Jordyn — March 29, 2011

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. If you remember my article on natural sunblock, one of my favorite products came from Marie Veronique Organics. Well, they just contacted me today to let me know that they will be donating 25% of all Earth Day proceeds to the Center for Environmental Health (sweet!)…aaaaand they would like to do a giveaway for you guys.

Simply leave a comment with your favorite anti-aging tip, and you’ll be entered to win a bottle of Anti Aging Oil Plus (worth $80). The winner will be randomly selected on Earth Day, April 22nd. Good luck and have a great weekend.

~Steph  x

I wanted to announce the winner of my new acne book…but I have a little surprise!

I chose TWO winners instead of the one winner I said I was going to choose. Both winners were chosen randomly from YouTube and blog comments. Thank you to everyone who entered, and I was really happy to have so much support. I love you guys.

All right, so the winners are…

madisonn94 (from YouTube)
Mary (from EBG blog, posted June 27 at 9.39 pm)

Congratulations!

………………..

Book Launch Date & Price

The book will be out on August 15th. I’m polishing up the FAQ section to include everyone’s questions and comments, and I definitely don’t want to give you guys anything less than an awesome book.

I also want to keep the book really affordable for everyone. I’m thinking it will be donation based where you can pick from 2–3 different amounts to pay for the book, depending on your own budget. Let me know what you think about that.

………………..

Extra Help for Your Skin

And in other news, per many requests, I have started offering one-on-one sessions. I know there’s a lot of confusing and conflicting information out there, and much of it can either be unsafe or wrong for your particular skin. So if you need extra skin help — whether it’s acne, dry irritated skin, aging skin — I’m here to help. You can go to the new “Coaching & Contact” page to check out the details.

Thank you again to everyone for your support and lovely comments.
~Steph x

I frequently mention the importance of a clean, unprocessed, whole-foods diet in order to enjoy flawless, clear skin and protect yourself from aging. So today I wanted to include some resources for finding organic fruits and veggies and healthy, humane animal products like raw milk, grass-fed meat, and truly free-range eggs.

If you have more resources, let me know and/or leave a comment to share with everyone!

LocalHarvest.org

EatWild.com

RealMilk.com

Enjoy!
~Stephanie x

I’ve been getting a lot of requests for my personal diet, so I’m going to share all that with you in today’s post.

My diet changes with the season and in between based on what my body wants. About two months ago, I was eating a lot of brown rice and rice milk, but that came to an end when I started wanting more juicy, lightweight foods like fruit. I don’t stick with one dietary ideal, and I no longer give myself a dietary label either. I only cement myself to some basic guidelines, which is to eat organic, whole foods and in the case of animal products, humanely raised and grass-fed. I also love to cook, so I make about 95% or more of my meals at home, and when I go out to eat, I love sushi, Japanese and Thai food, and Mediterranean food. Maybe my diet will give you some ideas, but don’t follow it exactly — listen to your own body, make sure you see what it’s trying to tell you and give it what it needs.

So I generally eat when I am hungry, which is about every 2 or 2 1/2 hours because I eat small portions (about 1 or 2 handfuls of food) at one sitting. I don’t like to feel full or stuffed, so that’s why I eat smaller meals and space them out during the day, which means I don’t have a “breakfast, lunch, dinner” routine. Grazing throughout the day is what I’ve done since childhood, and I feel best doing that.

Please keep in mind this is just a general idea. For instance, I eat a variety of fruits, not just melon and apples (which I mention a lot below). ;D

PRE-BREAKFAST
{ALL SEASONS}
Glass of plain water or lemon water; or herbal tea like Yogi Detox or dandelion root

BREAKFAST
{FALL & WINTER}
Erewhon brown rice cereal with almond milk or rice milk; or oatmeal with blueberries and raw honey; or 1–2 apples with 1–2 Tbsp. almond butter; or 2 persimmons
{SPRING & SUMMER}
Fruit! Usually 1/2 a cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon

SECOND MEAL
{ALL SEASONS}
A tall glass of green juice, 14 – 16 oz. I rotate what I put in the green juice so it’s never the same for more than 3 days in a row. I like to use cucumber every day, however. A typical juice will look like this: cucumber, cilantro, kale, tiny knob of ginger, apple. Another juice might be: cucumber, celery, parsley, red leaf lettuce, apple.

