What does cinnamon bring to your mind? Flavorful cuisine! Well, cinnamon is a savory spice that has been extensively used in cooking. At the same time, it has curative properties, including the ability to cure acne. The onset of acne is attributed to several factors, such as hormonal fluctuations, overactive sebaceous glands, high stress levels, nutrient deficiencies and allergens, among others. Regardless of the underlying causes of acne, it is always sensible to take a natural approach for acne treatment. Let's see how cinnamon can help you!

Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of the cinnamon tree, which is native to tropical areas. Its use in food and medicine, especially Chinese medicine, dates as far back as 2000 B.C. Cinnamon can address several health issues, including diarrhea, flatulence, intestinal colic and menstrual cramps. It is also known to control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. When it comes to natural acne treatment, cinnamon's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties play an important role. Additionally, cinnamon supports skin health by promoting blood flow to the skin. In other words, it brings essential nutrients to the skin surface. Cinnamon's major constituent is cinnamaldehyde. It also contains tannins, flavonoids and other health-giving plant pigments.

How can you use cinnamon for acne cure? You can use cinnamon in the powder form or as an essential oil. As little as three drops of the essential oil added to about two tablespoons of petroleum jelly can work wonders in rejuvenating your skin. The mixture can improve the tone of your lips and skin by reducing fine lines.You can also substitute petroleum jelly with olive oil. Cinnamon powder cleanses the skin by exfoliating the dead skin cells and eliminating the excess oil. It facilitates deep cleansing of the pores, thereby decreasing inflammation and checking the growth of bacteria that worsens acne.

One of the most popular home remedies for acne constitutes cinnamon and honey. Honey has equally attractive skin-health properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and moisturizing properties and works for all skin types - dry, oily and combination types. It is capable of absorbing impurities from clogged pores and its natural hydrogen peroxide content prevents bacterial infestation. For a simple yet effective recipe, mix a tablespoon of freshly ground cinnamon powder with two teaspoons of honey. Leave the mixture for about 15 minutes to let their properties diffuse well. To use the mix as a face mask, apply it on your face, leave for about 20 minutes and rinse. To use it for spot treatment, apply it on the affected spot and leave it overnight before washing off. The treatment is effective for back acne as well.

If you have sensitive skin, make sure that you conduct a spot test on your jawline or neck. It is important to remember that accidental ingestion of cinnamon powder can burn your mouth and throat and also lead to breathing problems. Those who are prone to hay fever or have pollen allergies must be cautious of allergic reactions associated with using honey.

Severe acne can be detrimental to the thin layers of skin 
on your forehead and face. It can also cause extreme 
irritation, resulting in open wounds, puss-filled pores, 
and unsightly scarring.

This type of acne is quite different than mild or moderate 
cases. Severe acne needs the immediate attention of a 
qualified dermatologist and your family practitioner.

Severe or acute acne can be caused by both environmental 
and genetic variables. Prevention and treatment are the 
best ways to deal with such cases. Seldom does an extreme 
acne sufferer's skin clear up naturally, but in most 
instances, it actually worsens.

Usually a dermatologist will recommend a combination of 
both topical cream and oral drugs. Several types available 
include different antibiotics, benzyl peroxides, Tretinoin, 
Adapalen and the strong, yet effective Azelaic Acid. 
Antibiotics and this acid can work wonderfully, attacking 
the source of inflammation-the bacteria lining the 
follicle.

The other topical drug, Tretinoin, is simply a form of 
vitamin A that stops the development of comedones, or 
inflamed hair follicles. While it doesn't necessarily stop 
the growth of bacteria, this is a more natural way of 
unplugging clogged pores that cause inflammation and 
lesions, thereby allowing the use of topical antibiotic 
cream to work deeply within the skin.

Another drug that isn't so natural in it's approach are the 
newer forms of Retinoid drugs. These drugs are quite 
powerful in the way they work. Like Tretinoin, these drugs, 
often Tazarotene or Adapalen, also help to fight off the 
development of comedones or comedo lesions.

