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If you have acne, scouring the earth looking for a cure is definitely a main priority. Maybe you’ve tried just about everything, maybe you haven’t. But if haven’t tried sulfur, you’re missing out on one of the best natural acne remedies.
Sulfur benefits
Sulfur, the rotten egg smelling element, can be found naturally in hot springs. Use of these mineral rich springs for hydrotherapy dates back to ancient Egyptian and Roman times. Though there are no conclusive medical studies in the U.S. regarding the benefits of soaking in sulfur water, studies in Japan, the Middle East and throughout Europe have shown that soaking in sulfur water can help kill germs and viruses in and on the skin. Helping to alleviate psoriasis, dermatitis, and fungal infections.
How does sulfur treat acne?
Acne typically results from follicle blockages. Buildup of dead skin cells and sebum (oil), block the pore. After which point, the bacterium responsible for acne, naturally found on our skin, p. acnes, festers causing inflammation and redness. Fast acting sulfur works in a couple of ways to alleviate acne.
-Encouraging rapid exfoliation of dead skin cells
-Drawing out sebum oil from blocked pores (it can be drying)
-Acting as a powerful natural antiseptic
-Reducing inflammation and redness
We asked, Jane Dudik, MA, Certified Acne Specialist and founder of The Acne Treatment Center in Washington, her thoughts, “I love sulfur. It’s not just an antiseptic, but it’s anti-inflammatory. If you have severe acne, it wont generally clear it all by itself, but its definitely part of the picture and I’m not talking about taking it internally, I mean, topically.”
Sulfur is added to many product forms (cleansers, moisturizers, masks), all of which Dudik recommends except for cleansers. “Anytime you put an active in a wash it has a propensity for drying the skin without doing much, since the wash is on your skin for such a brief period of time. It doesn’t have a chance to penetrate in and do what you need it to do.” She recommends using a mask or spot treatment.
We recommend Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur Masque for a weekly treatment mask or Veronica Malibu Skincare Blemish Drying Lotion for a gentle spot treatment. Adela Vesela, the skin specialist at Veronica Malibu Skincare Spa, suggests using a fan brush to apply a thin layer of the spot treatment to the entire face around that time of the month. Citing it helps prevent any hormonal outbreaks before they start.
-by Amy Chang
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