Summary
see also Athlete's foot,
Boils,
Chapped Lips,
Dermatitis,
Eczema,
Impetigo,
Jock Itch,
Melanoma,
Psoriasis,
Rashes,
Ring worm, Scabies,
Scar Reduction,
Skin
cancer, Skin cosmetic
problems
The outer layers of the skin include the pores and
the channels that house the hair follicles. This
channel also serves as the conduit from which sebum and
other lipids are secreted to lubricate the skin and
hair. The area of the hair follicle also naturally
includes some types of bacteria. A number of
different problems in this area can result in acne or
the other skin blemishes that lead to acne.
The first step is the pore or channel of the hair
follicle becomes clogged. This may be caused by an
external source (dirt or products applied to the skin)
but more commonly is from excess sebum being produced in
combination with the naturally occurring dead cells of
the epidermis. The lining of the channel housing
the hair follicle is a part of the epidermis that
continually moves cells from its inner layers to the
surface where the dead cells are discarded. These
dead cells and the sebum can then plug the pore and
entrap bacteria in the channel.
Smaller pores that are plugged are first seen as
whiteheads and the larger pores form blackheads.
If the bacteria cause an infection these may become
pimples. If the bacterial infection continues the
hair follicle channel can rupture and the infection
spread with the resulting inflammatory response of the
body forming larger areas of irritation.
The reason for excess sebum or other clogging of the
hair follicle channels are varied. The types of
skin, that is heredity, is definitely a factor.
Other factors include:
• Hormonal levels (teenage years) and changes related
to menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or stress
• Medications that may affect hormones such as birth
control, etc.
• Cosmetics or hair care products
• Excess moisture from perspiration or a high humidity
climate may compound the problem
Many now suggest that diet (chocolate, nuts, etc.)
are not a cause of acne.
[search helps: whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, zits,
cystic acne, acne vulgaris]
Oils, blends & products
recommended:
Oils & Blends:
ClearSkin®,
cypress
,
frankincense
, geranium
, lavender
, melaleuca,
OnGuard, Purify
Essential oils based
products: Life Long Vitality supplements
Also consider:
cedarwood, juniper, lemon, lemongrass, sandalwood,
thyme
Suggested protocols:
Daily treatment: After cleansing the
skin put 3-5 drops of Fractionated Coconut Oil in the palm
of the hand with 3-4 drops of the essential oil or blend.
Pat this on the affected area and let it soak in. Repeat
this at night as well. The oils found most effective
are:
• Purify blend
• Melaleuca
• Geranium
• ClearSkin blend (diluted)
Adding 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil to a glass of
water (multiple times per day) is an excellent natural
cleanse.
The need to experiment - From the
experiences of others it is noted that different folks will have more
positive results with different oils so it may be
necessary to experiment to find the best protocol.
Sensitive skin - Those with acne
often have sensitive skin so should consider the
following that cleanses like GX Assist and even the Life
Long Vitality supplements will help the body to
rid itself of toxins that are eliminated through the skin.
While it is good to rid the body of the toxins they may
cause further irritation to the skin as they are
eliminated. Therefore it may be necessary to
reduce the amount or frequency of these types of
products.
Virgin Coconut Oil - There are strong
healing properties in Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for the skin.
It is recommended to use this with the essential oils.
Scarring - Topical application of
helichrysum, frankincense, or rosemary will aid if there
is
scarring to the skin.
Experiences and Testimonials of others
Cynthia - I
have a friend that is interested in using oils for her
acne. Do you have any recommendations? Is ClearSkin
recommended for acne?
Pat –The doTerra product ClearSkin
is recommended for acne.
ReNAY - can the ClearSkin be diluted
with FCO in a roller bottle ? My friend's daughter says
"it burns".
Pat – Yes, some have found the need
for a carrier oil with ClearSkin.
Lauri - ClearSkin is too strong for
my acne. I use melaleuca for it. For some people
geranium works better for their acne. I have seborheaic
dermatitis on my forehead and hairline and ClearSkin is
great for this... I would try melaleuca or geranium for
those with sensitive skin.
Cristi - I am 32 and have had acne
since I was a teenager. I have tried EVERYTHING. I
have seen a dermatologist for close to 20 years and have
been on antibiotics, accutane, had laser treatments, the
whole nine yards. I know that different things work for
different people, so I would suggest trying different
oils until you find what's right for your own skin. I
tried melaleuca for years for my acne and it worked
"okay." I did a combination of melaleuca and lavender.