These drugs, although not available over the counter (OTC), 
come in different forms. Similar to OTC drugs, these come 
in a variety of solutions, gels, lotions and creams. Your 
dermatologist will immediately know which type is right for 
your skin and prescribe what she or he believes will most 
effectively open pores and fight-off unwanted bacteria.

Dermatologist will routinely ask you which form of 
medication you'd prefer. Creams are good for those with 
extra sensitive skin, while gels and other solutions tend 
to make the skin become more dry and irritated. He or she 
may recommend one or the other based on gender and/or 
whether you live in a hot and humid climate.

At first, your skin may look and feel worse with the use of 
such strong medications. If the pain becomes unbearable or 
if you develop a rash or extreme redness of any kind, be 
sure to stop using the product and immediately talk to your 
doctor and dermatologist.

Similarly to OTC treatments, it will take up to eight weeks 
for you to actually notice improvements. But, once it 
begins to clear, it will make a world of difference to how 
your skin looks and feels.



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There are so many skin creams on the market it's enough to make your head spin. There are creams for under the eyes, creams for anti-aging, for anti-wrinkle, foot cream, body lotions, alpha-hydroxy creams and on and on.

So how do you choose what's right for you? You'll probably do what my wife has done and that's try everything! The problem is that there are creams out there that are not so good for your skin.

In my research to find products that would help my wife with her eczema and acne, I discovered honey based creams, which were very effective in handling her skin problems.

There are several very good ones on the market today.

There is a mixture of creams that are very workable and have similar ingredients. I'm going to give you some of the natural ingredients that you should look for when you are looking for a good natural healing skin cream. They are:

Honey is an amazing ingredient and is the base for several of the top healing skin creams in America the UK and Australia.

Honey: Known for it's anti-bacterial properties.

Panthenol It's vitamin B 5 known for its moisturizing ability

Royal Jelly- anti-bacterial properties

Aloe Vera-Healing/moisturizing, a natural soother

Ginseng Extract-Oxygenates

Calendula-Antiseptic

Bee Propolis- Anti biotic

Olive Oil-Natural Moisturizer

Vitamin A-Anti-oxidant

Vitamin E-For Healing

Avocado Oil-A Skin Toner

Jojoba oil-a softener

Safflower Oil- An Anti-inflammatory

Healing creams with some or all of these ingredients are:

Thentix Cream,

Egyptian Magic Skin Cream,

Manuka Skin Care Skin Cream,

Herbaline Skin Care Cream,

Green Tea Honey Eye Cream,

I hope this helps.

http://astore.amazon.com/acnegenral-20

Recently there’s been a lot of buzz about acne laser treatment. This isn’t something new in the acne world but it's still an interesting topic. If you’ve ever watched reality makeover shows like Extreme Makeover or The Swan, it’s obvious they promote laser treatment as the quick and most effective fix to make skin more beautiful, implying it is the best option for treating acne.

With the constant publicity laser treatment gets on television, I am sure many would start researching and see if the hype is true. Most of us would want to fix it and forget it. So, I was curious about what I would find on the Internet too. I typed “acne laser treatment” in the three major search engines and found 867,921 hits from MSN, 2,650,000 hits from Yahoo, and coming out on top, a whopping 2,660,000 hits from Google!

If you were to research these links you’d probably find that most companies will wholeheartedly declare that laser treatment reduces “most inflammatory acne in a few visits,” or guarantees at least “90% [of people that use the treatment] experience a reduction in acne lesions” in bold letters. Initially that might send a major warning sign. SCAM! But the fact is, laser treatment really can help.

People with severe acne and who are at risk of scarring may want to consider the option more than most. Let’s face it; if anyone with substantial acne has not gotten adequate results from effective over the counter acne treatments or from prescription medications, they should definitely consider acne laser treatment. The personal cost of ignoring acne is too high.

