infected burns, scrofula, indolent ulcers and ringworm. Stubborn warts can be cleared up when a high-quality neem product is used. Unlike synthetic chemicals that often produce side effects such as rashes, allergic reactions, or redness, neem doesn't seem to create any of these results.
Early Ayurvedic practitioners believed high sugar levels in the body caused skin disease. Neem’s bitter quality was considered to counteract the sweetness. Indians historically bathed in neem leaves steeped in hot water. This is still considered a common procedure for curing skin ailments or allergic reactions.
Psoriasis is successfully treated with neem oil. The oil moisturizes and protects the skin while healing the lesions, scaling and irritations. Experiments have shown that patients with psoriasis who have taken neem leaf orally, combined with tropical treatment with neem extracts and neem seed oil, achieve results at least as positive as those who use coal tar and cortisone, the more traditional treatments. Coal tar products are messy and smelly and cortisone can thin the skin when used repeatedly. Neem has neither side effect. It can be used for extended periods of time without any side effects, is easy to apply and is relatively inexpensive.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Products I have tried
Differin Gel - Just didn't work. I used this product when I was in junior high and high school. My cousin also used it and it didn't help her either.
Accutane (Isotretinoin) - This product really helped!! This side effects on the other hand were horrible. My hair was falling out, my skin was like sand paper my lips were always cracked and bleeding, but my face looked amazing. I was using the product for 2 months when my dermatologist told me that I had to go on birth control in order for him to refill my prescription my parents said no and that was the end of my accutane journey.
Proactive - Proactive worked for a week and didn't work again. It is one of those products that leaves no room for error. I went to bed one night without using the kit the next morning I woke up broken out. It works great for some people but I wasn't one of them.
Murad - Murad, like proactive worked at first. It is kind of expensive. My face felt smooth but the smell of the product wasn't that great and like Proactive I couldn't go a night without using the product without breaking out badly the next day.
Accuzine - Accuzine is supposedly a natural approach to acne. I used the product for almost two months but I have no idea if it was helping or not. I really have no clue if it was making my skin better or worst. Even thought I didn't see drastic results it opened me up to another form of treatment. After using this product I decided that I would like to try a more natural approach to skin care. So next product review I will review to new products that I am expecting to arrive in the mail shortly called Neem herb - Systemic purifier and Herbal acne-n-pimple cream.
Neutrogena - I like the Neutrogena facial washes however they tend to dry out my skin a lot so after I use the facial wash I apply a vitamin E moisturizer for The Body Shop.
In the future I will post natural home remedies that I have tried as well as some of my friends. I want to encourage everyone to post your own home remedies and things that help you cope with your acne.
What is acne?
www.wikipedia.com
Acne is a group of skin rashes that have different causes.
- Acne vulgaris - most commonly experienced around puberty, typically of the face and shoulders/chest
- Acne rosacea - a red rash predominantly on the face
- Acne keloidalis nuchae (Pseudofolliculitis nuchae) - a rash caused by shaving
- Acne conglobata (Hidradenitis suppurativa) - chronic abscesses or boils of sweat glands and hair follicles; in the underarms, groin and buttocks, and under the breasts in women
- Acne cosmetica - acne caused by cosmetics
- Acne fulminans - an extreme form of acne conglobata
- Acne medicamentosa - acne caused by starting or stopping a medicine
- Baby acne - a rash seen on the cheeks, chin, and forehead of infants
- Chloracne - an acne rash caused by exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons such as dioxins or PCBs
The typical acne lesions are: comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and inflammatory cysts. These are the more inflamed form of pus-filled or reddish bumps, even boil-like tender swellings. Non-inflamed 'sebaceous cysts', more properly called epidermoid cysts, occur either in association with acne or alone but are not a constant feature. After resolution of acne lesions, prominent unsightly scars may remain.
Aside from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem and depression. Acne usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure.
www.wikipedia.com