Skin Still A Problem

[Nstocks]

Hello all,

I'm looking for advice on methods of improving my skin. For over 10 years I've had mild acne which purged my interest in "health". I went on the paleo diet from 18-22 years old and peat ever since (24 years old now). Since peat I've had a good reduction in deep cystic jawline acne but overall my skin is still dry/flaky and I have small pustular acne all around my jawline and chin (sometimes cheek but never on my forehead).

I realise a lot of related to hormones, thus diet and I've slowly gained weight since leaving Paleo (gaining around 1.5lbs per months on average but 3lbs this year per month). I track my food everyday with cron-o-meter and get around 300g carbs, 80g fat and 120g protein. A huge abundance of all the vitamins and minerals.

My skincare is very basic: Hemp oil and occasionally neem oil. I only use water and a muslin cloth once a week to exfoliate. Despite this my skin always looks flaky, even with oil applied to it! So it could be the old skin cells that are causing the mild acne? I don't like buying products (usually a waste of money) but right now I'm looking at something similar to the clarisonic to see if better exfoliation would help. I've also tried aspirin but gave that up last year because my skin looked very red and was actually thinning! I tried it again last week and it was quite painful - I must have gotten so use to the acids that they didn't bother me before.

I no loger shave either so that's eliminated razor irritation. (beard take a LONG time to grow in but it's getting there)

tl;dr: Skin is always flaky, even after applying a noncomedogenic oil like help. Small pustular acne around jawline and chin. Diet is very good in general and I exercise lightly.

 

[tara]

I'm not dealing with acne, but I'm enjoying my current mixture to combat dryness: coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and a tiny bit of lanolin and vit-E. I guess this would promote acne, even if it helps against dry skin? Isn't hemp oil high in PUFA?

 

[Attakai]

Tried tallow yet? My skin was flaky, irritated and dry just a couple of months back. Now it's movie star status.

 

[Amazoniac]

Here's what I have to add:

Vitamins and minerals in abundance are not always beneficial. Excess can be problematic too, and often one interferes with others. A lot of people improve their skin by managing the deficiency, cutting the excess or improving mineral metabolism with fat-soluble vitamins in balance, etc.

Skin care is great but it has to be gentle and it's insignificant near the impact of diet and lifestyle. Some people that do physical and labor work all day, get dirty and don't even care about skin don't get acne.
Some people are also concerned about EMF near their head, even for a short time; so Clarisonic, electric razor and toothbrush are all ditched.
Clarisonic seems gentle but it's not that gentle, if you're going to use, use 2x a week or so with a heavy fluffy cream in between. See Umbra soap dispensers that create a heavy foam.

PUFA and iron are two factors that influence a lot the skin, make sure to keep them relatively low.
It's worth experimenting with oily fish (DHA) once a week in moderation to see if it has any effect.

Have you implemented the recommendation to consume more gelatin/colagen in place of meats?

Everything that interferes with proper skin shedding will block the pores and result in acne.
Low overall metabolism is one of them.

Over-active immune system due to endotoxins may also play a role. If you are eating foods that are allergenic for you, they will create inflammation and it will show up in your skin.
Sunlight helps a lot too, leave before get too uncomfortable or burns.

 

[Nstocks]

I'm not dealing with acne, but I'm enjoying my current mixture to combat dryness: coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and a tiny bit of lanolin and vit-E. I guess this would promote acne, even if it helps against dry skin? Isn't hemp oil high in PUFA?

