This is a huge topic and something that I have a lot of personal experience with. I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to say onto this one video so I’ll go into the finer detail in future videos.
This is a really important video to watch for any adult female that has a problem with persistent acne.
Fran
18 responses ↓
Hi Fran
Thanks for all you info really helpfull.
I have suffered from acne since age 15 and now currently 25. I have been on and off the pill since 19 years of age. Brenda and Loette are the only things that have completely cleared my skin but i do not like being on the pill due to its risks.
Last year i tried B5 alone for a year taking doses of 8 grams per day. I stoped this due to consulting a natropath who reported it would be doing more damage then good for my body.
A month after i stoped taking B5 i had a massive out break of pimples. It has now been 3 months since i stoped taking B5 and my skin is horrible really oily with lots of pussey pimples all over my face.
I started taking Maca and Biojuvena 3 weeks ago but haven’t seen any improvement yet. I thought maybe Maca might be ok for me because i do not get any PMS sypmtoms? What do you think?
I have been to many different natropaths over the years and nothing has worked. When i was 19/20ty I tried Vitex Angus Castus, fish oils, omeaga 3 oils and over the years i have tried a number of other natural supplements. Some times i think i should just go back on the pill. How long have you been taking Premular and the different oils for?
Thanks again for all your advice.
cheers
Alex
PS your skin looks amazing.
Hi Alex,
The good news is it’s obvious that your spots are caused by hormones (simply because the pill did such a great job at fixing it). It’s just unfortunate that you’re not having any luck with naturopaths or supplements.
I find that supplements alone don’t work, I have to eat well too. Sugar and caffeine (especially white refined sugar) are the biggest causes of hormonal acne for me, so I need to avoid these as much as I can. Both the supplements and the eating well combined take a good 2-3 months to work. You also need to take a lot of epo and fish oil for it to work. I take 3 capsules of each per day which is double what it says on the containers. This was advised to me by my naturopath and it’s worked well.
You can then work on your skin care routine, make sure you’re using products that will not clog your pores (I’m about to post something about this soon). That’s VERY important when recovering from acne. Because most natural products contain a lot of oils, sometimes it’s necessary to use some good quality ‘commercial’ products until your skin settles down.
I’ve managed to keep my acne to mild by doing all of this, you can see from the videos that my skin is looking good. Yes, I still do have spots but they’re not that bad. I know the pill would most likely clear my skin by 100% which I’m considering taking, but like you I know the pill isn’t that great for the body so I’ve been hesitant over the last year.
Ultimately the decision is up to you. If you’re worried about going on the pill again I’d work really hard at your diet for 3 months and take the supplements. If you see improvement in that 3 month period, then great!! you’re onto a good thing. If you don’t then you may need to explore conventional treatments.
This is a great book that I’ve bought about diet and acne by Karen Jesett. She cleared her severe acne by 99% by diet alone:
http://www.acne-advice.com/articles/diet/index.shtml
take care,
fran
Can you tell me a little more about the pill? I was considering taking it but you mention it is not that good for the body. It may be something I’m willing to sacrifice if it clears my face up!
Thank you.
Hi Ruth, it’s best to visit a doctor and/or naturopath to get the rundown on the pill. I haven’t taken it in many years because it gave me a chronic case of thrush that took me a whole year to get rid of. I’m just about to try it again though, but will stop if I get a bad reaction again.
Honestly, I waited a long time to take it again because I don’t think it’s good our bodies. For me, it’s creepy putting fake hormones in my body. There are also a ton of other short and long term side effects that you can possibly get.
A friend of mine on the other hand has been on it for years with no side effects at all, and she’s really happy being on it, so it’s a very individual thing
If you do decide to take it, make sure you take the one that’s designed for the skin, because there are only some pills that work at clearing acne. Some of the others can actually make acne worse. Your doctor will know which on to prescribe.
HI Ruth
Brenda is the best one for clearing the skin and completely cleared my skin within a couple of months. It is a medium strength pill. I am now going to probably go back to Loette which is a low strength pill but it cleared my skin as well; however I still got a few pimples now and again.
Just make sure you’re taking a multivitamin while on the pill because it depletes our body’s B vitamins, zinc, folic acid and a few others.
Also if you get thrush take a probiotic supplement.
hope that helps
cheers
alex
Thanks very much for the replies. I’ve never fancied going on the pill really because of the idea of putting fake hormones in my body like you say. But it’s been suggested to me with regard to helping my bad period cramps, and if it can help my skin aswell there’s another great reason. Plus of course it’s a more reliable form of contraception which is a third great reason since I’ve already had one unplanned pregnancy through failed contraception!
