Whether you are a teenager, a menopausal woman or anywhere in between, if you have overactive hormones and malfunctioning sebaceous glands, the natural world has help at hand to rid you of the scarring.
One of the rules of thumb I use in my thinking which I like to consider logical (Mr Spock influenced my early years), is that anything that heals wounds is certainly going to the work on more superficial scars (see # 3 below).
Roses are Red
In the past I have used Rosa Mosquito oil on my face for its rejuvenating effect, and this oil is renowned for its ability to reduce scarring with regular use. The words “reduce scarring” sound a little weak, do they not? However, this covers the spectrum from slight change to gone altogether. Remember, skin cells die and new ones grow. So given the right conditions, the new cells will be programmed to produce smooth skin.
Rosa Mosquito contains the omega 3, 6, 9 fatty acids, Vitamins A and C, and beta carotene. Any vegetable or fruit that is orangey red in appearance contains high amounts of beta carotene. Rose hips (the fruit of the rose plant) fall into this category. Rose hips are also one of the highest sources of natural vitamin C, which is tremendously healing and also strengthens collagen which makes for smoother skin.
The “Rio” Rosa Mosquito company that sells oil from Chile advises: “the oil is ideal for reducing old scars (such as acne scars, or those from chicken pox or shingles) and for reducing the appearance of age spots and other blemishes. Apply 1 or 2 drops to the affected area 2-3 times per day for maximum scar-reduction or to improve the texture of old scar tissue. Expect gradual improvement – but best results are achieved after approximately 6 months of continuous use.”
Note that only minute amounts are needed: one to two drops. It is the regular repeated application that is important. “Neal’s Yard” also stocks excellent rosehip oil. These are the only two rosehip oils I am willing to recommend as natural remedies for acne scars, having used both myself. I have also advised others to buy, and when people re-buy, you know they like it!
Nuts about Shea
In more recent years, I discovered the wonders of shea butter. I adore this, and the natural scent is amazingly unusual. It is not costly and is edible, thereby happily fitting my “if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin” principle.
“Shea butter is an off-white or ivory-colored fat extracted from the nut of the shea tree. Shea butter is solid at room temperature with a good buttery consistency. It is edible and is used in food preparation in Africa and as a substitute for cocoa butter in the chocolate industry, although the taste is noticeably different.”
(Malachi Oluwaseyi Israel)
It is high in Vitamin E which promotes healing, and when it is handpicked and cold pressed it is 100% natural and beneficial. African women use it for many beautifying reasons, from sunscreen to hair conditioner. Used regularly it will heal scars.
Mr Spock Logic
Back to South America now, for the next fabulous sounding scar reducer: dragon’s blood. I love this one for its exotic name if nothing else. It is bright red (it is resin from a particular tree) and I used this to heal a deep cat bite. I am incredibly impressed by the results! Two years on, it is only just visible, but I haven’t applied any since the first 2 weeks of the bite. So logically, if it can reduce a deep penetrative cut to nothing, it is certainly going to get rid of those acne scars.
Why is it SO good? Matt Monarch of “Raw Food World” explains how it works:
“Dragon’s blood will stiffen up on the wound and act as a natural Band-Aid! At the same time, dragon’s blood also cleans the wound by killing bacteria, microbes and other junk with its antiseptic properties, helps take the pain away, helps the wound heal faster, helps lower inflammation, and stops the bleeding.”
Many clinical studies are documented and are available for you to read up on. One such by United States Department of Agriculture economic botanist Dr James Duke concludes: “dragon’s blood was shown to speed healing four times faster”. So imagine how this will work on scarring!!
Make sure to buy this unrefined and pure, IE not in a tube with other ingredients. It has found its way into make up and beauty products, but many of these will have as much benefit as looking at a photo of the tree it comes from!
As one of the natural remedies for acne scars, dragon’s blood stands proud and supreme, and it is packed with such health benefits that I could rave on about it all day. I wish I had known of it when my children had chicken pox, as they would have loved to be dabbed with blood red tree resin, it would have sped up healing, stopped the itching, and left them with no scars.
Know Your Oils
Argan Oil, not to be confused with Oregano oil (say them fast and you will see what I mean), has long been of interest to me, as I kept hearing the name crop up but never actually saw any on sale. That was then, this is now, and we are swinging back to Africa, Morocco to be exact. “Neal’s Yard” supply one made from handpicked and manually shelled nuts, making it 100% natural. Model Ruth Crilley writes her opinion of it:
“I worry with many oils that they’ll clog my skin or break me out, but this just worked small miracles overnight, leaving me with very plump and glowing skin in the morning. Argan is so rich in fatty acids (I think over 80%) that it’s amazingly nourishing for your skin, hair and nails, and it’s also very high in the anti-oxidant Vitamin E. Vitamin E is used to prevent scarring so Argan’s a beautiful treatment oil if you’re trying to get rid of fresh acne marks. As Argan is so light (and also anti-inflammatory), it won’t sit heavily on your skin and encourage new spots, either.”
Truly, if I was handed all of these at once and told to choose just one, I don’t know that I could! The purpose of giving you choice is so you can use the one that is easiest or cheapest for you to obtain.
Help from Within
Meanwhile, whilst dabbing on the external repairs, help it all along internally by taking MSM (organic sulphur). 1-2 teaspoons mixed in juice, or just water if you are brave (I am). And take morning and noon.
MSM aids collagen production, and taken with Vitamin C is particularly effective in building new tissue.
“MSM alters cross–linkages that create scars on the skin. MSM applied as a lotion is greatly beneficial for any skin disorder such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and scars.”
(David Wolfe)
Yes, you can also buy it as a lotion, but I am advising the powder plus one of the aforementioned remedies.
Final word: if you are trying to heal scars, stay off sugar and any sugar forming foods. Give your body time to heal, and allow 2 months, not 2 days. Keep applying. I am rubbish at this, so I know how easy it is to start off with great enthusiasm to have it dwindle away…
If you have a question or anything you want to share, please use the comments section below.
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