On the other hand, and this is probably the biggest deterrent, it’s pretty expensive. Though cost varies around the country, it’s going to run in the range of $2,300 to $3,200 for a series of laser treatments. That’s substantial. Fortunately, though it doesn’t work for everyone, the odds are pretty good.

To explore real cases of people who’ve used laser treatment I went to acne.org and read how people rated certain laser treatments (mainly CO2) and whether they would recommend it to others. There were twenty-five entries total, all had used some form of acne laser treatment and rated it on a scale of one to five. Not surprisingly, only two of the twenty-five people highly recommended (4 on a scale of 5) the procedure, whereas eighteen saw it as a very poor option (2 on a scale of 5).

So why all the negative responses if it really is a worthwhile option? A major factor relates to the KIND of laser being used. In a study published in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, investigators reported excellent long-term success in treating acne with laser. Their excellent results were obtained with the 1450-nm diode laser. There was a 75% reduction in acne lesions and the improvement was maintained over the 12 months of the study. That’s pretty good!

Choosing to get laser treatment rather than using over-the-counter acne medication, or even prescription medication, isn’t a simple matter. It's not like changing brands of your deodorant. A lot more thought and careful research should be done before considering it.


http://astore.amazon.com/acnegenral-20

Acne No More: An Objective Review

 Acne No More makes some rather bold claims in its promotions, saying that it 
can help you solve your acne problems for good. Across the board, people that 
suffer with acne have tried many different products only to find disappointment 
for their efforts. To help you out, we wrote this article in an attempt to 
dispel any myths about Acne No More and what this product can actually do for 
you.

 Acne affects every person slightly differently. There are lots of causes for 
acne and everybody has different types of skin. Acne No More acknowledges this 
and gives you options for customizing it to fit yourself. Because the book takes
  a deep and close look at your lifestyle and diet and how your health impacts 
your skin, you'll get a really good understanding of what you are going to need 
to do to clear up your acne. Most acne cures aren't anything more than a jar of 
something that you spread onto your skin but Acne No More understands that a 
true cure needs to be more customized than that.

 Acne No More deals with some of the causes of acne that hardly anyone else 
talks about. There are lots of health problems that are caused by 
parasites--microorganisms that live in our food and in our environment. Our 
immune systems and the amount of stress we feel are compromised and increased by
  parasites. Acne is a symptom of this and Acne No More teaches users how to get 
these harmful parasites out of your body. This book is going to help you reduce 
your stress and get more sleep--two things that will go a long way in helping 
you better resist these parasites.

 If you want to try Acne No More you might feel like learning everything it 
teaches is going to be hard. After all, in addition to your 200+ page eBook, 
there is also a lot of bonus information to sort through too. The good news is 
that the content is easy to read and to understand and you don't need to have 
any medical background to be able to understand it. You'll also find the 
information practical and the directions very easy to follow. It's true that you
  are going to need to take some time to do some reading and to test out some 
different methods they are not going to be very hard to implement or complicated
  to try out. Acne No More has the advantage of being a system that any person
can  follow.

http://astore.amazon.com/acnegenral-20

Even though acne can present a serious problem, the scars it leaves behind may even be harder to deal with. The acne infection will eventually clear out even if no medication is taken. Subsequently, the scars stick in place like sticky notes as though to remind you of the infection. Whether butter extract from cocoa is effective against these is a question an individual is bound to ask sooner or later.

Walking around with the scars forming a pattern all over your face can turn out to be nightmarish. Though it can be very costly, surgery is one acne scar treatment option that can be considered. There are also some homemade remedies that can aid in scar removal. The rest of the remedies are just hyped up myths that are capable of worsening your acne.

Will Cocoa Butter Really Work Against my Acne Scars?

