The Best Foods and Vitamins for Hair Growth

In Chinese Medicine, there are  foods which strengthen the digestive Qi, or Chi.  These same foods  are recommended for encouraging hair growth by  many other health professionals who use other modalities of healing.   Many of these same foods, used in Chinese medicine to enhance Chi and to  promote hair growth,  also appear in Ayurvedic medicinal texts, as being  some of the best foods  for hair growth. In Western medicine, we would term these foods as being alkaline, rather than acid-forming.

IMG_6820Photo by Merrilyn on Holly’s camera, 25th December, 2012.

Ayurvedic medicine attributes hair loss to over active Pitta:  this causes an excess of heat in the body. Excess heat in the body causes stress, and this stress can make the hair fall out. Alkaline foods help to produce Qi, or Chi in Chinese Medicine.  This is the vital life-giving force in the body, which helps the body stay strong  and cope with stress. A body which is deficient in Qi will warn you with early tell tale signs:  These signs are often  the falling, or thinning of the hair, and brittle nails which break easily.  This is the time you really need to improve your diet with all those foods which will help to nourish it back to health and strength.

Most of these foods listed below are classified as cooling, but it is best to get professional advice from your Ayurvedic practitioner on the  best foods and herbs for your body type and condition:  or seek advice from a  practitioner of acupuncture,  Traditional Tibetan Buddhist medicine, or naturopathy on what foods will best suit you.

Here is a list of some of the main  foods which are high in vitamin content, and which are recommended for improving digestive function and for encouraging hair growth.   In Ayurvedice medicine, most of these foods listed below are classified as cooling.  In Chinese medicine, they are generally regarded as benefitting  digestive qi and the nervous system. They are universally regarded as helpful for the growth of hair, teeth, bones and nails.

These foods are:

Alfalfa sprouts

Almonds

Aniseed

Apple:  Apple contains potassium, phosphorous,  iron, calcium, fructose, malic acid, tannic acid, pectin.  It promotes digestive Qi , which helps the spleen and stomach, and helps all functions, including hair growth.  Its high fiber content nourishes the digestive tract including the colon.

Apricots contain carotene, which is an excellent vitamin for the hair and the general health. It also contains vitamins B, C, and iron, calcium and phosphorous.

Avodaco is especially good for the hair. Avocado is high in essential fatty acids, antioxidants,  phytonutrients, and folate, potassium, and fiber.  It contains  the Vitamins A, B6, C, D and E.  and other minerals and vitamins which benefit hair growth, and also help to prevent cancer.  Note:  Avocado is not recommended for people  who are on medication.

Banana:  Banana contains potassium, phosphorous, iron, pectin, calcium, vitamins A, B, C, E.  It is high in fiber, good for the intestines, and helps lower blood pressure.

Broccoli

Banana

Brazil Nuts, which come mainly fromBolivia, actually, are an extremely good source of silenium, magnesium and thiamine, and are rich in essential fatty oils.   Silenium, especially  is recommended for improving the hair growth, as deficiencies are common.  Eating about four or five brazil nuts each day is supposed to provide you with enough silenium in the diet.

Brussels Sprouts

Brown Rice

Butter

Cabbage

Cardamon

Carrots

Cherries

Chicken

Cinnamon

Comfrey – This is especially high in silica and is wonderful for the health and the hair. Eating a leaf a day cooked with spinach improves the hair, and the general health in combination with other therapies. Unfortunately, because comfrey is such a wonderful healer, it has made drug companies very jealous of the profit they are missing out on, and so it has been banned in most parts of the western world.

Cornmeal Polenta

Dates

Duck

Evening Primrose Oil is good for hair growth – DO check with your health professional regarding dose before using evening primrose oil. Check also to see if  it might affect other medications which may make it unsuitable for you.

Fennel

Figs

Flaxseed, or Linseed – high in essential fatty acids and Vitamin E.

Ginger

Grapes, especially red grapes – Grapes promote Qi in the body.  They are high in iron, and are good for the blood.

Grapeseed Oil – essential fatty acids and Vitamin E.

Hazelnuts – these contain selenium, Vitamin E, calcium and essential fatty acids.

Kale

Leeks

Linseed – or flaxseed, is high in essential fatty acids and Vitamin E.

Mackerel

Millet Porridge

Nectarines

Nettles – the sort which grow around chicken yards – are rich in minerals, includig silica, which is one of the best vitamins for hair growth. You can safely eat nettles by adding a handful or two to your silver beet or spinach.  Cook them on their own with just a little water to make a silica-rich tonic to massage into the hair.

