Apple Cider Vinegar Diet Oily Skin Treatment Using Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Mineral Mud and Plant Extracts.
It's important to think about what may be causing your oily skin so that you can do something about it. Maybe it's genetic or hormonal or perhaps it is diet related. Your skin may simply be irritated because of a harsh cleanser or chemical. This article lists a few of the main causes of oily skin and it provides ideas on how to treat it using natural products.
What causes oily and acne prone skin?
There are many factors that lead to oily skin including heredity, diet and hormonal changes. Any factor that causes fluctuations in hormones affects your skin's pH balance and can lead to an increase in oil production.
- Heredity: Oily skin is no different than any other health issue that is affected by your genetic make up. Heredity is an undeniable factor but one which can be controlled with a little bit of awareness.
- Diet: Studies have been made on populations that do not suffer from acne and there is evidence to suggest that diet is a factor, but not for the reasons that we would assume. For example, fatty foods are thought of as causing acne but it may not be the fat in the food but rather the change in hormones that may occur from consuming a high fat diet.
- Hormones: Oily skin and acne are thought of as being a young person's problem because of the pimples that break out during puberty but in fact, adults suffer from similar hormonal changes throughout our lives. This can include menstruation, pregnancy and perimenopause.
- Irritation: Harsh, chemically laden cleansers can irritate the skin and actually cause it to over-produce oil. If this possible cause isn't recognized, it can lead to a cycle of mistreatment.
- Insufficient moisture: At first, it seems illogical that oily skin needs moisture but this is exactly the case. The environment can strip the natural moisturizing oil away from the sensitive areas around your eyes, face and neck, upsetting the pH balance and causing your skin to go into an overproduction mode. Since it is counter intuitive to add oil to oily skin, this problem can go undiagnosed for a long time.
- Clogged pores: When dirt and bacteria gets trapped inside a pore, the result is a black head. Once your skin goes from oily to acne, treating the breakouts becomes a delicate matter. The last thing you want to do is make matters worse by being too physical or too rough.
- Stress: Since stress is thought to cause many physiological changes in the human body, aside from oily skin, it may be a good idea to consider the possibility.
What prevents oily skin and acne from forming?
- Alpha & Beta Hydroxy Acids: Natural acids are a great alternative to physical exfoliants especially if you are suffering from acne breakouts. Below are a few types of acids that can be used to treat adult body acne,chest acne, back acne or anywhere an adult is prone to have oily or hyperpigmented skin.
- Glycolic Acid
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Lactic Acid
- Multi-Fruit Acid
- Salicylic acid
- Mud Masks: They are an all natural way to treat and prevent body acne. They work by binding to the debris, toxins and impurities deep within the pores. They exfoliate without any abrasives so they are perfect if you have active acne because there is no risk of skin tearing. Below are a few of the main types of mud masks and clays:
- Activated Charcoal
- Dead Sea Mud
- French Green Clay
- Fullers Earth Clay
- Kaolin Clay
- Plant Extracts: Natural plant extracts work to detoxify your skin. They contain natural Alpha Hydroxy Acids and natural astringents that help treat acne prone skin. Their antibacterial properties keep the pores clean and help prevent acne. They can help to gradually fade dark spots caused by acne scarring. The ones below are known for their anti-acne properties.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Black Willowbark Extract
- Cranberry Extract
- Pumpkin Extract
- Sage Extract
- Plant Oils: Natural plant oils are rich in antioxidants. They prevent pores from clogging and acne from forming. They are superb skin toners and astringents that unclog pores and treat blackheads. The following are natural ant-acne fighters with their antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.
- Carrot Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Hazelnut Oil
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Lemongrass Oil
- Neem Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Witch Hazel Oil