Hi Everyone - please help!!
I've had fairly clear skin my entire life with the exception of eczema here and there. I had a few breakouts when I was in high school and college so I started using Proactiv. Since then, no major problems. I would LOVE to get off of the proactiv and had switched to an all natural oatmeal soap via the advice of a homeopathic doc but that made things worse. Right now I am using Dessert Essence face wash and a little Proactiv benzoyl peroxide. I would like to give that up because of all the nasty, scary ingredients in it, but it seems to be helping a little bit. I should also note that I have tried not washing my face at all and then washing it only with water just to let my skin replenish and distribute its own oil accordingly. I live in a tropical climate and do Bikram yoga regularly so I am sweating a lot and shower twice a day (limited use of soap so as to not dry out the rest of my skin).
Fortunately, eating raw has completely gotten rid of my eczema. Unfortunately, I am now getting major, painful acne all over my face. I have it on my forehead, nose, chin, cheeks and jawline. It is painful to the touch. After 2 months of this and trying every natural method out there, I caved and went to a dermatologist. She prescribed prednisone and two antibiotics. One of them is topical and the other is oral. I tried the topical for two days and it seemed to making things worse so I stopped with it. I am still taking the oral antibiotic and the prednisone. I am really not liking taking either and have spent so much time on the internet searching for ways to get rid of whatever I have.
I used to have glowing skin and received compliments on my complexion all the time. When I first started eating raw my skin got even more luminous and it was such a great conversation starter for people who were interested in my diet. But now people are starting to wonder if I have some serious health concerns because of the shape my skin is in.
I am so confused and I feel that I have exhausted my search of what to do next. If there is anyone out there with a similar situation or advice for me, I would truly appreciate the help.
Comments
mm yes.. what food are you eating :-) and for how long?
and how long has this been going on for?
my sister usually doesn't eat the healthiest and said that when she does start eating pretty healthy her skin gets pimples LOL so i think its a detox sign, gets worse before it gets beter bla bla...
i had gay as skin in high school and took roactutane which is just high amounts of vitamin A and worked super well!
Hi RawMermaid,
What foods are you consuming?
This can be a huge key...
If you can post what a general few days of food looks like (or a week)
maybe there are some clues within that will
be clear.
xo
Rona
Thank you to everyone for the questions and support!!
I consume a TON of greens - green smoothie everyday with either spinach or kale and bananas and apples, big salad everyday with flax oil, hemp seeds, sprouts, cabbage, kale, spinach, romaine, whatever organic greens are on sale at the store. I've been juicing cucumbers, carrots and beets every morning for breakfast. Occasionally I'll eat banana ice cream for dessert, or make raw macaroons when I've got a sweet tooth. I eat raw almonds for snacks and just tons and tons of vegetables.
My diet is fairly simple and my body feels great (tons of energy) eating this way. The only thing is my skin doesn't show it.
Any advice?
THANK YOU!!!!
Raw Mermaid-
A very similar thing happened to me. However, I'm not 100% raw by any means. I consume natural foods, vegetables, nothing from animals, no dairies, sugars, flour, etc... My skin was a lot nicer before I turned "healthy." I've noticed a lot of changes in my skin, and for the worst. Partially because I haven't been completely consistent with my skin and health regime. What I noticed made my skin worst was not completely changing my products over. I was using products with harsh ingredients and they scarred my skin because of the chemicals. One thing I can tell is that juicing leafy greens is soo beneficial, ie: dandelions are excellent. I know my skin problems come from my body detoxifying. I was much heavier and therefore had a lot of saturation in my body which is now coming through my skin. It's important to stay away from sweets. Detoxify the liver because the liver is connected to the skin. Generally if you have skin eruptions that means your blood in intoxicated. Which is something I found I had. It sounds like you eat healthy, so keep at it! I would start juicing just greens, very little bit of fruits if you need, and juice large quantities of your bitters. Red Cabbage juice is also really good for your liver, intestine, skin, etc. It sounds like you may be consuming to many sugars from fruits, I would be careful. You probably need more bitters less sweets. You have to work with the inside and the outside. You could also be experiencing hormone dis balance, which causes adult acne in women. So I can't say for sure that one thing will work, but you must definitely keep detoxifying. Some teas that are generally good for women with acne are burdock root, milk thistle, and dong quai. Check out the book http://thegreenbeautyguide.com/. She recommends putting onion and garlic externally for acne. I know how you feel, I've been going through the same thing. My skins better now, unfortunately I have to live with some scarring, but I know my body was a toxic mess and my skin was just filtering it out. All the best.
"People who consume nuts have mold in their blood. Nut consumption is only natural if you are a squirrel."
tell me more.... i've heard people saw nuts are not digestible, but I thought that was because people didn't chew the nut's till they became oily buttery goo in their mouth. why not almond milk? what about nut butter?
and how do you get mold in your blood?
Thank you internettourist and dandeliongirl!
I'm going to go easy on the fruit (ie - sugars) and try those herbal suggestions. Juicing greens is a great suggestion too. I think it really might be some sort of hormonal imbalance. Thank you so much for all the advice!!
Internettourist - is the oil of oregano helping your acne? How long did it take for you to see results?
Much love to all of you for your kind words!!
I know this is going to sound very left-field but have you tried just not washing at all? The reason I'm asking is that for me, all my acne (and I've had it really bad most of my life) went away when I changed my diet and just stopped washing my face completely (this excludes rubbing water on it). I was a little in disbelief that lack of washing was actually the solution (and thought maybe it was just my diet that was helping) so I did a little experiment and went back to washing my face again. Surprisingly enough, my face started breaking out the very next day! I think it's just the fact that all the natural oils are getting stripped from the skin, and I didn't realize just how vital a role they played until then.
