Face routine and favourite ingredients

[SoapLover1]

Oooohhhh…if only it were that easy. With all due respect, the fact that he was treated by Drs at The National Institute of Health should tell you that I’m slightly knowledgeable in this field and while all cases are different, this certainly was not the case in ours. I appreciate you though.

Hi!
I truly apologize that this information seems to have made you angry. Not my intention! I was never negating where your grandchild is being treated nor his condition. Just trying to inform. I know I do not fit in "the box" on many issues, however, this one is well known.
I, too, have Eczema, along with my Son, 5 Sisters, Parents, 15 Nieces & Nephews. So, I too, speak from my personal experience. We all have Allergies that are triggers. As we have eliminated those triggers from either food or environment by recognizing the onset, we all manage our conditions much better. Many are now symptom free. When I have issues / flare-ups, I recognize the allergen and correct the issue(s). Because you are tested for Allergies, do not mean they tested for everything in the environment. So it’s up to you to recognize possible cause & effect.

According to, www.niaid.nih.gov,
"Causes & Strategies for Prevention
A combination of genetic and environmental factors appears to be involved in the development of eczema. Children whose parents have asthma and allergies are more likely to develop atopic dermatitis than children of parents without allergic diseases. Approximately 30 percent of children with atopic dermatitis have food allergies, and many develop asthma or respiratory allergies. People who live in cities or drier climates also appear more likely to develop the disease.


According to www.national eczema.org," What are the causes of eczema?
Many factors can contribute to eczema, including an interaction between your environment and your genes. When an irritant or an allergen from outside or inside the body “switches on” the immune system, it produces inflammation, or a flare-up, on the surface of the skin. This inflammation causes the symptoms common to most types of eczema...
Many common household items are also potential environmental irritants and can cause allergic reactions leading to an eczema flare. Additional common triggers of eczema may include:
• extended exposure to dry air, extreme heat or cold
• some types of soap, shampoo, bubble bath, body wash, facial cleansers
• laundry detergents and fabric softeners with chemical additives
• certain fabrics like wool or polyester in clothing and sheets
• surface cleaners and disinfectants
• natural liquids like the juice from fruit, vegetables and meats
• fragrances in candles
• metals, especially nickel, in jewelry or utensils
• formaldehyde, which is found in household disinfectants, some vaccines, glues and adhesives
• isothiazolinone, an antibacterial found in personal care products like baby wipes
• cocamidopropyl betaine, which is used to thicken shampoos and lotions
• paraphenylene-diamine, which is used in leather dyes and temporary tattoos

According to:
www.my.clevelandclinic.org:
SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES
What causes eczema?
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is caused by a combination of immune system activation, genetics, environmental triggers and stress.
• Your immune system. If you have eczema, your immune system overreacts to small irritants or allergens. This overreaction can inflame your skin.
• Your genetics. You’re more likely to have eczema if there is a history of dermatitis in your family. You’re also at a higher risk if there’s a history of asthma, hay fever and/or allergens. Allergens are substances like pollen, pet hair or foods that trigger an allergic reaction. Also, there might be a change in your genes that control a protein that helps your body maintain healthy skin. Without normal levels of that protein, your skin will not be completely healthy.
• Your environment. There is a lot in your environment that can irritate your skin. Some examples include exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollutants, harsh soaps, fabrics such as wool and some skin products. Low humidity (dry air) can cause your skin to become dry and itchy. Heat and high humidity can cause sweating and that can make the itchiness even worse.

I hope this sheds a little light on my opinion. Blessings!

 

[Christa10]

I've always been envious of those who can "slug." I can't use anything remotely occlusive on my face - including coconut oil, olive oil, petroleum jelly, many makeup foundations, and every brand of sunscreen ever made. They all cause terrible breakouts, skin peeling, etc. And believe me, I've tried them all. Some are less irritating than others, but ALL sunscreens and almost all make-up foundations have this effect for me. It starts within hours of application, too.

For those who insist that neither coconut oil nor olive oil are occlusive, well, they act as such on my skin because they do not soak in at all. They just sit on top and create a greasy layer, while underneath the skin peels and becomes inflamed. Perhaps that doesn't meet the strict definition of "occlusive" but it has the same practical effect. And yes, I have tried oil-cleansing, and no, it wasn't just a detox effect. It was so awful that I couldn't keep the pictures of my "progress" over the sixty days that I persevered, because they made me cry to look at them.

