Kelp to Cure Acne and Skin Moles

For anyone who has suffered with acne, moles and other blemishes, it seems that few things really work the way you'd like them to. Heredity, diet, hormones and other things factor into how your skin looks, but there are some natural remedies, including kelp, that may help to clear your skin.

Controversial Cure

• Kelp, a type of seaweed, has been used for centuries for different conditions, as well as for food. It contains several beneficial constituents, the most widely known being iodine. Iodine is a necessary chemical produced by your thyroid to help regulate body processes like oxygen ratio and growth. Iodine is present in table salt, so it is considered rare to have an iodine deficiency. However, an excess of bromine in the diet through commercial baked goods can make the iodine unavailable for your body to use, so it's the same as being deficient.

  Some schools of thought say that iodine supplementation, or excessive iodine in the diet, can actually trigger acne breakouts. On the other hand, there is anecdotal evidence at iodine4health.com that "painting" with iodine (explained in the following section) can alleviate the condition. To determine whether you may be deficient in iodine, check for the following symptoms: low body temperature, low heart rate, and extreme fatigue, thinning hair, swelling legs or difficulty concentrating. If two or more of these conditions exist along with your acne, you may need to supplement with kelp, which is a good natural source of iodine. Kelp also has bromine, but the two are balanced like they should be for optimum absorption in your body.

Directions for Use

• You can purchase kelp supplements, or simply incorporate it into your diet to ensure you are getting enough bio-available iodine in your system every day. For skin ailments like acne and moles, you will probably want to try painting with the liquid form of prepared iodine, or a homemade tincture made by soaking kelp in vodka for several days in a covered glass jar.

  Put the iodine directly on each acne blemish or mole twice a day. Some brands are clear rather than the signature orange-red, so this is less noticeable. You should notice a difference in the acne within one to three days. Moles will take longer, possibly weeks. This remedy can also be used for skin tags (small overgrowths of skin that form in body folds like armpits and the groin).