LUNCH
{FALL & WINTER}
Brown rice with steamed broccoli or spinach; or homemade fried rice cooked in olive oil with garlic, greens, and local family-raised eggs; or some kind of fish or grass-fed meat
{SPRING & SUMMER}
More fruit, perhaps the other 1/2 of the melon I had for breakfast; or a fruit smoothie; or a green smoothie (a mix of fruit, water, and greens — like a green juice

FOURTH MEAL
{FALL & WINTER}
Penne alla vodka family recipe made with brown rice pasta and steamed greens; or an apple with 1 Tbsp. almond butter; or 1–2 persimmons; or 3–4 oz. steamed or poached salmon with steamed greens
{SPRING & SUMMER}
Fruit with almond butter; or homemade tuna salad made with grapeseed oil Vegenaise, cucumber, and sweet onion served on romaine lettuce; or cold tuna rice pasta with a homemade olive oil/raw honey/lime/vinegar dressing

DINNER
{ALL SEASONS}
Usually something I made earlier in the day — I like to make a big batch of one thing and eat that throughout the day or eat the rest the next day

SIXTH MEAL (2–3 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME)
{ALL SEASONS}
Something small and with protein and/or fat so I don’t get super hungry right before bed or wake up starving. In fall/winter it might be 3–4 oz. of goat yogurt with 1 Tbsp. of raw honey or a pinch of powdered green stevia leaf; or a small apple with 1 Tbsp. almond butter. In spring/summer I might have some leftover salmon or tuna salad from the day, or a small smoothie of some sort.

You might have noticed a few things are absent from my diet, and that is intentional. I do not eat the following foods because after much trial and error (and research), I discovered that these were not good fuel for my body and often caused problems, including digestive upset and skin issues. They also came up as minor food allergies on my testing, so I can have them once in a while without a real problem. Generally I just avoid them. ;P I don’t think of it as restriction, it doesn’t bother me at all that I don’t eat these foods. Now, if I want a brownie or ice cream, you bet I’m going to eat it, but that is a rare occurrence and there’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence now and then.

• No wheat/gluten (sometimes I will have homemade, hardy whole-grain bread)
• No cow dairy of any kind
• No corn
• No refined sugar, e.g. white sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, rapadura
• No soy milk, tofu, or soy sauce (wheat-free tamari is fine)
• No pork or chicken
• No shellfish, e.g. crab and shrimp
• No chocolate
• No caffeine
• No hydrogenated oils or margarine

I don’t measure my food and I don’t count calories, I just eat a handful or two of food 6–7 times per day, and I don’t stuff myself. Almost everything I get is organic certified or raised organically, which isn’t super expensive because I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and (in fall/winter) brown rice, which is about $40-$60 every week or so, or I buy it locally or online in bulk which keeps the cost down.

Part of my diet includes supplements, which are very important for everyone because today’s food is much less nutrient-dense than our food from years ago. So unless you’re growing your own food and enriching the soil with minerals and eating pounds of vegetation every day, I would definitely recommend whole food based (non-synthetic) supplements. I take the following supplements daily:

• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw One for Women (1 capsule per day with food)
• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Vitamin C (2 capsules, 3 times per day, with food)
• Carlson Labs Cod Liver Oil in Lemon (1 tsp., 2 times per day, in a glass of water with a little fresh lemon juice) or Garden of Life Beyond Omega 3 (2 capsules, 3 times per day, with food)
• Paradise Herbs 1,000 mg MSM (1–2 capsules with breakfast, 1–2 capsules with dinner, taken with Vitamin C and/or lemon water)
• NOW Foods Lutein 20 mg (1 capsule with food)
• Various PureCaps anti-aging supplements such as alpha lipoic acid, l-carnosine, and astaxanthin (I purchase mine from PureCaps)

So I hope that was helpful! If you have any questions, definitely ask.
~Stephanie
xx

Preserve Your Skin!

How to have young skin for a lifetime with my 12 solid tips that you can start implementing right now.

1. Sunblock. Wear an SPF 15 or 30 every day to prevent UVA and UVB rays from aging your skin. Compare a woman who has been out in the sun all her life with a woman who has avoided it — there is a huge difference in the skin tone, texture, and amount of wrinkling/sagging. Wear a hat, too.

2. Addictions. Do your best to break any addiction you have to cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol. It’s not sexy, and it makes you age prematurely. There are many books and programs that are inexpensive that can help you break your habits if you need it. The reward is a lifetime of smooth, youthful skin and a healthy body. If you want to look wrinkled with dull, dry skin, then keep smoking and drinking.

