More about skin
Acne and its causes
Sebum
Sebum is your skins natural oil. A lot of break outs are caused when your pores are blocked by heavy creams , make up etc, the sebum cannot escape through pores an begins to cause spots. Likewise your face can produce to much sebum due to hormones, diet, medication etc causing acne.
A little known fact is that oils are one of the best ways to fight against oily skin as they can balance your skins sebum production
Face mapping acne
Chinese and ayurveda practices believe different parts of the face are linked to different parts of the body, so here is some additional insight which may help in your fight against acne
Your forehead and T - zone
The forehead is the biggest area for acne and oil production as it contains the highest concentration of sebaceous glands, so its only natural it be a hot spot for acne. Also hair is often the cause of forehead acne , if not washed frequently enough it can deposit excess oil on your forehead. Or pomade acne is also a factor, it is the term used for breakouts caused by hair products seeping on to the forehead
The Nose is linked to your liver, so outbreaks may have roots in alcohol consumption or disease.
Acne on the chin is most often related to hormones, particularly in women as the hormone androgen may fluctuate during monthly period causing excess production of sebum. Candida is also a cause , the yeast releases toxins in your body over powering the good bacteria.
Cheeks
Your hands are often the culprit when it comes to acne on the cheeks, we touch our faces often without realising. Also consider your mobile phone, and pillows both of which are regularly in contact with your cheeks. The mobile phone in particular is an often overlooked cause.
Eczema and its causes
The root cause of eczema is still somewhat of an unknown its thought to be linked mainly to genetics and environment
Triggers however can range from pollen to stress. Foods to watch out for as potential triggers are
-
Egg
-
Soy
-
Wheat
-
Citrus fruit
-
Tomatoes
-
Spices ( like cinnamon, clove, vanilla)
None of these are stone wall causes, rather potential triggers for you to consider, try dropping some from your diet and see what works for you
Why moisturising is vital for everybody
Its a common misconception that using creams and oils are not essential for everybody This is simply not true , not only do creams help to maintain healthy skin and slow the effects of ageing , they also form a protective layer for your skin. Everyday your skin is exposed to attack from rising amounts of free radicals in air pollution. Even the rain has metallic properties now which can seep through the dermal layer
What are free radicals?
To put it simply. Electrons are always in pairs , free radicals are renegade atomic orbitals with unpaired electrons roaming around your body. They are highly unstable and take electrons from other molecular structures to pair with. For example they often take from your dna which results in early ageing. Free radicals are assosciated with human disease such as cancer, alzheimers and parkinsons When free radicals overwhelm your body they cause oxidative stress which results in such diseases.
Substances that cause free radicals are found include air pollution , cigarette smoke, fried food, x-rays, alcohol, and pesticides