Oatmeal Porridge – High in silica which is needed for hair growth. It is best to eat your porridge without dairy milk, or even soy milk, which is highly processed. Use either a  knob of butter, or some olive oil or grapeseed oil instead, with dates added for sweetening instead of sugar.

Olive Oil is good for hair growth and for the health of the skin. It is high in essential fatty acids ad Vitamin E.

Olives, preferably black olives,  are very good for the hair.

Onions

Parsley

Parsnips

Peaches

Pears – These contain phosphorous, calcium, iron, and the vB1, B2, and A. They  contain the complex sugars fructose, sucrose, glucose, and also malic acid, and pectin.

Psyllium husks

Pumpkin

Pumpkin seeds

Rice  short grain

Salmon

Sardines

Sesame Seeds – These are rich in calcium – 1200mg per heaped tablespoon  They also  contain 60%  fatty acids, including the unsaturated fats  oleic acid, linoleic acid and arachidic acid.  These compounds  benefit the eyes, brain, and production of hair teeth and nails. Sesame seeds benefit the kidneys, the liver and are strengthening to the Qi.

Sunflower Seeds – These also have calcium and essential fatty acids, and Vitamin E.

Sweet Apples

Sweet Potatoes (Kumara)

Trout

Tuna

Vanilla

Walnuts

Watermelon:  Watermelon helps the heart, stomach and kidney and bladder functions.  Good kidneys usually mean a good head of hair. It  contains potassium, phosphorous, fiber, and vitamins A, B, and C.  It is high in glucose, fructose and sucrose – complex sugars. (not for diabetics).  It contains the proteins citrulline, alanine, glutamic acid and arginine. Watermelon is a very cooling food, and is thus good for treating acne.

Acid-forming Foods: It is best to avoid the heating foods, or acid producing foods.  These are, generally speaking, the red meats, wheat products, especially bread, dairy foods, and polyunsaturated fats.

Eat healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil, and grapeseed oil, which are monounsaturated fats.  Butter is still a good fat to use, and it does not spoil as readily as oils do when it is heated. Many people who have food sensitivity to dairy products can eat butter and ghee to the benefit of their health.

Omega-3 fatty acids are great for hair growth and are essential for good health and brain function.  To get your daily requirement of this important compound, you can get a supplement with omega-3 fatty acids, or

  • You can eat linseed daily.  Eat a tablespoon of ground linseed daily. It is great blended into drinks, or added to your oatmeal porridge in the morning.
  • You can take a tablespoon of canola oil daily.  This is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin E, which also nourishes hair.
  • Fish, especially the oily types of fish such as sardines and salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Dark green leafy vegetables such as silver beet, spinach, and broccoli and the brassicas, also contain some of the omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Avodado is especially high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Vitamin Supplements could include extra calcium, taken in the form of Dolomite powder, or bone broth, or sardines eaten daily, or merrilyn’s special home made calcium/magnesium tonic. (see post for recipe)  A generous tablespoonful of sesame seeds will give you 1200mg of extra calcium and magnesium- eat some every day. The oil from sesame seeds is also nourishing for the hair.

Zinc is also necessary for good, healthy hair, bones, teeth and nails. Zinc is found in most foods, but is especially high in onions, leeks and garlic. Alfalfa sprouts and pumpkin seeds are also good sources of zinc.  Shell fish are a good souce of zinc and other minerals:  Oysters are especially high in zinc.  Shellfish, though, are heating foods, rather than cooling, to the Pitta condition.

Iodine is another necessity in strengthening the hair growth.  Again, shell fish are a good source.  Any sea food is rich in iodine, and that includes the sea weeds such as kelp.  If you are vegetarian, or you have an aversion to eating fish and shell fish, then you could take some kelp powder every day. Two teaspoonsful taken every day should give you your daily requirement of iodine, and other trace minerals which are needed for the hair and for good health.

Iodine Applied to the Scalp  This is another alternative for taking iodine into the system.  By painting iodine straight onto the scalp, you are giving the hair roots an immediate boost of this vital mineral.  By painting it on the scalp, say three or four dabs twice a week, then you are ensuring that your whole body gets the benefit, as iodine is absorbed through the scalp tissues. Iodine on the scalp will enter the blood vessels and thus be carried around the entire body.