I've read a lot of good and bad things about coconut oil but too afraid to try it Beeswax can clog pores which is the only reason I chose hemp oil - zero change of it clogging pores. (though there's a bit more to acne than that)

 

[Blossom]

Here is a recipe for a homemade topical moisturizer:
1-2 teaspoons glycerin (I use NOW brand)
4 ounces distilled water
Mix together in a spray bottle and apply by misting the skin.
1 teaspoon glycerin works best for oily skin and 2 teaspoons for dry. You can adjust the glycerin to suit your own skin type. Sometimes in the winter I will apply some jojoba after the moisture mist while my skin is still wet. I like this, it's cheap to make and is certainly way less toxic than most commercial products.
I'm not going to guarantee it will immediately solve your acne but I've used this for several years now and rarely get a blemish. When I started making this I had used retin-a for about twenty years because I was acne prone.
For exfoliating I like to combine about 1 tablespoon of baking soda with distilled water into a paste and apply it in a light circular motion to the facial skin for 5-10 minutes. I would avoid rubbing this directly on a blemish because it might irritate the area. My goal is to exfoliate once a week but in reality I usually only do it every month or two.
I don't have any scientific data on why/how these homemade products work. I just got interested in making my own stuff about 5 years ago when I got tired of wasting money and everything seemingly breaking me out.
I do believe good skin comes from the inside ultimately but I've experienced first hand what putting foul products on my skin can do so I prefer to make whatever I can.
Good luck to you! I hope you get lots of great ideas.

 

[Nstocks]

Here's what I have to add:

Vitamins and minerals in abundance are not always beneficial. Excess can be problematic too, and often one interferes with others. A lot of people improve their skin by managing the deficiency, cutting the excess or improving mineral metabolism with fat-soluble vitamins in balance, etc.

Skin care is great but it has to be gentle and it's insignificant near the impact of diet and lifestyle. Some people that do physical and labor work all day, get dirty and don't even care about skin don't get acne.
Some people are also concerned about EMF near their head, even for a short time; so Clarisonic, electric razor and toothbrush are all ditched.
Clarisonic seems gentle but it's not that gentle, if you're going to use, use 2x a week or so with a heavy fluffy cream in between. See Umbra soap dispensers that create a heavy foam.

PUFA and iron are two factors that influence a lot the skin, make sure to keep them relatively low.
It's worth experimenting with oily fish (DHA) once a week in moderation to see if it has any effect.

Have you implemented the recommendation to consume more gelatin/colagen in place of meats?

Everything that interferes with proper skin shedding will block the pores and result in acne.
Low overall metabolism is one of them.

Over-active immune system due to endotoxins may also play a role. If you are eating foods that are allergenic for you, they will create inflammation and it will show up in your skin.
Sunlight helps a lot too, leave before get too uncomfortable or burns.

I do still believe that most of my problem is low metabolism. I took NDT for a year and stopped a few months ago because I didn't feel any different. I've since ordered Cynoplus which should arrive next week. (MMDS)

Collagen dosen't digest well with me at all and I don't eat meat that often, certainly not every day.

My skin seems to shed a lot and that's perhaps part of the problem - dead skin cells clogging pores and cause mild acne (but only in certain areas so it's probably specific hormone related too, although technically all acne is hormonal)

Looking at my PUFA, on average it's around 6grams per day so not ideal really. I could start with the carrot salad again (didn't help that much before) or remember to take diatomaceous earth which gives me a flatter stomach. (often bloated and constipated). It could be that the higher levels of PUFA and hypo is still the basis for my problems.

 

[Nstocks]

Here is a recipe for a homemade topical moisturizer:
1-2 teaspoons glycerin (I use NOW brand)
4 ounces distilled water
Mix together in a spray bottle and apply by misting the skin.
1 teaspoon glycerin works best for oily skin and 2 teaspoons for dry. You can adjust the glycerin to suit your own skin type. Sometimes in the winter I will apply some jojoba after the moisture mist while my skin is still wet. I like this, it's cheap to make and is certainly way less toxic than most commercial products.
I'm not going to guarantee it will immediately solve your acne but I've used this for several years now and rarely get a blemish. When I started making this I had used retin-a for about twenty years because I was acne prone.
For exfoliating I like to combine about 1 tablespoon of baking soda with distilled water into a paste and apply it in a light circular motion to the facial skin for 5-10 minutes. I would avoid rubbing this directly on a blemish because it might irritate the area. My goal is to exfoliate once a week but in reality I usually only do it every month or two.
I don't have any scientific data on why/how these homemade products work. I just got interested in making my own stuff about 5 years ago when I got tired of wasting money and everything seemingly breaking me out.
I do believe good skin comes from the inside ultimately but I've experienced first hand what putting foul products on my skin can do so I prefer to make whatever I can.
Good luck to you! I hope you get lots of great ideas.

