« Tummy Troubles: Battling Common Digestive Woes | Latest Issues | Talking to Yourself: Meditations … Mantras … Affirmations »
Attack Acne
By Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C. | December 17, 2008
Revealed in this week’s issue…
 |
Adolescence and Menopause: What they have in common… |
|
Turmeric! The Secret Spice to Quench a Hot Red Face… |
|
Acne and Your Emotions: Anger’s connection to Acne… |
Dr. Craig and I just bought this year’s Christmas tree and we are decorating our house for this special time of year. Traditional Christmas colors are red and green…but red in the face and green with envy are not exactly festive! These signs are all about a Pita imbalance which I will be discussing today.
The holidays can be a time of great stress, and with these difficult economic times we are all feeling a bit of a crunch. What these feelings of stress (even positive stress) can sometimes do is reak havoc on our skin and digestive system! Dry, hot, burning, red skin…complicated with breakouts are just no fun!
Ayurveda offers a soothing soultion to this burning problem. I encourage you to make the holidays a time to care for ourselves as well as our families. There is no better way to care for yourself then Ayurveda’s gentle practices.
I am going thru Menopause but
I have Acne Like My Teenage Son…Help!
Most people consider acne to be the bane of adolescence, but it can also happen to adults, even those who went through their teens blemish-free. Think about what is going on in our bodies as teenagers…hormones raging, mood swings, erratic behavior, skin breakouts or rashes and tendencies toward depression…if you are going through menopause these symptoms may sound familiar to you. In teenagers acne may plague otherwise healthy kids and so is considered an acute condition. However, in Ayurveda adult acne is considered to be a sign of important underlying imbalance…of your PITTA Dosha .
Do I Have Acne?
The signs of acne–red, inflamed pimples; whiteheads; blackheads–occur when oil glands produce too much oil (sebum) or oil that contains ama (the toxic by-products of poorly digested food such as junk food!). Bacteria on the skin interact with the sebum and cause inflammation and plugging up of the hair follicles near the glands…Yes! You have a breakout! If infection sets in you may end up with scarring.
If you have a mild acne episode with only a few intermittent eruptions, follow the general suggestion for Ayurvedic self-care I have listed below or try one of the Ayurvedic remedies I have included in this article.
((Do remember that with severe cases you should seek professional Ayurvedic evaluation and care! So feel free to contact my office if you need an appointment.))
If you are new to Ayurveda, you may need some help to understand your dosha and how to best use the reccomendations below so I have created a resource for you. I’ve described the dosha Daily Lifestyle Regimens, outlined the 10-Day Ginger Treatment, and included a delicious recipe for kicharee in my pamphlet “What Is Ayurveda? Understanding the Principles of Ayurveda and the Ayurvedic Body Types.” The PDF downloadable version is available right now for only $5.00, and you can order your copy here .
Acne is usually a sign of a pitta imbalance, so follow the Daily Lifestyle Regimen for pitta that is in the pamphlet above.
-
Be sure to keep your skin clean, but don’t get too enthusiastic with the scrubbing..rough scrubbing may actually worsen acne…remember that your skin is delicate and irritated…be gentle!
-
Avoid squeezing pimples since this can spread infection and injure delicate, inflamed tissue.
- Pay particular attention to stress-reducing practices such as meditation, abdominal breathing and yoga.
As Yoga comes to the rescue again, pratice the Sun Salutations and the Lion Yoga Pose described below as a part of your daily routine:
Sun Salutation Video: Watch as I guide My patient, Michelle Yozzo Drake, through her first time doing the Sun Salutation at her home in Mystic, CT.
Lion Pose: Sit on your feet, knees apart, facing the sun if possible. Place your hands on the floor between your knees, with the fingertips pointing toward your body. Lean forward, keeping your arms straight and tilting your head back. Open your eyes wide as you open your mouth and stick out your toungue as far as possible, exhaling with an AHHH sound the length of your exhalation.
Herbal Remedies:
Use one of the following when you experience an acne breakout or rash:
-
Turmeric is antibiotic and antibacterial. Form a paste of 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder with a little water; carefully apply to blemishes with a cotton swab–be careful! Turmeric will stain clothes.
-
You may also wash your face in the morning using chickpea powder mixed with a little water to make a paste; apply to your skin like a lotion and rub gently before rinsing off.
-
Apply a light coating of Neem oilbefore going to bed. Neem is a sesame oil with leaves of the Neem tree added. It is used in India as a multipurpose oil effective for healing acne…but you may also remember Neem oil as a natural sunscreen and insect repellant, what a bonus!
-
Take 1/2 teaspoon manjistha(Rubio cordifolium) with pitta tea three times a week to purify the blood.
Five-Senses Therapies:
-
Taste: Bitter is better for digestion, and since acne is a result of clogging from undigested junk food you should emphasize foods, herbs, and spices that have a bitter taste; you will also benefit from sweet and astringent tastes as well. Using the summer churna every day is a simple, easy way to use taste therapy.
-
Smell: Use aromatherapy with sweet, sour, bitter and warm aromas such as sandalwood, orange and mint.
-
Sight: Choose yellow-orange and green colors; also look in the mirror and deliberately smile at your image for 60 seconds every morning!
-
Hearing: Listen to soft, gentle, classical music generally and avoid hard, electric and pounding music. Play the sunrise raga between the hours of 7AM and 10 AM and the late aternoon raga between 4pm and 7 pm.
-
Touch: Tap your temples gently to calm your thought process; pull your earlobes to stimulate the immune system.
Seek medical care if: the condition is severe or if the following signs appear in an adult: general illness such as weight change, change in hair distribution, change in menstrual cycle, change in general energy or body temperature.
Topics: Ayurveda & Skin Care, Ayurveda and Digestive Health, Ayurveda and Menopause, Ayurvedic Beauty |
Comments are closed.