Natural Remedies for Cystic Acne

Here's the double whammy... I think I am getting these cyst on my chest because of my nightly hot flashes. My chest is covered with sweat and the acne flourishes despite prescription topical treatments. The only way I get rid of most of these bumps is to go to the dermatologist and have them injected with steroids.

So, after looking at this website, I see that ACV is mentioned to stop hotflashes and cure cystic acne. I am running to the store now to get some. I will report back in a few weeks. Perhaps, I can kill two problems with one remedy!!!

The acne came back after roaccutane and I turned to homeopathic treatment which took a long time but the acne is finally under control.

But the most amazing thing has happened in the last eight months - there has not been a recurrence of the acne - ever since I started having a high fibre diet which includes large amounts of steamed okra for lunch and dinner.

The homeopathic doctor gave me the medicines calcarea sulph and hepar sulph in various potencies which always helped to clear away the acne and gradually decreased the recurrence.

Hope this helps someone...

Once when living in California I went with a friend to Solveng, a small Danish town in the Inland Empire that specializes in (you guessed it) baked goods. Of course I had a bunch of cookies....and the next day, a HUGE cyst in the middle of my cheek! Coincidence? I think not!

I now keep sugar to an absolute minimum. Honey is a safe sweetener because it is antibacterial (i.e. the bacteria that cause infections can feast on sugar but cannot digest honey as the molecules in honey are too big.)

I find that with an existing cyst I do better to leave it be than to try to bring it to a head, since doing that almost always leaves a scar. For me, prevention is better than cures.

Good luck with yours! J

I suffered for years with cystic acne/boils due to monthly hormonal changes, and was placed on oral contraception, antibiotics and topical retinoids to mitigate the problem, with little success. Now that I am trying to conceive, I'm unable to take these prescribed medications (and I'm also tired of the cost).

I came across this website looking for natural cures for many ailments yesterday. I ran to the store to buy Turmeric as soon as I read these testimonials, because I HAD two huge, throbbing cysts on my face, and another one that was in the beginning stages (red bump, itchy). After ONE DOSE, I am already noticing a huge difference. I took the following last night around 8pm:

1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Honey (to taste)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 c Hot Water
2-3 tbsp milk (to taste)

The taste reminds me of Chai so it doesn't bother me at all.

I also applied a hot compress for about 10 minutes to the worst one before I went to bed, and applied antibiotic cream.

I woke up this morning, took a shower and the worst two boils had come to heads. Once the pus drained, they were still somewhat red, but completely flat and no more pain and throbbing. The other one that was forming is reduced in size and redness completely gone!

Thanks to EarthClinic.com and all readers for their suggestions and feedback. I look forward to trying other remedies including those using ACV.

i am also taking a good B complex vitamin as that is good for stress and also i take tumeric capsules as they are good for acne and cleansing from the inside also. i haven't changed my diet but that was my next step if this didn't work.

i do hope this helps someone else out there - i really was too uncomfortable and embarassed to even go out and had to pile on the makeup.

I had virtually all types of acne that I didn't seem to be growing out of. Was put on that awful Accutane with the requisite monthly blood tests to make sure I wasn't slowing poising myself. Long story short, the drug didn't work. At least not permanently, because I simply was not addressing the root of the problem. Found out that some of the most common allergens can cause acne. I realized that soy, gluten and eggs, through a process of elimination, were the cause of my acne. Once these we eliminated literally in a couple of days my acne disappeared. Skin was no longer oily, and I felt great. Not only was my skin clear but by eliminating the foods that my body for whatever reason cannot tolerate I was running more 'efficiently' and thus felt better!

I had cystic acne on my chin . I read it was hormonal so I set up an appointment with a bioidentical hormone replacement specialist, but meanwhile. I tried turmeric, but it stopped working after the second week. I tried ACV and it did not work . So, I did tons of research. Which resulted in me taking daily does of 1000 IU of Vitamin E ( which I believe began to erase my brown age spots)1250 IU's of Vitamin A and 500 IU's of Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, niacinamide and zinc. I have since decreased the IU's since my acne began to subside. Please be careful when taking high doses of IU's..do your research or talk to your ND/MD. My acne began to decrease rapidly.

