
Beautiful Skin: There were scientific studies done in the cosmetic industry to determine the best oil for penetration into the skin. The 3 that were able to actually penetrate the deepest were Olive oil, Coconut oil and Avocado oil. I personally think Avocado oil is the best, it has the closest composition to olive oil though. However, I love coconut milk for my face as well.. it is baby soft and absorbs very quickly. Shea butter for the body is wonderful as well!
Borax

I have been using borax as a facial cleanser, and it's been great - clean soft skin. However, more than a month later, I'm beginning to see some discoloration, dark pigment, appearing on my left cheek and slowly forming on my right also. Does anyone know what this is all about? I would love continue with the borax, but am thinking of going back to my cosmetic cleanser. Thanks for any feedback.

turmeric is gold! i had a nasty boil come on mid november. it would get fierce, then subside to where i thought it was nearly gone, then come back with a vengeance! TURMERIC is the ONLY thing that works! i began taking turmeric on the 21st of february-powder mixed with hot water. then i also made a salve of turmeric powder, tea tree oil mixed with oliver oil and put this directly on the boil. then i bought some turmeric capsules and took 3 3x/day and the boil went down in size and pain within days. today, a little more than a month later, the boil is completely gone, healed and no scar! i will be taking turmeric always! also to be noted, in indian culture and ayurvedic health, taking turmeric is highly recommended for healthy skin and over all health.
Raw Food Diet

Raw Food Diet- I've been eating raw food for 2 meals a day- lots of oranges, apples, carrots, avocados, TOMATOES, cucumbers (to be exact) and my skin has been so nice!
I usually dab diluted 1:1 apple cider vinegar and water onto my face with a cotton ball and then moisturize with lotion or coconut oil. BUT with the raw food diet, my skin has been exceptionally soft. I cannot stop touching my face throughout the day!
Grapeseed Oil

I am 44 years young and for all of my life I have had rough patches of skin on the back of my arms, tops of my forearms, my cheeks, down the outer sides of my thighs and my butt cheeks. I have used anything and everything out there to try to smooth out these unsightly areas until one day.... I discovered grapeseed oil. I lather it on all over my body right after my shower (the water helps it spread more easily) and the results are incredible! My skin has never been so smooth not only in the problem areas but ALL OVER. I guess I have been starving my skin all of these years of much needed oils. The brand of Grapeseed Oil I am using is "NOW" Try it!! You might be quite surprised!
Forever Soft.....
Sandy
Half Milk, Half Cream

Half & Half as a cleanser:
At night, I fill a small dish with Organic Half & Half, boil it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Then I put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I use the "skin" on top as a cleanser. Nothing works better for me! I guess it's a very gentle exfolient & hydrator?
General Feedback
Natural Preservatives:
Can anyone advise if it's Possible, and How - to use Colloidal Silver and/or Hydrogen Peroxide and/or ozonated/oxygenated water as a form of Natural Preservatives for skin care products made with raw herbal powder and botanical oils?
Would there be averse reaction with such high potency and actives? How would we test how to use these germ killing agents?
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Vicky
Mayonnaise

i don't even EAT miracle whip. but there was some in our fridge. i read about the exfoliating properties of it and decided to try it... since i had tried everything else. well, i love it. i have dry aging skin with fine lines that gets too dried out by granular exfoliation (brown sugar or sea salt or even wash cloths and/or baking soda).
the miracle whip works like a chemical peel and you just rub off the top layer of your skin along with the miracle whip.
put about a tablespoon onto your face and neck in a very thin layer. wait 10 minutes and then start to rub your skin in circles. the dead skin rolls off into little balls along with the miracle whip. keep rubbing until all the 'shiny' places are rubbed off. for those whose skin can tolerate baking soda - you might try rubbing afterwards with a tiny bit of BS to finish the job. does mayonaise work? i don't know never tried it. but this works great and when i remember to do it several times a week my skin starts to remind me of my skin i had in my 20's. enough said. don't eat it - but it works great for this! and it is cheap and i guess sort of natural....
oh - i tried just using ACV and i guess MW works so well because of it's other ingredients... whatever, it works great! everyone notices how 'perfect' my skin is these days.
djh/texas
To Dianna from Austin, I have read several of your posts, I live in Austin also, maybe we can collaborate. My email is a amenpi(at)gmail.com.
Oil Pulling

