Facing Hard Facts!

I am so excited!!!! I have an appointment with Vanessa! I am going to see her next week. I talked to “Q” the wonderful director and manager of Health4life. After talking to Q, I now know that I will be  consulting with Vanessa to discuss my health issues. 

As I think about the many things that I want to ask Vanessa about, including allergies, joint pain, and dry skin, I realized what I want to write about today.

Since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I have suffered with extremely dry skin. As a nurse, I have serious issues and problems with the ingredients in manufactured skin care products. Have you ever tried to pronounce the ingredients in most skin care products? Not only are they hard to pronounce, they are really unhealthy and often unsafe.

Several years ago, I became concerned about the makeup that I was using. Not only did I feel like I was wearing a mask,  (I sometimes felt like Tammy Faye Baker!!!), I did not like the fact that I could not recognize most of the ingredients and chemicals that comprised the foundation that I was wearing.  I was taught in nursing school that the skin is the largest organ system in the human body. It not only protects the body, it also absorbs water and nutrients and secretes waste.  But the foundation that I was putting on my face was not a nutrient. My skin was absorbing all of those chemicals that I could not pronounce. And the “mask” that I was wearing did not allow my skin to breathe nor secrete.  I decided that this had to change.  I now wear mineral makeup. Mineral makeup is made from crushed minerals and is actually good for the skin and it provides a natural sunscreen.  If you’ve never tried mineral makeup, I encourage you to do so!

 When I switched to mineral makeup, I also changed the way I clean my face.  I did not want all of the chemicals in the skincare products on the market on my face and being absorbed into my body. I researched and studied and here is what I came up with. Are you ready?????

Yep, that's what I clean my face with! When I first read the numerous articles, I thought it was the craziest thing that I had ever heard. But then I remembered back to when I was a child. Women took off their makeup with cold cream or Vaseline. I never saw them wash their faces with soap and water! My grandmother had beautiful skin, my mother has beautiful skin. Although I would not put petroleum jelly on my face, Castor Oil and Olive oil are natural plant products, so I gave it a try. I have never been happier. Not only is my skin happy, so is my wallet!

Castor oil is a natural cleanser. If you think about it, it is used as a laxative to cleanse the colon. Olive oil is used as a moisturizer. Other oils can be used instead of olive such as almond or coconut. I am using olive because that was the first oil that I tried and I like the way it feels on my face.  I am including a link with the entire protocol for the oil cleansing method but here is the formula for making the product:

Oily skin:  30% Castor Oil with 70% Olive Oil

Normal Skin: 20% Castor Oil with 80% Olive Oil

Dry Skin: 10% Castor Oil with 90% Olive Oil

If you have Oily or combination skin, don't worry about this causing acne! It will clear up your complexion and open up the pores and the Castor Oil is naturally  cleansing.

Let me know what you think!