Well, for one, I think it affects millions around the world, and that includes our fellow calisthenic athletes.

You may not be suffering from acne, but I am pretty sure you know someone that is. Please share this post with them.

I want to preface, I am not a dermatologist, nor medical doctor. I did suffer from acne as a child, and I have recently dealt with it in my family.

The purpose of this article, is to possibly help those find a solution that is more sustainable, natural with less adverse side effects, and affordable.

I want to cover what acne is and a healthy more natural way to cure one’s acne.

Yes I realize there are a ton of solutions out there, from ProActiv to the new Sulfur based prescribed medications.

What is Acne?

Rather than reinvent the wheel I thought I would just cut and paste the textbook definition of acne from our good friends over at Wikipedia:

Acne vulgaris (or simply acne) is a long-term skin condition characterized by areas of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, greasy skin, and possibly scarring. The resulting appearance may lead to anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and in extreme cases, depression or thoughts of suicide.

Acne vulgaris is often found in teenagers however Acne Rosacea, is common in middle-aged  women.  By definition, Rosacea is a chronic skin condition characterized by facial redness, small and superficial dilated blood vessels on facial skin, papules, pustules, and swelling.

Sometimes a person can suffer from a combination.

The side effects from having acne can be quite devastating, especially as we tend to live in a very superficial culture that judges someone on looks alone.

When one suffers from acne you are just about willing to do anything to clear it up. The problem with this mentality is that it tends to favor a more quick fix  magic bullet approach.

What I want to offer is a more holistic way of treating and dealing with your acne that really focuses on nutrition in addition to the traditional ways like washing your face twice a day.

Acne 101

As I mentioned before, I am not a medical doctor nor will I attempt to clinical tell you exactly what acne is, because, really we don’t know 100% for sure what is the cause. And many of the over the counter products claiming to treat acne are just band-aids covering up what I think may be some of the culprits to having acne.

Here are some interesting statistics I found on acne:

Causes of acne include one or a combination of the following:

• Genetics
• Hormones
• Prescribed Medications
• Oil-Based cosmetics
• Stress
• Physical irritation
• Humidity and Environmental pollutants

Of the 85% of teenagers (between the ages of 12 and 24) that suffer from acne, 25% will have permanent scars ranging from severe to light. The American Dermatologist Association finds that:

20% of all adults have active acne
60 million Americans have active acne
20 million Americans have acne badly enough to cause scars.
Only 11% of acne sufferers seek help
Acne is considered a social taboo.

Acne affects people regardless of age, gender or race. While thoroughly treatable, of those who suffer from acne:

11% will see a physician
20% will go to a skin care center
30% will use an over-the-counter medication from a drug store or pharmacy
40+% will do nothing

The numbers are simply amazing that out of all the possible ways to treat acne none are addressing a more holistic approach.

Probably one of the best books on the subject is The Clear Skin Diet, by Alan Logan and Valori Treloar. Logan is aboard certified  naturopathic physician licensed and Treloar is MD Board Certified Dermatologist. Together the two offer a real hands on sensible approach to clear skin that starts with nutrition.

We are what we eat.

Your skin is one of the largest organs in your body. If you suffer from acne, in my opinion, it is your body’s way of communicating with you that you are not well.  In other words, its like an alarm siren signaling that some type of change(s) is (are) necessary.

The New Approach

I am a true believer in the power of food and water. I think what we put in our bodies reflects greatly on the outside, like our skin, hair and nails.

Now granted what I am about to share with you, is not a clinical trial, nor is it evidence that it will work for everyone. I simply worked with my girlfriend to help curtail her acne.

I took a five phase approach:

1) Reduce/eliminate certain foods, mainly one food group with another (Interior)
2) Natural hygiene, washing face twice a day, with face toner, and cream (Exterior)
3) Increase more healthy foods, supplementation, and water consumption (Interior)
4) Better rest and sleep, 7-9 hours and naps (Interior)
5) Reduce stress levels, of course this is ongoing, as life is a constant ebb and flow (Interior)

As you can see my focus was mostly on the inside. (80%)  I wanted to work from the inside out. Our skin is a reflection of how well we treat the inside not just the outside. Our culture nowadays is so focused on the external that it oftentimes neglects the most important part, caring for our bodies by what and how we eat and what we think.

Phase 1 – Eliminate Dairy

What I am about to say may offend some people and fly in the face of convention propaganda as well as main stream media. Milk and dairy products seemed to aggravate my girlfriend.

I first learned about this in the book, The Clear Skin Diet, as it describes the correlation between acne breakouts and milk/dairy consumption. In the book it also details how the vast majority of Chinese are lactose intolerant.

I am not sure why my girlfriend’s acne got worse as she consumed more dairy products, it could have something to do with the chemicals that are added to the dairy based products or the products themselves I am not quite certain. I read that it may have something to do with the naturally occurring hormones and growth factors in dairy products that seem to turn on the oil glands in those that consume it.

