Ayurvedic Treatment of Acne

Acne is a very common issue for almost every teenager today. But not-so-discussed problem in the past has its place in the great science of Ayurveda. Let's have a look what the wise sages said to get rid of pimples with no harm to skin.

What Ayurveda says?

In Ayurveda, acne vulgaris is referred to as Yuvana pidaka. It is one among the Kshudraroga, the disorder which results from increased Vata, Rakta and Kapha. Avabhasini, the outermost layer of skin is affected.

An imbalance in Vata results in impaired digestion and accumulation of toxins. An imbalance of Pitta affects the blood and liver allowing for inflammation. Excess Kapha, which controls the production of sebum, results in clogging of the pores. This combination of impaired digestion, accumulation of toxins, inflammation, and over-production of sebum creates the perfect environment for the overgrowth of bacteria resulting in chronic acne.

Acne arises when our body is unable to remove toxins through excretion leading to contamination of the bloodstream. Some of the probable causes of acne are listed below.

• Constipation
  
• Irregular bowel movement
  
• Irregular meal timings
  
• Excess starch, sugar, oil and fat consumption
  
• Increased production of sebum i.e. oily secretion due to effect of androgens(hormones responsible for masculine characters)
• Abnormal microbial flora in the intestine

Ayurvedic Remedies for Acne

Following are some remedies for acne in Ayurveda :

1. Applying Jamun seeds rubbed with water reduce growth of pimples.
2. Apply a finely grounded mixture of roasted mustard seeds, orange peel and chiraungi on face all taken in equal proportion.
3. Rub face with orange peel
4. Mixture of jayphal (nutmeg) and red chandan (red sandalwood) reduces acne
5. Paste of lohra, dhania (coriander) and vach is good treatment for acne
6. Paste of masoor dal (red lentils) with milk, camphor and ghee is the best acne treatment which cures acne and even removes the pockmarks that may be left behind
7. Paste of fine powder of dried orange peel in rose water quickly heels acne and improves skin texture.
8. Apply a mixture of garlic paste and yoghurt over the affected skin
9. Mix a pinch of turmeric powder with coriander leaf extract and apply all over the face every night.

How to Prevent Acne?

For the ones who already have acne, this must be followed to prevent spread of acne all over. Let's have a look at what needs to be done :

• Wash your face regularly. Remove all dirt and excess oil from your skin
• Wipe your face with clean towel
• Do not touch or scratch pimples. This leads to spread of acne and scar formation
• Avoid or reduce intake of oil and fat-rich junk food
• Using orange peel to scrub skin and then applying lemon juice daily improves skin health and hygiene
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Drink ample of water

Ayurvedic Treatment for Acne

After having discussed some ayurvedic remedies and prevention tips, we now come to the actual treatment of acne, which is the best method to get rid of acne. Ayurvedic treatments usually focus more upon elimination of cause rather than reducing the symptoms. The treatment is divided into five parts:

1. Dietary Changes
2. Strengthening Digestion
3. Maintenance of Hygiene
4. Detoxification
5. Stress Management

Ayurvedic treatments are known for their effectiveness. Despite of the long time span needed to notice the results, these methods are still preferred and the long-lasting impact makes them worth a try. Strengthening Digestion, Dietary changes and Detoxification are crucial for relief from acne, and are often not considered when dealing with acne. That's where many treatment efforts fail. Let's look into the details of each part.

Dietary Changes

 Skin health is considered to be directly related to the diet. What you eat is reflected in your skin. So, for good skin and relief from acne, a balanced diet must be followed. Intake of oily, fried, spicy, sugary food must be reduced. Prefer eating soft, well cooked food over raw food and salad. Cold drinks, cold or frozen desserts need to be avoided. Avoid yoghurt, alcoholic beverages, vinegar, tomato, coffee, cheese, onion and garlic as they are known to cause and/or increase acne.

Strengthening Digestion

In Ayurveda, it is believed that, due to deficiency of digestive enzymes(chemical substances that are responsible for digestion inside stomach and intestines), the food is not digested properly in the alimentary canal, and improperly or partly digested particles when absorbed in the blood produce toxic effects as they cannot be used in anywhere in the body and are considered as foreign substances triggering an immune response. The toxic effects of these partly digested food particles can be seen in form of a variety of disorders, each depending upon where these particles get accumulated. Accumulation of such particles in skin leads to acne.

To strengthen digestion, we can provide our digestive enzymes to our digestive system. How? Ginger, Fennel seeds, Cumin seeds and some others are known to possess digestive enzymes. In India, it's an old practice to chew a small piece of ginger for strengthening digestion. Also, Fennel seeds are chewed after food by most of the people in India. 

Maintenance of Hygiene

It is an important part which is practiced by most of those who wish to get rid of acne. This checks the growth of acne over the affected region. What needs to be done for this is mentioned under Ayurvedic Remedies in this article.

Detoxification

As I said earlier, accumulation of toxins in skin cause acne. So, to cure acne, those accumulated toxins must be removed. Blood and Liver detoxification gives relief from acne. However, this must be done only after consulting a Ayurvedic practitioner.

Stress Management

Stress, as I have discussed it's impact upon our body in detailed in another post, impairs digestion. Thus, stress is an indirect cause of acne and hence, stress management is essential to get rid of acne. Music, hobbies, breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, having fun with friends and family are some of the measures that can be employed to reduce stress.