As someone with Mediterranean genes, I tan very easily and don't burn easily. As a result, for most of my life, being in the sun without sunscreen made my skin glow and kept it clear. However, a brief stint of hormone therapy almost 20 years ago caused melasma. Ever since, it has been a constant battle to decide between big brown patches, or lots of clogged pores, peeling skin, and cysts.

Today I use a customized version of the PS-80 facial cleaner that is the subject of a big thread here on SMF. That's followed by an ACV toner, hyaluronic acid serum (HA dissolved in glycerin with EOs), and hand-crafted facial cream. A very light application of raspberry seed oil, plus sunglasses and a hat, are my preferred "sunscreen" unless I'm at the beach and need the heavy-duty stuff. My skin is not even close to perfect, but has come so far from the days where thyroid issues and products unsuited for my skin really wreaked havoc. I am so thankful!

But honestly, the best things for my skin are to exercise regularly, get good sleep, and eat "clean." For me that means gluten-free, dairy-free, low sugar, high on fruits and veggies, and low-ish carb. Even small servings of gluten or dairy are visible on my skin the next day in the form of big clogged pores and pimples. Sadly, vegan and vegetarian diets cause significant thyroid problems for me, plus my body reacts poorly to nuts, grains, soy, dairy, and legumes. Those also show on my face within a few days.

With few to no options for vegetarian proteins, we stick with grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish. It's expensive, but wellness is worth it to us. This journey to health is what brought me to learning about herbs and EOs, eliminating toxic products from our home, and making my own bodycare products, including soap.

So in that respect, the blessing in all these struggles has been finding this great community of makers who support each other in our wildly-varying roads to health. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that there is no "one size fits all." We each have such unique DNA and life experiences that affect what our skin needs. I wish each of you the best in finding what works for you!

Have you ever tried a very light chemical peel with lactic and/or glycolic acid? If you take off a layer of dead skin cells it might help absorption of other skin care products.

 

[AliOop]

Hi @Christa10 - ah, thanks for reminding me! I didn't mention it above, but I use a lightly exfoliating Norwex(TM) facial washcloth on a daily basis, and an at-home-strength glycolic peel once a month when I know I won't be outside for a few days. More than that makes the melasma spots prone getting darker again (catch-22 since sunscreen makes me break out so badly).

My facial skin doesn't do well at all with salicylic or lactic acids, or any physically-exfoliating ingredients that are typically found in facial scrubs. Most are too aggressive; some like jojoba beads don't do anything at all. Fortunately, glycolic acid does work well for me, as does the occasional gentle steaming. Good call! Do you have esthetician training?

 

[Christa10]

Hi @Christa10 - ah, thanks for reminding me! I didn't mention it above, but I use a lightly exfoliating Norwex(TM) facial washcloth on a daily basis, and an at-home-strength glycolic peel once a month when I know I won't be outside for a few days. More than that makes the melasma spots prone getting darker again (catch-22 since sunscreen makes me break out so badly).

My facial skin doesn't do well at all with salicylic or lactic acids, or any physically-exfoliating ingredients that are typically found in facial scrubs. Most are too aggressive; some like jojoba beads don't do anything at all. Fortunately, glycolic acid does work well for me, as does the occasional gentle steaming. Good call! Do you have esthetician training?

I make a lactic/glycolic acid home peel at various levels, which also includes glycerin as well. I worked with a pharmacist so that I could make sure that both acids were in the percentages I want. My friends wanted to try it so I start them off with a 15% lactic/7% glycolic acid which is very mild, then we increase slowly to a 33/25% formulation. I prefer the glycolic acid too, and think it does more for the skin because it's such a small molecule. I notice that when I use the peel, the creams and oils that I use on my face absorb better. I'm not an esthetician, but have done tons of research over the last 10 years.

 

[Íbera]

Thank you all for your inputs.


Since I moved from the interior to the coast, my skin feels less dry now, hence I have changed my daily routine and seems to be ok with my skin.


Firstly I wash my face with olive oil soap and afterwards I use as a facial tonic fresh kombucha or water kefir from the fridge, on a cotton disk . When I don´t do this I clean my face, neck and cleavage with a wet cloth and a combination of avocado oil and some drops of patchouli, ylang-ylang and geranium eo in it (30 ml of oil and 0.3% of eo)

Aferwards with my face humid, I use some drops of tomato seed oil and massage a tiny bit and I finish my routine with a hidrolized elastin serum.


