What Causes Acne?

What causes acne? These simple tips will help you stop acne before it starts, and will help you to find acne sensitive skin treatments that work and that help you look and feel great without skin irritation.

It used to be that doctors thought acne was the result of bacteria infecting the skin. Now we know that acne is an inflammatory process in the body.

Knowing this can help us to find acne sensitive skin treatments that address the "root" of the problem.

If we know what causes acne, then we can find solutions!

Hormonal Imbalances Can Cause Acne

There are amazing and complex processes of communications that happen every day between different glands, organs and hormones in our bodies which are connected to our skin.

That is why we tend to develop acne during times in our lives when our hormones are changing, like our teenage years or during pregnancy or menopause.

That is also why if we tend to develop acne, why we get breakouts during stressful periods. Our bodies release stress hormones which can cause an acne eruption.

There are other complex hormonal interactions which can indirectly cause acne, such as insulin resistance which affects the thyroid gland, which then affects the other hormones of the body.

In addition to hormonal changes, there are other factors which can contribute to what causes acne. I am going to discuss some of these here so you can take a look at these in your own life. Do any of these ring a bell for you?

What Causes Acne? Sugar!

Yes, I'm sorry to say, those yummy, fun to eat sugary sweets that we all love are REALLY bad for your sensitive skin. Why? Eating sugar produces more insulin, which creates more testosterone in our bodies. Yes, both men and women have testosterone!

The testosterone increases the body's production of sebum which can cause an acne breakout. If you can only do one thing for your acne sensitive skin treatment, you might try simply eliminating sugar.

Sugar is one of the leading causes of acne and many other health and dental problems. Why then do so many of us LOVE to eat it?

Well, sugar gives us a 'rush' and makes us feel good. It raises our blood sugar temporarily, causing what some people call a 'sugar high'. Then after a few hours, our blood sugar drops quickly, and we end up feeling more tired than we were before.

Some people find that they have an addiction to sugar, and that they have trouble eliminating it from their diet, no matter how hard they try. Here are some tips for eliminating sugar.

• Go slow - Instead of going "cold turkey" and giving it all up at once, cut down gradually. For example, if you drink coffee with 2 teaspoons of sugar, then cut back to one teaspoon for a week. Then the next week, cut down to a half a teaspoon.
  
  If you eat a sugar doughnut for breakfast every morning, cut it in half and add a piece of fruit to your breakfast. Then, the next week, cut it in half and add a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter and fresh sliced apples.
• Eat more veggies and fruits - Add a fresh salad and a few pieces of fresh food to your diet each day. The vitamins, minerals, enzymes and "healthy life force" of these fresh foods will help satisfy your sugar cravings. Also, the extra fiber in these foods will also help balance out your blood sugar.
• Use healthier sweeteners - There are many healthy sugar alternatives that won't wreak havoc with your blood sugar and your hormones. Please don't use artificial sweeteners, those are very toxic to the body and they also accumulate in the environment.
  
  These two healthy sweeteners can satisfy your taste buds and also keep your acne under control.
  
  Stevia is a sweet, non-caloric South American herb that is becoming more popular across the world. It is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar and so you need just a little to sweeten your food with it.
  
  Some brands have a slightly bitter taste if you use too much. I have found SweetLeaf Stevia to be the most delicious and non-bitter of all the brands I've tried. Stevia has very little effect on your blood sugar, and is said to have many health benefits.
  
  Xylitol is a white crystalline powder that is becoming more popular as an additive to dental products, because it is sweet tasting AND it reduces tooth decay. Most foods contain small amounts of xylitol, and it is also created by our own bodies from the foods we eat.
  
  Xylitol is about as sweet as regular sugar, but contains 2/3 less calories. It has no aftertaste, unlike some brands of stevia which may have a slight bitter aftertaste.
  
  Xylitol also has very little impact on blood sugar and so you can use it to sweeten your foods without creating hormonal imbalances and acne flare ups. Xylitol also has many health benefits and is completely safe for humans, BUT you need to keep it away from dogs and other pets, as some research suggests that it can cause low blood sugar or liver failure in our canine friends.

You can learn more about this at our foods that cause acne page.

What Causes Acne? Caffeine!

Say it isn't so!! Yes, caffeine is thought to be one of the causes of acne because it stimulates an increased level of stress hormones in your body, which definitely aggravates acne!

Caffeine is in coffee, tea, sodas, pain relievers and many energy drinks. It sure is easy to get addicted to the rush of energy that caffeine provides!

What if you really REALLY love your morning cup of coffee?? Or can't get your eyes open without it?

The key is to taper down your caffeine use slowly and gradually. Try our Gentle Eight Week Caffeine Cleanse!

My Sensitive Skin Care's Gentle Eight Week
Caffeine Cleanse

You are welcome to document your progress through our free Natural Beauty Blog Journal service. It's a fun way to share!

• Get some good quality decaffeinated coffee beans, and for the first week, mix 1/4 cup of decaf coffee into 1 cup of your regular coffee beans, grind, and then brew as usual.
• You may hardly notice the difference!
• The second week, mix 1/2 cup decaf into 1 cup of your regular coffee.
• The third week, mix 3/4 cups into your 1 cup of regular coffee.
• The fourth week, mix 1 cup of decaf into 1 cup of regular coffee.

Congratulations!! You're already at 'half and half'! Are you starting to notice any changes to your acne And how do you feel?