I just want to thank Earth Clinic for such helpful health advice. I was already using ACV. (*1/2 cup in the morning). But I noticed my depression worsening I was thinking of going to a therapist. When one night I was internet surfing and found this site. I also kept having migraine headaches. (of course) no doctor, or medicines helped. I ran across the oil pulling remedies. So, I tried it. The results are great!!!! The oil pulling (first thing in the morning) *1/2 a cup its the BEST THING I could have done. Its healthy for me and has no negative side effects. My depression has gone away!!! I sleep better, I am not restless, my mood swings have diminished. I have so much energy its ridiculous!!! I can feel and see the difference. I have also tried the BSS (Baking Soda Scrub) I add honey and a little water until it thickens to my liken. (I have oily/combo skin). I used ACV as a toner,(diluted with water on a cotton ball). VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil) as a moisturizer. (very thin amount) My face glowed. I only do it 3x a week. It is so great to have all these resources at hand. And they are so inexpensive. Thank You so much!!! Earth Clinic.
Egg

After cleansing your face, put egg whites on the face. It may seem gooey and gross but after it dries you take it off by gently patting the face with a damp towel and the skin is dramatically softer.
Egg

Egg whites are incredible for your skin! (mind you don't have a food allergy to them)
Apply to your face and neck at night (dries pretty fast) and wash off in the AM. For daytime use, Mix the egg white with a little water. It's clear and dries without flaking. Best beauty tip from grandma EVER! :)
Lemon Juice Exfoliator
I would like to know about the use of Lemon Juice and honey. As anyone ever tried this as I heard it on Oprah (beauty secrets) I Can't seem to find any of that on the site. Please let me know if this was ever tried. Thanks
Oil Cleansing Method

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[11/21/2009: Editors Note: The author of Oil Cleansing Method just notified us that the entire post had been copied without permission from her website. For the original article on the Oil Cleansing Method, please refer to: http://beauty-treatments.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_oil_cleansing_method]

I tried the oil cleansing method for about a month. It did not work for my skin, fairly balanced, normal skin with a slightly oily T-zone. I combined olive oil and castor oil (1/2 a drop of each), applied to my face, then steamed my face with a hot wash cloth for about 5-10 minutes. I then used the damp wash cloth to wipe away the excess oil. I did this process 1x per day at night and used olive oil soap in the morning. My skin absolutely glowed...for four days. AFTERWARDS, my skin broke out like never before! Hard cystic acne that hurt to the touch! Yikes!!! I actually contemplated going to the dermatologist it was so bad! I figured I was using the wrong combination of oils for my skin, so then I tried jojoba and castor oil for three weeks. This oil combination improved the condition of my skin, but not significantly.
I have since discontinued use of the oil cleansing method as I find it does not work for my skin. I have resumed my use of oil free cleansers and my skin is starting to clear up, however it still has quite a way to go before it returns to its "normal state"!
I still use jojoba oil as a light moisturizer for my face with good results.
Oil Cleansing Method

I actually had very similar results with OCM as my skin looked fabulous for a week or so then out of no where it was break out city. It was worse than ever before. I find that when mixing organic jojoba oil with my essential oils - lavender, tea tree, geranium, frankincense or a combination -my skin is much more clear and radiant. I also use an organic facewash and ACV with equal parts water as astringent.
Oil Cleansing Method

Well I wasn't so lucky with the oil cleansing method. I wanted to know is there any kind of tool or product that can just suck the junk from under my skin. I saw a pore cleanser advertised a few years ago any recommedations? The stuff is like stuck in my skin til i squeeze it out and it stinks bad. I also have patches of these tiny bumps they never seems to go away on there own. Is there a name for this condition or is it just acne?
Oil Cleansing Method