Once a week I do a face mask with honey, some squeezed lemmon juice and a bit ot kombucha or water kefir. Now I see my face much more luminous and nourished, it is a bit tanned because I go to the beach as much as I can and I think it is one of the reasons my skin looks kind of healthier.

Have you tried kombucha and/or kefir on your face routine?

Today I use a customized version of the PS-80 facial cleaner that is the subject of a big thread here on SMF. That's followed by an ACV toner, hyaluronic acid serum (HA dissolved in glycerin with EOs), and hand-crafted facial cream. A very light application of raspberry seed oil, plus sunglasses and a hat, are my preferred "sunscreen" unless I'm at the beach and need the heavy-duty stuff. My skin is not even close to perfect, but has come so far from the days where thyroid issues and products unsuited for my skin really wreaked havoc. I am so thankful!

Thank you @AliOop for your answer. I have some questions if you don´t mind...

Could you please tell me the link to the PS-80 facial cleaner?

There were a time when I used infused rose petals in ACV, diluted with water, as a toner. However, my sking started to get irritated, the same as when I started using some acids (AHAs, lactic or salicilic). Now as I mentioned above, I use kombucha or water kefir and result nice on my skin.

Are you using a home-made hyaluronic acid serum? if so, would you mind to share the formula? What EOs do you use in it?

 

[Misschief]

Thank you @AliOop for your answer. I have some questions if you don´t mind...

Could you please tell me the link to the PS-80 facial cleaner?

There were a time when I used infused rose petals in ACV, diluted with water, as a toner. However, my sking started to get irritated, the same as when I started using some acids (AHAs, lactic or salicilic). Now as I mentioned above, I use kombucha or water kefir and result nice on my skin.

Are you using a home-made hyaluronic acid serum? if so, would you mind to share the formula? What EOs do you use in it?

My skin has always been very dry, even as a teen so I tend not to overdo it with soap. Most mornings, I wash with warm water (if I do feel I need it, I will use whatever handmade soap is in my soap dish at the time, perhaps once a week). When I do use soap, I will also use a toner I make myself, based on recipes for Queen of Hungary Water, made with whatever dried tea florals I have on hand, with Apple Cider vinegar. I follow with Vitamin C serum (recipe linked below), B3/B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum (recipe linked below), and follow up with a cream/lotion that I make myself using the DIY Bath & Body Lotion Concentrate recipe. No one believes I'll be 68 next month and that feels pretty darned good.

http://www.holysnailsblog.com/2015/07/adventures-in-diy-vitamin-c-e-ferulic.html
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/108...49074&click_sum=ceb07d11&ref=shop_home_feat_3

 

[Íbera]

Thank you @Misschief for the links!!

 

[AliOop]

Could you please tell me the link to the PS-80 facial cleaner?

Are you using a home-made hyaluronic acid serum? if so, would you mind to share the formula? What EOs do you use in it?

Sure, this is the PS 80 facial cleanser thread:
Deep Cleansing Oil

I do use a homemade HA serum based on a recipe from Lotion Crafter. The thread about that is here:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/hyaluronic-acid-serum.82244/

 

[nadsnads]

Might be off topic as far as moisturizer ingredients, but tretinoin is excellent for skin texture and antiaging (after you get used to it).

Some other ingredients that make a big difference for me and i always make sure to include are:
- urea : a really powerful humectant
- allantoin : occlusive
- panthenol / B5 : moisturizer
- Niacinamide + NAG at 2:1 ratio : evens skin tone
- Vit C : helps fight sun damage and brightens the skin
- Co Q10: anti-aging
- ceramide complex : skin barrier repair
- peptides (matryxil 3000): antiaging

I also make an Argireline 5% solution in hyaluronic acid gel; using it selectively on crows feet really helps relax the area and smoothen them a little.

Oh also my skin became much happier once i switched from surfactants to oil-based cleansers. Humblebee has a good recipe with Cromollient sce which is easy to spread and washes off really well. As a bonus oil based cleansers are also excellent at removing makeup and sunscreen.

 

[Putzii]

Nice thread.

I use avocado oil to clean and take off make up etc, use a pluche soft flannel wetted with warm water to rinse and then spray with diluted Molkosan. Molkosan I leave on until dry and then use Neem oil or infused green tea oil to sleep with overnight.
Shower with own soap and scrub twice a week with silicone brush and always use olive oil after shower for body.

That’s it.

 

[Booker]

I'm so amazed by everyone that actually makes their own toners, cleansers and moisturizers!

