Dear Pharmacist,
Skin problems seem to run in my family. I have severe rosacea, my husband has a new scar on his face and my daughter has acne and warts! Help us; we look like the Munsters" from TV. What are some "Suzy secrets" to help clear the skin?
D.V., Tulsa, Oklahoma
Answer: Suzy secrets? That’s funny. Okay then, just between you and me, this is what to do.
Rosacea: This is an inflammatory condition in the body that causes redness and pustules all around the nose and center of the face. Avoiding alcohol, direct sunlight and spicy foods will help, but stress is the biggie. Because inflammatory chemicals need to be reduced, doctors often prescribe prednisone packs or steroid creams.
Before I took steroids, I would buy probiotics, a digestive enzyme supplement and a digestive acid (like betaine hydrochloride) and take this with each meal. If you feel heartburn, stop the digestive acid supplement. I’d also take a b-complex and drink fenugreek tea daily. A day wouldn’t go by without me consuming a superfood like chlorella or spirulina (sold online or at health food stores).
Acne: Kids with lots of acne breakouts may be low in zinc, or in Vitamin A. They may also have high levels of processed junk foods, trans fats and sugar! Tea tree oil sold in health food stores can be applied to the zits. Routine facials help clean and exfoliate your skin. but if you can’t afford that, buy some conventional products like Clearasil, Oxy 10 Balance or Bye, Bye Blemish.
Naturopathica makes an all-natural, organic Moss Extract blemish remover, which contains Kaolin clay, calendula and other flower extracts to dry out blemishes, kill bacteria and remove redness (www.naturopathica.com).
Scars: Some people rub raw garlic cloves on their scars (or their pimples), which helps fight bacteria and reduce scars. I would take 4 mg. astaxanthin or 400 iU Vitamin E by mouth each day. Some people rub Vitamin E oil on the skin and this is fine to do as well. Drink orange juice daily and keep an aloe vera plant handy, rubbing it on your skin can work wonders.
In addition to writing a syndicated column on health which reaches 20 million people each week, Suzy is the author of a number of books on natural health.
You may have seen Suzy on The Dr. OZ Show (6 different appearances), The View, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health and hundreds of morning shows. Quotes from Suzy, as well as her articles, have also appeared in major publications including Woman’s Day, Reader’s Digest, OK Magazine!, First for Women, Fitness, Natural Health and Better Homes & Garden and dozens more.
Read more from Suzy at suzyCohen.com
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