Pimple and acne cream

Can progesterone provide the base for an effective pimple and acne cream?

Acne is an inflammatory disease of the skin which affects 85% of teenagers, most of whom are male. It can continue into adulthood.

Interestingly enough it rarely affects people outside the Western nations. According to Cordain et al there is an absence of acne in the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea and Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay. They believe this is due to their diets, which, being natural and unprocessed, have a much lower glycaemic index than Western diets. They are also more physically active than Westerners. They do not have insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease.

Too much sugar, or foods in the diet which convert to glucose in the body, cause an increase in insulin and insulin resistance, leading to more sugar consumption.

This is turn causes androgens to increase, high androgens in turn cause acne.

In searching for an effective pimple and acne cream it should be kept in mind that there are as many treatments as there are theories about what causes it. A few common factors have been found...

• A higher level of free testosterone. The levels of free testosterone in males is 9 to 30 ng/dL, and in females it's 0.3 to 1.9 ng/dL
• Increased level of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. This converts the less potent androgens, such as testosterone and androsterone, into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has a greater effect on sebum production
• Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland influences the adrenal gland, which produces the androgenic steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
• Higher levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are found in the sebaceous glands. This in turn is converted by 5-alpha reductase into DHT
• Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) is significantly and specifically associated with the initiation of acne in young girls
• Follicular hyperkeratosis or abnormal follicular keratosis
• Increased sebum production
• Bacterial infection by Propionibacterium acnes. Although P. acnes is a normal inhabitant of the skin, its levels are higher in patients with acne
• Sebum from patients with acne is deficient in linoleic acid
• Higher levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I)
• Acne-prone skin has been shown to be insulin resistant
• Adrenal hyperplasia
• A positive association has been found between acne and total milk intake. Probably because of the various hormones present
• d-Chiro-, myo-inositol and inositol increases the action of insulin, which decreases serum androgen concentrations, blood pressure, and plasma triglyceride concentrations.

Natural remedies, with special reference to progesterone as a potentially effective pimple and acne cream...

• Progesterone inhibits 5 alpha-reductase activity at high doses, studies show it has a local anti-androgenic action
• Progesterone also inhibits the production of androgens within the body
• Progesterone reverses follicular keratosis
• Progesterone causes a significant reduction in sebum excretion in women
• Zinc is a potent inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase activity
• Vitamin B6 potentiates the inhibitory effect of zinc
• High doses of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) reverses acne
• d-Chiro-inositol, myo-inositol and inositol help increase the action of insulin
• Azelaic acid is also a potent inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase Type 1. It is a natural plant acid found in wheat, barley and rye. A 20% topical cream has been found to be affective against mild to moderate acne by reducing the activity of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis
• Phototherapy has been successful in treating acne, in particular intense violet light. When red visible light is added it works even better
• Both acne and insulin sensitivity improve after a low-glycaemic-load diet

Any pimple and acne cream containing progesterone should enable usage levels of 100-200mg/day of progesterone, this equates to 3-6ml/day of a 3.33% strength cream such as Natpro.

For information on acne drugs and nutrition click here

References

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