What is the best way to treat acne? Does chocolate attribute to it?

Question

I saw on Proactiv's website that chocolate isnt as bad as most say. It isnt as acne causing. I dont use Proactiv, I use Neutrogena. What acne treatment works best? Also, does toothpaste work?

I wash my face... it helps a little. What else should I do?

Answer 1

Chocolate has no effect on acne (unless perhaps if you're smearing it on your face and leaving it there, haha). Toothpaste sounds very much like an urban legend, and I've never heard of it as a treatment.

Keeping one's hands off your face (even in class, where one's head feels so heavy) and washing several times a day with a mild soap to avoid "burning" the skin, is best. I found this difficult myself.

In those days, I would soap and lather my hands, wash them, then lather again and wash my face, rise with a splash of water around lunch time. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon, I'd do the same but skip the soap on my face.

Acne is a normal side-effect of puberty, and there are a myriad of ways your body will change in this phase. Keeping your self healthy with a good sweaty work out each day will cause your pores to open to eject water (sweating), which can flush some of the oils from the skin. Be sure to take a shower afterwards to rinse off this effluent, using soap to emulsify the oils.

Answer 2

Chocolate is the food of luxury and love
But chocolate has also gotten a bad rap for the skin-conscious who believe it causes acne. But does it? Is it an old wives tale or fact? A viewer wants to know once and for all, does chocolate really cause acne? "The simple answer is no it does not, and then we may ask,
where did this idea come from?"
Dr. Gregory, a dermatologist at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, believes the chocolate - acne myth comes from baby boomers. He says that as a generation they had more acne then their parents and grandparents.

"We had also more access to chocolate, fried foods, fatty foods and so forth, and fastfood. So it was kind of like inference then that people thought these foods were the things that were causing us to have so much difficulty with acne."

But if chocolate doesn't cause acne, what does?
"Acne is a normal thing to happen to teenagers. It is not caused by their not washing. It is not causd by their change in diet. It is caused by their natural cycle of their hormones."
The increase in hormones stimulates oil secretion in the skin.
"Of course that's an only natural thing to happen to someone that's 14, 15, 16 years old."


Cleansing & Exfoliating
Acne forms under the skin, which means washing away surface oils does not do much to prevent or cure it. It is a myth that people get acne because they don't wash enough. Gentle washing is important, but too much washing can irritate the whiteheads and blackheads, causing them to be more infected and making more pimples.

Use a mild cleanser such as Cetaphil, or an acne cleanser such as Aveeno acne bar, Neutrogena Acne Wash or Benzoyl Peroxide 5% bar.

Exfoliating, which removes the layer of dead skin cells, is also important for healthy skin. After washing your face with a mild cleanser, exfoliate with face facial scrub one to two times a week. This can help reduce dead skin cells and debris which can clog pores and cause more acne.
Keeping It Clear
To avoid further clogging of your pores, all cosmetics, lotions and sunscreens should be oil-free! To avoid dry skin, use an oil-free lotion such as Complex 15. To avoid sunburn use oil-free products such as Neutrogena or Coppertone Oil-free Sunscreen. And remember to beware of hair products and gels, as they tend to be very oily.

Look for product labels that read "Non-comedogenic", meaning they won't clog pores.

Answer 3

There seems to be a divide on the whole diet thing. Some people think that healthy diets and gut cleansing things can fix your skin but others think that what you eat has no realtion to your skin. In my opinion, a healthy diet wouldn't do any harm but you could still eat chocolate in moderation, don't binge!

As for treatment, the best place to get more information is acne.org They have a message board full of advice. There seem to be more remedies than any one person can try in their lifetime!

It depends on what kind of acne you have, most recommend benzoyl peroxide and only a 2.5% - 5% strength is needed to do the job. You have to learn what works for your skin though.

BTW, I am using Paula's Choice Saylic Acid lotion and sensitive skin cleanser, can't remember which one.

Answer 4

Clinique's acne products work VERY well. Toothpaste does work actually but it burns a tad bit. Chocolate doesn't have anything to do with acne though. My advice is to wash your face twice a day and be sure to put on some acne treatment at night before you go to bed.

Answer 5

Wash alot with mild acne soap. the keep the skin clean, rewash if needed (dirty or oily ) durining the day. then up on an acne medicain over night

Yes chocolate, fried foods, chips, soda, ice cream are some of the items the can contribute to acne.

To prevent and cure acne a good diet, hygiene.

"The type of fats in the diet are a key factor for acne control. Use olive oil for cooking and on salads. Saturated fats and partially hydrogenated fats cause damage to body tissues and promote inflammation. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and usually come from animal sources. Eat non-fat or low-fat dairy products. Cut back on red meats and butter. Partially hydrogenated fats are even worse because they replace unsaturated fats in cells. Eliminate partially hydrogenated fats from the diet. Avoid packaged snack foods, chips, crackers, and cookies that contain these fats. Read the labels on packaged products. Never eat margarine. Avoid fried foods. Oils that are heated and re-used to make French fries and fried chicken contain particularly harmful toxins. Supplement the diet with the omega-3 fats found in salmon and flax seeds. Avoid the omega-6 fats of vegetable oils (corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil) because they promote inflammation"

Answer 6

Arbonne's acne line, Clear Advantage, works great! It gives fabulous results!!
I've heard and seen mixed results on toothpaste working.

Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Wash- Soothing, oil-free, deep pore cleanser unclogs pores and cleanses away dirt. Medicated with acne-fighting, prescription quality salicylic acid. Active ingredients are deposited directly into the pore, helping to clear blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.

Arbonne Clear Advantage Refining Toner- Alcohol-free, oil free toner helps balance and calm skin while removing excess oils. Enhanced with alpha hydroxy acids to gently and effectively remove dead skin cells. Skin is left clean, soothes, hydrated and refreshed.

Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Lotion- Mild, oil free lotion with acne fighting salicylic acid penetrates pores to destroy blemishes causing bacteria, improving problem skin. Soothing and calming botanical agents help to heal and hydrate skin.

Arbonne Clear Advantage Skin Support- A uniquely developed dietary supplement to support the skin from the inside out. A combination of acne-fighting nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids, plus botanicals used for centuries to improve skin conditons.

Answer 7

get to an independent health shop or some good chemists stock NEW ERA SILICA. It is the active ingredient of porridge, you may need a tub or even two or three, but this is the cure. You will know if it is not enough, it will come back. chocolate may effect it, you will have your own triggers, you will just have to watch and see the effects of the food you eat, we are all different. hope it helps

Answer 8

Chocolate will make you break out. And my brother used Proactiv and it make his skin very dry and yet he still broke out. I use clean and clear products, (the face wash (morning burst), the lotion and the hard core kind you put on a blemish) and they work very well. Also, I don't know how old you are or what your parents think, but ALL of my friends, including me, who got on birth control had our skin clear right up.

Answer 9

chocolate can have stuff in it that makes your skin bad but just chocolate doesn't do anything. go for semi sweet dark chocolate. milk solids in milk chocolate are generally bad. i eat semi sweet baking chocolate because it is less oily too. enjoy!

Answer 10

Wash yo face.