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Rosacea
Definition: Red spots, a red rash, and swollen and painful lesions
on the face; cheeks, chin, sometimes forehead, eyelids, and nose. In
women it is sometimes called “menopausal acne” as it may
occur at the time of menopause.
It is not normal to continue to have acne into the thirties; nevertheless,
it does occasionally occur. For such a person it is usually a part of
what is called “adult acne,” “menopausal acne,” or
rosacea. Probably he or she has become allergic to certain foods.
Natural Remedies for Rosacea
- Use Grandpa’s Pine Tar Soap (only this brand). (Users should
test themselves for sensitivity to it. One person broke out in a rash
from head to toe when using it.) If not sensitive, lather up at night
and leave a heavy lather on the face to dry overnight. Wash it off
next morning using more Grandpa’s. Rinse, dry, and apply
a thick layer of Bag Balm immediately after rinsing. Get this
from a feed store
and
insist on this name. Wear the salve for at least an hour and
preferably all morning; but even wearing it 10 minutes will help.
- Check yourself for a food sensitivity. This step is most important.
Involved foods may be some you have eaten all your life.
See the appendix for the Elimination and Challenge Diet and our book
Food Allergies
Made
Simple for more information on this subject.) The diet is
done
by eliminating those foods we have found to be most likely involved
for
a period of
two to six weeks. As soon as the face clears up, begin eating
the foods that had been avoided, one at a time. When a food causes
the
pimples
to return, the person should make a list of those foods so
that he or she can omit them for at least one year to see if the body
heals
itself.
Response to removing a certain food from the diet may not
be
instantaneous, but may require some months.
- Purchase all new face creams if there is any chance of a germ
or skin parasite (Demodex folliculorum has been implicated
in this disease)
having been transferred to your lotions or creams or
makeup by your fingers. Rosacea may be caused by a skin mite which
lives
in
hair follicles.
The
mites may be stimulated by your reaction to your food
sensitivities or other allergies. The mites can be treated by using
compresses
of garlic;
compresses of grapefruit seed extract — diluted;
compresses of golden seal powder or other antibacterial,
antifungal,
or antiparasitic herbs. Artemisia is one of the most
effective anti-parasite herbs
known.
A compress using this herb could be very helpful, or
it may be taken by mouth.
- “On The Spot” from the pharmacy made by Neutrogena
is good for single spots or particularly resistant pimples. A
tincture of
cayenne may be made by putting two heaping tablespoons of red
pepper into a jar having a screw-top lid. Pour about two ounces of
rubbing
alcohol onto the red pepper and swirl. The alcohol can be used
immediately, but
does not develop its full strength until after three weeks of
setting on the red pepper. Pour up the alcohol after three weeks and
store
it in a dark bottle. The alcoholic extract can be applied once
an hour to
a fever blister to promote healing. The same tincture is good
for many other skin lesions such as acne rosacea, shingles, and herpes
genitalis.
- The best face cream for daytime use is Neutrogena Hand Cream.
It comes in a tub. Only a small amount is needed as it is
very concentrated.
- Drink 10-12 glasses of water daily between meals, and no drinks
with your meals. Become a total vegetarian—no meat, milk products
(read labels), eggs or cheese. Use no vinegar (read labels), nutmeg,
ginger,
cinnamon, cloves, black or red peppers. Chew your food to a cream before
swallowing (very important!). Take small bites, chew thoroughly, eat
slowly. “Leaky gut” is now being implicated in this
disease.
- Drink two cups of fenugreek tea daily as a treatment for adult
acne.
- Never overeat; get plenty of exercise, sleep and bring all your
health habits up to par.
Help for Acne
During the period of most active growth, the oil glands of the skin
go through an extended period of development, along with other glands
of the body. In some young people, these glands become clogged, swollen,
and inflamed. They are prone to infection. The following suggestions
may be helpful:
- Keep the hands clean, nails short, and never touch the face except
with a clean tissue. Most people with acne have an unconscious
habit of frequently touching the face, the eyes, or the lips.
- Keep hair clean by frequent shampooing. Never allow hair to touch
face or shoulders. Have a daily shower.
- Drink enough water to keep the urine almost colorless, as good
hydration keeps the secretions of the body more fluid. Spread
a thin film of lotion
on face after careful washing of both hands and face to
prevent all dryness.
- Be regular with mealtime, bedtime, arising time, planned water-drinking
time, personal hygiene, including a bowel movement, if possible,
after each meal (even if a cold water, single ear syringe enema
must be taken
to obtain it). Regularity in all things is essential.
- Practice good posture, deep breathing, and daily exercise out-of-doors
for one hour or more. Good circulation to the face is important.
- Leave off all animal products until the condition is under control.
Read labels to be sure. Milk is especially harmful.
