Acne, Diet and Oil Production

Acne, the United States, and the Greeks have one thing in common. They all love oil. Maybe not the same kind of oil, but oil nonetheless. Olive oil is worshipped in the Mediterranean, gasoline is worshipped on the freeways of the States, and Acne worships the oils of the sebaceous glands - which silently sit under our dry skin (acne treatment) - grasping onto tiny hair follicles - just waiting to find a pore to fill. Oily makeup, an oily work environment, and for many, oily foods, aggravate those acne-producing glands - and they let you know it with each and every red inflamed peak, whitehead and blackhead that form the zits on your face.

The oil that acne is so fond of is called "sebum" and is Mother Nature's skin moisturizer and waterproofer. As with almost everything else in life, moderation is the key. Too little sebum and your skin will be too dry. Senior Citizens tend to have lower sebum levels. Too much sebum, and hello acne. Teenagers tend to have higher sebum levels. Sebum affects both the skin and the hair, so any imbalance is likely to affect both. (That's why teenagers need to spend two hours on their hair, and older people are lucky if they have hair.) Oil is not the sole contributor to acne, many factors, including genetics and hormones, play a larger part in its production - just like oil needs an engine and olive oil needs a salad. But knowing that oil is a contributor to acne, you can do your best to control what goes on your face.

To lessen the severity of your acne breakout, and control your sebum levels, start reading your labels if you don't already do so. Make sure you cosmetics are "oil-free," "water-based" or ""noncomedogenic." Comedones are whiteheads and blackheads. A blackhead is often referred to as a comedo. A whitehead and blackhead are formed from the oil (sebum) mixing with dead skin cells that plug up a pore. When oxygen hits it, the oxidization process turns it black - and voila - a blackhead. Just like salad dressing. A blackhead is not a splotch of dirt in the skin, just as a black olive is not a rock in a salad. With 60 billion dollars worth of sales worldwide for skin care acne products, finding cosmetics, moisturizers and creams that don't promote acne treatment shouldn't be too difficult to find with a little experimentation.

Experimentation is probably one of the fastest and least expensive ways for you to reduce the frequency of breakouts. There may be no preventing a breakout during your period, but just as you can control your skin care regimen, so can you control other environmental factors. Reports vary whether diet affects acne, and most medical reports state "there is no evidence". But just because there is no evidence, doesn't mean there isn't a correlation. It could mean they haven't proved it yet. Many of these tests on food and acne were inconsistent or had poor methodology; therefore experts declare "there is no evidence." However, individual testimonies declare that food does have an affect on outbreaks. So do some self-experimentation. If you see an outbreak after too much olive oil in the salad, reduce the oil a little. If your face gets all pimply after eating and entire box of chocolates by yourself, share the box next time. Test the pizza and the fries on your face. You are the best observer and judge of the severity and frequency of your acne.

Acne can be controlled. Fill up your gas tank, grab a salad and go shopping. Read your labels and keep your sebum levels balanced. A little anti-acne shopping can go a long way to an acne-free face.