Then I went to geranium. And it was a little better.
Now I use Purify and it works like a DREAM!! I still
use melaleuca and lavender as an all over facial
treatment. But when I have bad pimples coming on, I use
Purify as a "spot treatment" and it's AMAZING! So I
would suggest it as another one to try. And for my acne
scars, frankincense and helichrysm are fantastic!
Kendra - I know
a young woman that has fought with horrible acne for the
last several years. She has been on Accutane 2
times and does not want to do that again. She is
currently off of sugar, for the last couple of months.
She has tried so many things, changing her diet,
cleanses, different products for her face, etc.
Any suggestions?
Pat - Dietary supplements are good
and have her do the GX Assist for the required days,
then a Probiotic immediately following. After the
Probiotic wait 10 days and repeat the whole procedure,
wait 10 days and do it the third time.
In the meantime, each morning after she cleanses her
skin have her put 3 drops of Fractionated Coconut Oil in
the palm of her hand, then 3-4 drops of geranium. Pat it
gently on the face, under the jaw and the neckline. Let
it dry sit for 60 seconds. Repeat this at night before
going to bed.
Put 2 drops of frankincense under the tongue twice a
day.
Jessica - I would be careful with
the LLW supplements and acne. I have extremely
sensitive skin and taking the LLW as directed made my
skin break out 10X's worse! I was shocked because I
believe in doTERRA products. It just didn't work with
my skin. I went off of the LLW after being on them for
about a year (I kept thinking - it takes time to heal
from the inside out) and immediately my skin started
clearing up. I knew there was a link. I felt bad
because I knew in every other way, my body was reacting
well to LLW, but I couldn't compete with the skin
issues. I eventually decided to get back on LLW after my
skin had cleared up, but decided to just take half a
dose - that worked! My skin doesn't react to the half
dosage - good news! Just be careful for others that may
have super sensitive skin - if she/he has a reaction,
cut the dosage in half and see what happens.
Momof3 - My
teenage daughter has a nice clear face but her upper
back is a mess of black heads and acne. The ClearSkin
works a little bit but I thought I'd ask if anyone has
had any success with anything else?
ReNAY - My daughter had the same
problem. We cut her hair shorter and found that
was the problem, her hair ends were rubbing oil on her
neck.
Laura - The other things I like to
use for my skin are melaleuca and geranium. You
might try a melaleuca wash and then layering with
geranium.
Tanya - My brother has the same
problem on his chest and back, and the dermatologist
said it was actually hair follicles which were plugged.
One thing that makes a huge difference for him is
modifying his diet, get off the dairy!! It works wonders
for him ,if he can stay away from the pizza! And the
oils help to clear it up and keep it clear.
Melissa - I don't remember where I
heard to do this but it worked pretty good for me. I put
even amounts of fractionated coconut oil, melaleuca, and
Purify in a roll on bottle. I give it a little shake
before applying.
Pat - I ran into a girl at a show I was
doing and she had some serious acne going on. We talked for
a while and I gave her a sample of geranium and told her to
try it. I ran into her again a couple of months later and
she had lost my card but had used all the oil I had given
her and it had started to really clear her up. The geranium
plus adding just a little
coconut oil to help distribute it evenly. Also take
a capsule every day with 5 drops each of lemon and melaleuca
and 4 drops of oregano. This will heal from the inside while
the geranium is working on the outside.
Luke - I have personally suffered from
acne since I reached puberty. Now at 19 years of age it is
still an issue, both as a cause of discomfort and a source
of embarrassment. Recently (since I went to the launch of
doTERRA in October) I've been attempting to use only
doTerra’s essential oils to treat my skin. As of this
moment I've tried several combinations, admittedly none with
very much consistency, I'll list the most effective
combination I've used thus. 1-3 drops each of On Guard,
Lemon and Peppermint applied after washing my face with warm
water. It has been the most effective thus far but I also
attribute that to watching what I was eating, and making
sure to cleanse my face and apply the oils regularly every
morning and night. I am trying other alternative and
will post my results. I am also open to suggestions on
different oils to try should these not do the trick.
My best regards to anyone and everyone suffering from acne
and wishing to avoid the harsh chemicals in most acne
products.
Wendy - Our experience is that essential
oils are much more effective at preventing breakouts of
acne, than clearing up existing acne, especially if it is
acute acne. Our further experience is that coconut oil
(virgin coconut oil, medium chain, not the fractionated
type) can be very effective in balancing the body and aiding
quality anti-bacterial essential oils such as frankincense,
melaleuca, lavender, lemongrass, geranium, and sandalwood be
effective with acne.
