A while back we had a discussion on acne treatments and someone posted an all natural homemade facial "ball" that I think was made up of Honey and some other ingredients. I have been searching and cannot find it!!! HELP ME!!!! I would love the recipe again (I'm dropping my Proactiv - not because I don't love the results...but the company will only stretch me out to 25 weeks for the automatic club - and if I'm not in the club I have to pay full price - which is almost double!!!! whenever I want to buy it....so I'm protesting!!!!!) Anyway...and a friend and I were discussing and we were thinking they'd be a nice gift and stuff too if put in a pretty jar and such. PLEASE??? THANKS!!!!
Wal-Mart has the Acne Free which is just as good, if not better for half the price. You can buy it right off their shelf.
I used to use proactive, but I have been slowly trying to substitute homemade/organic stuff for my skin. I use a soap with tea tree oil for my face (antibacterial) sometimes I use a tiny bit of baking soda as a "scrub", and witch hazel is an excellent toner. I use Burt's Bees repair oil in teeny amounts that I pat with my fingertips for a light moisturizer and it has lots of good nutrients for the skin. I sometimes wash my face in the afternoon because it's naturally a bit oily and now I'm not putting acne medicine on it. I also try to keep things off my skin (like cellphone) and I try to not lean on my hand -I've discovered my skin is really sensitive and dirt and oils just set it off. I even use a fresh face towel every time. I also hardly ever wear make-up. It took a little adjusting, but I really feel like my skin has improved since I stopped wearing foundation.
What I've noticed to be helping me this winter is putting a tiny bit of vaseline on my face at bedtime. Especially around my eye area where I can see my wrinkles starting. I was afraid at first that it would cause a breakout or something, but so far so good and my face is so soft and smooth in the morning.
THANK YOU!!!! That was the recipe I was looking for! I want to try this before having to buy anything else. I actually have a FULL kit left of Proactiv, so it'll be about 6 or so months before i need it....but I'm printing and filing in my calendar so I have it. Thanks for the other suggestions, too, I've actually heard that Vodka is a really good astringent too....natural, cheap, just buy one of the little "airplane" bottles would last forever for me! LOL Thanks for the suggestion on Burt's Bees too. Hubby has given me an offical "pampering allowance" Money each month just for me for ME. Not the kids, not food, etc. So...I may splurge and get something else and sell my full Proactiv kit. I'm not sure 100% that what the Proactiv was dealing with for me was truly acne or if it was related to the Celiac (a skin rash called Dermatitus Heptaformis is related and looks A LOT like acne). I don't know....thinking! THANKS EVERYONE!
hmmm...it's funny that you mention celiac disease. I read that your skin is your largest organ- it breaths, it filters, it releases toxins, and it absorbs. that's what got me thinking I wanted to use more natural products, but it also made me wonder about my diet. I watch the processed foods and sugars, eat lots of veggies and drink a lot of water (could be drinking more- water really makes a difference with my skin!) I've also noticed that my skin does better when I exercise harder and work up a sweat (flushing out those toxins.) just more food for thought!
Some additional ideas I have studied natural skin care for years and would like to share a bit even though we officially closed my business 2 years ago. A few suggestions for dealing with acne are: -Replace at least half the soda with ground oatmeal as soda can extract too much oils from your skin and possibly cause it to go into overdrive. The oatmeal is less harsh and soothes irritated skin. -Use a twice-weekly facial wash made of: Part = 3 tblspn 1 part honey 2 parts blenderized fresh cucumber 1/2 part yogurt Add: 1 vitamin E capsule 3 drops Tea tree oil 2 drops peppermint oil 1 drop Litsea Cubeba oil Massage onto face/affected skin area but avoid getting into eyes of course. Important: Do not keep this in the fridge! Use it all or toss it as there is too much opportunity for bacteria to be introduced. Bacteria is natural but not something I would want to smear on your face. -A natural PH balanced toner is Apple Cider vinegar. If you can deal with the smell, it really does do wonders to even out problematic skin. Wipe on with a cotton ball or cotton pad, let rest for 5 minutes, rinse, moisturize. Hope these ideas are helpful for some of you.
mtnest - Thanks for the tips. My dd13 has been fighting acne. We've tried proactive, acne free, beauty control, among others and they have either not worked or only worked for a while and then quit. We're kind of at a stand still now not knowing what to do. I was thinking of possibly taking her to a dermatologist but I don't like the medicines they give. I would rather do a natural route but at this point I think anything that will work would be great! If you have any other suggestions - that would be great!
Lee - My oldest son is the main reason I began learning about the alternative skin care. He and now our 15 yr old are dealing with bad acne. We did the route with Proactiv and it just peeled my sons skin so badly, he said it burned. It can be difficult to find something that will completely resolve the issue as really, her body's chemical make-up is what causes the base problem and brings acne where you can see it. I wish there was a way to get teens to eat and drink what they should There are any number of combinations of essential oils which can be used for cleansing but I would need to know a bit more about her regular health care habits etc before recommending anything. I also don't want to randomly suggest specific solutions that might actually be harmful for another person. Does that make sense? Anyways, regarding the moisturizer... that is tough because I make our families but the recipe I use is not for small portions. Not many folks want 5 gallons of moisturizer at once! Hmmm, maybe I'll work on down-sizing it to pass on to those here who would like it. The main things that I can say when looking for store-bought lotion is to make sure the ingredients don't include alcohol or petroleum products such as mineral oil or even vaseline. I know, a lot of people swear by vaseline yet, it doesn't truly moisturize, it simply locks in what your skin has by creating a film that sits just below the surface of the skin. If you are not providing your body with enough water already, you are in fact, depriving it when you apply petroleum products on the skin which holds back the absorption of moisture that is in the air. It is a tough thing to find the balance of keeping the skin from drying out (or at least feeling like it is) and keeping your skin from feeling tacky or sticky from trying to moisturize with ingredients that don't actually work that way. Alcohol in lotion is simply a preservative and a means for the companys to have future sales since your skin dries out from the alcohol (and other non-necessary chemicals) and so you will use more and then have to buy more. Vicious circle. A few home remedies that you can try if you are not adverse to using animal products: Basic Body Mousse Mix 2 drops lavender essential oil 3 drop sweet orange essential oil (eliminate if using product on your face as it causes sensitivity over time) 1/4 Cup Lard (you can find it in the baking oils dept of the grocery store) 3 tblsp olive oil Massage small amount onto clean skin, allow to "breathe" for 3-5 minutes, then wipe excess with soft cloth. We used the above combination in massage package and recommend that you apply the body mousse after first wash in the shower (leave on while shaving or washing hair) and then use a very mild soap to rinse completely. In the salon, it is used during "detoxification" (steam/sauna bath). This is ideal if you have very rough/dry areas. "Everyday" type facial moisturizers can be as simple as steaming your face - fill the sink with hot water and drape a towel over face above steam for 2 minutes in 15 second intervals - then applying a tiny amount (Usually 6-10 drops is much more than the average face requires) of Evening Primrose oil, Meadowfoam oil or Avocado Butter if you can find it at your local health food or asian foods store. Just remember not to overdo it as the oils are so much more concentrated than a lotion is. Lotions and creams are roughly 90% water (moisture) with less than .2% being the actual ingredient that provides the softness (oils) you feel afterwards. Okay, wow...wrote a book. Sorry about that. I am just passionate about people being able to have natural skin care.
