Little explanation is needed when it comes to describing acne as it affects over 17 million Americans every year making it the most common skin disease. What is not so sure for most people is what causes, worsens and prevent it, or get rid of it.

I’m sure most of our parents and grandparents told us to stay away from certain foods and while they may have never given us a scientific explanation for their reason they knew from personal experience that certain foods were a culprit. Truth is they were right. Unfortunately what it has taken modern science years of million dollar studies to find out people living a couple decades back knew all too well.

Sebaceous glands are located in every hair follicle and produce oil which lubricates the skin. Some of the oil becomes clogged causing bacteria to multiply and as a result inflammation follows. This occurs during adolescence (12-24) when androgens (male hormones) are released in increased amounts in boys and girls. Sometimes acne affects a person all their life.

The next question is what causes toxins to build up. There are many reasons including pollution but the five major reasons for acne are dairy, junk food, cosmetics, insufficient water and build up of toxins.

Dairy: Physicians such as Doctor Neil Nedley and Dr. Frank Oski have showed studies that suggest that the fat in milk is a culprit. Milk is a product high in fat (about 50%) and certain cheese such a cream cheese can easily come in the 90% bracket. Their theory is that large numbers of cows are pregnant and give off progesterone in their milk. This is than converted by the body into the male sex hormone androgen which in turn increases acne.

Junk food such as French fries, chips, sodas, candy, donuts etc, cause a buildup of toxins because a lot of the ingredients in these products are inorganic and the body cannot handle them so it has to eliminate them through one of the bodies eliminating systems and more often than not the skin is the more readily eliminating system as it is the bodies largest.

Cosmetics are probably the single most cause of acne in women. It’s no surprise that at least 80% of cosmetics these days are made from ingredients ranging from heavy metals to carcinogens and the parts of dead animals. Cosmetics can cause or contribute to acne one of two ways.

The first is by the body absorbing the substances. This is where perfumes, colognes, lotions, hair dyes etc come into play. When these chemicals are absorbed the body treats them as foreign bodies and sends out leukocytes (white blood cells) to arrest the invading matter and destroy it. These leukocytes die in the process and they along with the body are expelled by the body usually through the skin. Thus pimples, black heads etc come up and the white puss in them is in actuality dead white blood cells.

The second and sometimes more obvious way is an irritation. Allot of the times the chemicals in cosmetics cause an allergic reaction or irritation to the skin thus causing it to erupt in fine bumps. Generally this is more obvious than the first, but, other times the body might break out in a different area than where the cosmetic was applied.

Insufficient water is another major cause. The body uses water to flush out bacteria and other impurities out of the system. When sufficient water is not available the body is forced to use other means to eliminate toxins and one of the main areas (since it is the biggest excretory organ) is the skin.

Build up of toxins can be from many reasons including lack of water, constipation and such. The effects of these can be painful and even life threatening. One of the main causes of colon cancer is a build of toxins in the colon. These toxins can come from many sources but the main ones are junk and refined foods, meats, dairy and cosmetics.

So what are the ways to get rid of acne and get back that beautiful face you once had? The first thing is to eliminate all dairy from your diet. Not only will you be doing your face a favor, you will also be saving yourself some major health problems down the road. And let’s face it; soy ice cream is not as bad as it sounds. One of the best brands is SoyDream®. I guarantee you will not miss dairy ice cream after you’ve tried it. And it comes in all your favorite flavors including vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan and more. Junk food should also go. And while you are helping to get rid of acne….eating junk food is not doing your weight any favor. Try as much as possible to eliminate most cosmetics. They are not healthy and chances are they are made of them same chemicals running your car. And if you must use them try as much as possible not to apply them directly to the skin. Last but not least drink more water and less Gatorade®. While Gatorade® temporarily quenches your thirst it contains cancer causing dyes and not to mention the sugar which gives more side effects then energy boost.

You might want to consider taking a couple natural supplements and herbs. These include:

Goldenseal: Boiled liquid of the root or extract taken orally.
Dandelion: Infusion from the entire plant taken orally.
Vitamin C: 500-1,000mg 3 times a day.
Vitamin E: 200-400 IU daily to prevent vitamin A from destruction in the body.
Zinc: 30mg daily.
Chromium: 400-600mcg daily.
Potassium: 99mg daily.
B Complex: One tablet daily.