I began having weekly acupuncture and gave them a brief on my history. Prior to my cystic outbreaks I had been on antibiotics for about for 50 days. So they assumed my flora in my intestines had been destroyed. I was put on some great probiotics (that are kept in the fridge) I also started eating a couple tablespoons of natural yogurt in the am and pm. They also recommended vitamin C to rebuid the matrix of the foundation of the skin .

So now it the acne decreased by it 95%. Now when one appears I use tea tree oil on it with a cotton ball, which decrease the size by 90% within a couple hours and my the next day with reapplication every 5 hours it disappears in two days. I also began taking Udo's oil and it helped repair my skin ( Udo's oil 3-6-9 blend) I believe it is the fountain of youth. I realize everyone is not the same, but this method has been highly successful for me.

Part One: Feet

Q. Do the ingredients (camphor, eucalyptus, thymol, menthol) work?

A. I've applied the solution on my nails as well as to my entire foot to get rid of all the fungus that might eventually cause a reoccurrence. The results were obvious after 4-5 days: first, the athlete's foot symptoms between my toes rapidly got better and were healed in about a week. Then, at the seven-day point lots of skin started sloughing off all over my feet where the fungus was obviously in hiding -- including the heal callus. I was surprised to see so much sloughing of the skin around the base, sides and top of the toe nails -- this area apparently had been deeply affected by the fungus, but just looked like tough skin that I had become accustomed to expect. Within 2-3 weeks the unaffected new toe nails could be seen at the cuticle. Now, several months later, there is a clear line of demarcation between the old fungal nail, and the new clear nail. I expect that it will be 3-4 more months before all the old nail has grown out and gone.

Q. Is the formulation the right one?

A. After much research and playing kitchen chemist, I learned that coconut oil is a good anti-fungal as well as a great emollient. DMSO doesn't need to be at 25% concentration. 10-15% is sufficient. Oregano Oil is composed of Thymol and University of Western Australia research proved tea tree oil's anti-fungal capability, so I added it as well. The essential oil amounts are at least or a little more than what bio-chemists call the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The formulation I like and use now is:

Revised Formula
1 part Menthol oil
1 part Thymol oil or Oregano oil
1 part Camphor oil
1 part Lemon Eucalyptus oil
2 parts Tea Tree Oil
2 parts DMSO
12 parts Virgin Coconut Oil

There is probably a synergistic (i.e. harmonious working together) effect of anti-fungal herbs, which has been demonstrated in several studies. In one test of ten plant species whose oils were anti-fungal, researchers noted that "combinations of the anti-fungal essential oils increased their activity remarkably." In a similar study, researchers stated that "in all the oil combinations, the anti-fungal potency was found to increase over individual oils."

Part Two: Adult "Acne"

This is where the "saga" starts to get interesting. After my adolescent acne should have cleared up 35 years ago, it got slowly worse. All over the bearded part of my face, what appeared to be sacs of hardened oil under the surface of the skin had been forming nodules. These didn't get infected,'each just grew larger. Over the years I've seen dermatologists who said, because of my otherwise great health, "you're just a middle aged adolescent," blaming it on high testosterone, etc. The apparent acne problem continued and worsened.