Essential Oils for Hair Growth – Either Pimiento, Horseradish, or Clary sage essences or oils can be added to coconut oil, or grapeseed or soya oil  to use as a massage hair treatment.

A good combination for head massage is to use 4 teaspoons of oil, one teaspoon of rum, 6 drops of horseradish and 5 drops of clary sage essential oil. Massage into the hair and leave on overnight.

Homeopathy for Hair Loss:  It is best to get professional homeopathic advice before assessing your own needs, but some homeopathic remedies for the hair might  be:  (generally,  only one remedy is to be taken at a time. A practicing homeopath might combine remedies, but  this is not recommended without expert advice)

Homeopathic Fluoric ac.:  Use 6c every 12 hours for a month if hair is brittle and falls when brushing.  Another good remedy is Calc. fluoride, which comes in a homeopathic cell salt.

Homeopathic Lycopodium : Use 6c every 12 hours for a month to help restore hair after childbirth, for premature balness and greying.

Homeopathic Selenium:  Use 6c every 12 hours for a month if the scalp is sore and sensitive.

Homeopathic Sepia:  Use 6c every 12 hours for a month if hormonal changes are a factor in your hair loss.  This is a good ‘woman’s remedy’, as it  is often useful to restore hormonal function after childbirth, or during or after menopause, especially if the subject is inclined to be depressed or disinterested in life.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Hair Loss

Professional Ayurvedic Treatment for Hair Loss  is recommended if you have an ongoing problem with hair falling out.  However, there are several good ayurvedic treatments for hair loss which you can use as a preventative, and to help nourish your whole physical being, including your hair, bones, teeth and nails.

Hair loss, in Ayurvedic Medicine, is regarded as a Pitta condition.  This means that  more cooling foods should be eaten, and that heating foods should be restricted.

The Pitta idea is interesting, I think, because, in my experience, radiation from electromagnetic sources such as cell phone towers and the like, have caused hair loss whenever I have lived for a period of three months or so near electromagnetic disturbances. Electromagnetic energy  definitely has a heating influence on the body. This is something you need to examine if you have ongoing bad health, your hair is growing thin, and you cannot fathom what the cause is.

Ayurvedic Diet for Hair Loss:  Hair needs a good supply of calcium, zinc and magnesium for a start, so it is a good idea to eat more foods which supply these minerals if you want to maintain a good head of hair.

One of these such Aurvedic remedies which is high in calcium is Coconut. For  treating hair loss,  Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, and the flesh of the coconut itself can all be used.   Coconut is a very rich source of calcium, protein and fats, all of which benefit your hair growth. 

Coconuts are  a valued part of the daily diet in the South Pacific Islands, where people have marvellous heads of hair.  Coconut milk is widely used in the Pacifica region as a protein and flavour enhancer for many dishes.  It is also used as a baby food and as an invalid food.  The oil of the coconut is used externally as a skin oil, and as a hair oil, to nourish the hair and the scalp.

Ayurvedic Medicine texts commonly recommend the use of coconut milk and flesh for helping restore hair growth: 

  • One source recommends the inner milk of the young coconut to be drunk each day,  half a cupful each day.  (if you have high cholesterol, you should check with your doctor, or health professional before using cocnut milk in the diet)
  • Make up a coconut milk at home by blending together 1/2  cup grated coconut; 6 soaked almonds; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 1 cup warm water.  This milk is good to drink. You can put it on your oatmeal porridge, which is also high in calcium, silica and other goodies which nourish the hair.  You can massage some of this milk into the scalp at night.  Leave the milk on the hair and wash out in the morning. This is a wonderful tonic for the hair:  it helps regrowth and puts a great natural shine to the hair.
  • You can rub coconut oil into the scalp and into the soles of the feet.  Leave on overnight.  You absorb nutrients from the coconut oil through the soles of your feet, and these will find their way, via your bloodstream,  to feed the roots of your hair.  Remember to wear some old cotton or woolen socks to bed when you treat the soles of the feet with coconut oil.
  • Castor Oil is used in Ayurvedic Medicine to treat a variety of conditions, one of which is hair loss.  Castor oil can be massaged into the scalp to help hair regrow.  It is a good remedy to promote hair growth in babies and young children. 
  • Castor oil can be rubbed onto the soles of the feet at night to improve the health of the hair.  Put on those old socks so that your sheets do not get marked.  Wash off the oil in the morning with soap.
  • Castor oil can also be taken internally to improve the condition of the hair. Taking 2 tablespoonsful in the morning on an empty stomach, twice weekly, will help your hair to regrow.  This treatment will also improve your digestion, as taking castor oil internally reduces the toxins in the liver, and helps to flush out the gall bladder and the bowels.

