A body full of greasy substances can cause the face to get hot and erupt in acne, warns herbalist Hoai Vu. He recommends eating certain vegetables to lower facial temperature and degrease the skin and thereby cure acne, and to lose weight. Here are some of his suggestions:

- Bitter melon soup: Start off by washing and cutting a bitter melon into small pieces, put them in a pot and cover with water. Then cook the diced melon over a high flame until it is soft. Be sure to drink the water as well as eat the melon to lower internal body temperature and treat acne.

- Mixed vegetables: Take a quarter pumpkin, a quarter of a celery cabbage, one cucumber, one carrot, a quarter of a red ginseng root, a pinch of salt and two tablespoons of vinegar. Wash and slice the vegetables and put them in a large bowl, mix in the salt and let stand for six hours, then pour in vinegar and mix well. This dish should be eaten frequently to whiten the face and treat acne.

- Cucumber prevents carbo-hydrates from getting stored as fat, but be sure to eat it fresh as canned cucumber is salty and can make you fatter. A word of warning: Anyone with a liver disorder, cardiovascular disease or stomach ache should not eat cucumbers with salt.

- Waky pumpkin is 98 percent water and contains a little propanoic acid, which reduces fat and slims down the body.

- Potatoes contain glucids, protein, iron, phosphorus and vitamins. It also cools the body more than cereals do. Eating potatoes is a good way to fill the stomach without getting overweight. Indeed, they are the ideal cooking for the weight-conscious.