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ideal skin handling
I was just reading Grant's blog post in which he talks about eczema and how you are told (by doctors) to wash it a certain way and moisturize it right away etc, and how it makes sense in the Vitamin A toxicity model.
I wash with a washcloth (not very gently), and I air dry. and I don't moisturize... haha so maybe I'm doing just about everything wrong! (you'd think a lady like me would be more evolved-- but no)
What are the best recommendations on skin handling with the VA model in mind?
I see there are some nice ideas about baths in another thread. And sun baths have been mentioned.
Also, as an aside, I always (several times a day) have my hands in green growing things and "no-no-list" foods. I have seen, now and then, my hands turn orange after preparing lots of winter squash for freezing. Blackish after lots of basil. I wonder about topical exposures. Do I need to start wearing gloves?
I want to talk about some of the things I've been thinking about skin, perhaps there is a better place, let me know.
I'm thinking "ideal skin handling" means ABOVE-NORMAL CLEANLINESS
I made a lot of jokes early on about how I don't like to wash. why? Because reasons! For one, I'm all dried out. My water is hard. I'm exposed to poison ivy daily and yes I've had poison ivy where the sun don't shine FROM WASHING. WASHING IS COMPLICATED.
Buuuut I guess I have to start being more normal about this... (ever notice we are all normal here? click on my screen name, and you will see it says I'm NORMAL! Not sure my kids would agree) But what we need is above-normal. Cleanliness.
Detox through the skin is so important. So cleanliness is important. So on we go.
Let us begin with the notion that we probably don't want to use detergents on our skin. Ever buy a tent? It comes with warnings about cleaning it. The reason you can't use detergent on a TENT is because it will break down the waterproof barrier. You must use SOAP on tents.
So I'm thinking NO on detergents on this skin we are trying to heal and just traditional SOAP. At least once a day washing with soap. Any votes for twice?
I have coarse, wavy hair--I'm thinking that many here might--its a symptom . Like many wavies and curlies I've realized that shampoo isn't my friend (think Einstein), but I can also see that just using conditioner to wash isn't getting all the sebum off my scalp.
Besides detergents, shampoos can be filled with who knows what cucumber-hibiscus-tree-frog scent of the day. I think it's important to find something PLAIN.
And whatever the product is, it has to rinse clean away, and not get together with minerals in the water and stick around irritating the heck out of the sore skin.
I've looked into Dr. Bronners "baby unscented" liquid SOAP (I like the idea that it isn't a detergent, but a SOAP) but it appears that when used as a shampoo it needs to be followed up with 1. acid (like vinegar) and 2. oil (like coconut). OK . I have white hair (another symptom). I'd worry that lemon might bleach my hair further, and apple cider vinegar might turn it brown. So maybe white vinegar. But this sounds hard. I'm not sure I'm going to get shampoo to work, I really don't. haha
Another thought: maybe we need to change our sheets OFTEN. Especially when having night sweats.
Another thought: maybe we need to wear SOCKS. Maybe we might even want to clean our shoes out if our feet have been particularly sweaty. Hats might also need weekly cleaning?
Another thought: when drying off from your daily above-normal-cleanliness shower, why not gently brush your skin with the towel in the direction of the heart? Skin brushing techniques say that is the way to get lymph flowing. Two-fer!
Q-tips to clean sebum off the ears, behind them too and maybe to get any odd bats in the nasal passages and yellow gobs in the corners of dry eyes. Strong light and a magnifying mirror help.
Perhaps some have trouble with the between-toe area or the belly button? 🙂
Ideas on cleanliness?
I am using "no poo" hair washing method with soap nuts and apple cider vinegar water after washing, just a tablespoon.
"when drying off from your daily above-normal-cleanliness shower, why not gently brush your skin with the towel in the direction of the heart? Skin brushing techniques say that is the way to get lymph flowing."
I do this regularly.
@ lil-chick, Love all your musings! I haven't contributed for awhile just...because. lol. So much new information from everyone to get through if I leave it even for a day.
A few years back I remember reading (Daily Mail?) about someone who decided not to wash for quite awhile and she claimed it improved her skin over time. So maybe I was over-washing I thought. I think I gave it a go for a day or 2 but not washing with soap didn't work for me...made my KP worse. I am presently using an olive oil soap with just that as an ingredient. I shower in the am and have a bath before bed all year round. If I sweat during the day for whatever reason I'll often have another quick bath/shower otherwise my skin will feel a bit itchy. I often use those exfoliation gloves. I have a sister with very dry skin who can't tolerate so much washing esp. in the winter. She's amazed how I can wash my skin twice a day.
after towel drying, I recently started using my hairdryer to dry out belly button and just quickly all over....sometimes use it to dry between my toes if I have to put on shoes right away.
