As anyone who’s ever had bad acne will tell you, it’s not exactly fun and games. You feel like it’s all anyone sees when they look at you—despite your well-meaning friends and family insisting that it’s not the case. Your skin is constantly red and inflamed and it takes a lot of mental control to resist the urge to pop those pesky pimples. You try every cream, lotion, and potion on the market to make it go away, to no avail. Still, you wake up every morning hopeful that your acne has miraculously disappeared—only to raise your hand to your face and feel the disappointing bumps. Yep, I’ve been there!
There’s a reason so many girls go on the Pill at a young age as a desperate last to cure their acne. Having bad skin can do some serious damage to your self-esteem, especially in those already awkward teen years. But the thing is, most of the time The Pill actually does clear up hormonal acne (by ‘switching off’ your hormones). So, young women end up staying on it for a really long time, because their Pill-reliant skin freaks out as soon as they try to go off it. The question is, at what cost? We all know The Pill has been linked to some seriously nasty side effects that are pretty difficult to ignore.
But according to new research published in Allure, we may no longer have to choose between our hormonal health and having clear skin. Scientists at the University of California are currently working on a vaccine to treat acne. It’s seriously exciting news, but it begs the question—why is that not already a thing? The study’s head researcher Eric C Huang, explained that it’s no easy feat, which is why it’s taken so long.
Acne is caused, in part, by P. acnes bacteria that are with you your whole life — and we couldn’t create a vaccine for the bacteria because, in some ways, P. acnes are good for you. But we found an antibody to a toxic protein that P. acnes bacteria secrete on skin — the protein is associated with the inflammation that leads to acne.
The next step is trying out the vaccine on real clinical patients, which the researchers say could take one to two years. After that, eternally spot-free skin could be within our reach! If you’re keen to get rid of your acne but can’t wait until the vaccine, the good news there is another option—and it’s 100% natural!
Introducing, Zilch Acne
Developed to tackle tough-to-treat adult acne, Zilch Acne Formula is a new, natural skin supplement from renowned Doctor of Chinese Medicine and Cosmetic Acupuncturist, Dr Vivian Tam. A strong blend of 17 herbs, Zilch restores skin harmony by reducing inflammation, removing heat and toxicity, detoxifying the skin and promoting blood circulation for healing. Vivian has used it in her clinic to successfully treat cystic acne, hormonal acne, whiteheads and acne from coming off the pill. The products are 100% Australian owned, vegan and cruelty-free, with zero chemicals, antibiotics or fillers. Zilch Acne is available online from May 1. Visit zilchacne.com.au for more info.
