There are two different types of acne; Non-Inflammatory and Inflammatory.

• Non-Inflammatory Acne is primarily whiteheads and blackheads. Sebum (oil) is trapped below the skin’s surface and a whitehead is formed. A blackhead occurs when the pore is opened up and the sebum (oil) turns a darker colour.
• Inflammatory Acne is less common but a more painful form which can develop into cysts and nodules. Some types of acne can be treated with over the counter medications but more extreme forms may only be treated with prescribed medication. Due to the differing nature of this skin condition it’s important to understand why it occurs so we can understand how it can be treated.

The Benefits of Natural Treatments

Natural acne treatments offer a number of fantastic benefits. The most obvious benefit is that natural ingredients are much kinder to the skin than harsh chemicals.

Non-natural and chemical ingredients are more likely to cause a volatile reaction from skin. Rashes and irritation are more common in non-natural treatments. What’s more most people don’t understand what is in their synthetic, chemical skincare products.

The beauty of natural products is that you can easily trace and understand exactly what you are applying to your skin.

There are plenty of different products on the market, natural and synthetic, however some more natural remedies appear to have been overlooked. A new natural treatment for acne and the scarring it can cause is Bakutrol, a botanical skin care ingredient derived from the plant psolarea corylifolia. Bakutrol is a triple acting product which has anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring benefits. It has been proven to have no known side effects unlike some other topical products which can cause skin irritation. Bakutrol helps reduce scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which are the dark spots after the acne lesion has healed. Unigen who launched this product are currently in discussions with manufacturers of skin, makeup and hair care products which are natural and could be the next generation of skincare products.

Another natural product currently being developed for the treatment of acne is thyme. Research has found that when thyme is soaked in alcohol a tincture is formed and it is this that has a greater antibacterial effect than current ingredients being used in skin care products. As this is a natural product it would be welcomed by those whose skin is sensitive, as it isn’t as harsh as some ingredients currently used such as benzoyl peroxide which can cause burning and irritation. Due to thyme’s anti-inflammatory properties it is gentler on the skin than some chemical based skin care products. Who would have thought that something found in your kitchen could be a cure for acne?
Editor’s note – Thyme Tincture (pictured) is available from Amazon

These natural products may soon replace chemically based prescription products. These ingredients are more holistic as they seek to eliminate acne but do not have any side effects or cause irritation during their usage. Hopefully this is the advent of a new generation of holistic products for treating acne and we could soon be eliminating whiteheads and blackheads in a more natural way.