For shampoo..Sukin brand presently. (That liquid Bronners veg soap always leaves a film). Aveeno daily moisturizer (cheapest at costco) I use on face and all over. I've tried all sorts of moisturizers over the years and always go back to aveeno. Some people might find it too heavy for their face ...it's a body lotion...but it works for me.
I was looking for the daily mail article I mentioned above, couldn't find the exact one, but came across this article about bed sheets: I suppose changing your pillowcase even more regularly than the bed sheets might be a good idea if facial skin a problem.
Thanks Bludicka and Sheila lots of good ideas here! Sometimes I think if I didn't question EVERYTHING and just lived like my grandmother and mother did, I'd be so much better off.
lil-chick , it's good to question everything. I've been reading how so many of us have come across the same sort of advice over the years and have not felt better for it and often even much worse. Ray Peat, Morley Robbins, WAPF, paleo, low carb, Whole 30, Chris Masterjohn and more, and not necessarily in that order. Yes, there often is a honeymoon period where the advice seems to work, as Bludicka mentioned, but none of the recommended diets are sustainable and seem to be downright harmful long term.
It really makes me wonder how none of the above caution us of the very real potential problem with vitamin A foods and, in fact, these foods are mostly encouraged. (One of my sisters says I have a 'conspiratorial mindset' and I better leave it at that :-)).
Our parents and grandparents had their own challenges in life for sure. As for my parents', they never questioned the current dietary advice they were given (after all, why would the experts be telling them anything but the best up-to-date information?) Both my parents had a rough end but mostly they had a good life. There is something to be said for ignorance is bliss....until it isn't.
Just thought I should add to my previous comment above on July 10th...the first one. Maybe one day I'll get it all out accurately first go:-).
I used to have an itchy 'winter skin' rash on my upper back during the winter months for quite a few years. I didn't get this rash 2 winters ago or this past winter. 2 winters ago, I was spared from it (I think) from taking cannabis oil (I was taking for hip pain) as that was the only thing I was doing differently then.
This past winter...no rash either. I was taking the cannabis oil just about every night for a year Oct 2017-Oct.2018 then only twice a week after that. I can't remember exactly when I stopped taking it.. early in the new year anyway. I think the low retinol diet that I started at the end of Feb. must have made a difference because usually that rash lasted well into spring. I'll have to see next winter if I get it again but somehow I doubt I will.
Also, the daily baths I mentioned are never long or hot and I never use soap all over....all too drying! I mostly just like to freshen up.
During the early years of the coconut oil craze I tried it straight on my skin but it made it feel worse and itchier.
Other moisturizers I've tried have been too oily or not moisturizing enough so I'm still using J&J's Aveeno. I'm wondering what other people here are using on their skin that works well for them.
(...also I use Cetaphil cleanser on my face instead of soap if my skin feels too dry there... mostly in the winter.)
Thanks for clarifying about the dryness because right now life is easy with all the humidity, but things will be much different in January!
Product ideas are wonderful, I do hope people keep them coming. You aren't going to get many from me because my rosacea has never liked anything and so I threw up my hands at products long ago. The conditioner I currently use is Trader Joes "Tea Tree Tingle".
I do like most trad soaps and unlike many people in this world do not have dispensers of liquid cleansers at all my sinks. I have bars of trad soap.
A friend taught me how to make an emulsion and that would also be a nice idea, if a person had the time. It is somewhat like making mayonnaise. An emulsion made from coconut oil is much nicer on your skin than straight coconut oil. I haven't gotten in a good habit with making emulsions though.
I saw a beautiful senior Japanese woman who did not look her age on youtube, and she was talking about her face regime, and she used almond oil. (another vote for B17? See thread on that)
In wintertime it seems especially important to me to use trad soap after using detergent (although I do it all year round). Soap removes detergent. (such as after touching wet laundry or doing dishes).
One of the ways I found out that detergent was bad was because I have to wash poison ivy oil off so often each day. When I did that with detergents, my hands would be a wreck all summer. Soap was the answer.