I realize that this could be something that works for very few people who have suffered from chronic acne, but it's worth a shot maybe if you are up to trying it. I'm just happy to finally have clear skin, not to mention saving myself a fair bit of money by not having to buy facial cleansers anymore!
Rawmermaid, i am very new to being raw so take my advice with a grain of salt but after reading a blog about someone who went raw they made various mentions about how occasionally eating cooked food when they initially started things to slow down detox .I am not suggesting you do that but you seem to be on a pretty hardcore raw diet Juicing TONS of greens every day. I just reckon your detoxing loads.I don't know how you can slow it down though but reckon certain greens etc.. probably increase detox.
Hey, I have a lot of experience with acne - eating both SAD and raw! My acne got a lot worse after being raw. I've found so much relief when supplementing with zinc, selenium, and a b complex (I use New Chapter brand, they are a whole foods vitamin line and are the best I've used. They've helped more than any other brand). It sounds like your diet may be lacking in those minerals and vitamins, and a deficiency in those is linked with acne.
Also, acne along the chin can be indicative of hormonal imbalance. Have you tried seeing a naturopath to see if your hormones may be out of whack? That was a huge factor in my acne too. Doing both those things (along with a low-fat, nut free diet), have helped a lot.
Please give them a shot... Best of luck!
I've found the one thing that works the best for me is to drink lots and lots of green tea. I still have little spots every now and then, but for the most part my skin is very clear. I tried taking dong quai for over a month and my skin was pretty clear when I started, but started breaking into spots all over my face and even my body immediately after taking the dong quai. I kept taking it fo over a month and it did clear up somewhat, but I ended up stopping it as it just made my skin worse. I started drinking more green tea than usual and that fixed the problem.
I've been raw for 6 months and i have the worst acne that i've ever had. I've been changing what "type" of raw that I am though. Meaning, I started off gourmet and then once i did my green smoothie feast for 3 days it really got bad so i'm guessing im detoxing AGAIN. i didnt even know that you could get acne on your cheekbones... i also have little bumps under my mouth on both sides of my chin that are constantly there. i wonder about the hormonal imbalance thing but i am on the pill (which doesn't make me happy but i don't menstruate without it!) anyways, tonight i am trying water only, ACV astringent and tea tree oil. i hope this works! pllleeeaaasse!
I've been dealing with acne post-raw for about nine months (i've been raw for 10 months). Two weeks ago I bought a juicer off craigslist for 15 dollars. I started juicing a lot of carrots and to my delight, my acne has settled down ten-fold. try juicing carrots!
also, I went off hormonal birth control 5 months ago and that exacerbated the acne situation. I started adding maca to my morning smoothies and that might have helped a little bit. It's supposed to balance hormones.
Hey Terilyn!
How long did you take Turmeric powder? Do you still take it every day? I heard it can cause an upset stomach if taken too often...have you had this experience?
Oh don't worry and certainly don't take any chemical drugs in or on you!
the first couple months (like you)i went raw my face was peeling like crazy and i got acne worse then i ever have. ITS BECAUSE YOUR BODY IT DETOXING everything bad inside of you its normal and just don't stress because it will pass. it takes your body maybe a full year to completely detox everything that has happened. wait a couple months it should be gone way better. in the mean time insted of those deramtologists medications try thishttp://cellfood.microwaterman.com/CellFood_Oxygen_Gel.html
its natural and it actually good for the inside of you too! research different essential oils for acne and try those out such as lavendar, tea tree oil, clove oil, lemon oil, etc. to quicken detoxing try doing periodic juice or smoothie cleanses for a day or two at a time.
good luck and remember that good, clear, radient, smooth skin is coming your way just wait! =)
Have you tried Omega 3 supplementation? I get acne when I have too many Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3.
http://www.acneeinstein.com/study-omega-3-supplements-reduce-acne-42/
I feel the food is something that can really take over the skin, but still I believe that the best solution for you is using of Rose water, it’s the best thing for skin, I can guarantee you it will work wonders for your skin and it will get clear!
Spotted skin, scars and acne marks make you feel embarrassed and hurt self-esteem as well. Many of us opt for cosmetics and other products to get rid of acne residues. There are many home remedies which have proven their effects on lightening these skin marks. Tomato and Lemon Juice: Take a “fresh tomato” and make its paste. Mix it well with one tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply the paste on face for around 20 minutes and rinse it off gently with water after 20 minutes. Pulp of Aloe Vera: Let the pulp from Aloe Vera dry for 5 minutes in sun. Add 6-8 drops of lemon juice to it and apply on the affected area and face for 15 minutes. Onions: Cut the onion into small pieces. Grind those pieces and separate the juice from the residue. Apply the juice for few minutes on the affected skin and rinse after 10 minutes. Cucumber and Milk: Make a paste out of cucumber, milk and a bit of lime extract. It will serve as a face mask. Apply thoroughly and wash it with warm water after 10 minutes. You must consider a visit to dermatologist in severity of the condition. But, these home remedies are proven effective in getting rid of acne marks, black spots, pimples and dark spots.
yes, this was what I was thinking at first too!
Also just raw doesn't mean that there are no things involved that are bad for your skin :)
Have you tried charcoal face products? Charcoal draws toxins out of the skin.