We tried all sorts of dairy products, from goat’s milk, to sheep’s milk, as alternatives and nothing seemed to work. We have since been using homemade rice milk, which consists of soaking one cup of rice overnight, then cooking it, and adding the cooked rice and four cups of filtered water to a blender and blending it for 2-3 minutes. You can add vanilla or cinnamon to flavor it up.

For those of you worried about taking rice milk and not getting your so-called calcium, in China, it is very common for mothers to give their infants rice milk. My brother and I were fed rice milk as infants, and I can assure you that the both of us are perfectly normal.

Once you reduce your dairy consumption, you will see a noticeable difference in your skin.

Phase 2 – Natural Hygiene

When I had my bout with acne, Retinol-A and Accutane both were the prescribed medications, which essentially are forms of Vitamin A. Knowing this, it made sense that we would supplement more with whole food bases and sources of Vitamin A rather than experience the side effects of either of the chemical toxic based prescriptions.

It seems that nowadays sulfur is the new in thing. The problem with sulfur based products and medications is that some people have a reaction to sulfur and it may make things worse.

Instead, I opted to use some natural products:

1) Wash twice a day, morning and evening, with Aleepo soap, the two fundamental ingredients: olive oil and laurel(bay leaf) oil, and the percentage of laurel oil and olive oil can vary, I would recommend something organic. You can find this at any natural food store.  (Cost $5-10) This should last you 6 months or more. Or another alternative is Grandpa’s, Thylox, Acne Treatment Soap with Sulfur. (Cost $5) This should last 2-3 months. I have personally used both, and I have no issues, however my girlfriend has used Grandpa’s Soap and did not have great results, so we went back to used Aleepo soap. One more thing, in the book The Clear Skin Diet, it cites many reasons why washing your face twice a day is better than once a day, with supporting data to back it up.

2) Use a cleanser and toner, all natural and organic, we use Weleda One step cleanser and toner. I love these products because they are clean and pure, with as little added ingredients as possible. A few dabs on a cotton pad will do perfectly, using it both morning and night just after you wash your face. (Cost $15) This should last you 6-8 weeks.

3) Use a natural based acne cream or gel, we use Himalaya Herbals Acne-n-Pimple Cream, now I realize it has fillers that are not that good but it works wonders, and its a temporary stop gap for acne that is the breakout stages.  (Cost $6) This should last you 6 months

4) Another great natural remedy that I have personally used with success is a Sea Kelp Blemish stick. ($7.50)

Phase 3 – Food, Water & Supplementation

What you eat and drink like milk and dairy products can seriously wreak havoc on your skin. That’s why we eat tons of green vegetable which naturally have Vitamin A, and supplement with a new Homeopathic remedy that seems to be working pretty good, called Clearin by a company called Vaxa International. (Cost $18 for two weeks, one month supply $36) You take 2 pills in the morning and two in the evening. We first took 1 pill in the morning and 1 pill in the evening for the first 2 days to acclimate my girlfriend’s body to the product. She is very tiny and has a sensitive stomach so I wanted to slowly get her accustomed to the pills.  Another nice alternative is Zinc, however this sometimes works for some and not for others. So far we have had the greatest success with Clearin. Lastly, water, is a key component to great looking skin. Our bodies are made up of water, and you skin is one of the ways your body detoxes by sweating. Replenishing the water lost throughout the day is an important part of maintaining a healthy body. To learn more about water, check this out.

Phase 4 – Sleep

This one is pretty self-explanatory, we need 7-9 hours of sleep every day. If you are not getting the right amounts of sleep you will feel the consequences later. Sleep helps to reduce stress which in turn can possibly help your body, in turn helping your skin. Everything is inter-related. To learn more about this check out the article I wrote on sleep.

Phase 5 – Manage Stress

We all have to manage some type of stress in our lives. The are many different ways to help reduce stress, some of my favorite are meditation and exercise. you need to do what’s best for you, but you need to do something each and every day that helps you unwind.

In conclusion, this is the approach that we have chosen to take. In no way, am I stating that you are guaranteed to have clear skin. Everyone is made differently and you need to do what works best for you. It’s my hope that some of what I have shared can help some of the millions struggling with acne.

Especially in Western society.

We just naturally assume that it will always be there, readily available.

Let’s begin with some interesting facts on water that definitely made me appreciate this fantastic natural resource.

Water Factoids

•  There are 1,700 Million Square Miles Of Water. (326 Million Trillion Gallons) Less Than 1% Is Drinkable.
• Over 90% of World’s Supply of Freshwater is in Antarctica
• The  Human  Brain is  75%  Water
• Human Blood is 83% Water
• Human Bones are 25% Water
• One Inch of Rain Falling On One Acre Of Land Is Equal To About 27,154 Gallons of Water
• One Drip per Second from a Leaky Faucet Can Waste 2,000 Gallons of Water Per Year.
• The average toilet uses 6 liters (1.6 gal) of clean water in a single flush.
• A Shower Uses 5 Gallons per Minute.
• 75% of an Elephant is Water
• 95% of a Tomato is Water.
• 3.4 Million People Die Each Year From Water Related Causes.
• People in Africa and Asia have to walk an average of 3.7 miles (6 KM) to collect water.
• Nearly 700 million Chinese people drink contaminated water.
• Two-thirds of the water used in the average home is used in the bathroom.
• Pure water has no smell and no taste, it also has a pH level around 7.
• Americans use 5 times the amount of water that Europeans use.
• If all the plumbing fixtures in the United States were replaced with water conserving fixtures, we could save 3.4 to 8.4 billion gallons of water per day.