the oil cleansing method did did not work for me either. it ended up making my skin drier (i guess it really does remove oil) and also gave me cystic pimples too.
what helped me a lot - was to start using a tiny bit of baking soda and a wet face to exfoliate. then i use very diluted ACV afterwards to balance my skin back out.
after a few days of this my cystic pimples started clearing up. some are taking longer.
i think that why the oil cleansing method doesn't work for everyone is that you are actually massaging the oil into the pores and some pores are too small for it to come back out very well...
even with the steaming hot washcloth i still has this problem :(
i thought about steaming my face to try and get rid of the cystic pimples and it did help when i did it with water alone or a little ACV over a pot and then used a washcloth on my skin - or did the baking soda afterwards...
Oil Cleansing Method
For those of you that have experienced acne breakouts from the oil cleansing method, this is really a detoxing period or reaction brought on by doing the OCM. What is happening is the oils are pulling toxins and debris out of the layers of the skin. If you keep it up it will eventually subside because it will have pulled all the gunk out over time. Also, to the one who used soap in the morning and OCM in the evening...using the soap is just defeating the purpose of doing OCM. What I do is do the OCM in the evening which also helps remove any makeup that was worn, then I just use a warm wet washcloth in the morning. Overnight there hasn't been much to contaminate my skin to warrant using much else on my face and it doesn't strip the skin of its natural oils.
Oil Cleansing Method

For a few months now I have been using this method and it has really worked for me. My skin is softer, smoother, and is clearer. I have always have problem skin and now at 36 yrs old I feel like I have found something that really works for me and is less expansive.
In the morning, I clean my face with witchhazel using cotton ball; then use warm damp cloth over face and neck. Sometimes I use BORAX when my skin feels oily, just sprinkle a little and add water to make paste, then rub on face and splash it off with warm water. The borax paste also works like an exfoliant.
At night, I rub VCO on face and neck. Wipe off with tissue, then use warm/damp cloth.
After cleaning, I moisturize with jojoba oil both day and night. In the daytime, I add sunscreen to my routine.
Recently I have tried the mask using honey and milk (a recipe I found here on EC) and I love the way the mask makes my skin feels. Soft and the lines are less noticeable.
I used VCO as a moisturize and found it was not hydrating enough for my skin. But I love it a cleanser. I even take 1 TBSP VCO internally every day and I feel like I have more energy and my skin feels clearer also. Oh, one more thing, yes, I did break out during the first week of trying this method. I think it was due to the impurities coming out of my skin.
Good luck and hang in there if you do break out some. Your skin is just detoxing itself.
Oil Cleansing Method

Same results as Misha - glowing skin for a few days, and then the worst cystic acne of my life... It took months to clear up. Was using Organic EVOO mixed with a little Organic Castor Oil.
Oil Cleansing Method
Be really careful with the oil cleansing method. It depends on what kind of skin you have. I have bad skin, always prone to breakouts and lots of oiliness. My skin just does not naturally slough off the dead skin cells and oil accumulation the way it's supposed to. I was really excited try the oil cleansing method. I used a mix of castor oil and grapeseed oil. For two weeks my skin glowed. Then disaster!
I had the worst case of cystic acne I've ever had in my entire life (take it from somene who's had to deal with zits her entire life, and still I have never had anything like this). It happened on my chin, along with lots of tiny little bumps elsewhere on my face. It took 4 months before the acne finally calmed down, and another 6 months for it to clear completely. It's now been over a year and I'm still wary about breakouts on my chin.
I use a simple oatmeal soap to wash with, I tone with alcohol-free witch hazel and I moisturize with a light cocoa butter moisturizer. I use a small amount of moisturizer, just enough to hydrate my face. My face is quite clear now. I try to drink lots of water. The oil cleansing method was just not for me. It's for people who don't need to wash their faces that often because their skin naturally sloughs off the dead cells quickly and for those whose faces don't produce excessive amounts of oil to begin with. All I felt after a couple of weeks was buildup on my skin. By this I mean I would be rinsing my face with water and when I rubbed it gently, it felt rough and grimy. I persisted with OCM, thinking that eventually it would help. It did not, it made things worse. Believe me, I used warm washcloths and steamed and wiped gently until all trace of oil was gone after each cleansing, and then showered after. So no, I did not leave traces of oil on my face. And I only did it three times a week, in the evenings so it wasn't excessive. The oil cleansing method is not for everyone. I definitely need to wash my face every day to take away a day's worth of makeup, dirt and pollution. Gentle cleansing is the key, not harsh soaps and alcohol loaded toners but not OCM either, at least not for someone with my skin type.
Oil Cleansing Method

