My 10 Personal Tips To Cure Acne Naturally
When I started developing acne the first reaction was to get stressed and to get panicked. So I decided to take things into my own hands. Bare in mind that I had very little knowledge in skin care and nutrition at that time.
The first thing I done was to try to pop the pimples out. Instead of doing my usual cleansing or to have a better diet and lifestyle, I ended up scrubbing my face everyday. My thought was that the more I scrub, eventually all the pimples will pop out and disappear. Of course, that did not happened and it only make my skin worse.
So I decided to go to the pharmacy and to get some medications. I applied the medication and I guess what I was looking for was a “miracle creme”. I was hoping that by applying the medication for a week it will go off.
Eventually I ended up going to a dermatologist and to be honest it wasn’t a really positive experience for me. In his opinion my skin condition was nothing in comparison to his other patients. So all he did was to stare at my face for about 30 seconds (literally) and gave me some medication and creme to apply. So I did this for the next 6 months and it did helped to improve my acne. But once I stopped, it came back again.
And all these because I did not get down to the core of the problem which was my poor lifestyle: bad nutrition, lack of exercise, constant stress and lack of sleep.
How To Cure Acne
My acne did not go away over night. It was 2-3 years of ups and downs for me. So just like losing weight, you have to start making the changes and to trust that all this positive changes you’re making will help towards your results. So here are my 10 changes I made to cure my acne:
1. Eat Basic Real Food
As much as you can try to prep your own meals. Eating out too often and not knowing what goes into my food is one of the causes to my acne. What I mean by basic real food is to choose whole food, minimal ingredients which doesn’t require much time to prep at all.
2. Cut Down On Greasy Food
Consuming greasy food really messes with my digestion and it makes me feel like my pores are opening up and it gives me oily skin. I know there are no proven science behind this, but this is based on my own personal experience. And cutting down on greasy food has helped me to gain clearer skin.
3. Eat Food That Promotes Healthy Digestion
When I had my acne I had really poor digestion. Not only did I feel bloated almost every day, but poor digestion has caused my skin pores to clog. So foods that help with digestion are basically foods which are high in fiber and water content, such as vegetables and fruits.My all time favorite fruit is banana. Foods that you should avoid are greasy, fried, oily food and dairy products if you are lactose intolerance.
4. Watch Out Your Sodium Intake
The meals I used to consume are processed foods, fast foods or meals which are high in sodium. So again it comes down to the principle of preparing your own meals, eating clean and unprocessed foods which are low in sodium. This had made me feel better and to give me clearer skin as well.
5. Drink More Water
We tend to forget to keep ourselves hydrated at all time. Drinking more water helps to flush out internal toxins which has helped to reduce my breakout tremendously. And drinking more water has also kept my skin hydrated inside out.
6. Eat Food With High Water Content
The foods with high water content are: watermelon, strawberry, zucchini, cucumber, spinach, tomato, broccoli and more. What you can do is to boil and blend your favorite vegetables to make a thick and creamy vegetable soup.
7. Cleanse Twice A Day
Again, this might sound obvious but when I was awake at 3 or 4 AM I wasn’t thinking about cleansing my face. So just like getting into a fitness routine, I had to get myself into a cleansing routine: to cleanse in the morning and in the night.
For those of you who do your regular exercises, sweat from exercising can also lead to breakouts. So it is very important for you to cleanse and shower right after your workouts and to wear fresh clothes.
8. Don’t Skip On Your Beauty Sleep
Lack of sleep increases stress and stress leads to breakout and weight gain. Sleep for at least 7-8 hours a day.
9. Exercise Regularly
Exercising has so many more health benefits including clear skin.Exercising on a regular basis has helped me to reduce stress level and to regulate my hormone levels, which is one of the main cause of acne. So if you want clearer skin, fitter body and to look and feel good inside out, do your regular exercises.
10. Focus On The Change, Not On The Problem
This is true whether you’re struggling with acne or to lose weight or any other life circumstances. Focusing on the problem will not make it go away. Instead, focus your energy into making the changes which will eventually solve the problem.
I had to learn this the hard way. My acne would not go away. My skin only became clearer when I started to love myself again, to focus on the positive changes I made daily and to slowly rebuild my confidence by putting my physical appearance aside.
It took me 2 years to cure my acne. So be patient and start having faith.
Featured in picture: Joanna Soh