• Now, keep going and taper your regular coffee a little more....
• The fifth week, mix 1 cup of decaf into 3/4 cups of regular coffee.
• The sixth week, mix 1 cup of decaf into 1/2 cup of regular coffee.
• The seventh week, mix 1 cup of decaf with 1/4 cup of regular coffee.
• The eight week .... try drinking 100% decaf coffee!!

Congratulations!! Do you notice any changes to your acne? And how do you feel?

What Causes Acne? Processed and Refined Foods

A recent study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that acne can be reduced by half simply by eliminating processed and refined foods and by eating a diet of whole grains, lean meats, fish and fruits and vegetables.

Yes, what causes acne is eating too many processed and refined foods, which deprives our bodies of the fiber that we need for healthy elimination, and the enzymes, vitamins and minerals our bodies need to detoxify and balance ourselves in today's stressful world.

This is a REALLY important cause of acne, with a VERY simple solution, but it does take a little more effort than just putting a cream on your face. The rewards however, are GREAT!

Imagine having healthy, glowing and radiant skin, more energy and less fatigue and exhaustion.

Sound good? Go here to our MOST Effective Natural Acne Treatment page!

What Causes Acne? Some Prescription Medications

Some medications such as such as corticosteroids, immunity-suppressing drugs and thyroid medications can cause acne. If you are taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor and see what might be possible to help clear your skin.

What Causes Acne? Allergies to Skin Care Ingredients!

In some cases, the products you are using to help your sensitive skin may actually be contributing to acne. Yes, in some cases what causes acne is your sensitive skin products!

The reason for this is that skin care ingredients are not regulated in most countries, and so your skin care products may contain ingredients that can cause skin irritation, inflammation, hormonal disruptions and acne.

Please see our Guide to Safe Cosmetics for some suggestions on skin care ingredients to avoid which can be causes of acne and which can inflame sensitive skin.

If you want to get rid of acne I highly recommend you use less irritating skin care products. We seen many people with acne clear up their complexions in a few weeks by using very pure hypoallergenic skin care products . Use them according to this simple, four step acne sensitive skin treatment program and you will see an improvement within 2 weeks, guaranteed!

What Causes Acne? Aluminum Toxicity

Some physicians believe there is a connection between aluminum toxicity and acne. There are many toxins that we ingest every day from our air, our water, our food and our personal care products.

Aluminum accumulates in our bodies and our brains, and is found in our cookware, in aluminum foil, in pain relievers, antacids, and personal care products including deodorants and douches. Aluminum is also found in foods such as processed cheese.

Though doctors still disagree about the effects of aluminum toxicity, I recommend you avoid aluminum wherever possible. Use stainless steel or cast iron cookware and use a hypoallergenic deodorant that does not contain aluminum. There are plenty of healthier alternatives that are still effective will be less toxic for your body.

Remember, the fewer toxins you put into your body, the less work your body has to do to stay healthy. Be kind to your body and your complexion will thank you!

What Causes Acne? Old Cosmetics

If you have makeup and facial products that you bought last year, let them go and buy a fresh supply. Bacteria can accumulate on cosmetics that are over 6 months old and irritate your skin.

Please visit our Safe Cosmetics page and our Mineral Makeup page to learn more about the safest and healthiest types of cosmetics for sensitive acne prone skin.

What Causes Acne? Your Pillowcase!

Now that's a new one on me. I had no idea about this, but your pillowcase is a little know contributor to acne outbreaks.

Here is a very simple acne sensitive skin treatment for you. Use a fresh pillowcase! Bacteria can accumulate on your pillowcases especially when you have acne outbreaks. Be sure to wash them at least twice a week.

Some people with severe acne find that it helps to change the pillowcase every other day by sleeping on one side the first night, then turning the pillowcase over and sleeping on the other side the next night. Then, they put that one in the laundry and put on a fresh pillowcase!

This is a very simple and effective acne sensitive skin treatment!

What Causes Acne? - Best Natural Acne
Treatment Program

Now that you have a better idea of what causes acne, you can see that it IS possible to get rid of acne WITHOUT using toxic skin creams or expensive treatments.

In fact, in my own personal experience, acne can be mostly or even completely eliminated by making some simple changes to your lifestyle. These will not only help clear your acne, but will also dramatically improve your overall health.

My very favorite program for helping to clear up acne naturally is the Acne No More which helps to eliminate ALL the causes of acne naturally. This is one of THE most popular acne treatment programs, and it is my top choice for several reasons.

This program is written by certified nutritionist Mike Walden, who suffered from acne himself, which motivated him to search for seven long years to find a solution.

It is is aimed at helping to permanently free you from acne by fixing what causes acne in your unique body.

Although you are likely to begin to see results right away, this doesn't happen overnight, and so should not be undertaken by those who are looking for a quick fix.

Mike offers a huge amount of information (the book itself is 223 pages long) which is organized into practical easy to follow steps, complete with checklists and charts to help you get started.

His program is customizable to your own unique skin challenges, is interactive at each step of the way, and is continually updated with new information.

The program is interactive and offers free professional counseling with a certified nutritionist. This alone is worth the price of the program in my opinion!

Perhaps best of all, the program is practical and simple to follow. So many of the holistic acne treatment programs out there are so complicated and expensive that you simply don't have the time OR the money to do them.

Of all the natural acne treatment programs I've found, the Acne No More system is the best value and my top recommendation for affordable and effective acne sensitive skin treatment.