I've seen doctors, dermatologists, pharmacists, herbalists, laser specialists, and spiritual healers. I've bought every acne ointment known to man. I took pills, vitamins, and herbs. I changed diet. I get plenty of exercise. Nothing worked. I had extensive surgery to correct the problem three years ago, and within 18 months it looked just as bad as before. As a public speaker and author in my profession, the skin condition was emotionally upsetting and stressful.
Having conquered toe nails, I started researching down the path that maybe the acne was caused by a fungus (although the symptoms didn't look like my feet). Was I surprised when I found:

" Tinea barbae is a superficial dermatophyte infection that is limited to the bearded areas of the face and neck and occurs almost exclusively in older adolescent and adult males. Symptoms include inflammatory, deep, kerion-like plaques and noninflammatory superficial patches and lumps resembling bacterial folliculitis. The hair breaks off below the skin surface. It is caused by several dermatophytes. Trichophyton species are most common. Infection of bearded skin may be the result of autoinoculation from tinea pedis or onychomycosis."

In other words, the mess on my face that had caused me so much grief and been misdiagnosed for decades was caused by the same fungus that gave my feet a problem. Apparently the dermatophytes enter the hair follicle (nails and hair are similar biological structures), then attack the sebaceous gland, feeding off the body oil; then the body's immune system reacts with scaring and hardening the facial oil, leaving an oil nodule. The dermatophytes then migrate to the next follicle, and eventually dozens of affected follicles link as a nodule the size of a pea.

Now it became obvious what had happened: The athlete's foot I got as a teenager went to my toe nails, and, because I was ignorant of the relationship of using a towel on my face that might have been used on my feet or crotch, the fungus got transferred.

Not a single dermatologist who examined my face ever bothered to ask the question: "Do you have toe nail fungus or athlete's foot!"

Using the same solution on my facial outbreaks as on my toe nails (the revised formula with coconut oil), the facial condition is clearing up. Just like with my feet, skin is sloughing off and the nodules are beginning to eject. This is the best result I've seen in years. I expect it will take a few months for the problem to be cured, as the fungus is down below the level of the base of the hair follicle in the sebaceous gland.

Part Three: Chronic Sinusitis

For the last 15 years I've had chronic sinusitis, post nasal drip, clogged nose, etc. I was constantly clearing my throat, and sometimes coughing. I snored a lot, which my wife didn't appreciate, and the snoring actually would wake me up in the middle of the night, leaving me tired in the morning. I seemed to catch colds more easily than before, but I attributed this to my very frequent plane travel.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but I they did not fully cure the problem and when I stopped the treatment, every symptom returned. (And I just don't like unnatural treatments.) Others said it was allergies.

I wondered: Could my sinusitis be a fungal problem? More exploring on the internet found the answer:

In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers found the cause of most chronic sinus infections to be an immune system response to fungus, and that this may kick off a secondary bacteriological infection. It is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
Again, I felt betrayed by the medical profession. Why hadn't anyone told me this?

I went to the health and vitamin store to look for an anti-fungal nasal spray, and nothing met my requirements or budget ($10-15 for a one ounce bottle of ingredients seemed way out of line.) Here's the formula I "invented:"

1. Rinse out a 1 ounce nasal spray bottle
2. Add one eye-dropper (approximately 1 ML) of Oregano Juice (NOT Oregano Oil -it's too strong and will not dissolve in water)
3. Add a pinch of salt (approximately - ML) (Iodized salt is OK - iodine is a good anti-fungal)
4. Fill the rest of the sprayer with distilled water, and shake well until the salt is dissolved.

Spray as frequently as once an hour until symptoms subside. For me, this solution began working within an hour; most symptoms were gone in three days. And the price of the ingredients per bottle is just a few pennies.

If the oregano/saline solution is too strong for you, dilute in half with water. If you want, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil with - ML of glycerin, (which will bond the oil to water). I now spray once or twice a day, just to prevent any recurrence.

A very dear friend, who is 75, has had awful sinusitis for years. He heavily cleared his throat every minute or two. I told him of this simple formula, and two days later he called me to say it was working. He then said with amazement: "I don't believe it, we've been talking for over 15 minutes and I haven't had to clear my throat once!"

There are articles and books that claim that some cancers are caused by fungus. If this is true, taking action on fungus early may be very beneficial in the long run. It's time we gave fungus a deeper analysis.