Case study: Acne

Sara is a very shy 28-year old Chinese woman living with her parents. She has a small birthmark near her right eye. When she was a child everyone told her that she was ugly – her nickname was actually ‘ugly’. Sara sees herself as ugly and flawed and this has undermined her self-esteem throughout her life.

Sara’s acne started about 3 years ago, a few months after a big fight with her mother. While talking to her about her personality she mentioned that ‘face’ is important to her. In Chinese the term ‘face’ has the broader meaning of reputation, standing, prestige and self-respect. Sara has little self-confidence so it’s no surprise that her main physical complaint would be acne: a blemish to her face.

The acne is mainly on her left cheek. It’s itchy. It’s worse in summer or when the seasons change. The sores ooze yellow pus and leave scars. Sunny described the acne as ‘troublesome,’ and said it makes her feel ugly.

Acne Remedies

Causticum 30C once a day

Licorice/Dandelion/Milk Thistle tea to strengthen the liver and help for acne

Sandalwood/Rosewater Paste

Tea Tree Oil Gel/Aloe vera/Chamomile Astringent

Purifying Bentonite Clay Mask.

Her old scars started erupting after two months. This was a little stressful for her, but given her closed personality, a good sign that something was coming out. The potency of Causticum was increased to 200C and the eruptions became much worse after that, with one especially large outbreak on her left cheek. At the same time she became more outgoing and communicative. She became interested in photography.

After the third consult we streamlined the regimen down to one mask of Sandalwood, Thyme, Pearl Powder, Baking Soda and Bentonite Clay. The mixture left her skin feeling dry so she would apply a moisturizer afterwards. Since most commercial moisturizers contain chemicals I decided to make my own using aloe vera gel, beeswax pastilles, coconut oil and peppermint essential oil. After this the old pimples cleared up. She became a little less stubborn and a bit more social. In the past she had hated any attention people gave her.

Next we turned out attention to her acne scars

Thiosin 12C for scarring

Anti-scarring Cream

Olive oil/Aloe vera/bee’s wax because acne scaring can cause the skin to lose its elasticity. I changed from coconut oil to olive oil because coconut solidifies in winter making the cream lumpy.

Cell Salts: Silica/Kali mur/Kali sulph/Zinc mur/Lithium mur

Essential oils: Walnut, Everlast and Frankincense