Dairy, or Soy Milk Tonic

  • Drink 1 cup of your favorite milk which has been blended with 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp sesame seeds, and 4 almonds.  This is recommended for the health of the hair.  You take this mixture each morning, as soon as you get up, and before you eat anything else.

Aloe Vera Juice

  • Taking a cup of aloe vera juice two or three times a day is another Ayurvedic remedy for hair loss.  This is to be continued for 3 months.
  • Aloe Vera Juice can also be used externally, to massage into the hair and scalp.  Leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing out.

Eat Pumpkin Seeds and Alfalfa Sprouts for Zinc nourishment.  Eat a handful of sesame seeds each morning, unless you prefer to make up one of the above milk recipes with sesame.  A handful of sesame seeds contains about 1200 mg of calcium.  Eat plenty of the brassica family: these are cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale – all these contain high amounts of calcium and magnesium.  Eat carrots daily to provide you with Vitamin A.

You can supplement these home ayurvedic remedies with professionally applied shirobasti, which is an effective remedy for hair loss. See your ayurvedic professional about this.

A qualified ayurvedic professional can also apply nasya, which involves the application of special medicated oils into the nostrils.

Electromagnetic Sensitivity

We are all sensitive the the effects of electromagnetic fields.  Some people are fortunate enough to recognise the effects of an electromagnetic field immediately they enter it. If the electromagnetic field is a strong one, then they might straight away get palpitations, or tingling up the arms, or  a darting pain in the scalp, or bone ache in the limbs.

They might experience a sudden rise in temprerature, similar to a hot flush. Or they might feel nauseous, have stomach cramps, or get a nose bleed.  They might suffer vertigo, dizziness, and a feeling that their life force is draining away, as if it is being sucked into the earth. Perhaps a little like you might imagine dying to be.

Other people might not experience any of these electromagnetic sensitivity symptoms in such a dramatic way.

However, people do indeed still suffer ill health because of electromagnetic vibrations and radiation when they are exposed to these conditions over a  period of time.

People who live close to strong power sources such as cell phone towers, electrical high tension wires, and radio and television transmitters, or who use cell phones a lot, or who work in highly intense, electrically charged environments, will be seriously undermining their health, in the short term and the long term. 

It is well known that a higher electrical force is cabable of interfering with the current of a less potent electrical force. This has been illustrated  for me with two electrical appliances,  my cell phone versus my CD player:  When a text was received on  the phone, which was on the charger, sitting near the CD player,  this caused the CD player, which was playing a disc, to malfunction.  It would not play, and had to be reset for the disc to play.  Another text came in, and the same thing happened.  The CD lost its train of thought and could not sustain the energy to play the CD.    It is the same with your own sensitive electromagnetic field, your aura – whenever you come into contact with an electrical force which is stronger than your own electrical currents, your aura will be undermined.  This is one major cause of  memory loss and depression, as well as physical sickness such as candida, cancer and arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and other disease.

In Chinese medicine, the weakening of the auric body is equated to loss of Qi. or CHI. Qi is the vital force within us which gives us life, vitality, and optimism.  Healthy Qi levels keep us from getting sick.

Henry McGrath has written a book entitled ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine:  Approaches to Cancer’.  This is published by Singing Dragon, of London and Philadelphia.   Author Henry McGrath mentions a study done in Japan, where it was found that electromagnetic disturbance had increased the chances of children getting leukaemia.  He also mentions that cell phone usage has led to brain tumours.

In another study, in 1929, Gustav Freiherr von Pohl linked the 42 cancer patients in the town of Vilbisburg to negative energies caused by electromagnetic forces which came from underground water courses and natural stress lines in the earth.  He found that all the cancer patients lived within close proximity to electromagnetic forces.

Medicine Buddha Mantra

Usui Reiki Healing  and  the Medicine Buddha Mantra.

I have just read the Reiki Healer, A Complete Guide to the Path and Practice of Reiki, 2004,  by Lawrence Ellyard.  This book has given me much informaton on the practice of Reiki healing, including  the Medicine Buddha Mantra, and  some other Buddhist Mantras which are listed below in this article.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history and the practice of usui reiki. It is published by Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin 53181. The author Lawrence Ellyard teaches Reiki Healing and has a teaching practice  in Australia. Lawrence is happy to answer any queries on the practice of Reiki.