Maybe that’s why so many of us our severely dehydrated.

Some pretty amazing facts that sort of stops and makes one think about this very precious resource.

What are the 23 benefits of drinking water?

1.  Relieves Fatigue. A recent study from Tufts University found that mild dehydration — a loss of just 1 to 2 percent of body weight as water — was enough to impair thinking. If it turns into full-blown dehydration, it could cause an imbalance in electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which aid muscles and heart function.
2. Improves Mood.
3. Treats Headaches and Migraines.
4. Helps in Digestion and Constipation
5. Aids Weight Loss
6. Flushes Out Toxins
7. Improves Skin Complexion –
8. Boosts Immune System
9. Save Money! – you will find that you don’t have to go out and buy any overpriced liquids in a plastic container.
10. Save You Time. Instead of shopping and looking for something to drink, opting for water will save you time because it’s an easy decision and readily available.
11. Regulates Body Temperature
12. Relieves Hangover
13. Beats Bad Breath
14. Brain boost kidney function.
15. Muscle fuel.It helps endurance athletes fight fatigue.
16. Working out in it (yes, in it) is good for aerobic fitness.
17. Living near it is good for our health.
18. Its sounds are soothing.
19. When frozen, it provides pain and swelling relief for soft tissue injuries.
20. It’s been linked to heart health.
21. A warm foot-bath before bed could help you sleep.
22. Waterbeds can help some people with back pain.
23. Spa therapy could relieve pain and aid relaxation.
24. Soaking up steam heat is good for the heart.

What are the 10 Myths about Water?

1. Drink Eight Glasses Each Day. No two people are exactly alike and as such a person’s water consumption can depend on many variable such as weight, height, age and activity level. Note: See below for just how much water to drink.
2. It’s Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout.
3. Yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.
4. If you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Oftentimes thirst is your body’s way of telling you to drink something and is not necessarily an indication of dehydration.
5. You need sports drinks, not water, to function at a high level in athletics.
6. It’s possible to drink too much water.
7. Drinking Other Liquids is the Same as Drinking Water
8. Tap Water Isn’t Good For You. This is not always true as I have personally tested the PH of tap water in certain cities and found it hiring in PH than some of the bottled water I was drinking at the time. Of course, PH is not the sole indicator of pure water, it is a good measure and better than nothing.
9. Don’t Wash Your Face With Water (use this expensive product)
10. Hard Water is Very Bad For You.

How much water should I drink?

There are three really great water intake calculators that I like to use, each serves its own purpose.

Present Activity Calculator – Med India

This is a fantastic and simple calculator to tell you where you are at presently. This is just an estimate, and the actual amount of water depends on many other factors such as exercise, illness and fluid content in dietary intake. Pregnant and breast-feeding women need to drink more fluids to stay hydrated.

There are only three categories: weight, activity level, and climate so it is rather easy to use.

 Past Activity Calculator –  Hydration 4 Health

This is a neat little calculator where you input your weight based on kilos and then your input your daily liquid intake based on the types of beverages you normally drink as well as height, gender, activity level and country. It takes into consideration all your inputs and displays your water intake as well as hints and tips.

If you don’t know you weight in kilos or your height in centimeters click on the gear icon in the upper right corner

You can then select from Metrics to US

You then enter your Age, Physical Activity, Gender and Country.

The calculator does the rest.

The interface is a bit complicated but its a good general indicator.

Future Activity Calculator – CamelBak

This is hands down my favorite calculator for determining how much water you will need for future fitness activities. The interface is super easy and stupid proof.

The calculator is divided into four categories:

1. Tell us about yourself, which includes height, weight, age
2. What is your hydration level, which includes color of your urine and  the amount you sweat.
3. Describe your activity, which includes type, duration and intensity.
4. Weather conditions

Note: As this is a marketing tool provided by CamelBak they give water backpack recommendations at the bottom. I simply ignore this and just pay attention to “The Ideal Hydration Amount.”

In conclusion, water is extremely important to your health and vitality. Like with anything in like there are some misconceptions when it comes to the pros and cons of this important beverage.

A bit of common sense also factors into your decision and consumption of water. You are your best indicator, if you have gone all day without water and feel slightly off, it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out that maybe you need to drink a glass or two or even three.

Water is my preferred choice of beverage and I hope you will make it yours, if you have not already.

And for those of you bilingual folks out there here is a great video in Spanish that my girlfriend sent me: