The First Step to Curing Acne
So now that we have established the root cause of acne, how do we deal with it? The first step is to cleanse your body of the excess acid and toxins. There are a number of ways to do this and yes, you can use enemas and products you can buy at a pharmacy but if it’s not natural then it will probably do more harm than good. I find that the simplest way to cleanse the excess toxins from your body is to go on a 3-Day Raw Vegetable Fast. This, quite simply, involves eating nothing but fresh raw vegetables for a period of 3 days. It does not make a huge difference which vegetables you use but the basic rule is the greener a vegetable is the better it is for your pH level.
I personally use cucumbers as my largest source of vegetables. They taste great, are extremely alkalizing, and they are easy to carry with you wherever you go. In my regular diet I will eat 5-6 cucumbers a day for snacks. During a cleansing period, I will eat more than 10 on any given day. Some of you may not like cucumbers and that is fine. Celery and tomatoes are good alternatives, but I find them slightly more difficult to eat in large numbers.
The key is to find a raw vegetable that you can eat on a large scale or to find a salad that is easy for you to make. Remember that you will need a lot of these types of foods from now on so make sure you find something that is easy to find and prepare. For those of you with particularly fast metabolisms, you may find it difficult at first to eat only raw vegetables. I strongly recommend using vitamin supplements and/or ‘green’ drinks to assist with your daily nutritional requirements, especially during the cleansing period.
A ‘green’ drink comes in a powdered form for you to mix with water. A single teaspoon contains almost all of the vitamins and minerals your body requires on a daily basis. During the cleansing period, I recommend using 4-5 teaspoons (i.e. drink 4-5 glasses) per day. You can purchase these drinks from most chemists and all vitamin and health food stores or you can purchase them online. There are a variety of different green drinks available on the market but I find that the majority are not very pleasing for the taste buds. There is only one that I have found so far that actually tastes good - Vital Greens (available by clicking here - 300g/10.6oz should last about 2 months). However, you may find others that you prefer or are easier to purchase. Other drinks that may help are liquid chlorophyll, which again can be bought from your local health store and some pharmacies, and lemon water. Liquid chlorophyll can be bought in various flavours and is a well-known pH booster. It is found in all green vegetables and is one of the most active ingredients in alkalizing the body.
Lemon water is simply freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with water. The bonus for this option is that lemons are extremely easy to find and much less expensive than the previous mentioned drinks. Lemons (and limes) are also known to have a strong alkalizing effect on the body. You may be wondering how that works, as lemons are a citrus food containing citric acid. Unfortunately, I still do not entirely understand it myself; but I can verify that it does work. The only disadvantage of using lemon water as opposed to green drinks is the lack of all the vitamins and minerals that green drinks have, that your body requires.
elisandro polese says:
May 24th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I agree that the Zenmed products reduces blemishes and really works if used properly. I’ve been using this for about 4 years now and you couldn’t get me to try another product if you paid me. In starting after using Zenmed products a few weeks of use, I noticed significant results with my skin. It’s that good. At least, for my skin that is. Everyone is different.
davidtasha2007 says:
June 9th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
excellent product recommended for sensitive, acne-prone skin
I bought this product over the Internet from Zenmed after reading positive review of users who use it. Previously I’ve tried everything from prescriptions to herbal teas. After using Zenmed products there has been a huge improvement in my skin, it soaks up in the skin immediately. it also doesn’t make your skin flaky or dry in the area you choose to put it. it also helps prevent the recurrence of acne.My friends and family have all commented on my complexion and it’s given me a spring in my step and confidence I haven’t felt in years. and I am VERY happy with the results so far.! Please post information of any other products… As per me Zenmed is best.
David says:
November 16th, 2007 at 4:23 am
Are you crazy????? Zenmed is terrible, its such a waste oh money. Oh my god, their moisturiser is so thick, it made my acne worst.
George Cleanthous says:
January 7th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I agree with you David, I think that Zenmed has limited effectiveness like many other treatments and it is definitely better to look at other products. Even Proactiv is better…
And as i mention in this post, the key to eliminating acne is in your diet. pH balance is the most important factor…
Abdul says:
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
Hey,
I have a question I have mild acne and I’m 19 and I really don’t want to have to deal with it anymore but I’m not sure what to do. I use Benzyl Peroxide cream and Minocylin but they really aren’t that effective. I started lifting weights and I realized that helped and I’m gonna start swimming tomorrow as well. My question is for this Diet only vegtables that means not even drinking protein shakes or like a subway sub with vegtables. My dermatologist reccomends I use Accutane so no scarring occurs but I chose not to because of the side effects I really dont think I can live without my hair,lol.Thanks
George Cleanthous says:
February 23rd, 2008 at 4:06 am
lol I know what you mean Abdul. Accutane can be dangerous. With the diet, for the first 3 days I recommend not having the subway sub as bread, sauces and spices can still cause minor toxicity. So for the initial cleansing period (of 3 days) you should stick to just raw vegetables. After that you can go back to having your subs, as I do.
But the protein shakes should be avoided in general or at least minimized as much as possible as they are not good for your digestive system and as such can lead to your body not being able to absorb all vitamins and minerals, and to digest unwanted material.
Another thing you should start straight away is taking Vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A is the natural form of Accutane and as such has no side-effects, but make sure you do not exceed the recommended dosage.
Let me know how you go.
George
Abdul says:
February 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 am
Hey,
I started taking “GNC Mens Health Vitamin” today 2 tablets a day and it contains 5000IU of vitamin A (50% beta-carotene, 50 % as Acetate), should I take more I weight about 185 lbs. I am going to start the 3-Day Raw Vegatable Diet tomorrow but I just have a couple of questions, should I avoid yellow mustard cause I think its alot healthier than any other dressing or sauce that can be put on sandwiches, but I could be wrong. I started swimming yesterday and I hope that helps. I don’t have severe acne but I hate it and I’m sure you can relate to how I feel. I really just don’t want to have to worry about it anymore and to be honest from all the websites I’ve read I really feel you are the most honest and convincing out of all of them, even though you also have a product to sell, but for some reason I have a feeling your method will work hopefully. I have one more question can I eat fruits as well during this 3 days period and what can I drink during this period.Thank you and have a great day George.
Abdul
George Cleanthous says:
February 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Abdul,
That vitamin sounds great and the Vitamin A content is what most nutritionists recommend as the daily dosage and it will definitely help. It’s also great that it is 50% beta-carotene as that form of Vitamin A is what is found in foods and as such has no health risk.
As for the swimming, as with any exercise it will help you become more healthy and acne is LESS likely to occur in people that are physically fit. I put the emphasis on the word “less” there because some people have said that they swim sometimes and it does nothing. It is not a cure but it will definitely reduce the severity and frequency of acne breakouts.
If you really just want to get rid of acne as quickly as possible then stick to the vitamin A supplements you’re taking and make raw vegetables as much of your diet as possible. If you are like me, they will not satisfy your metabolism so you will need some other foods as well but just make sure that most of your diet is fresh ‘plant’ type food.
Oh and yes fruits are ok too but if possible you should have more vegetables than fruits. Fruits have a higher sugar content and in some cases a high acid content (e.g. citrus) which is not always alkalized by the body - i.e. some bodies cannot convert citric acid into alkaline in the body and instead remain as acids so to be safe make vegetables more prominent in your diet than fruit.
In reference to my product, I know it may seem that I am trying to push something but what the book contains is not a “miracle cure” or anything like that. It is simply all of the knowledge I have accumulated through the years typed up into a book with my recommendations and the results you will see. My goal when I wrote it is for anyone who bought it to not have to do any more research about acne, ever. So that the information I provide on my site is all included and the questions most people ask are answered.
But anyway, I don’t want to get into a sales pitch or anything here. This area is simply to help you and answer your questions. Let me know how you go with your fast as I am always interested to hear people’s results.