The butter provides a homemade scar removal alternative that should be given top consideration. Still, the pertinent question persists; how effective is it? Succinct to say, it can be very effective. Cocoa butter has been the chief ingredient used by women to remove stretch marks for generations.

The prolonged use of this effective butter has increased curiosity on whether it can be used to get rid scars caused by acne. The big similarity between acne scars and stretch marks is that they both damage the skin. The butter gets rid of stretch marks and discoloration caused by acne scarring.

This butter contains a high concentration of vitamin E which is beneficial for the skin. Some foods that are rich in vitamin E are nuts, sunflower and spinach. Our bodies can process Vitamin E from such foods. This is then distributed to our skin.

In parts of the skin that have scars, the body cannot process Vitamin E effectively. These skin areas are in more dire need of this nutrient for the healing process. Because the body cannot evenly distribute the nutrient to the scar area, you need to dab some butter on the affected area. This ensures that these skin areas receive the vital vitamin E needed for the healing process.

How does butter extracted from cocoa eliminate scars after acne infection? People still have lingering questions on exactly what results to expect with this refreshing butter. Information from friends and online sources may not usually be satisfactory. Granted, the butter is not a miracle portion that will heal all your scars overnight.

When the butter is used as a remedy, it is important to ensure that your scars are fresh or less than a week old. Just a couple of days before the scars toughen or the hard skin emerges, cocoa butter can then be applied. If your skin type is allergic to cocoa based butter, your scars may worsen.


http://astore.amazon.com/acnegenral-20

Misleading Neutrogena Skin ID reviews are everywhere. This is my in-depth 
unbiased review, and it will uncover what is and what is not of Neutrogena Skin 
ID. 7 Pros and Cons will help you decide if Skin ID is a desirable product or 
not.

 Acne is the worst. For countless years, I tried plenty of products and 
solutions created by companies claiming to have finally found the cure. Some of 
the products worked better than others. Others were a waste of time and money. I
  don't expect miracles, and I never did. I always hope that any new acne 
treatment will result will be fewer noticeable breakouts within a reasonable 
amount of time.

 Before trying any new acne product, I read the reviews of people who have 
already tried it. After I found out about Neutrogena Skin ID, I checked out its 
reviews and this is what I found -- although it is not the perfect product, it 
is worth a try.

 How Does Neutrogena Skin ID Work?

 Neutrogena begins its order process with a detailed questionnaire. Before 
ordering the products, you will need to answer several questions, such as age, 
gender, skin type, skin tone, whether or not you have sensitive skin, type of 
acne, products used before, and many more. Some Neutrogena Skin ID reviews 
contained complaints about the length of the questionnaire, but I believe that 
the company is doing potential buyers a favor because not everyone has the same 
skin type, and we all have different circumstances.

 The purpose of Neutrogena's questionnaire is to recommend a custom 
combination of Skin ID products in order to produce the best results. Based on 
your answers, Neutrogena Skin ID recommends a personalized skin care system 
using 3 products: an anti-acne treatment, a combination cream cleanser/mask, and
  a moisturizer. These products are each given a separate number that customers 
use to order the product.

 Some Neutrogena Skin ID reviews claimed that the custom combination made it 
difficult to order because some were afraid they might choose the wrong product 
by mistake. However, I found that it was necessary to answer the Skin ID 
questionnaire as accurately as possible to obtain the best product 
recommendations. Why wouldn't you want your personal formula designed to give 
you the best possible results?

 Does Neutrogena Personalized Skin Care Really Work?

 It is important to understand that Skin ID alone will not cure your acne. You
  need to make a commitment to follow the instructions on the labels and use your
  products regularly and as directed. In other words, follow the directions 
exactly in order to derive maximum benefit from your Skin ID!

 According to various Neutrogena Skin ID reviews, the products seem to work 
well. Consumers are confident because the products are personalized to their 
particular needs. Some reviewers were skeptical that the personalization of the 
product was a ploy in order for Neutrogena to sell more products. However, many 
had significant confidence in the company, because they were already familiar 
with its popular, high-quality drug store brand.