I've actually just bought some organic aloe vera to see if that helps but I remember reading about glycerin as a moisturiser. (it's in most face creams anyway!)

Baking soda was too drying for my skin - I think it strips the acid mantle and can leave a unbalanced ph unless a toner is used in some cases. As above, I've bought aloe vera and I'll see how I react to that but the glycerin moisturise interests me and I'll save that.

 

[Zachs]

Hypo and endotoxin/slow digestion is mostikely your main issues. You move out of Britain yet? Travel somewhere tropical for awhile, eat nothing but fruit, shellfish and raw dairy and eggs and get a ton of sun and salt water.

 

[Blossom]

Hypo and endotoxin/slow digestion is mostikely your main issues. You move out of Britain yet? Travel somewhere tropical for awhile, eat nothing but fruit, shellfish and raw dairy and eggs and get a ton of sun and salt water.

We should all do that Zachs!
I'm not sure if it's Peaty but witch hazel is supposed to restore the skins surface pH after cleansing.

 

[Nstocks]

Hypo and endotoxin/slow digestion is mostikely your main issues. You move out of Britain yet? Travel somewhere tropical for awhile, eat nothing but fruit, shellfish and raw dairy and eggs and get a ton of sun and salt water.

I've moved the tropics to Britain! Literally the sun, tropics and saltwater right next to me in the form of a reef aquarium . I have to say there's an incredibly healing and calming connection to the fish and corals and something about giving them so much care and attention that I know I need to give myself. Might be moving to LDN later in the year to take this as a career though!

Oh, I've "quite being a *****" and drink 2L+ organic cow milk/day now

How are you Zach?

 

[Zachs]

2L is good! Keep working up to 4!

I'm great, man. Aside from the stifling cold of northern MN. Check the PUFA can be eliminated in 30 days thread for details on my eating shenanigans.

Aquariums are awesome, especially saltwater ones! Maybe stick your face in there a few times a week. :)

 

[Nstocks]

2L is good! Keep working up to 4!

I'm great, man. Aside from the stifling cold of northern MN. Check the PUFA can be eliminated in 30 days thread for details on my eating shenanigans.

Aquariums are awesome, especially saltwater ones! Maybe stick your face in there a few times a week. :)

I'm getting more protein/calcium with skimmed milk powder that isn't causing any digestive stress so I'm happy with that. Too many fluids still gives me a lot of water retention or something. I'm tempted to go with raw cow milk but have a hard time justifying the price since I do well with pasteurised organic 2%.

I've just been reading through parts of that thread! I've been trying to gain some mass but just feel like I'm getting fat. Probably true, hoping that cynoplus helps me out - 1 year of NDT was pretty useless.

Ha, I've tried epsom salts for my face but it's just too drying. It's like paradise under the LED's, stare at the fish and all my problems go away. I can't imagine waking up to anything better, heck that's why people visit these tropical locations!

 

[tara]

I'm not dealing with acne, but I'm enjoying my current mixture to combat dryness: coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, and a tiny bit of lanolin and vit-E. I guess this would promote acne, even if it helps against dry skin? Isn't hemp oil high in PUFA?

