Acne
When you eat grain carbohydrates and sugar, it causes a surge of insulin and an insulin-like growth factor called IGF-1 in your body. This can lead to an excess of male hormones, which cause your pores to secrete sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-promoting bacteria. Additionally, IGF-1 causes skin cells known as keratinocytes to multiply, a process that is also associated with acne.
Refined carbs, such as fructose, sugar and grains — will also increase inflammation in your body, which may trigger acne, and at the same time they will also create imbalance in the makeup of your intestinal bacteria. Sugars serve as fuel for the growth of pathogenic anaerobic bacteria, fungi and yeast, and competitively inhibit your good bacteria, tending to crowd them out of their appropriate niche. Your gut bacteria, via your diet, can influence your skin. When you eat a healthy diet, which is low in sugars and processed foods, it automatically helps enable the beneficial bacteria in your gut to flourish.
A recent study published in 2010 examined the effect of lactoferrin on acne. In this 12-week, open, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 56 patients aged 18 to 30 years were randomly assigned to a daily serving of fermented probiotic milk enriched with 200 mg of lactoferrin or fermented milk containing probiotics only.
Key findings:
• The lactoferrin group showed significant improvements in acne, with significant decreases in inflammatory acne lesion count by 38.6%, total lesion count by 23.1% and acne grade by 20.3% compared with the placebo group;
• Sebum content in the lactoferrin group was decreased by 31.1% compared with the placebo group;
• Amount of total skin surface lipids decreased in both groups, which was significantly correlated with decreases in sebum content;
• Decreases in triacylglycerols were significantly correlated with decreases in sebum content, acne lesion counts and acne grade;
• It was concluded that lactoferrin-enriched fermented milk ameliorates acne by selectively decreasing triacylglycerols in skin surface lipids.
Here’s a skin routine that can help with acne:
• Hydrate Bentonite Clay via mixing with green tea infusion to form a solution, also add in 1-2 drops of Tea Tree Oil. Leave overnight.
• If clay is too thick water down to a thick cream consistency. Apply to the face liberally and leave till dry and flaky. Apply every 2nd day.
• Apply straight tea tree oil to the active cysts once per night.