 Skin ID Vs Proactiv Solution

 The company claims that its Skin ID product line is twice as effective as 
Proactiv Solution. Several Neutrogena Skin ID reviews back this claim, and many 
users of all age groups claimed that the product produced immediate effects. I 
had difficulty finding many negative Skin ID reviews.


Neutrogena conducted its own clinical trial with 500 volunteers and 
discovered positive reactions overall. According to the company's own findings, 
participants in the trial showed 70% improvement in just two months. Neutrogena 
Skin ID was successful in the trial early on, and the company provides the 
following numbers:

•   Visible results for 86% of users during the first week


•   90% visible difference by the end of the second week


•   94% change during the third week


•   100% difference at the end of the first month

 
Several Neutrogena Skin ID reviews claimed that the product was ideal for 
sensitive skin and that it wasn't nearly as harsh as Proactiv. Other acne 
products work better (such as Exposed Skin Care), but they are also 
significantly more expensive.


Keep in mind that you may not need the most expensive product if your acne is
  mild. My acne is mild; therefore, the only difference I find between products
is  the length of time it takes for them to begin working and how long the
products  continue to work. However, moderate acne sufferers suggest that the
product took  much longer to work, and it wasn't as effective as it was on mild
acne  sufferers.


What Are the Advantages of Using Neutrogena Skin ID?


The biggest advantage of Skin ID is that it has a 60-day money back 
guarantee. This serves as a great, no-risk incentive for those who are wary of 
either trying a new brand or switching to a new product. However, Neutrogena 
requests that you pay return shipping and handling charges. Not a bad deal.

 If you like the product, it is extremely cost effective at $19.95 a 
month.

 As I mentioned earlier, Neutrogena Skin ID is clinically proven to be 
effective and fights acne at the first sign of breakout. Skin ID also receives a
  rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars.


The free custom questionnaire is detailed enough to create a personalized 
skin care system designed with you in mind. In fact, the system will not allow 
you to order any products until you have completely answered the questionnaire. 
Neutrogena is the first company to come out with an acne product that is 
personalized; in fact, there are 25 possible combinations of formulas.

 With All These Advantages, What Could Possibly Be 
Negative?

 Some Netrogena Skin ID reviews offer complaints that at an initial price of 
$40, the product is overpriced. However, its initial cost is still less 
expensive than its main competitor, Proactiv. Also, I did not like that when I 
went to order the product, Neutrogena gave me no choice but to put me on an 
automatic re-ordering schedule. That type of system does not work well for me 
because I would most likely forget to cancel. 60 days is a long time to remember
  to cancel an ongoing order if you do not wish to continue.

 Some Skin ID users complained that the products did not meet their 
expectations, especially if their skin was extra sensitive or if they suffered 
from moderate acne. Additionally, some product reviews indicated that Skin ID 
had a consistency that was thicker than preferred and that the product had a 
disagreeable odor. Some reported that the product's consistency was similar to 
butter.

 Additionally, several users complained of redness, dryness, swelling, 
itchiness, and greasiness.

 The bottom line is that you need to decide for yourself. I can only tell you 
my experiences with this product as well as share some information from other 
Neutrogena Skin ID reviews. However, each case is different and what works for 
me may not work for you.


 7 Pros and Cons

 Pros

•   Very popular product


•   Works well on mild acne


•   60 day money back guarantee


•   No prescription is needed


•   Personalized skin care


•   Cost effective


•   Conducted a clinical trail with 500 volunteers

 Cons

•   Less effective on moderate to severe acne


•   Some Reported skin irritation on sensitive skin


•   Initial price of $40


•   Acne fighting strength is too mild


•   Moisturizer might clog pores for oily skin


•   Redness and dryness if over use


•   Average customer service

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jen_Becht