QuestionQUESTION: Hello, My name is Sarah and I am almost 15.
Firstly, I've had problems with my skin for quite a while. About a year ago I had really bad acne, I went to the doctor and was given a cream to use. That helped a lot, but my skin is still really spotty. I'm very self concious about it as my skin is so much worse than most of my friends. I'm not sure what sort of product is best for me to use. I've tried cleansing my face twice a day, using creams that you apply directly on the pimple and I've even tried a few homemade facemasks. But I just can't tell what works and what is best for me. The facemasks I've tried use baking soda, cucumber a yogurt. I have been told from some people that homemade things are a lot better for you than bought products, but I don't know if this is true or not.
Do you have any suggestions on what I could do to improve the amount of spots on my face?
Secondly, my hair has recently started being very oily and needing washing twice a day. Are there any hair masks you could recomend?
Thankyou very much.
Sarah.
ANSWER: Hello Sarah,
I've already answered the same questions about acne as yours, from previous people, and in a pretty thorough way. So I am going to copy this answer to make it easier for you. Do not hesitate to get back to me if you need further information, or better, after you try what I propose. SO here is the answer:
There are lots of things you can do to help your skin heal and be beautiful again.
Whatever products you use, NEVER use anything which contains mineral oil or petrolatum. Use natural and light make-up and do not try to strip acne off your skin by withering it with harsh products: it's only going to make things worse.
Meanwhile, I would greatly suggest to do Green Clay mask twice a week and moisturize your skin with a natural moisturizer containing Wild Musk Rose oil. Green Clay will purify your skin and help to rebalance it. It may bring out some breakout at first as it draws impurities from the deep layers of your skin and purifies it thoroughly in a natural way, so don't give up the first week but at least try for a few week as it takes time for the skin to rebalance itself. I have written a full article about acne healing, you may have a look at it for further details: http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/home_spa_acne.html
But first, start with just Green Clay mask.
Then, unless your skin is really oily, use pure organic Wild Musk Rose oil as it contains natural Retinol-A which heals acne, together with essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). This amazing oil also heals scars and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Together with Green Clay, it will help you to rebalance your skin while you address your stress and diet.
2. the stress. The fact that you are so stressed about your skin may be enough to trigger a breakout as stress hormones have a deep effect on the skin, like any other organ of your body. In your own way, you need to calm yourself down and accept whatever your skin is going through temporarily while you try to rebalance and heal it; otherwise your stress about the current breakout is going to prepare the next one and it's going to be a catch 22 situation. When you look in the mirror, stop concentrating on the "bad" details, just look at the harmony and beauty of your face and do not compare yourself with any of your friends. You are young and I'm sure that beside the breakouts, you have a perfect skin, very supple and radiant that lost of women in their 50's would die for. You just need to gain so self confidence and be patient with your skin. If you are interested in Flower Elixirs, I would recommend to use the Bach Flower Remedies which you can find in health food stores. For you, Crab Apple and Larch would be good. Take 3 drops twice a day in a glass of water or cup of tea for 3 weeks and see from there.
Finally, you can have a great impact on your skin with your diet. Sweets, candies, sodas, refined and processed food, meats and dairies, coffee should be greatly reduced if not eliminated. This is a very important part of the solution for anyone with acne. I would also suggest a detox program. You can read more about it on the web or here:
http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/springdetox.html
Make sure that you have enough omega-3 from your diet if not, take Primrose, Borage or Black Currant oil softgels.
I think, this covers a lot about what you can do to heal your acne.
As regards to the oiliness of your hair, here is what I can tell you:
Your hair is oily, not because of the hair itself, but because of your scalp. With proper care and discipline, you can rebalance the health of your scalp so that it stops producing this oiliness.
The 1st advice would be to stay away from harsh chemical shampoos (cheap or expensive). As with oily skin, trying to strip the scalp of the oiliness only makes things worse and gets you in a vicious circle where the more you wash your hair, the more you need to. Wash your hair with a gentle natural (preferably organic) shampoo and always finish with a cold rinse.
I would also suggest you to find a green clay shampoo and to do green clay hair mask. You can find more advices here:
http://www.naturepurity.com/holistic/health_tip.html
Finally, I would also give you the same detox, dietary and supplement advices as for your skin. GIven that you are in the middle of your teenage, you are going through a real hormonal storm. I would also suggest to see an homeopath or acupuncturist (either or, but the one you choose has to be good and experienced) to help your body go through this hormonal storm in a more balanced and peaceful way.
Please be patient with your hair and skin and stick to a good and healthy discipline while resisting the reflex to wash your hair with harsh shampoos. Try what I propose for at least 4 weeks and get back to me.
Have faith in yourself!
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Have a beautiful day,
Take good care
Caroline-Morgane
www.naturepurity.com
blog.naturepurity.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thankyou very much. I shall buy a green clay mask. Are there any brands you could reccomend? In the past I used a couple of single sachet masks, but they irrated my skin. I'm not sure if this was because they were cheap or if I'm allergic to an ingrediant in them.
As well as using the green clay mask twice a week, would I continue using my neautrogena cleanser morning and night? And would I still apply my clearisal cream to indervidual spots?
Thankyou for you help, Sarah.
AnswerHello Sarah,
You need to find green bentonite or green montmorillonite. Your skin may have reacted to something else in the sachet (may be there were herbal extracts or something else in there?). Do not leave the mask on for more than 10 min and don't let it dry too much as this might cause some mild irritation (green clay is very powerful). If you give me a link where I can read the exact ingredient list of your neutrogena cleanser and clearisal, I can tell you what I think.
Also, please remember that your mental and emotional attitude toward your skin and your image are absolutely crucial. Do anything it takes to remove any negative belief about yourself, whatever reactions people and friends have around you. You are at a very competitive age, where the outside appearance is the center of attention: have faith in yourself, even if you don't get the boyfriend you set your eyes on: if he doesn't come with you, it's because he isn't good for you! Maybe the next Georges Clooney (or whoever your preferred actor is today) is waiting for you 5 years from now :)
To help you with this change of mental attitude, I recommend you visit this website and use whatever free resources they propose:
http://www.thework.com/index.asp
http://www.thework.com/downloads/jyb-worksheet.pdf
This wonderful lady has written many books. You may find them at your local library.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Have a beautiful day,
Take good care
Caroline-Morgane
http://www.naturepurity.com
http://blog.naturepurity.com
