Top 3 Natural Acne Cures
The fight against acne is real. I know there are plenty of creams, supplements, and skincare products promising clear skin. But I also know these usually fall short of the mark. Here are my top 3 natural acne cures - these are powerful remedies in your fight against breakouts. Remember that most acne is caused by what's going on inside your body - so these 3 cures help to bring your body back into balance from the inside out. Check out my YouTube video HERE for more on this topic!
1. Collagen
Collagen is the building block of connective tissue - it keeps your skin looking glowing, healthy, and vibrant. It also helps keep your skin looking clear and free of acne thanks to its amino acid profile.
Amino acids are extremely important to the human body - a large portion of our cells, muscles, and tissue is comprised of amino acids. This means amino acids carry out many important bodily functions: they transport and store nutrients, they help the function of organs, glands, tendons, and arteries, and moreover, are essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue in muscle, bones, and skin.
In today’s world, diets tend to be protein heavy and we eat a lot of protein in the form of muscle meat (chicken breast and steaks, for example). So, most people are getting adequate amounts of protein. The problem, however, is that muscle meat is rich in two amino acids - cysteine and tryptophan. This means we are likely missing out on two amino acids that are crucial to skin health - glycine and proline.
Enter collagen - it comes from other parts of the animal besides muscle (namely joints and connective tissue), which means it boasts a broad amino acid profile. It is especially rich in amino acids that benefit skin health. In fact, grass-fed collagen is one of the best sources glycine. Because of this, supplementing with collagen helps your skin heal from acne while also preventing your acne from forming in the first place.
My favorite collagen is THIS BRAND because it only has one ingredient (grass-fed collagen), doesn’t contain artificial flavors or colors, and it’s very high quality.
2. Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is the green stuff that allows plants to make food from sunlight. It also happens to be amazing for combating acne breakouts. Chlorophyll works to better oxygenate the blood; when blood is more oxygenated, it is better equipped to protect the body and carry oxygen around more efficiently. The result is fresher, healthier looking skin on the outside, and an overall wellness boost on the inside.
In addition to its acne clearing benefits, chlorophyll helps to fight carcinogens (thus lowering cancer risks), detoxifies the liver, and speeds healing of wounds. Plus it helps improve energy levels and keep your digestion on track.
Are you ready to start taking chlorophyll yet? I hope so! Chlorophyll is available in liquid or capsule forms - personally I prefer the capsules because the liquid stains everything green if you happen to spill it. THIS is my favorite capsule brand.
Start with half the recommended dosage on the bottle, and work your way up to the recommended dose. Know that chlorophyll can give you green stools (normal) or loose stools (not normal), so back off how much you take if you notice any diarrhea.
3. Zinc
A lot of scientific research has gone in to studying zinc and it’s relationship with acne. Over the last 4 decades, research has revealed three important findings:
Most people with acne have lower levels of zinc than those with clear skin
Supplementing with zinc an reduce acne by 50%
Zinc is more or less as effective in treating acne than most commonly prescribed antibiotics (such as minocycline).
Zinc is one of the most studied natural treatments for acne. Zinc has strong antibiotic properties, it reduces inflammatory response to bacteria, and it reduces the affect hormones have on skin.
Are you reaching for your zinc supplement yet? You should be. I like THIS supplement the best because it’s easy to use and includes trace minerals that are important to total body wellness. NOTE that zinc can totally upset your stomach - like quickly. It’s always best to take zinc with food and if it upsets you too much, try taking it at night with your dinner.