I've read a lot of good and bad things about coconut oil but too afraid to try it Beeswax can clog pores which is the only reason I chose hemp oil - zero change of it clogging pores. (though there's a bit more to acne than that)

You may well be right about the beeswax clogging. I found coconut oil by itself too drying, but with the cocoa butter and beeswax it seems both more moisturising and also holds for much longer.
Others suggest going after the PUFA too, so I still wonder if the hemp oil is doing more harm than good.
For pH, dilute vinegar rinse is very cheap and can help restore mild acidity. You might have to rinse that off with water after to get rid of the smell, though.
Another thought is to use the oily moisturiser on the rest of your body where you are not getting acne, to spare resources for the affected skin? Also, not a Peaty suggestion, but are you getting a little vit C from time to time? It's one of the nutrients required for repair. Peat has said it's easy to get enough from food without supplementing, and he may be right, I don't know. I think you are already getting some vit A and zinc in your diet?

 

[tara]

Btw, I think there are some risks with diatomaceous earth. I gather it is effective against parasites, which is a good thing. But it kills them by abrasion and dessication, which I would think (and I've read from other sources) can be tough on the GI tract, especially if it is compromised to begin with.
If the DE had a significant effect, I wonder if that points to a parasite infection?

 

[Nstocks]

Vitamin C is between 150mg and 300mg, which according to Cron-O is 200-300% of RDA. Most of this comes from oranges. Vitamin A is around 1500iu to 3000iu so quite a good amount there too. Zinc varies a lot from 5mg to 10mg per day and it's higher when I have meat so perhaps look into that since I don't eat meat too often.

I used aloe vera last night to moisturise and on it's own I don't think it's as moisturising as it claims to be. Skin feels quite tight, although very smooth so perhaps adding a few drops of hemp or jojoba oil to it to help it lubricate my skin? Dead cells are still visible even after exfoliating. At one point I exfoliated everyday with aspirin or a muslin cloth but that eventually caused very sensitive skin and more breakouts.

I'm intrigued by the 31 day PUFA depletion and I'll look into that, but first I'd need to find adequate sources of calories. I'm always aiming for 3000 but without meat or ice cream I struggle to get over 2000.

 

[Nstocks]

It turns out Aloe just makes my skin feel dry and flaky, even when applied to wet skin. I've made some glycerin moisturiser and that's even worse! Apparently it can draw moisture FROM the skin depending on the weather conditions .

Hmmm, not sure it's worth trying anything else right now. I mean, over the years I've literally tried every natural moisturising ingredient out there but this is due to my thyroid.

 

[oxidation_is_normal]

The main thing you said which correlates with a lot of experiences with skin problems is "often bloated and constipated." I would work on your gut first and if you can get that in great shape - and the skin is not in better condition - then go back to working on this skin. It sounds like a systemic problem - which can't really be treated at the locale of the skin.

 

[Amazoniac]

Vitamin C is between 150mg and 300mg, which according to Cron-O is 200-300% of RDA. Most of this comes from oranges. Vitamin A is around 1500iu to 3000iu so quite a good amount there too. Zinc varies a lot from 5mg to 10mg per day and it's higher when I have meat so perhaps look into that since I don't eat meat too often.

I used aloe vera last night to moisturise and on it's own I don't think it's as moisturising as it claims to be. Skin feels quite tight, although very smooth so perhaps adding a few drops of hemp or jojoba oil to it to help it lubricate my skin? Dead cells are still visible even after exfoliating. At one point I exfoliated everyday with aspirin or a muslin cloth but that eventually caused very sensitive skin and more breakouts.

I'm intrigued by the 31 day PUFA depletion and I'll look into that, but first I'd need to find adequate sources of calories. I'm always aiming for 3000 but without meat or ice cream I struggle to get over 2000.

In my opinion, the thread on 30 days to deplete PUFA is there merely to show that the majority of it won't take 4 years to be depleted. A lot of people are trying extreme measures to attain that but I believe they are creating more damage compared to a gradual and natural shift to a more saturated composition.

 

[Amazoniac]

Just curiou, how does your skin behaves if you drop everything that you are using topically (including soaps)?