Milia Treatment - Natural ways to remove Milia & create better skin in the process
Photo Courtesy of J Toonstra Copyright UMC Utrecht
In my previous article, Milia - What are they and What Causes them? I described what Milia are and what causes them. This article is for those of you who want to cut right to the chase - what can I do to remove them?
Like with acne, or any skin condition, milia can be emotionally stressful to have on your face, especially when they are many of them. I don't believe in battling skin conditions or diseases that arise. To me, all diseases or conditions are a message from our bodies that something needs our attention. So, instead of trying to fight or push away that need and thus cause more harm, I believe in addressing and nurturing that need. This is caring for and nurturing yourself. So, care for yourself in the treatment of the milia, don't treat them, and thus yourself, like the enemy. The best way to treat milia is to nourish your skin - not destroy it - in order to allow it to function properly and then expel the milia on its own. By nourishing your skin and body properly, you will not only be able to more easily expel the milia you have, but you will prevent future milia from occurring.
How NOT to Treat Milia
You will hear that some ways to treat milia are with prescription topical medications, such as retinoids like Retin A, Renova, Differin, Avita or Tazorac. Do NOT use these. All conventional topical medications contain harmful substances and industrial chemicals that have a long-term devastating affect your your health. Your skin in your body's largest organ and absorbs everything that is applied to it into your bloodstream. These types of medication not only can cause cancer, reproductive and hormonal damage, but also have a damaging affect on your skin. Our skin needs to be gently loved, not ravaged by harsh chemicals. I know the damaging affects that these topical medications can have on the skin, because before I learned about health and nutrition and how the root of skin conditions is internal, I used them for years to try to get rid of my acne. My skin was always raw, red, dry, flakey, and looked terrible. So, how can you treat milia and improve the overall look and health of your skin at the same time?
Milia Treatment
Here are the best methods for milia removal:
1) Mostly importantly, for clearing and preventing milia, regularly exfoliate your skin with natural Exfoliants, such as Glow - Fruit AHA Exfoliating Dew, made to help treat milia specifically. I suggest you exfoliate in two ways for best results, first by using Glow - Fruit AHA Exfoliating Dew, made with fruit Alpha Hydroxy Acids, then by using a scrub or "mechanical" exfoliant. The two types of exfoliants work together to clear skin and renew skin cells.
Prime the skin with Glow - Exfoliating Fruit AHA Dew, a natural Alpha Hydroxy Acid fruit and flower treatment that helps the skin turn over properly. As an added bonus, Glow - Exfoliating Fruit AHA Dew also helps with Keratosis Pilaris, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, age spots, and acne.
Next, use a scrub over the areas of milia. Pineapple Illuminating Polisher is a gentle, yet highly active microderm polisher leaves skin luminous. Pineapple enzymes renew the skin, while Velvet De Guérande tenderly buffs away dead skin cells and infuses it with rich minerals. Herbs and flowers calm, reduce inflammation, and cleanse the skin. Vitamins, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants revive dull and aging skin. You will glow with light shining from within. Refreshing, Reviving, utterly Illuminating!
I recommend that you practice this exfoliation regimen daily, or at least 4 days per week until you see and feel an improvement in your milia. Once you see an improvement, continue at least twice per week for milia prevention.
2) Keep your Skin Clean with the use of a gentle, natural cleanser, such as: Golden Sunrise Cleansing Cream.
3) Use only natural plant oils on the skin - don't use lanolin, mineral oils, or any petroleum products, which can clog pores. Natural plant oils cannot clog pores and are the most nutritious treatment possible for skin. For a healthy glow and truly nourished skin, try this wonderful plant oil moisturizer: Bee Beauty Facial Oil.
4) Expose your skin to the sun for at least 15-20 minutes per day without sunscreen.
5) Supplement with Niacin. Here's the Niacin I recommend. Niacin is the most important supplement for milia.
Secondarily, supplement with Biotin. Here's the Biotin I recommend.
And, finally, CoQ10. Here's the CoQ10 I recommend. And two other CoQ10 options.
6) If you have severe milia and are feeling quite urgent about removing them, do not try to extract them on your own, you could cause scarring, skin damage, or infection. You can visit a skilled aesthetician to "unroof" each milium with a small needle to allow it come to the surface on its own over time. Visiting a dermatologist is also an option if you are willing to endure the cost and recovery from the lancing and extraction.
Be sure to follow step 1 through 5 in order to prevent future milia, if you do choose to have them extracted.
If you have any milia stories, successful or unsuccessful, please share in the comments below. I will share one of my favorites here:
Minor miracle as a result of using your products!
Message: Hi Jill,
I was thrilled to come home yesterday (after being gone for the weekend) to find my elaa package waiting for me! I was very excited to try the exfoliating fruit dew & scrub.
A bit of background: I found out about you and your products while searching to try to figure out what this small, hard, white bump on my eyelid might be. At first I thought it was some type of pimple, then I thought maybe it was a milium (I haven't had anything like that before, really, so had no idea). It didn't go away by itself after many weeks, so I thought I might try some type of natural remedy.
I read many wonderful reviews of your products and their effectiveness in terms of reducing milia, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Finally - here is the minor miracle I referred to in my subject line! As soon as I opened the box, I decided to go wash my face and try my new products. I put the fruit dew on and left it for 30 mins, then scrubbed gently with the scrub. Not only did my skin smell and feel amazing, it looked amazing! Then today, as I was touching the milium on my eye (gently, nothing drastic, just kind of feeling it), it came off! No pain, nothing weird or scary, just the hard white thing came off!
So now I am finally free of it, whatever it was, and I can't wait to continue using my new products (sparingly, for now, I think) to improve my overall skin condition.
Thank you, Jill, so much!
Best,
Jessica G.
Glow AHA Dew Exfoliating Serum is a burst of fresh fruit acids for a radiant glow and a brighter, more youthful complexion. A juicy fruit and flower treatment for removing dead skin cells, treating acne, diminishing hyperpigmentation or age spots, reducing Milia or Keratosis Pilaris, improving wrinkles and fine lines, or simply creating a gorgeous, healthy glow.
These natural fruit and sugar acids help to promote ATP production, stimulating collagen production, repairing and regenerating skin cells. The AHAs also improve the texture of skin, minimizing pores, and reducing fine line and wrinkles. White and Green Teas provide powerful antioxidants that protect skin from UV radiation, repair damage skin damage, promote elasticity, and tone the epidermis. The fresh and vibrant oil blend encourages the formation of new skin cells, balances and tones all skin types, including acne, oily skin, dry, and aging skin increases in blood flow rejuvenates the skin and gives it a revitalized, smooth, radiant glow.
Luminescence in a jar. Reveal your radiant essence with this gentle, but highly active enzyme polish and mask. Pineapple enzymes naturally purify and resurface skin. Velvet De Guérande tenderly buffs away dead skin cells and infuses it with rich minerals. Chamomile, Yarrow, Linden, and Fennel calm, reduce inflammation, and cleanse the skin. Vitamins, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants revive dull and aging skin. Pineapple Illumination also diminishes hyperpigmentation or age spots, reduces Milia or Keratosis Pilaris, improves wrinkles and fine lines, and reduces blemishes. This juicy resurfacing gelée will have you gleaming and glimmering with Illumination!
For face, neck, décolletage, and lips.
Refrigerate if you would like to retain the bright yellow, natural pineapple color.