3. Diet. Eat a healthy, skin-loving diet of organic fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, healthy fats (e.g. olive oil, almonds, yogurt, kefir), brown rice, and (if you’re not vegetarian or vegan) fish and organic, grass-fed meat. Avoid grains (except rice), wheat, refined sugar, flours, processed food, fast food, coffee, and cow dairy. This way of eating will provide you with a good foundation of antioxidants and nutrients that keep you healthy and your skin glowing.

4. Supplements. Take a quality food-based multivitamin. I now take a food-based (non-synthetic) supplement, Garden of Life Raw One for Women, and they have a whole selection of multivitamins. Include extra vitamin C, cod liver oil or fish oil capsules, and any other supplements you think might be worthwhile. I take Garden of Life Raw Vitamin C (I longer use Health Force vitamin C cherry powder because I found out they use maltodextrin in their formula – more on that later), Carlson Labs Cod Liver Oil in lemon flavor, and Garden of Life Oceans 3 Beyond Omega 3 capsules. Dr. Perricone has a great book called The Wrinkle Cure, where he highlights a list of supplements that are highly beneficial to your skin, how much to take, and why. Per his recommendations, I now take ascorbyl palmitate, astaxanthin, alpha lipoic acid, l-carnosine from a company called Pure Encapsulations (I purchase them via RawMatt). I also take 2,000–3,000 mg of MSM from Paradise Herbs per day, in capsule form. I love the MSM especially, it makes my skin feel super smooth. The other vitamins are just major aging preventatives, and I’d rather start now in my 20′s rather than wait until I see signs of aging.

Just a sidenote: none of the supplements I take contain magnesium stearate, artifical colors, artifical flavorings, or fillers. I would not take them or recommend them if they had any junk in them.

5. Moisturize. Keep your skin moist and protected (think of a dry, cracked piece of bread versus one that is moist with a layer of butter or olive oil on it). Use an all-natural, paraben-free moisturizer. You can also use coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, or sweet almond oil to moisturize your face and body. For additional benefit at night, you can add some vitamin E to your moisturizer for a little antioxidant boost. Throughout the day, mist your face with a flower hydrosol from Mountain Rose Herbs, or a Misty Facial Spray from Real Purity.

6. No Picking. Be kind and gentle to your skin, no matter what state it is in. If you get a breakout, don’t pick! Don’t believe me? Go read Stop Picking On Me (it’s free) and you will have a new, profound understanding and respect for your skin. Treat blemishes with tea tree oil or neem oil, or Derma-Rx Blemish Spot treatment. Use a moisturizer that has healing properties from a quality natural brand like 100% Pure, Dr. Alkaitis, or Sophyto. Conceal your blemish with a fruit-pigmented healing concealer from 100% Pure, Jane Iredale, or Living Nature.

7. Sleep. Try to get a on good sleep routine where you go to sleep by 10 pm. This can be hard (I often lose track of time and end up getting to bed at 1 am), but you will feel 10 times better when you go to sleep earlier and get a full 8+ hours of sleep. Your skin will also look rejuvenated and glowing instead of sleep deprived and dull. Lately I’ve been sticking to a decent routine, going to sleep between 10 and 11 pm, and I feel and see a HUGE difference. I’m going to do my best to stick with it.

8. Exfoliate. If you have sensitive or dry skin, exfoliate once per week with a very gentle scrub that doesn’t contain any ground seeds or shells. Since my skin is very sensitive, I love using Naturopathica Glycolic Acid, and yogurt/milk/sour cream or fruit masks to slough off dead skin without any scrubbing. Plus, I find that acid gels and masks prevent blackheads and blemishes, even out skin tone, and remove dead cells without making your skin flaky (this tends to happen if you have dry or combo skin). For normal, oily, thicker skin and male skin, you can exfoliate 1–3 times per week with a gentle scrub (again, no ground seeds). For all skin types, feel free to use a lovely sugar scrub on your body and lips — you can buy one or make one yourself with one of my recipes on this blog.

9. Exercise. Physical activity brings circulation to your skin and hair, which results in radiant skin and healthy hair. Exercise also shuttles waste products out of the lymph and blood stream much quicker than if you sat on your butt all day. For dewy, young skin, aim for yoga or pilates 3 times per week, try circuit training at least 2 times per week (check out BodyRock.tv for free workouts), and walk/take the stairs as much as possible. You can also try boxing or kickboxing for an awesome cardio workout.

10. Take It Off. Remove all your makeup before going to sleep, even if it’s 4 am. Going to bed without washing your face after a day of wearing makeup, running errands, and working around the office and house is a recipe for premature aging and blemishes.