George
Abdul says:
March 1st, 2008 at 9:48 am
Hey George,
I finished a 4-day Raw vegetable diet, and its amazing how the severity of the acne has decreased dramatically. There are still a couple I guess but definently improved. There are some red spots left behind which I really would like to get rid of but not sure how. I have been taking the vitamin daily and the gym is in my daily routine, I can see the quality of my skin improving by that I mean when I look at my skin sometimes under a bright light it looks damaged and roughed up but with basketball and sweating it seems to improve day in day out which I hope will continue. I started eating regular food again, but at the same time I’m still eating my carrots, lettuce ,cucmbers and tomatoes which I hope balances out with the carbs of a sub or grilled chicken. I’m also trying to avoid milk because I heard it could have a hand in causing acne.
So what are the types of foods do you recommend eating, because I’ll be honest I really like meat but I’m feeling kinda guilty going for it so I’m not quite sure what to do. I love most types of foods but I’m not sure what to and what not eat. I’m also not sure if I should continue using the benzaclin(Benzyl-Peroxide) because I was reading about its affects with sunlight, and I have to walk to class everyday and thats about 20 minutes of sun exposure total on a sunny day. I can’t even express how happy I am to see the results of the vegetable diet, its amazing, it was alot harder than I was expecting but I thought it was pretty cool and lost almost 6 pounds in the process and probably some of my body fat which I was trying to do for a while :D.
Would you consider corn a good vegetable because I had some in the fridge and when I saw it I thought of the word “RAW” and ended up eating raw corn which really wasn’t that bad. Thanks again george and I hope we keep interacting on these blogs and I really think its pretty cool you take the time out of your day to answer these post.
How can I improve the quality of my skin overall?
Abdul
George Cleanthous says:
March 1st, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Hi Abdul,
I’m happy to see you are getting good results and I feel great that I’ve had a part in that.
It’s good that you are avoiding milk because yes it does increase acne. It’s the same reason you’re not supposed to have dairy when you are sick, because it makes it worse. You should switch to soy or rice milk. Both are organic and still have all the benefits of dairy milk without the negative effects.
In general you should make sure a minimum of 50% of your diet is raw vegetables. Of the remaining 50%, half should be fruit, cooked vegetables, or any other food that is generally considered completely healthy.
When it comes to meet, I can sympathize as I have a high metabolism and vegetables just don’t cut it for me. You may or may not already know this but I find that white meats are far more healthier than red meets so you should stick primarily to your seafood and poultry. When you do have red meat, which shouldn’t be more than once or twice a week, make sure it is lean and always trim the fat.
In addition, when eating any kind of meat, always accompany it with a salad of some kind, even if it is a small one.
For general overall health, you should look into what are called “green drinks”. They usually come in powder form and contain all your daily vitamin and mineral intake requirements. Usually these drinks don’t taste very good but I have found one that is actually quite addictive and smells like bubble-gum… strange but good. This one you can buy at http://www.vitalgreens.com
It’s around $30 for a 1-month supply or $150 for a massive amount but I find that it makes me feel healthier almost instantly and I’m far more healthy for taking it. I’m never without this drink anymore and everyone I have had try it is instantly convinced of the same thing.
For your skin, DEFINITELY stay away from benzoyl peroxide products (e.g. proactiv, oxy10, etc). They dry your skin and speed up the aging of it. If you want healthy skin, try using a facial masque (there are literally tons of recipes online) and you may want to consider a softer cream like moisturizer with aloe vera or avocado. For good looking vibrant skin there are quite a few methods that people use but I believe that just a simple cream and the exercise and diet you are already on will show the best and longest lasting results.
Keep me updated with your progress. On top of feeling good about helping I also learn from my readers’ results.
Good luck and thanks for taking the time to write back.
George
Abdul says:
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Hey George,
I will stop with the Benzaclin, but I also have a Retin-A cream which I still haven’t used but not sure If I should and I also have a cream that has Saylic Acid(Neutrogena), which one do you think I should use.
