Guest Post by Hayley Stockbridge

Acne vulgaris is a disease that affects the skin’s oil glands. The small holes in your skin (pores) connect to oil glands under the skin. These glands make an oily substance called sebum. The pores connect to the glands by a canal called a follicle. Inside the follicles, oil carries dead skin cells to the surface of the skin. A thin hair also grows through the follicle and out to the skin. When the follicle of a skin gland clogs up, a pimple grows.

Pimple prone skin and breakouts can be hard to control and often limited relief is seen with topical treatments alone. Unfortunately medical treatments are also limited and not ideal long term strategies. The oral contraceptive pill is often prescribed to women with hormonal acne which can have many long term side effects such as increased risk of some cancers, clotting disorders and hormonal problems once the pill is stopped. Daily antibiotics are another common medical treatment which can have huge ramifications on long term microbial balance and gut health. The last resort is roaccutane, a drug that has been linked to depression and causes a huge drying effect on the skin to the point of having flaky and dry lips, eyes and hands.

The key to successfully controlling acne is to determine what is causing it in the first. For some this can be obvious (such as a poor diet or hormonal acne) while for others there may be a combination of contributing factors. The following list documents some of the most common causes of acne from a Naturopathic perspective:

1.  Acne on the chin and jaw line is often hormonally driven; particularly in females however can be present in these areas in males as well. Acne that gets worse premenstrually or at ovulation will also have a hormonal influence.

2.  Acne on the chest and back is thought to be due to generalized toxicity. This is often seen with a poor diet. This may include a diet high in sugars, processed foods or junk foods. This type of acne can be addressed by undertaking a simple detoxification program to clean out the body and lymphatic system.

3.  If present on the cheeks, this is often due to a sluggish digestive system or colon toxicity. These patients often have a history of digestive issues and may suffer from constipation, gas or bloating. This acne can be reduced by improving digestive function, regulating the bowels and following a high fibre diet.

4.  High sugar diet or high glycaemic index diet can cause acne by increasing circulation levels of insulin. This then causes an imbalance in androgen levels, which triggers an increase in sebum production under the skin. The best way of dealing with acne is balancing blood sugar levels and reducing circulating insulin. This is particularly prevalent in women with PCOS. A low sugar diet has been well researched to improve acne and is one of the best ways to control breakouts in the long term.

5.  A high dairy diet has also been linked to acne. Dairy products are acidic and inflammatory and many of my patients have been able to control their breakouts by reducing dairy intake.

6.  An infection with the bacteria Propionibacterium on the skin will also make any current acne or breakouts worse. This can be controlled by improving the immune response using either nutritional or herbal medicines. Topical application of tea tree oil diluted with some warm water also helps to keep this bacteria at bay. Start by applying each night before bed and after washing your face.

7.  A Zinc deficiency can lead to poor skin health and acne. Zinc is essential for skin healing as well as immune regulation. Supplementing with zinc helps to ensure scarring does not take place as the skin improves.

8.  A Vitamin A deficiency can also contribute to acne. Vitamin A supplementation helps to reduce sebum production under the skin and therefore goes a long way to improve skin health.

9.  Poor liver function can contribute as our liver is our major detoxification organ responsible for flushing toxins out of the body. If your liver is sluggish, toxins and waste products are not effectively cleared from the body and need to escape somewhere- this is often through the skin. A healthy liver makes a huge difference for health skin.

Hayley Stockbridge, Naturopath

B. App. Sc (Nat Stud) Post Grad Dip Nat

Hayley is a Naturopath at Better Health Practice in Stanmore, and Sydney Health and Fertility, Manly NSW. A passion for a healthy lifestyle lead her to become a Naturopath. With over 6 years of experience in the industry, a passion for a healthy lifestyle lead her to become a Naturopath.  Her major focus is always educating her patients to live healthier and happier lives. She treats women, men and children of all ages and a wide variety of health issues such as weight loss, digestive problems, anxiety/stress, food intolerances and headaches.

Check out her website for more information www.hayleystockbridge.com.au

Related Posts:

A Naturopathic Approach to Acne – Podcast
Surviving the Teenage Years, Acne
Busting the PCOS Myths

The post What’s causing your acne? appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium pumpkin
• 1/4 cup quinoa, washed
• 1 handful of pepitas
• 2 handfuls of sunflower seeds
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 5 kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/2 large radish
• 1 1/2 cucumber
• 1-2 slices marinated capsicum
• 1/2 spanish onion
• 1 packet of rocket, washed and dried

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp caramlised balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.

Peel and deseed the pumpkin and cut into small chunks.  Place onto a roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until golden brown, stirring through a few times to cook evenly.  Allow to cool.

Cook quinoa using absorption method until tender and germ ring is visible.  Allow to cool, or rinse under cold water if you’re short on time.

Put rocket into bowl with seeds and olives.

Using a mandolin thinly slice cucumber, onion, radish and radish and add to salad.

Cut capsicum into strips and add to salad along with quinoa and pumpkin.

To make the dressing, shake everything up in a jar and adjust according to your tastes.  it should be a little bit too vinegary before you put it onto the salad.

Mix salad and dress just before serving.

Tips

This is high in protein, fibre and zinc.  With the combination of seeds and quinoa this is a complete protein meal. 

Quinoa is rich in manganese, tryptophan and magnesium.  Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, manganese and vitamin B6.

Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan.

 
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This is good as an anti-pasto, put through pasta or in wraps.

Ingredients

• 3 red capsicum
• Olive oil
• 1 preserved lemon rind, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp baby capers

Method

Lightly drizzle capsicum with a little oil.

Grill capsicum until skin can be peeled off.

Remove seeds from the inside.  Don’t wash as this will remove some of the smokey flavour.

Mix with lemon rind, parsley, capers and a little extra-virgin olive oil.  Store.

Tips

Capsicums are also known as Peppers, however they are not related to black pepper at all.  They recieved this name when Columbus unsuccessfully voyaged to find black pepper, and rather than acknowledge his failure his named the most pungent New World food “pepper”.

Capsicum is latin for box, aptly describing their hollow form.  Capsicum annuum is the botanical name for the different coloured varieties of capsicum, which ranges from red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown and black.  Paprika is made from the red capsicum.

Capsicum is a great source of carotenoids (good for eyes and provides a healthy glow to the skin), vitamin A and vitamin C.

It is best to buy organic capsicum as they are susceptible to holding onto pesiticide residue.

Chillis are closely related to capsicum, and are part of the Nightshade Family.

The post Grilled and Marinated Capsicum appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1/2 brown onion
• 2 anchovies ( or as many as you like)
• ½ cup cooked millet
• ½ cup mixed herbs like oregano and/or basil, chopped
• ¼ cup olives, roughly chopped
• 1 red capsicum, halved and de-seeded
• 1 large tomato, halved and de-seeded
• 1 eggplant, halved and flesh partly scooped out
• 1 zucchini, halved and de-seeded
• 1 tbsp capers
• preserved lemon rind to taste

Method

Using the absorption method, cook the millet until tender.

In a pan lightly cook the garlic, onion and anchovies with the oil then mix through the millet, herbs, olives and left over veggies. Stuff this mixture into the vegetables, drizzle with olive oil and bake in oven at 180°C until the veggies are soft and the stuffing is crispy.

Enjoy!

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