Can foods rich in vitamin A treat acne?

Acne is a skin condition that causes different types of bumps on the surface of the skin. These bumps include whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. Acne occurs when the skin’s pores get clogged up with dead skin cell and oil. Acne is most common problem in teenagers. Acne is common and usually treatable. Acne can cause several types of bumps on the surface of your skin. These bumps can form anywhere in your body, but most commonly on face, back, shoulder and neck. Acne is often triggered by hormonal changes in the body, that’s why it is most common in older children and teenagers. Acne is not a harmful disease, but it can cause emotional distress and can make scars on your skin.

Causes

If you want to understand how acne is caused, you need to understand about your skin first. The skin surface is made up of small holes that connect to oil glands (sebaceous glands), beneath the skin. These holes are called pores. The oil glands produce oily liquid called sebum. Your oil gland send sebum to the skin’s surface through a thin channel called a follicle. Acne occurs when the skin’s pores get clogged up by the dead skin cell, excess oil and sometimes bacteria. During puberty, hormones often cause oil glands to produce excess oil, which can increase the risk of acne formation.

Symptoms

Acne signs and symptoms vary depending on the severity of your condition.

• Whiteheads
•  Blackheads
• Small tender and bumps
•  Pimples
•  Large, solid and painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin
•  Painful, pus-filled lumps beneath the surface of the skin

Benefits of eating vitamin A rich foods

Vitamin A is one of the most important nutrients which can make your skin healthy. Eating vitamin A rich foods are the best way to keep your skin acne free. Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant that belongs to the class of compound called “retinoid”.  Vitamin A is essential for the normal shedding of the dead skin cells that build up inside the pores and ultimately cause acne. The excessive oil production is one of the main causes of acne formation.  If you have vitamin A deficiency, you can experience flaky, dry, itchy skin. You might also notice dry eyes and night blindness. If you want to start taking vitamin A supplements, you have to consult with your doctor to determine the healthiest amount of vitamin A to consume. Some foods which are highly rich in vitamin A such as

• Spices (paprika, cayenne and red chili powder)
  
• Dark leafy greens (mustard greens, spinach and turnip greens)
• Lettuce ( like other greens, lettuce leaves with a dark or red color provides a high amount of vitamin A)
• Dried herbs (parsley, basil, oregano and marjoram)
• Carrots (cooked or raw both are equally healthy)
• Sweet potatoes ( roosted or mashed)
• Butternut squash ( sweet potato or orange squash)
• Cantaloupe ( cantaloupe can provide as much as 68 of your daily value of vitamin A per serving)
• Dried apricots
• Others ( foods including fortified oatmeal, fortified skim milk, mangoes, papaya, peaches, red bell papers and tomatoes).

Apple Cider Vinegar For Acne

Around 80% of people, especially teenagers are struggling with acne. It develop due to various factors like hormonal changes, stress, weak immune system and  our unhealthy food style which causes excess secretion of oil on the surface of our skin. This oil, dirt and dead skin get trapped in the clogged pores present on the skin that causes bacterial growth which causes acne. The natural and effective way to deal with acne is Apple Cider Vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar has an astringent property that dries out the oily skin. It  scrub out all the dirt , old and dead skin cells and help in regenerate the skin’s tissues for the growth of healthy new skin. Apple cider vinegar also has anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties which kills the bacteria causing acne. It is a natural detoxifier that deals with free radicals and other harmful toxins which causes acne. It also balances the pH levels of the skin which helps to regulate the oil production.

It has anti - inflammatory properties that reduce redness, swelling, and pain cause by the acne. Apple cider vinegar contains many essential nutrients (vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, P) which are useful to fight acne, speed up the healing process and reduce scarring. It contains alpha hydroxy and amino acids that dissolves dead skin cells and fatty deposits in the skin. As an astringent, apple cider vinegar dries out the pimples. It contains malic and lactic acids which help for exfoliating and softening the skin to reduce the red marks. This vinegar also helpful for indented scars.

Also the use of harsh cleansers and soaps destroys the acid mantle of our skin, which is needed to protect our skin from germs, bacteria and pollution. Apple cider vinegar returns the acidity to our skin and restores the acid mantle. It also kills the bacteria, removes excess dirt, oil and makeup and dissolves the dead skin cells. It acts as a powerful skin detox and cleanser.

There are different methods of using apple cider vinegar to cure acne:-

Method 1:-

1. Apply apple cider vinegar on the affected areas with the help of small cotton ball.
2. Leave it for 10-15 min to dry completely.
3. Rinse off with normal water and pat your face dry with a soft towel.
4. Repeat this process daily to get effective results.

Note:- For added benefits ,You can add tea tree oil and aloe vera gel .

Method 2:-

(This process opens up the pores and removes the impurities from the skin pores.)

1. Take some boiled water and add 2-3 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar.
2. Now cover your head with a towel or any other cloth
3. Bend towards the bowl to take facial steam for min 5min.
4. Now remove the towel and wash your face with cold water
5. Repeat the process regularly to get effective results.