My face is not happy with me - back to the strict diet

I finally took the GRE today and it feels fantastic to be done with that thing. My face, however, is not happy with me for it.

See, while there is a significant dietary/hormonal component to my acne, there is also a significant stress component too. My natural inclination is to hold stress in until whatever is stressing me out passes, after which I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Thing is, I rarely know how bad something is affecting me until after it's passed: in this case, the GRE must have really been doing a number on me because areas that have been clear for months (forehead, neck, shoulders) are now breaking out! I'm going to have to take soy (fermented and un-fermented) completely out of the picture again, and not to mention going out to eat and most desserts. I'll have to be more careful about the birth control too - I almost wonder if that could be contributing to my breakouts too. Maybe I should go back to writing a confession each time I so much as toe the line - I've not been terribly strict all summer about doing that. Perhaps its in my best interest.

Why must my body be so darn sensitive - seriously? It's driving me crazy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to reincorporate those ingredients I slashed in March after things re-clear up. Oi vey!

Odds and Ends: Facemapping Acne

This is cool - face-mapping acne to see what's causing it. According to this, the rest of my acne, which is largely on my upper cheeks these days (though I have some on the lower cheeks and on my neck), could be due to lung issues, talking on the phone, or my pillows. I have had minor respiratory issues in the past during exceedingly bad allergy season, and I probably don't exercise enough. I've got time these days, so I don't have an excuse.

Regimen, Edition #1: Turmeric and Coconut Oil Mask

Because the diet I've been following is such a challenge, I've not written much about my topical regimen. The regimen I've more or less settled on is washing my face with coconut oil, applying tea tree oil with a cotton ball, and then applying a small amount of coconut oil as a moisturizer both in the morning and evening. In the evening, I've also used prescription strength retin-A cream after the tea tree oil and before the moisturizing coconut oil.

A few nights ago, I stumbled some people who use turmeric as a mask and tea to help with acne to great effect. While I don't like changing up my regimen too much, I also don't mind a nice face mask every once in a while. I made a mask using turmeric, all purpose wheat flour (which I haven't thrown out, since I've not conclusively proved that I am gluten sensitive, but I have suspicions - hence the diet), and coconut oil. I mixed it up, washed my face with coconut oil, applied the mask, and let it sit. It felt good while on my skin, and when I washed it off, my skin felt smoother than it had felt in years.

Now, there are drawbacks. The turmeric yellow stain is annoying. I've noticed that my neck is breaking out again (just two little buggers, but they hurt), probably from the stuff I didn't wash off. And, of course, the wheat flour seems unnecessary. I'll keep trying it, but I'll make the next batch sans the wheat. If the stuff irritates my skin, then it probably irritates my insides too.

Regimen, Edition #1: Organic, Unrefined, Coconut Oil

When I was researching the regimen, I read several accounts about how people who had struggled with acne for years found that organic, raw coconut oil made all the difference for them. I thought they were nuts, but I was willing to give anything reasonable a shot at the time, so I gave coconut oil a go.

I am pleased to say that raw, organic, non-hydrogenated coconut oil has made quite a difference. I started using it just as a moisturizer after my Retin-A cream at night, but I've using it as a day moisturizer and a body lotion too. I've had fewer problems with dry skin and scars have faded faster than they normally do. I've yet to figure out how exactly to make it work with my hair, but when I have used it, coconut oil works just as well on dandruff as T-Gel.

Coconut oil also works well with the recipes I've been developing. It helps keep my protein bars together (lifesavers when I'm in a hurry) and it works well in smoothies. Now it sounds crazy to be going through so much coconut oil, because of the high saturated fat content, but everyone needs some fat to stay healthy and sane and the kind of saturated fat in coconut oil is the same kind in mother's milk. I wouldn't say that's a bad trade-off, especially if fat consumption in general is low like mine (little meat; tons of fruits, veggies, and nuts; a bit of grain; very little dairy).

I'm not paid by anyone to market coconut oil (though I really could use the money), but it's worth a shot if you're not allergic or sensitive.

Hello World!

I am a 23-year-old graduate student who loves food, but has struggled with acne for 12-13 years. Six weeks ago, I decided that the standard acne treatments just did not cut it anymore and I wanted to try something different. Over Spring Break, I researched, developed, and implemented a regimen for myself using free Internet resources and some old-fashioned common sense. This is the regimen I came up with, after some experimentation:

Diet:
-tons of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables blended in smoothies
-organic, fresh, raw nuts and seeds
-occasional, organic, grass-fed meat
-organic rice, quinoa, and amaranth
-organic coconut, canola, and olive oil, used sparingly
-no dairy, soy, or gluten in any form
-limited caffeine, corn syrup, and white sugar
-raw, organic, green foods powder taken once a day in the morning

Topical Regimen:
-two short, hot, showers a day
-washing with organic coconut oil and a salicylic acid cleanser
-toning with organic tea tree oil
-morning only: oil free conventional moisturizer/sunscreen
-night only: Retin-A cream and organic coconut oil

I am pleased to report moderate, but undeniable, results, even though I broke the diet and regimen several times. What I am not pleased to report, however, is that money, time, and scarcity threaten my ability to stick with the regimen. As a result, I am working to develop solutions for myself, share my solutions with others, and advocate for change in the way we approach food, both on a small and large scale. This blog will document my research, successes, and failures in pursuing those goals.