Medicine Buddha is a Buddhist Archetype common to the Mahayana and Vajrayana Bhuddhist traditions. These traditions of Medicine Buddha are known in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and  in Japan, within the Shingon Buddhist tradition. Medicine Buddha is the central deity used in the Reiki system of healing.

The Medicine Buddha Mantra is used to invoke the Archetypal Deity, Sangle Mendela. This is the Medicine Buddha, the Buddha of Healing. His Mantra, as given in the book called Reiki Healer is:

  • TAYATA OM BHEKHANDZE BHEKHANDZE MAHA BHEKHANDZE BHEKHANDZE RANDZA SAMUNGATE SOHA

The translation for this mantra, as given by Lawrence Ellyard  is:  “Thus gone, healer, great healer King, accomplish healing, let it happen’.

The Medicine Buddha Mantra is an especially powerful mantra, even when used on its own without the added transmission of empowerment from a qualified Lama. However, it is recommended by qualified reiki therapists, including Lawrence Ellyard,  that a Lama  from a Mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhist center bless you and your use of the mantra before you begin to use it.

Basically, the Medicine Buddha healing ritual involves visualising the Blue Medicine Buddha above the head of the person who is receiving the healing.  The Medicine Buddha is visualised facing in the same direction as the person receiving healing.  If this  is yourself, then you imagine the Buddha a tenth the size of yourself, sitting above your head, looking frontward, as you are.  If you are giving healing to someone else, then you imagine the recipient with the Blue Buddha above the head of that person.  If the recipient is facing you, then both the Buddha and the recipient will be looking towards you.

Whilst saying the mantra, one visualizes the healing energy coming down towards the recipient, as if  a thousand tiny blue healing stars are falling down and being absorbed into the crown chakra of the recipient.  From there, the powerful healing rays being eminated from the Blue Buddha continue down through the body to the heart chakra, where they are retained.

The heart chakra is considered the most vital chakra in Medicine Buddha philosophy, as the heart is at the core of our functioning and our emotions.  It is important to nourish and develop a good heart if we want to develop spiritually and develop compassion.

Why is Medicine Buddha also known as the Blue Buddha? I have made my own assumptions here:  It is easy to work out why Medicine Buddha is sometimes referred to as the Blue Buddha…………….

The Medicine  Buddha is The Buddha of Healing. His other name, in Tibetan Buddhism, is ‘Sangye Mendela’, which is translated as ‘King of lapis lazuli radiance’.

Lapis lazuli, which is the color of Medicine Buddha, is a semi precious gemstone which has a distinctive, radiant,  intense dark blue color.

Healing Gemstone:  Lapis lazuli has always been regarded as a healing gem. It  is used in India and in other parts of the world to aid healing and to invoke healing power. It is associated with the planet Uranus in some schools of color therapy and astrology.

Lapis Lazuli is thought to be helpful in enhancing and balancing the spiritual chakra of the body. This is the Crown Chakra, which is sensitive to the vibrations emanated from Lapis Lazuli. Visualizing the color of lapis lazuli  in meditation is supposed to encourage higher thought and promote healing and spiritual aspirations. This  perhaps explains why the Medicine Buddha is the color of Lapis lazuli, and  why Medicine Buddha is sometimes referred to as the ‘Blue Buddha’.

Other Buddhist Mantras, some of which are given in the book called  Reiki Healer are:

  • OM MANI PADME HUNG.  This is a powerful healing Mantra, as it evokes the Buddha of Compassion. In some texts which teach Thai Massage,  this is written as OM MANI PADME HUM.  This Mantra is still widely used today, especially in Tibetan Buddhist practice. It is also used as a healing prayer by some practitioners of Thai massage, and other healing modalities,  to evoke the qualities of the Buddha of Compassion before beginning a healing.   The Mantra  originated  in the Sanskrit language, in ancient India.  Translated, it means, literally:  “Om jewel of unfolding Hung’.   A more beautiful translation, taken from the Thai usage, is:  ‘May the jewel of the lotus flower send out a light of love and compassion to unite all existence as one’. This mantra is to the Buddha Avalokiteshvara. His Archetypal Deity is ‘Buddha of Loving Kindness and Compassion’.
  • OM MANI PADME HUM: (in addition to the above) The OM sound is the  universal vibration of all existence.  MANI is the diamond, the jewel which represents clarity of mind and purpose, resulting in wisdom.  PADME is the lotus flower, the symbol of beauty, purity and compassion. The Lotus flower is the miracle of light and wonder which blooms after arising out of the muddy depths of unclean water. This represents the evolvement of the  human spirit.  HUM is a heart open to all, one which unifies through love, kindness and compassion.
  • OM AMI DEWA HRIH. Translated, this means: ‘Om Lord of Limitless Light  Hrih’.  This mantra is to the Buddha Amitabha. His Archetypal Deity is ‘Buddha of Limitless Light, Guardian of Dewachen (Pure Realm).  This Mantra is recited to assist the journey of a deceased person to the realm of Dewachen. Prayers are offered within the first 30 minutes of death, on the third day, after seven days after the event of death, then on the same day of death each week,  up to the seventh week, which is 49 days. The procedure is fully described by Lawrence Ellyard in his book Reiki Healer.
  • OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA. Translated, this means: ‘Om Liberitous, Liberate now’.  This mantra is to the Green Tara Buddha. This Archetypal Deity is ‘Buddha of Great Liberation’.
  • OM BENZA SATO HUNG. Translated, this means: ‘Om Diamond Being Hung’.  This mantra is to the Buddha Dorje Sempa. His Archetypal Deity is ‘Buddha of Purification (Diamond Mind).
  • OM ARA PA CHA NA DHIH. There is no literal translation for this mantra in English, but the Mantra represents ‘Perfect Wisdom’ This Mantra is to the Buddha of Wisdom Archetypal Deity.
  • OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SOHA. The translation for this is: ‘Om gone, gone, gone completely beyond, awakening, let it happen’. The Archetypal Deity is ‘Mother of all Buddhas. This Mantra is to the Buddha Prajinaparamita.

Home Remedy For Acne

Try a Home Remedy For Acne:  Here are some tried recipes for home treatment of acne. These ideas have worked for many people, although this is no guarantee that you will necessarily have success with any of these remedies: there are different strains of bacteria and conditions which cause acne, and so every case is different. What works for one may not work for another.

Go to a doctor or an alternative health therapist if your condition persists, in case there is a hormonal imbalance, thyroid disfunction, candidiasis, or some other underlying condition which predisposes you to acne.

The First Home Remedy for Acne on our list is the 

Chick Pea Cleanser.  This idea comes from Ayurvedic medicine. It has a cleansing effect on the pores of the skin and helps to dry out  acne. It is a good alternative to soap, which tends to make the skin too  alkaline.  Chick pea flour helps to whiten the skin, and has a mild tightening effect.

To Make the Chick Pea Cleanser: Take a portion of chick pea flour and mix it with a little water, just enough to make a smooth paste. Massage this gently into the skin. Rinse off with warm water.

The Chick Pea Cleanser can be followed with another home remedy for acne which will moisturise the skin a little. This Yogurt Turmeric Treatment recipe has added antifungal and antibacterial qualities because of the lactobacilli organisms in the yogurt, and because of the use of turmeric, which is a strong antiseptic. Here is the

Yogurt Turmeric Treatment for acne.

To Make: Simply add one teaspoon of turmeric powder to half a cup of probiotic yogurt, preferably one which has L. acidophilus added to it. Yogurt which still has live probiotics in it, such as L. acidophilus, will contain bacteriocins. These are are compounds which help inhibit the growth of disease producing microbes.  These bacteriocins should, hopefully, help your skin to heal.

Mix well together, then apply to the  yogurt to the areas of skin which are affected by acne. Leave on for 20 minutes, then wash off in warm water. Use for a week, or less if the acne  condition has cleared up.

If you do not enjoy the slightly  yellowing effect of the turmeric in the above recipe, which will wash off within a few days, then omit the turmeric from this recipe. However, the turmeric which remains on the skin is helpful in treating acne.

Kiwifruit Juice Home Remedy for Acne

Kiwifruit has strong enzymes and acids which work well as antifungal and antibacterial agents. Its enzymes also aid digestion.  Kiwifruit is a great healer, both internally and externally. Eat plenty of Kiwifruit to cleanse out the bowels and kill off unwanted organisms. This will help your skin condition.  The beneficial bacteria do not seem to be harmed by Kiwifruit, as digestion improves from eating Kiwifruit.