If it were me fighting serious acne, I would do a 1
teaspoon of VCO (melted) and 3 drops each of frankincense
and geranium, just because those are oils that are most
compatible with me. I would apply 3 times per day if
possible. The VCO does not absorb easily, so night time
before bed is most effective and using a generous
application at that time would be easy. During the
day, a lot of time would need to be spent rubbing the oil
blend into the skin, and it still might not be totally
absorbed. I would wash my face well prior to applications.
There will be a few days where there may be an increase
in breakouts as the mixture begins to release toxins. But
clearing should follow. You can experiment with the
essential oils that you want to add, to find the best oil or
blend for you. Serious acne takes some time, but we've seen
VCO and essential oils work. Have faith and let us now how
it goes!
JJ - Use Organic Virgin Coconut Oil as a
base, then try one or a blend of the following:
Frankincense
Geranium
Lavender
Lemongrass (hot - watch eyes)
Melaleuca
On Guard (hot - watch eyes)
Purify
Sandalwood
Everybody is different and what works for one might not
be the best for another. But use your intuition, pay
attention to the energy you feel from individual oils and be
consistent and patient.
Other Tips : Wash your face morning and night, before
applications. Use Organic virgin coconut oil as a base or
carrier to the oils you use. (OVCO). Apply morning and
night. I would also apply Balance to my back or feet every
night and take a capsule every day with 5 drops each of
lemon and melaleuca and 4 drops of oregano.
What Science & Research are saying
A comparative study of tea-tree oil
versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne.
15 October 1990. Bassett IB, Pannowitz DL,
Barnetson RS. Department of Dermatology, Royal Prince Alfred
Hospital, Camperdown, NSW.
Abstract
Tea-tree oil (an essential oil of the Australian native
tree Melaleuca alternifolia) has long been regarded as a
useful topical antiseptic agent in Australia and has been
shown to have a variety of antimicrobial activities;
however, only anecdotal evidence exists for its efficacy in
the treatment of various skin conditions. We have performed
a single-blind, randomised clinical trial on 124 patients to
evaluate the efficacy and skin tolerance of 5% tea-tree oil
gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne when compared
with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion. The results of this study
showed that both 5% tea-tree oil and 5% benzoyl peroxide had
a significant effect in ameliorating the patients' acne by
reducing the number of inflamed and non-inflamed lesions
(open and closed comedones), although the onset of action in
the case of tea-tree oil was slower. Encouragingly, fewer
side effects were experienced by patients treated with
tea-tree oil.
Biological activities of Korean
Citrus obovoides and Citrus natsudaidai essential oils
against acne-inducing bacteria.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 Oct;72(10):2507-13. Epub
2008 Oct 7; Kim SS, Baik JS, Oh TH, Yoon WJ, Lee
NH, Hyun CG. Department of Chemistry, Cheju
National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
This study was designed to analyze the chemical
composition of Citrus obovoides (Geumgamja) and Citrus
natsudaidai (Cheonyahagyul) oils and to test their
biological activities. These citrus essential oils were
obtained by steam distillation of fruits collected from Jeju
Island, Korea, and were analyzed using gas chromatograph
(GC)-flame ionization detectors (FID) and GC-MS. Limonene
and gamma-terpinene were the major components of the two
citrus species. To evaluate in vitro anti-acne activity,
they were tested against Propionibacterium acnes and
Staphylococcus epidermidis, which are involved in acne. The
Geumgamja and Cheonyahagyul oils exhibited antibacterial
activity against both P. acnes and S. epidermidis. Their
effects on DPPH radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical
scavenging, and nitric oxide radical were also assessed.
Cheonyahagyul and Geumgamja exhibited only superoxide anion
radical-scavenging activity. To assess their potential
usefulness in future cosmetic product applications, the
cytotoxic effects of the two oils were determined by
colorimetric MTT assays using two animal cell lines: normal
human fibroblasts and HaCaT cells. They exhibited low
cytotoxicity at 0.1 microl/ml in both cell lines. In
addition, they reduced P. acnes-induced secretion of
interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNF-alpha) in THP-1 cells, an indication of
anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, based on these
results, we suggest that Geumgamja and Cheonyahagyul
essential oils are attractive acne-mitigating candidates for
topical application.
Ready, Set, Grow