- Do not mix too many foods in one meal or a chemical warfare will
occur inside you. Keep individual dishes and menus simple.
- Fast one day weekly unless you are already painfully thin. Eat
all meals at the same time daily, and nothing between meals.
- Gas-forming foods should be used in small quantities and chewed
well, taking small bites. These include: beans, corn, apples,
raisins, bananas,
prune juice, and apple juice. Spend 30-45 minutes on a
meal, chewing food to a cream before swallowing it. Never overeat.
Case History
A woman physician tells of her experience with rosacea. We have had
several patients who responded similarly.
“I began having pimples on my face just under my eyes in the
soft tissue. Gradually the pimples increased in number and in severity
until
they covered my cheeks. Through the next several months my cheeks
and jaws became covered with pimples about down to the edge of my nasal
flanges.
It was about a year before it began to clear above but started moving
downward to involve my upper lip and outward toward my ears. As it
moved downward, it seemed to clear slightly above. I never had any
pimples
on my forehead. But after about another year it began to clear on
my cheeks, still involved my upper lip, and moved down onto my chin.
“For four years I continued to have pimples. During this time
I suspected I had some kind of food sensitivity, but everything I
tried led to a dead end. It never crossed my mind I might be allergic
to bread.
Finally a physician friend suggested perhaps I might be allergic
to certain common foods, and upon her suggestion I did an Elimination
and Challenge
Diet and discovered I was allergic to wheat, yeast, and cucumbers
principally, but also somewhat to honey, certain other grains, and
some beans. I had
been a total vegetarian (no meat, milk, eggs, or cheese) for about
20 years, and did not have to test myself on those foods, but they
are the
commonest to cause rosacea.
“Within two weeks of leaving off wheat I had cleared of all
pimples, but I still had a red rash, more prominent after eating. It
was then
that I eliminated all the gluten grains. Within two more weeks the
rash had disappeared. For four years I avoided, except for rare accidents,
all the foods to which I was sensitive. Then, one day I accidentally
ate something with wheat and did not break out. Before that, I could
even take the small piece of unleavened bread at communion at our
church
and would break out within an hour. I was very hopeful when I did
not break out to the accidental ingestion of wheat, but dared not test
myself
again for an entire week. At that time I took a small bite of bread.
No pimples. A week later I ate half a slice. Again, no pimples. For
the last three years I have been able to eat occasionally wheat and
other
gluten grains (barley, rye, and oats) without getting either rash
or pimples. I am also able to eat yeast and cucumbers. I am very careful
not to eat them frequently, but on the days I do eat wheat, I can
eat
a fairly normal amount.”
Wheat and gluten are not the only food items by any means that can provoke
rosacea. Try out all foods you eat frequently, beginning with the items
on the Elimination and Challenge Diet list, but continuing to less common
causes if your face does not clear up from the first items on the list.
Elimination and Challenge Food Sensitivity Diet
This diet has a large list of foods which should be eliminated. When
the problem stops, you should add one food at a time every five to seven
days until the problem returns. At that time you should begin making
a careful list of all those foods causing your problem and eliminate
those from your diet.
FOODS TO AVOID:
- Dairy products (responsible for over 60% of all food allergies)
- Wheat
- Bananas
- Chocolate
- Oatmeal
- Seeds
- Colas
- Onion
- Lettuce
- Coffee
- Yeast
- Garlic
- Tea
- Cane Sugar
- Nuts (all kinds)
- Eggs
- Cinnamon (irritating substances, spices)
- Legumes (beans, peas)
- Pork
- Beer (all alcoholic beverages)
- Citrus fruits and juicesBeef
- Artificial colors
- Corn (cornstarch, corn products)
- Fish
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Rice
- Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant,
peppers, tobacco)
FOODS ALLOWED
Grains:
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Millet
- Quinoa
Thickeners:
- Tapioca
- Cassava Root
- Arrowroot
Herbs:
- Basil
- Dill
- Sage
- Bay leaf
- Parsley
- Thyme
Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Cauliflower
- Pumpkins
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Rhubarb
- Avocado
- Collards Rutabaga
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Beets
- Honeydew
- Squash (acorn, zucchini, butternut, hubbard, summer)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Kale
- Sweet Potatoes
- Cabbage
- Melons
- Swiss Chard
- Cantaloupe
- Okra
- Turnips
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Watermelon
Fruits
- Apricots
- Currants
- Nectarines
- Pear
- Avocado
- Figs
- Olives
- Pineapple
- Blackberries
- Grapes
- Papaya
- Plums
- Blueberries
- Kiwi
- Peach
- Pomegranate
- Cranberries
- Mango
- Persimmon
- Raspberries
Dried Fruits
- Currants
- Dates
- Figs
- Pineapple
- Prunes
- Raisins
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