Skin care

I've been finding out some things about skin care.

For starters, I began using the Oil Cleansing Method.

This is actually biblical! Psalm 104:14-15 says of the bountiful providence of God,

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for men to cultivate--
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart."

You use a washcloth and hot water to warm your face and open your pores. Then you massage about a teaspoon of oil into your face. I use 75% sunflower seed oil, 25% castor oil and a few drops of geranium essential oil. (When I make the next batch, I'm going to try substituting grapeseed oil for the sunflower seed oil.) After massaging this into your face for a minute or two, you use your washcloth and hot water to remove most of the oil from your skin. Leave a little on to moisturize overnight. This is a night-time treatment.

In the morning, I just wash my face with a washcloth and warm water. If you have trouble with breakouts, you might want to try washing with a small dab of organic honey in the morning.

Apparently castor oil is really good for your skin. I have tried dabbing a small drop on problem areas in the evening, after using the Oil Cleansing Method. You can also dab a bit of tea tree oil on a trouble spot (it works particularly well if the skin has been prepped with castor oil). If you are using this method and still need additional moisturizer, I'd recommend massaging a bit of evening primrose oil into your skin.

If you need additional help clearing up your skin, you can try applying an aspirin and lemon juice mask (I got this idea from One Good Thing by Jillee, and she got it from Dr. Oz). All you need is 6-12 aspirin tablets and the juice of half a lemon. Dissolve the aspirin in the lemon juice (I'd suggest crushing it first), apply to your face and leave for ten minutes. Rinse off with a baking soda solution, if you wish. Do this once or twice a week.

Another huge hint for clear skin: try a sugar and gluten-free diet, like this one.

Good luck!