I tried the oil cleansing method using 50% olive oil and 50% castor oil. I started breaking out (where before I had not much of anything). It continues now even though I haven't put any oil on my face for the last 3 days. I woke up with yet another spot forming.
I wanted to try it because I used to use Ernest Laszlo's oil on my face ages ago. It left my face in such good condition - but it was expensive to keep doing that regime. I was originally pleased to find this method again, only that it really doesn't work - at least the oils that I'm using don't work. If anyone knows the oils that were in The Ernest Laszlo bottle, please let me know. Otherwise, beware!
Now, I just use ACV to target the spots, and it's taking time to deal with them. I didn't have so much before this oil cleansing - so I feel like I'm backpeddling big time!
Oil Cleansing Method
Active Phelityl Oil is one of Erno Laszlo's original products and was formulated by himself. It consists of ten different oils with different properties, I. E.
Chaulmoogra Oil = calming, anti-inflammatory
Safflower Oil = mattifying
Apricot Kernel Oil = Omega 3 fatty acids
Lecithin = anti-oxidant
Avocado Oil = Vitamin A
Grapeseed Oil = Vitamin E
If anyone else knows the other oils, do let us know. Thanks!
Oranges

For younger looking skin forever, eat 5 oranges per day, that is it! You'll be surprised at the things nature has provided us with.
Flaxseed Oil

Hi everyone. I wanted to send my big YEA for flax seed oil and the skin. I take flax every so often, but lately I decided to up my daily dosage and take it consistently after all the great things I have been reading about it. I am taking 1 Tablespoon of organic flax (highest lignan count) 3 times a day for a couple of weeks and the effects have been phenomenal. My skin, all over my entire body, is glowing and youthful. My hands, which always look dry and cracked, look a thousand times better. My face looks different too, hard to explain how... better texture to the skin, tighter. It's not my imagination, a few of my friends have made comments about my glowing face. I guess I am having these effects because there is a lot more moisture, lubricating the skin - ? I look pretty good for my age (45) because I exercise regularly, getting a good sweat as often as I can, and eat a low calorie, low-fat diet when possible. But the flax seed oil has really been an amazing remedy for the skin.
I would recommend that people buy bottles of flax that are already refrigerated at the store because they don't contain those questionable preservatives. I bought an expensive bottle of organic flax oil at GNC (not refrigerated) a month ago and it tasted TERRIBLE! Rancid as can be... Then I went to Whole Foods and read through all the brands in the refrigerated section. They pretty much looked the same so I choose an organic brand that had a manufactured date of July, 2008.
I take my tablespoon straight up each time. In the morning before I eat, then lunch, then right before I go to sleep. Not bad tasting at all.
Anti-Aging Remedies
Anti-Aging Remedies
Hello,
it cracks me up that I live in Hemet, as do you! Took me by surprise while reading on EC! I would love to know what helps skin in addition to Collagen and avoiding sugar and toxic chemicals.
Jojoba Oil

The best thing for beautiful glowing skin is jojoba oil. I used to use coconut oil and that was fantastic for a while. But jojoba oil is finer and absorbs more readily into the skin. I've also been told about rosehip oil, but I haven't tried that yet. I might give it a go if I can find any.
As for the jojoba oil, it's made my skin smooth, wrinkle free and the rosacea around my nose and chin has disappeared. Plus if I get the odd pimple at "that time of the month", the jojoba oil gets rid of it within a couple of days without it becoming a horrible whitehead pustule. That is, if the pimples actually even show up at all!
I use it on my neck too. I'm 41 now and I definitely don't want the "turkey neck" look that so many women get at my age. It's working because I have no excess skin there at all - just smooth beautiful skin and people can't believe it when I tell them my age.
I also use sunscreen every day without fail over the top of the jojoba oil. Prevention is still better than cure after all. I bought mine from the health food store and it's cheaper and lasts longer than any commercially prepared product. Plus, it's all natural and that's the biggest drawcard for me. I'm not interested in putting chemicals on my face any more.
Jojoba oil is also really good for treating eczema and psoriasis. And it's a beautiful hand moisturiser as well. Absorbs immediately with no greasy after feel. Try it, you'll love it.
Castor Oil
What kind of facial exercises helps to tone the facial skin?