Acne & Chinese Medications
The word acne might conjure images of teenagers agonizing over being pimply faced for the prom, but in reality it affects people of all ages, from all walks of life. An industry thrives on covering up acne in teens and adults alike. Before spending a small fortune to achieve the appearance of unblemished skin, try one of these alternative Chinese remedies. They might make a flawless complexion a reality.
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Chinese Medicine's View of Acne
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Traditional Chinese medicine takes a whole-body and environmental approach to illness. It seeks to restore balance for the mind, body and environment, treating not just the symptoms of illness, but also the cause. Whereas Western medicine assumes that the underlying cause of acne is bacterial, the traditional Chinese view is that it is caused by toxins produced by excess heat in the blood due to weak digestion and high cholesterol intake.
Acne Detox Diet
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In Chinese medicine, treatment of acne begins internally with a diet geared toward improving digestion and removing toxins. According to HerbalRemediesInfo.com, this detox diet includes highly nutritional foods such as alfalfa sprouts, beet tops, cherries, cucumbers, celery, carrots, cabbage, dandelions, mung beans, pears, papaya, persimmons, raspberries, squash and watermelon, as well as drinking plenty of water. Food and drink to steer clear of include spicy and oily foods, coffee, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, ice cream, soft drinks, dairy foods, red meat and shellfish.
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Herbal Remedies
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Herbal combinations designed to restore the body's balance are usually boiled down and consumed as tea. The combinations are highly individualized, so for the best results, you should consult a Chinese physician who can prepare a customized formula. Here, however, is a generalized Chinese medicinal recipe, as seen on AcneControl.net: 25g of peony tree bark (mu dan pi), 25g of Chinese Wolfberry root bark (di gu pi), 50g of honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua), 20g of forsythia (lian qiao), 25g of dandelion (pu gong ying), 15g of amur cork tree bark (huang bai), 25g of belvedere fruit (di fu zi), 20g of densefruit pittany root bark (bai xian pi), 25g of portule herb (ma chi xian), 15g of pine pollen (song hua fen), 25g of figwort root (xuan sen) and 40g of Job's tear seed (yi yi ren).
To prepare, place the herbs in a lidded earthenware pot, in enough cold water to cover the herbs by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil before reducing heat to low and simmering for about 20 minutes to make an herbal tea. Strain off the herbs and drink the tea while warm. For best results, you should drink this tea once a day for at least 60 days.
Prevention
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According to the Chinese medicine view, further acne flare-ups can be prevented by maintaining a steady diet of nutritional foods that prevent toxins from building up in your body, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sugar and artificial sweeteners, and supplementing your diet with fish oil rich in EPA and DHA.
Additional Benefits
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With an approach that focuses on good nutrition and dietary habits, you're bound to see other benefits that extend beyond clear skin. According to Liv4Ever.com, increased energy, improved concentration and resolved digestive problems are just a few of the added benefits reported by both patients and practitioners of Chinese medicine's approach to acne treatment.
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References
- Photo Credit en face image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
