Do you love the smell of peppermint? Did you know that the oil extracted from the peppermint plant can be used to cleanse and decongest the skin? That’s right! Peppermint oil is actually used by many people as a topical ointment to fight
acne.
Peppermint Oil Against Acne?
How can peppermint help get rid of
acne? Can its extract be really that effective in beating pimples? Let us find out! Peppermint oil holds 3 crucial properties that are believed to help in thwarting
acne. First off, it has this cooling effect on the skin which is said to help in reducing itchiness and inflammation. Peppermint oil also has antibacterial properties therefore preventing bacteria from thriving. Lastly, it can help lower the production of testosterone 5 ALPHA-reductase which triggers
acne!
Acne is a skin disorder most common to teenagers but also some adults still get this skin problem. How does
acne happen? There are many factors that are believed to cause it. But experts agree that overproduction of sebum is one of the causes of
acne to develop.
The skin produces sebum which serves as its natural protection and moisturizer. Everyday the skin also shed dead skin cells. If there is an excessive production of sebum and dead skin cells block its flow to the follicle naturally found on the surface of the skin,
acne is triggered. The Propionibacterium acnes (the acne-causing bacteria that naturally reside on the skin)feeds on the sebum and causes the skin to get inflamed.
Peppermint Oil’s Presumed Acne Fighting Properties
It is believed that peppermint’s natural cooling property helps in reducing inflammation of the
acne. It is also believed that the oil has the ability to help bring down excess sebum production as it brings down the body’s production of 5 ALPHA-reductase (a male hormone testosterone). This testosterone is the culprit behind your too oily face. Once excess sebum production is controlled, there is an improvement on oil flow to the skin which means that there would be lesser oil trapped in the follicle. Since this oil (sebum) is nourishment for Propionibacterium acnes (the acne-causing bacterium)more oil means more of the bacteria and of course less oil means reducing the growth and thriving of the bacterium.
Peppermint has antibacterial properties. However some studies suggested that while the oil effectively kills numerous types of bacteria its antibacterial properties have little or no direct effect in killing the acne-causing bacterium. Its ability to control the male hormone testosterone respinsible for triggering excess sebum production is more likely the major contributor in stopping
acne.
Can Argan Oil Fight Acne?
Many are calling
Argan oil as Mother Nature’s gift for the skin. It is a potent moisturizer thanks to its Vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and sterols. The oil is also believed to have anti-aging properties because of the numerous antioxidants including vitamin E, carotenoids, ferulic acid and polyphenols found in the oil. But is the oil effective in fighting acne? Although there is a lack in scientific studies regarding the oil’s effectiveness against
acne, many people are saying that
Argan oil is helpful in managing mild to moderate cases of
acne.This may be because of the oleic acid found in the oil. Oleic acid is believed to help bring down sebum production. Vitamin E in
Argan oil also can be helpful in promoting faster healing and minimizing
acne scars.