What exactly does toning your face do?

I currently use the Innisfree line because I'm nowhere near talented enough to create my own stuff! I found their foaming cleanser to be too drying for my skin, so I've stuck with Pond's Cold Cream or Farmacy's Green Clean cleansing balm.

I struggle with dry skin--just putting water on my skin can really dry it out.

Has anyone tried the eyeball wash thing? That seems to be the "new" thing I see on "your nightly routine" videos.

 

[Misschief]

Has anyone tried the eyeball wash thing? That seems to be the "new" thing I see on "your nightly routine" videos.

Eyeball wash???

 

[contrinokathy]

I make my own hyaluronic acid toner, cleansing balm and face cream (a take on Egyptian magic cream). Let me tell you - it has helped my aged skin look youthful and vibrant. It helped with blotchy skin and wrinkles. My face is soft and clear.
Formulating your own skin care regime is incredibly satisfying. I now use no commercial products except deodorant.

 

[Christa10]

I also make my own toner, face wash, C serum, face cream, face oil and many other skin care products, such as soap, lotion bars and candles. I started just for my family and friends but then it grew from there and now we are all very happy! It's fun, healthy, costs way less and people actually stop me to ask what skincare routine and products I use, so I know it's working to keep my skin looking good. Plus, I swim 5 days a week, and walk in the sun, both of which can be very hard on your skin.

 

[AliOop]

I now use no commercial products except deodorant.

If you want to ditch that last commercial product , we have some great threads here with good homemade deo recipes. I use a customized recipe based on Tina Moenck’s deodorant e-book, tweaked with the help of suggestions from the SMF deo thread, esp @cmzaha’s posts.

 

[AliOop]

@tommywash that's an interesting perspective.

I actually experienced quite the opposite; my skin improved greatly, and continues to look younger and fresher after much trial and error to learn how to create products that didn't create irritation and inflammation, like most commercial products do for me.

 

[cmzaha]

With few to no options for vegetarian proteins, we stick with grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish. It's expensive, but wellness is worth it to us. This journey to health is what brought me to learning about herbs and EOs, eliminating toxic products from our home, and making my own bodycare products, including soap.

It is true that there is just no one fit for all. I use nothing on my face or sunscreen and have very seldom even during your boating, sandbuggy, and motorcycling days. I spent most of my life in the sun whether on the water or in the desert. Once in a while, I used sunscreen when boating but usually relied on hats.

I do believe it is in large part genetics. My mom still had beautiful skin at 96 and so far at 73, other than my eczema I do not have skin issues.

Unless my face would get exceptionally dirty while playing in the sand or on a bike ride I only use water to wash my face and use no lotions, which I have done since I was a teenager. It works for me but I do not necessarily recommend my methods to others.

Allison, I wonder if Cheryl has any suggestions for vegan proteins that you do not use. She cannot process meat proteins so has to eat vegan, not by choice. She does a lot of studying and uses a lot of different plant proteins. Although I am sure you have also researched extensively.

 

[AliOop]

@cmzaha that sounds like my skin used to be, before I did hormone therapy for a short time. Oh well.

I'd be very interested to hear about any vegetarian proteins that aren't based on soy, nuts or legumes; if Cheryl has suggestions, please send those on to me. And thank you for thinking of me.

 

[Debbiere]

It is true that there is just no one fit for all. I use nothing on my face or sunscreen and have very seldom even during your boating, sandbuggy, and motorcycling days. I spent most of my life in the sun whether on the water or in the desert. Once in a while, I used sunscreen when boating but usually relied on hats.

I do believe it is in large part genetics. My mom still had beautiful skin at 96 and so far at 73, other than my eczema I do not have skin issues.

Unless my face would get exceptionally dirty while playing in the sand or on a bike ride I only use water to wash my face and use no lotions, which I have done since I was a teenager. It works for me but I do not necessarily recommend my methods to others.

Allison, I wonder if Cheryl has any suggestions for vegan proteins that you do not use. She cannot process meat proteins so has to eat vegan, not by choice. She does a lot of studying and uses a lot of different plant proteins. Although I am sure you have also researched extensively.

I also wanted to switch to such care, but I began to have rashes on my face, and I had to treat acne. You are correct that skin condition is genetic. My husband washes exclusively with soap and never gets irritated. Everything affects my skin condition: weather, mood, state of health. Therefore, I have to have several tools that will deal with a specific problem.