As a teen, I had perfect skin. Now that I'm in my 40's I struggle with breakouts. Grrrr! I've had luck with prescription medications for a while, but hate the cost & working on getting all synthetic medications out of my routines & coming back to the earth ways of health.
The recipes below are part of an acne treatment & prevention regimen I adapted from
The Acne Cure, a book I highly recommend for anyone who experiences breakouts. I really liked the program & concepts, but wanted a natural version, rather than synthetic chemicals on my face. I remember one beauty expert saying, "I don't put anything on my skin that I wouldn't put in my mouth." That stuck with me. The treatments below aren't all edible, but they do follow my values.
Oatmeal Soap - Beta Hydroxy Acid Treatment
Willow extract is a natural source of salicylic acid, the active ingredient in BHA treatments. Be careful when you order it. Make sure you know the strength & solubility of the extract.
2 cups grated glycerin soap base
1 cup oatmeal powder (just grind quick oats in a blender)
1 tsp honey
5 tsp
Willow Extract
Cook soap glycerin & honey until melted. Mix in the ground oatmeal & willow extract. Pour into molds & refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove soap from molds & wrap. You can keep the unused bars in the refrigerator to extend the life of the ingredients. Wash with this soap twice daily, allowing it to stay on your face for about 2 minutes (while you're brushing your teeth or something), then rinse.
Fresh Glycolic Acid Mask - Alpha Hydroxy Acid Treatment
Glycolic acid is the naturally occurring acid in cane sugar and many fruits. It is extracted or synthesized commercially to create the AHA treatments.
1/4 cup or less of Pineapple or Strawberries (or mixture of both) mashed well.
Apply in the morning & leave on for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water. Use daily for 6-7 weeks. (I usually just mash up a frozen strawberry with a fork & slather it on).
Tea Tree Gel - Natural Alternative to Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyle Peroxide is oxidative & antibacterial. It has been banned from cosmetics in Europe due to side effects & concerns about safety. There really is no natural substitute that I can find, but Tea Tree Oil has wonderful antibacterial properties & has long been used safely in natural acne treatments. Aloe is a good base & is also moisturizing. Use this on blemished areas of skin.
1 tsp Tea Tree Oil
10 tsp Aloe Gel
10 tsp Distilled Water
Store in refrigerator. Use each evening after washing your face. Prior to use, rub an ice cube over the area requiring treatment until the area is wet & cold to the touch - do not freeze your skin!. Apply gel & place a cold pack on the area & relax for 10 minutes. Do this each evening.
Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer
Even if your skin is oily & blemish-prone, moisturizing is important. I've avoided this for years, but after reading The Acne Cure, feel like it's worth doing the entire program & breaking out the moisturizer. This version meets all the requirements of their daily moisturizer except that it has some coconut oil. I added the coconut oil for 2 reasons: it is wonderful for skin & is a natural source of tocotrienols, a specific form of vitamin E that isn't in the regular Vit E oil (which is added as a preservative here).
3 Tbsp Aloe Gel
1/2 Tbsp Glycerin
1 tsp Vitamin E oil
1 tsp Coconut Oil (natural tocotrienol)
1/2 tsp L-Acsorbic Acid (vitamin C)
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Apply a very small amount twice daily after cleansing routine.
If the above is too oily for your skin, try this one:
Moisturizer for Oily Skin
2 tsp Oatmeal
1 tsp Sandalwood Powder
2 tsp Vinegar
2 cups Water
Store in refrigerator & apply after cleansing. I haven't tried this one yet, but will as soon as I get some sandalwood powder! It sounds wonderful!
Of course, I had to try all these treatments on myself. I was very, very pleased!
The only thing missing from this routine is sunscreen, which we are supposed to use daily. Unfortunately, I haven't found a natural sunscreen that works with my skin yet. The next one I'll try is Sun Putty, but I'm afraid it will be too greasy.
In addition to this regime, I have added to my diet 1 tsp of Burdock Tincture & 1 tsp of Dandelion Tincture as liver support for detoxification purposes.
Ok, now it's time to vacuum the house!
Wild & Bright Blessings!!
~*Rhi*~
)O(
