3.16.2013

Something a little brighter

Okay, I've now found a great resource for CBL. As I incorporate this, I'll put some of what I'm doing here. I think, perhaps, I have not been eating enough at all. Like 300-500 calories below what I need per day (which may not seem like a lot, but is over 10% less than I need) and not nearly enough fat or carbs. Protein I've got down pretty well...from all these years of low-carb and Paleo.

Anyway, the brighter stuff. Skin. It's important to see nice skin in the mirror. Anyone with acne knows that it can undermine your self-esteem and send you into a depression. I have been dealing with it for more than 20 years. While I was on hormonal birth control, I was able to somewhat control my breakouts. But since stopping that in 2008, my skin has been out of control. I had read about the oil cleansing method before but hadn't ever tried it because I just figured that it could not work for my oily skin. Wrong. I mentioned I had started this, and I can now say the results are great.

Here's what I've been doing. Cleanse with about 50-50 castor/grapeseed oil (I think I added a little olive and may be more like 40-60 with more grapeseed - you have to experiment; castor oil is actually drying). Get a bunch on my face and rub gently. Get a washcloth hot, hold it on my skin a few seconds, gently wipe off. Spritz with a 1 part unfiltered apple cider vinegar to 5 parts filtered water toner. Moisturize with a concoction I made of jojoba, neem, a few drops tamanu oil, and a drop or two of tea tree oil. If I have any spots, I put tea tree oil directly on them. I use tamanu on older spots to help heal the scars. Not too much of either. Lately, I added a once a week acne "scrub" that I bought. In the morning it's just water with a washcloth to cleanse.

Result - hardly a breakout (I still have small breakouts at the jaw), less oily, smaller pores, more radiant look. I can use some concealer on the spots and add some blush and be done. I barely need foundation. I don't want to touch my face because there is nothing to touch except soft skin! (I would obsessively pick at acne - with no acne, my mind doesn't even go there.) It's incredible.

I got a lot of the details from the Skintervention Guide. It focuses on food and digestion but also has the skincare guide (obviously) with suggestions for products. I just added one or two other items from Mountain Rose Herbs to my routing (calendula and an acne/oily skin serum). It's too early to tell whether those will add anything to the routine.

I definitely recommend this method (and the Guide for the product suggestions) if you have skin problems.

*I get my oils at my local organic grocer. The Guide has lots of online resources - some for ready-made and others for brewing your own stuff like I do.

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