Home Remedies to Get Rid of Acne

Before I start talking about the solution for Acne, You should know What Is Acne and What Causes It?

Acne or so called Bumps can be of following types:

1. blackheads
2. whiteheads
3. pimples
4. cysts

What causes it: The hair follicles or pores, in our skin contain sebaceous glands.  These glands produce sebum, an oil which lubricates skin and hair.Most of the time, the sebaceous glands make the right amount of sebum. But In case of teens turning mature,  hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum. this can also happen with some people with hormonal imbalance.

Pores become clogged if there is too much sebum and too many dead skin cells. Bacteria (commonly Propionibacterium acnes) can then get trapped inside the pores and multiply. which causes swelling and redness — the start of acne.

If a pore gets clogged up and closes but bulges out from the skin, you're left with a whitehead. If a pore gets clogged up but stays open, the top surface can darken and you're left with a blackhead. Sometimes the wall of the pore opens, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to make their way under the skin — and you're left with a small, red bump called a pimple (sometimes pimples have a pus-filled top from the body's reaction to the bacterial infection).

Clogged pores that open up very deep in the skin can cause nodules, which are infected lumps or cysts that are bigger than pimples and can be painful. Occasionally, large cysts that seem like acne may be boils caused by a staph infection.

What should be done to get rid of them or how to prevent :

• Wash your face once or twice a day with a mild soap and warm water, Don't scrub your face hard with a washcloth
• If you wear makeup or sunscreen, make sure it's labeled "noncomedogenic" or "nonacnegenic."
• Sun Light,  Can kill some of bacteria, but for some people, oils produced after being in the sun make their pimples worse.
• Keep your face away from hair sprays or gels.
• Don't touch it, squeeze it, or pick at it. Which can cause even more inflammation and permanent scars on skin.
• Some girls may find that acne comes out a few days before they get their period. This is called premenstrual acne, and about 7 out of 10 women get it from changes in hormones in the body.

Home Remedies : - 

Alkaline solutions (Kills bacteria and reduces irritation) : -

• Mint - Eliminate pimples by killing bacteria and reduces irritation. It helps loosen dead skin cells to make them easier to shed. Crushed leaves can be applied to the affected areas, you can also mix it with honey to make a paste. apply moisturiser after rinsing the face with warm water.
• Baking Soda - Stops irritation. As bacteria can not live in alkaline environment and baking soda being strong alkalizer it can kill all bacteria. But it can leave the skin dry, so should apply moisturiser (Tea tree oil or castor oil can also be applied) after rinsing the face with it.
• Cucumber contains Vitamins A, C, and E. When used regularly, cucumber can prevent the development of oily skin and eventually, acne breakouts.

1. can be applied grated or sliced for 15-20 minutes.
2. Sliced cucumber can be soaked in water for one hour and strained solution can be used to drink or to wash the face.
3. Grated cucumber can be mixed with oatmeal and yoghurt and mask can be applied on face for 30 minutes and rinse with water later.

• Aloe Vera - When applied to the skin, aloe vera gel can help heal wounds, treat burns and fight inflammation.
• Toothpaste - help in drying up the pimples and absorbing excess oil. very helpful for whiteheads or blackheads. Don't use gel based toothpaste. You can apply small amount on affected area for 30 min.
• Green tea - has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. simply lay a cooled bag on the affected area or use the tea to wash the face. adding lemon in green tea enhances the benefit. Should also include one cup of green tea with lemon in our daily diet routine and should be consumed empty stomach or with a gap of 2 hour from meal.

Oil based solution (help skin to get rid of scars fast): - 

• Tea Tree Oil - has ability to reduce redness and dry out pimples. Its antibacterial properties help eliminate acne-causing bacteria from your skin. Use cotton ball to apply it on acne prone area and rinse after 15-20 minutes.  Yu can also mix it with aloe vera gel to get enhanced benefit.
• Castor Oil - It has similar properties as of tea tree oil along with some essential fatty acid which our body need. It helps to get rid of scars / marks from skin. It is very helpful to get rid of fungal infections also.

