Acne is a condition of the skin in which oil produced by your glands just below the skin gets trapped, producing inflammation−and usually infection. Unfortunately, acne commonly occurs on the face, making it an unsightly problem that need to be cleared up and for all.

Keeping the face clean is certainly important when suffering from acne, but a dirty face is not usually the core problem. Acne occurs because of overactive glands, usually hormonally induced. In addition, excess toxins usually are present in the blood and are being eliminated through the skin, causing skin conditions such as acne, pimples, and/or rashes.

As if being a teenager isn't hard enough, now you have pimples to deal with! No doubt this condition is annoying, but before you cancel your engagements for the rest of your life, read on to see how herbs can help.

The liver is instrumental in filtering away excess hormones. In the teen years, our body fluctuates its hormone productions−sometimes wildly. Therefore, when our liver (which responsible for filtering excess hormones from the blood) can't keep up with this pace, we find the excess hormones in the blood showing up as acne or pimples on the face.

Making up for the insufficient liver-filtering function by cleansing the blood and liver is an effective approach toward clearing up the problem. Additionally, cleansing the bowel helps get rid of toxins through the instestinal system of the skin−a nicer way to go!

One of the best-known blood cleansers to herbalists is burdock root. Burdock (Artium lappa) not only cleanses the blood of excess wastes, but it also helps your glands regulate hormonal balance. Burdock seems to be verry politically active−it is againt everything!

Burdock is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor. These qualities make it helpful for anti-acne, too. Burdock seems to work well for cleansing the liver, kidneys, and bowel, and its therefore helpful for clearing up associated sysmtoms. Soak a cotton ball in a burdock formentation or tea and apply to your face for a toning effect.

Burdock has also been used to ease anger, irritability, cancer, eczema, chicken pox, measles, and mumps. It has been used as a hair rinse for dundruff, and the juice has been drunk to rid the body of mites. Burdock also may serve as a mild aphrodisiac.

Females who need a little more help regulating those hormones can add extra herbs that support balance for the glands, such as black cohosh, red raspberry, dong quai, and evening primose oil. Adolescent males need balance, too, and can take sarsaparilla in addition to burdock root for a grandular balancing act.

Sarsaparilla has been referred to as a "cowbow tonic" because cowboys used to order sarsaparilla (root beer) in the late 1800s and believed it to be a cure for syphilis.

Tipically, keep your face clean and apply tea tree oil to infected pimples. The tea tree oil is very drying, so use it topically to help dry up infection. Be careful that you don't apply it so often that it makes your skin dry and flaky, however. Tea tree oil is antiseptic acts as a local anesthetic to reduce pain.

A little sunshine on your face will not only help you get some vitamin D, which helps the skin, but will also help to clear your acne condition. But of course don't overdo the sunshine! Finally, stay away from junk food! Excess caffeine, sugar, and oily fats overburdens the liver and defeats your goal.

Drink plenty of pure water; adding some lemon to your drinking water will help, too−vitamin C content in the lemon will help cure skin problems, and lemon is a good tonic for the liver.

If you are a female adult and you suddenly begin to break out with pimples, my first suggestion would be to get a check-up by your obstetrician or gynecologist. Have the doctor check for any type of reproductive organ problems growths or any other problems.

If you are on any type of hormonal replacement therapy or any medications that have an effect on your hormones, have your dosage checked. A sudden acne or pimple problem can mean that your hormones are fluctuating−and you need to know why!

If your doctor finds no problem, regulating your hormones with the use of herbs can help calm them down or tone them up, whichever may be needed. Note any changes in your diet or facial products that could have caused a temporary break-out. Some adults who pick up coffee drinking as a new habit will quckly be burdened with new blemishes; the oil from the coffee beans may be the cause of a break-out. What? No more afternoon cappuccinos?

Adults with acne can follow the same herbal advice for teenagers by using burdock root to cleanse the blood. For men or women, red clover (Trifolium pratense) taken internally has been an excellent herb for cleansing the blood and clearring up skin ailments such as acne.

You can support the liver (which filters excess hormones from the blood) to get to the source of your problem. Take two to three tablets of either burdock, milk thistle, red clover, or dandelion two to three times daily to help your face clear up. Red clover has been used for centuries as a key herbal ingredient in fighting and liver and assisting with protein assimilation.

Both men and women, can take supplemental zinc, vitamins A and D, and niacin. All have proven helpful for acne. Zinc helps in skin healing of any kind, vitamins A and D feed the skin, and niacin helps flush built-up wastes from the circulatory system.

To cleanse the bowel, coloric irrigations or Ivy's colon cleanse should prove helpful almost right away, although the red clover or burdock root may act as a mild laxative for you. You can utilize a periodic herbal cleansing to assist your body with any ailment, and it will make you feel better and healthier and clear up your skin.

A cleanse doesn't need to be harsh to be effective. A gentle, slow-cleansing action can be obtained by adjusting your herbs accordingly. Red clover, in fact, acts as a slow detoxifier. See your herbalist to find a cleanse that is right for your body. Otherwise, give Ivy's cleanse a try.

Tea tree oil may be used topically to help dry up the condition. Don't forget to get a little sunshine on your face, too.