Health Foodie for Your Face- essentially fighting misbehaving skin

 I am in my mid thirties and until recently, breaking out like an awkward teenager.  Only more awkward because I am thirty something.  It isn't those little things either,  I have had deep cystic acne for decades.  I have literally tried everything on the market: stores or online, plus doctors poking and prescribing everything.  Don't sell me anything.  Seriously, I have tried it all, more than once. Only one prescription worked in my early twenties.  It peeled chunks off my face for months. So that looked gross.  However, I had the best skin for like two years.  Every two years I do not want to look like a molting animal.  It was expensive to boot. No win there. Then these SOB wrinkles start showing up in the midst of all the acne mess.

This has to stop. 

If you spend anytime with anyone in the skin care profession you get the "talk." About what you eat.  While the debate is out exactly on what that is, there are a few common threads. Too much fat, grease, sugar, and stress will cause break outs.  I know stress isn't a food, but prolonged stress releases a toxin like skin hating food.  If you want to leverage food for the good of your skin- eat for your gut and kidneys.  Start with water.  Not enough water directly impacts your skin by either making it dry and/or giving wrinkles a fighting chance.  Being hydrated helps both your guy and kidneys- great for fighting breakouts from the inside out.  When you eat-  "clean" and inflammation reducing foods is best: low sugar, appropriate carbs (not eliminate, you need them!), natural/organic, low fat- lots of veggies and fruits! Maybe reducing gluten and dairy too as those can cause an inflamed gut.  Add a couple of drinks to your water routine, herbal teas clean kidneys and the gut.  Two cups a day of green or herbal teas will do.  I do one green tea and one oolong tea most days.  Add ground cinnamon and turmeric.  These spices provide additional cleansing along with reducing inflammation. Less inflammation is better skin no matter your issue.  Bonus, I find it pulls excess water weight.  Plan bathroom breaks accordingly.  At night I have a new addiction, golden milk.  Simply a plant based milk warmed with ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and raw honey.  Just a teaspoon of each in a cup of milk.  It all reduces inflammation plus adds natural antibiotics in turmeric and raw honey.   Those antibiotics help your gut and skin which fights the awkward acne.

In my maddening search to change my skin care routine I came to the conclusion I had to make my own stuff. Along the way I discovered skin recipes that would benefit a more normal to dry skin. Not for me.  I have crazy oily skin that infects itself.  Awesome.  Again, I found turmeric to be my new best friend.  It kills bacteria and reduces inflamed skin.  Coffee reinvigorates and renews skin.  Tea tree is incredible for acne and cold sores. Cypress will show wrinkles the door and regulate oily skin.  There are a variety of essential oils that address whatever your skin throws at you.  There is a common base across the board oily, aging, or dry: grape seed oil (carrier oil).  Grape seed oil is rich in vitamin E which every skin type could benefit from.   Raw, unrefined or fractionated (carrier) coconut oil is a non greasy, effective moisturizer that can be skin friendly.  It is a great base for normal to dry skin.  I am also an advocate for removing alcohol from any care product: natural or not.  It destroys your skin and hair.  I hope you find one or many of these useful to boost your skin confidence.  Each of these formulas I still use or have tried (some better for less oily skin).  It's effective but for the most part, not harsh on my skin. They are also cost effective in the long run.  I love nature.

Namaste from the inside out.

Acne roller

Grape seed oil 

Tea tree-  5 drops

fennel- 5 drops

lemon grass- 5 drops

orange- 5 drops (optional, softens skin)

1.  Fill roller bottle with grape seed oil 3/4 full

2. Add essential oils

Face Toner

Alcohol free witch hazel
Cypress - 6 t drops (leave out if you have super dry skin)
Helicrysum- 5 drops (if you have scars or oily skin)
Ylang Ylang- 6 drops (up 2 more drops is you have dry skin)
Juniperberry- 5 drops

1. Pour witch hazel in a small container (3-4 oz) 3/4 full
2. Add essential oils

Face scrub- normal/ dry skin

Raw, unrefined coconut oil- 1/4 cup

2 tablespoons baking soda

Fennel- 4 drops

Geranium- 4 drops

1. In a small container put coconut oil in.  It may need to be warmed to soften

2. Add baking soda

3. Add essential oils

Face scrub- oily, acne prone  *
Turmeric- 2 teaspoons *
Baking soda - 1/4 cup
Ground plain coffee - 1/8 cups

1.  In a blender add all ingredients and blend until smooth
2. Store in a dry container
3. To use- separate a quarter size amount and add enough water to make a paste. Scrub all over the face and/or leave for a few minutes. Rinse repeatedly.


d* WARNING: This stuff is strong but my face needs aggression be cautious.  Turmeric is used as a dye.  it can stain and may temporarily stain your face. Rinse well and/or follow with toner. The toner will help restore some of the aggressive cleansing while keeping the deep clean effects.

Face Scar roller

Grape seed oil

Helichrysum - 5 drops

Cypress- 5 drops

Frankincense- 4 drops

Juniperberry (optional but helpful) - 4 drops

1.  Fill roller bottle with grape seed oil 3/4 full

2. Add essential oils

Lost baggage  (under eye roller)
Rose- 4 drops
Jasmine- 4 drops
Chamomile- 4 drops
Clary sage- 4 drops

1.  Fill roller bottle with grape seed oil 3/4 full

2. Add essential oils

Age reverse/Dry skin Roller

Frankincense- 4 drops

Geranium- 5 drops

Cypress- 4 drops

Ylang Ylang- 5 drops

1.  Fill roller bottle with grape seed oil 3/4 full

2. Add essential oils