Hi just needed to say that taking the pill(yasmin) was the worst thing i ever did for my skin, i had spots before that but now i have full blown acne on the whole of my face, chest , neck and back. Keep it natural, i wish i had.
Hi Fran, thank you for this video. I have been fighting acne for over 10 years. I’ ve been on Agnus Castus alone, a long time ago and on and off. I never really followed a strict regime of the herb and the oils. I’m going to do exactly what you suggest. I believe it works. Low GI diet, the best thing I could ever find out about. Thank you so much. You are truly inspiring!!!
Paloma.
Hi Fran
Watched your video and thank you so much for your information, very helpful.
I was on a pill called Diane 35 great to be on but hell being off it. Biggest regret ever. Hoping for the best with vitamins
Hi Fran,
I know you have had bad experiences with MACA powder and I can’t seem to find one female experience with much to say about MACA powder and hormonal acne… BUT, all over the internet, it says only good things about MACA and hormonal acne… so I’m confused on whether it is just a propaganda or if it really works.
Anyway, I just started taking MACA powder 3 days ago and after buying a big bag of it, I’m wondering if I should just throw it out and buy Vitex. I’m really frustrated.
I was looking for something to take to give me energy. Since coffee seems to not be good for my skin… I’m trying to find another energy booster good for my skin.
So, do you know at least one female with which this MACA powder has worked for acne? I am about to give up on this already. I haven’t noticed a change in my skin, but it’s only been 3 days.
I can’t afford a natural doctor at the moment.
Thanks for letting me know..
hello. quick question i have been using evening primrose oil and its working like magic, but how about putting the oil on to the skin? wil it clog my pores? and does the effect of the epo get better if i take a zink supliment? thats what the lady at health food store said. wondering if there is any truth. i love you fran, seriously, but id love you moore if you could reply to me hehe
i was on Diane 35 for half year and got off from it, i broke up even more, couldn’t stand it, asked my doctor to put me back. my doctor put me on a different brand and i didn’t work, went back to Diane 35, still on it now since last year. too afraid to get off from it.
Hi please help i am getting fine pimples all over my face and big ones along my hair line. I was on the depo (contraceptive injection) for 8 yrs and off it for almost 6 months.
Agnus castus really worked for me. Stopping birth control really made my skin go crazy… even after a year. I take it every morning in liquid form and it took at least a month to see results, but after 4 months of taking it my skin is incredibly clear like when I was on birth control. I also avoid completely dairy products and and coffee. I drink green tea every morning. When I stopped agnus castus once, my acne came back …so I am positive the agnus castus is helpingmy hormonal acne
It also gives me a little more energy.
Hello,
I’ve been taking Yasmin birth control since I was 17, I am 24 years old now. I switched birth controls about 7 months ago & it made my skin break out terribly, I’ve never had acne before this. I have been completely off birth control now for about 5-6 months and still have acne, some of the spots on my skin are a little raised, but are starting to look like scars, I also have pimples around my hair line and on my cheeks. I’m so frustrated. I’m on a skin care routine, nothing seems to work. Please help!!
i am telling you, agnus castus really worked for me.. take a good dose every morning.. 250 mg. i think is how much I took.. (i take it in liquid form now and I don’t know how much the equivalency is in the states, i live in france).. anyway, i am still amazed at how clear my skin is.. i had the same problem as you
Hi, where do you find agnus castus? Also, for anyone out there…I started taking maca a little over 2 weeks ago and haven’t had a noticable change in acne. I have been off the pill for over a year and am still fighting with it. The only thing I can say about maca from the little bit I have found (it’s hard to find anyones reactions to it) is that it effects everyone differently, I guess becuase it goes to work to bring things into balance. I don’t think it is good for me becuase it tends to drop my blood pressure a bit and make me more tired than the stated “energized” you are supposed to feel and I’m just taking a very small dose. I would suggest checking with your dr. before tainkg it. It has firmed my skin though which is nice! Just a little of my own input on it.
Maca powder seemed to really not work for me. It made me tired and if anything, my acne seemed worse. You should buy only a certain quality of agnus castus.. I forget the exact term, but it is the one that is guaranteed to have a certain potency. If it doesn’t have this, then, the strength is unknown. I went to a place like Whole Foods and asked the people working in the supplement department. The best one I found was solarsun or something like that. I bought it online after I realized I liked it..after trying it from whole foods. It is best to take it in liquid, but I haven’t found that in the states.. It exists, but it is in alcohol form. I live in France and the homeopathy is more available here. Agnus castus is also grown in this area, so it’s cheaper! Anyway, if I were you, I would buy the tablet form solarsun brand.. 250 mg a day. Good luck! I also do not eat dairy. THAT improved my skin A LOT. Every time I have a high dose of dairy, my skin goes crazy.. so I am positive it is from something in the dairy.
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