Use Kiwifruit juice  directly on the skin as another Home Remedy for Acne.  Leave the juice on overnight, and wash off in the morning,  for the best results. Otherwise, you can apply the juice and wait for it to dry before rinsing off.

Another simple Home Remedy for Acne is the Watermelon Treatment. Watermelon also has enzymes which benefit the skin and which work as bacteria inhibitors. Eating watermelon is good for your skin also, as it cleanses the intestines, and also helps the kidneys, which in turn will benefit your skin.

Watermelon Treatment: Simply smear the juice over the skin. Let dry, and leave on overnight. Rinse off in the morning.

Aloe Vera Juice is another home remedy for acne. You can grow this herb at home. The aloe vera juice can be applied to the skin and left on overnight. You can also take aloe vera juice raw as an internal medicine. Aloe vera juice taken internally has proven beneficial to people whose immune systems are weakened. It has helped some people to cure themselves of cancer, in combination with other treatments.

Apple Cider Vinegar sometimes is effective in treating acne. Apple cider vinegar works as an antibacterial agent, and provides potassium, pectin, and other beneficial minerals to help the skin remain healthy. Dab the undiluted cider vinegar onto the affected areas. Note: if your condition is severe and painful, then see your doctor or alternative therapist.

Wine  Paste As a Home Remedy For Acne

This recipe uses wine as an antibacterial agent, with pea flour and egg yolk.

  • Take half a cup of pea flour
  • Add half a cup of red wine. Mix well.
  • Add one egg yolk to the mixture.
  • Finally, stir in two teaspoons of almond oil, or grapeseed oil.

Add a little more wine if necessary. The  constituency of the mixture should be paste-like, but thin enough so that you can apply it easily to the skin.

Apply the wine  paste to the areas which need treatment. Leave on for half an hour, then wash off.

Hot Water Remedy:  Drinking from four to eight glasses of moderately hot water throughout the day can have a beneficial effect on the skin.  Hot water flushes out the toxins from the body quickly, which is why it is so effective in many cases.  Wait until the water has cooled a little. It should be fairly hot, but not straight from the kettle.

Ayurvedic Medicine gives a breathing technique which is worth a try.  This is involves shutting off the right nostril with the thumb, middle finger and index finger resting on the eyebrow center.  Breathe in and out through the left nostril only. Do for about five or six breaths.  Build up to ten breaths in and out through the left nostril.  This has a cooling, pacifying effect on the senses, This  can help soothe the emotions, which is helpful to the acne condition.

Diet for Acne: It is best to avoid dairy products for the meantime. Avoid cheese, especially, as this putrifies in the bowel readily when your digestion is functioning poorly, and this causes a build up of toxins in the body.  Avoid wheat products, especially bread. Wheat turns to sugar very quickly, and this can cause problems with your sugar metabolism, so it is best to avoid wheat. Bread contains yeast, and yeast is best avoided when you are treating acne.  Avoid all yeast products, and foods which have been fermented such as alcohol, miso, tempeh, tofu, vinegars and soy sauce.

Eat brown rice instead of bread and pasta and potatoes, at least until your skin has recovered.

Eat more protein, and less of  the grain foods. Eat plenty of fish, especially those which have omega 3 fatty acids such as sardines, mackerel, tuna and salmon. Eat organic free range eggs.

Eat plenty of high fiber greens such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, spinach, kale and leeks. The brassica family, such as cabbage and broccoli, are high in calcium , iron, and other nutrients which boost the immune system and help the skin.  Eat plenty of onions and garlic. Eat carrots, unless you have a problem with candida.

Take  Non-acidic Vitamin C such as Ester C, or Calcium Ascorbate,  in 1000mg doses. You can take this dose up to four times a day. Use only for several days, to help clear your body of unwanted toxins, then reduce the dose to 1000mg of Vitamin C a day. If you take 1000mg last thing at night, this will help you to sleep well, as Vitamin C is a mild tranquillizer.

Take Halibut liver oil capsules. Use as directed on the label.

Take a Vitamin B Complex.

Take Zinc and Magnesium.

Iodine is essential for healthy skin and for hormonal harmony. Paint a few dabs of liquid iodine onto the scalp or the soles of the feet once or twice a week.

Note: Ask your doctor about taking these supplements, just to make sure. You should not take supplements  without professional guidance if you are on any blood-thinning medication such as warfarin, or aspirin, or other drugs.