Acidic Solution (Kills bacteria and cleanse the skin) : - 

• Apple Cider Vinegar - restores PH level of skin. do not apply for long time. 
• Lemon Juice - Causes the pimples to shrink.
• Honey - it can act as an amazing antimicrobial and wound-healing remedy. 
• Garlic - Sulfur content in it makes the pimples heal faster.

Normal Routine (Hormonal Balance and internal cleansing): - 

• Steaming - Help to get rid od dirt deposited oils.
• Reduce Stress - stress may increase sebum production and skin inflammation, making acne worse
• Exercise Regularly - Exercise plays a big role in Hormone regulation, blood circulation and lymph node cleansing. Must do it 30 min 3-4 times a week.

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Castor (Arandi) oil - Health and Beauty Benefits

My grandfather always use to have one spoon of castor oil with milk before sleep once / twice a week. At that time I did not know about health benefits it has, Only thing I knew was he drink it for good joints health and to keep his gut clear (due to constipation). He lived a very healthy life of about 90 years. So today looking at these modern days diseases, I recalled that castor oil bottle my grandfather use to keep with him and explored all the health benefits it can be used for :

It is a vegetable oil, and the plant is largely native to Africa and India. Other Names known are:

1. Aamudamu
2. Erandela
3. Amanakku Enney
4. Avanakkenna
5. Rerira Tela

It has Anti-Inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. It contains omega-6 and 9 essential fatty acids, vitamin E in it.

Benefits:

1. laxative effect for people with constipation due to ricinoleic acid in it. Take it only for maximum 3 days otherwise you can suffer with diarrhea. It can also be taken with orange juice, but not more than 2 ounces and drink warm water after 20 minutes followed by yogurt after an hour.
2. For gastrointestinal disorders like Inflammatory bowel disease, Appendicitis, Colitis and Liver ailments.
3. Labor Stimulation for pregnant women who have reached full-term.
4. Reduction of pain, inflammation and joint swelling associated with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. 
5. Back pain relief. Apply externally by soaking it in cloth and place heating pad on it. you can also drink one spoon with milk once a week.
6. Menstrual cramps relief
7. Boost Immune System by increasing white blood and T-11 cells.
8. External application boost blood circulation.
9. Regenerate hairs, promotes hair growth and thickens them. Hair grow darker, smoother, shinier and healthier due to omega-6 essential fatty acid in it. You can apply castor oil overnight and wash and rinse with mild shampoo in morning. You can also apply it on hairs before shampoo in morning. It treats any type of scalp infections.
10. It can cure warts, moles, and cysts.
11. Cleanse the skin and tighten pores. So it can be used as facial cleanser, especially for people who have acne.
12. Heals scars, blemishes, wrinkles, fine lines and even stretch marks and keep skin soft and elastic.
13. Soothes dry lips. It can be used as lip balm.
14. Help heal fungal infections, such as ringworms, minor cuts and scratches. Apply by mixing it with coconut oil.

Side Effects:

Castor oil is deemed safe for consumption in controlled allowed amounts. castor seeds also contains a substance known as ricin, which is a potent protein toxin. If ingested orally ricin can get into the cell’s ribosomes and prevent protein synthesis, which can kill the cells. Even one milligram of ricin (6-10 castor seeds) can be fatal if ingested in body and there is no antidote for it.. But this ricin does not partition in to castor oil. So it is safe to have castor oil.

some people experience castor oil side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach discomfort and faintness. This can happen if you take consume it more than safe amount.

Some people can be allergic to it. So they can experience mild allergic side effects include itching, rashes, redness and a stinging sensation. Severe castor oil side effects include swelling of the face and throat, dizziness and difficulty of breathing.

Taking it regularly can deplete body's potassium and fluid leaving you dehydrated. So consume only once or twice a week or fort nightly.

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