I kinda left the cycle today which has me feelin pretty nervous of tomorrow I went to Fridays today and had a 10 ounce steak with a Nachos appetizer, but I had alot of vegetables earlier in the day. I’m going back to my healthy approach tomorrow but was wondering if what I did ruined all I’ve done for the past week?? I also have a question about having Subway almost everyday because I find it to be very healthy and appetizing. I either have subway or any salad from any place with either grilled chicken or sometimes grilled salmon, do you think its wise to do so. I never really got an answer about the red spots which appear to be fading but I’m not quite sure how to speed the process if possible. I am going to GNC tomorrow to but the Green Drink but is there a specific brand which you reccommend to buy? I just hope I don’t wake up tomorrow to find that all my work went down the drain, but please do let me know think, thanks and god speed.
Abdul
Abdul says:
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 am
P.S- I have been using the Benzaclin for over a year are the effects permanent
Henry says:
March 13th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I saw that you said both milk and protein drinks were bad for your skin. I’ve herd about milk being bad, but I thought it was only whole milk. Is that true or is all milk bad. Also I understand that protein shakes can be bad, but what about brown rice protein?
George Cleanthous says:
March 13th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Hi Henry,
Only dairy milk is bad. Other milks (e.g. soy, rice, etc) is fine and in most cases actually help against acne.
Rice protein occurs naturally so that is fine also. The reason protein shakes are bad is because in most cases they contain synthetic and/or very concentrated protein. So for example, the protein found in rice and whey is fine as it occurs naturally.
A good example of a protein drink that is healthy and has little or no negative effect on acne can be found here: http://www.vitalgreens.com/products/phyto_protein.html
George
George Cleanthous says:
March 13th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Hi Abdul,
In reference to the red spots, there are a number of things you can do naturally but you have to understand that they will only fade away with time because they are scars.
I have found that some natural creams with healing properties (e.g. aloe vera) can help reduce the appearance of acne scars and help with the healing process.
Also, it may be beneficial to look into facial masques.
George
Bill says:
March 13th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Hi George. Good info. Hey, I’m 58 and still get red eruptions (acne) mostly on my neck, chin and scalp areas. I’m read about taking organic apple vinegar for acne and take it 3 times a day. I avoid all the acne causing foods and eat a fairly good diet of chicken,, fish occasionally, veggies, fruits and hot/cold cereals plus soy milk. I take a multiple vitamin daily. My parents never had acne problems and my two sisters (older) hardly ever. I’m semi-retired and pretty stress free. Yet, still, I break out. Any further recommendations appreciated. Thanks.
Abdul says:
March 15th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Hey George,
Do you have a specific cream that I can buy for my face for the red spots, plus I have been eating alot of vegetables and I am happy to say I have seen alot of improvement in my skin texture and overall it looks healthier. I am using a cream that has saylic Acid and I’m not sure If I should continue to use it, please let me know what you think. I have been on your diet for a month and I’m seeing alot of improvement but I just want to know how long will it be before I see completly clear skin,
I also broke out a couple of days ago it’s not nearly as frequent as before but is that normal??Thanks
George Cleanthous says:
April 9th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Hi Abdul,
The best cream I have found for red spots is Proactiv repairing lotion. You can buy this on its own from different places. The completely clear skin will come in time but if you are still having breakouts you may need to look at other parts of your life to finish of the job. Even with a good diet, other activities can still cause breakouts - e.g. stress, sweat, dirt, etc.
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Hi Bill,
I haven’t heard about apple vinegar for acne treatment but if it is as it sounds then the vinegar aspect of it will make it an acid. All acids, if not processed properly by the digestive system, can have a negative effect on acne.
Also, if your diet is 80% vegetables and there is no junk food yet still you are having breakouts I would suggest adding a couple of things to your daily intake:
- The first is a vitamin A supplement. Just your general pharmacy level vitamin A should do and if you are already taking a multi-vitamin then only 1 tablet a day should do.
- The second is the green drink I mention in the article above (vital greens) or something similar. This will help to bring an acid-alkali balance within the body and you can take as much of it as you see fit. The instructions say 1 tablespoon per day but the great thing about green drinks is you can increase your intake for a stronger result without any side-effects. Plus you will generally feel a lot more energetic and healthy.
Good Luck!
George