Acne? But I’m an Adult

July 24, 2004

Aging Beautifully

Acne? But I’m an Adult

In the last two decades, I’ve had more and more

women come to me for advice in treating adult acne. In addition

to treatment options, many want to know why this teenage condition

is plaguing them in their later years. The answer is simple—for

the same reason you broke out in your teens—hormones and stress.

The cause of acne can be found deep in your hair

follicles. Each hair follicle has a sebaceous gland connected to

it. This gland secretes sebum, an oil and wax mixture that keeps

your skin moist and lubricated. During hormonal changes (such as

puberty, menstruation, and perimenopause) and times of stress, you

experience an increase in male hormones (androgen). This causes

changes in the pH of the skin and overstimulates the sebaceous gland,

which responds by secreting excess sebum. This in turn creates the

skin lesions we call acne.

In order to treat adult acne, I often recommend

that women try a variety of approaches: dietary, supplements, or

topical treatments. I’d like to share my favorite solution from

each category with you today.

Do This

The first thing I recommend you do is avoid

refined sugar and foods high in sugar. Like androgens, sugary

foods overstimulate your sebaceous glands and can trigger excess

oil production. Refined sugar can also contribute to blood sugar

imbalances, which can worsen symptoms of anxiety and stress. And,

as I stated above, stress can lead to breakouts.

Plus, sugar depletes your store of B-complex vitamins,

which help balance your mood, energy, and anxiety level. B vitamins

are also needed to help keep your level of androgens within the

optimal range. While your ovaries and adrenals produce androgens,

their levels are regulated, in part, by your liver. As your main

organ of detoxification, your liver also relies on B vitamins in

order to function efficiently.

Take This

Next, you should include vitamin A in your diet.

Vitamin A not only helps to improve the overall health of your skin;

it is especially helpful in suppressing oily skin and acne. In fact,

one study found that high doses of vitamin A helped to clear up

even the most severe cases of acne in 90 percent of the people treated

with the vitamin.

Since too much vitamin A can adversely affect liver

function, I recommend that you take it’s water-soluble precursor—beta-carotene.

Dosages between 15,000 and 25,000 IU daily should provide

you with adequate skin protection.

Use this

Finally, you should treat any breakouts that do

occur with tea tree oil. The antiseptic properties have been used

for centuries to clean and treat wounds. Even the early settlers

of Australia and metal workers during the Second World War used

this camphorous-smelling essential oil to treat cuts and insect

bites.

After washing the infected area, I recommend placing

one drop of Australian tea tree oil directly on blemishes.

Read the product label carefully to be sure the oil contains 50

to 60 percent terpenes (preferably terpin-4-ol) and no more than

15 percent cineole.

Read More on Aging Beautifully:

Getting Started

Beautiful Skin: At What Price?

Beyond Moisturizer and Sunscreen

Acne? But I’m an Adult

Keep it SIMPLE Beauty Tip—Banishing Wrinkles

Nutritional Therapies

EFAs = Extremely Flawless Appearances

Foods to Avoid

Complementary Therapies

Aromatherapy for Hair Loss

Exercises for Varicose Veins