11. Stay Hydrated. Drink lots of filtered water or fresh spring water for hydrated, smooth skin. I aim for 1/2 – 1 gallon per day to keep my skin plump and smooth.

12. Keep Regular. That might sound weird to some of you, but getting enough fiber is really important. If you follow tip #3, this shouldn’t be a problem, but just in case, you can add acacia fiber powder or fiber capsules to your diet right before or during meals (I add 1 Tbsp. of acacia fiber to water, smoothies, sauces, etc.). This keeps your intestines clear, which helps keep your skin clear and supple. Allowing your body to eliminate waste through the intestines and colon instead of through the skin is much better for your body and for your self-esteem (clear skin tends to make you feel more confident, as we know).

Here’s to your lifetime of beautiful, youthful skin!
~Stephanie
xx

{Bottom Shelf}

1. Aura Cacia Organic Sweet Almond Oil ~ this replaced my jojoba oil when I ran out and I love that it’s very light and moisturizing
2. Real Purity Facial Masque Dehydrated ~ I like to use this on my hands and little dry patches
3. Mexitan SPF 50 ~ look for this product in my upcoming sunblock video/post!
4. MyChelle Perfect C Serum ~ I really like this vitamin C serum, it’s gentle and definitely the best I’ve tried
5. Talulah Vanilla Bean Rejuvenating Cleanser ~ amazing exfoliating scrub, smells awesome, I have about 3 back-up jars under my counter so I never run out
6. JASON Pure Vitamin E Oil ~ a skincare staple of mine, I love it and only use this brand since I’ve tried others and this is the BEST
7. 100% Pure Organic Aqua Boost Serum ~ I love using this for my lotion masks (for more info on lotion masks, see Chizu Saeki’s book, The Japanese Skincare Revolution)
8. Sophyto Purify & Energise Super Bioactive ~ this product is a new favorite of mine and I’ve used it for my lotion masks and I am amazed! Smells like apple juice and works like a charm, I love it and I’m going to make sure I keep back-up stock of it
9. Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil ~ another skincare staple I will not go without, this is the best brand on the market and you can totally tell the difference from other coco oils

{Middle Shelves}

1. Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation in Neutral 0 & Neutral 1 ~ mineral powder is too dry for my skin, so I just use them under my eyes since the colors match perfectly!
2. Alima Pure Buttercup color balancing powder ~ mineral powders are too try for me, so I use this under my eyes and it neutralizes the blood vessel blue/purple color
3. Band-aids ~ not sure why they’re there actually
4. My retainer that I never wear
5. Sample packets of moisturizers (I still haven’t found The One!)
6. Floss ~ nom nom nom!
7. Clarisonic brush heads in Sensitive, Delicate, and Body ~ I use the Delicate (blue) and Body (grey)

{Top Shelves}

1. Dr. Hauschka Body Silk ~ absorbs oil and sweat wherever you need it, and it’s great for use in the hair
2. Jurlique Rose Silk Dust ~ smells great, same comment as Dr. Hausckha
3. Real Purity Misty Facial Spray ~ oh this is so refreshing, and brings a nice rush of moisture back into your skin
4. Mountain Rose Herbs Rose Hydrosol ~ smells just like roses, very calming and refreshing, I spritz it on right before I apply moisturizer
5. Real Purity Night Revitalizer ~ I like the smell of this cream and it works very well on dry patches
6. My contact lens case
7. Country Comfort Herbal Savvy Comfrey & Aloe Vera ~ I use this on any dry patches on my body, it works wonders
8. Talulah Pure Balance Deodorant ~ you can’t really spray this right on otherwise you could get it in your eye and it will sting, so I spray it on a cotton ball first, smells weird and I’m kind of unsure about this one
9. Derma-Rx Blemish Spot ~ excellent for getting rid of a pimple overnight, or bringing a cystic pimple to a head
10. Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil ~ great for preventing and treating whiteheads and blackheads, strong smell but my family has used tea tree oil for everything, so I grew up using this amazing product

And some things I keep on the counter, not in my cabinet:

1. Sophyto Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser & Glo Purifying Gel Cleanser ~ I use these two for now (they’re gentle and great for preventing blemishes), but I’m looking for something more hydrating
2. Home Health Castor Oil ~ I love this for keeping my eyelashes long and thick, and treating dry/chapped lips
3. Dr. Alkaitis Organic Day Creme ~ I’ve been using this for almost a week now and so far so good, my only qualms are that it smells like drugstore sunscreen and it’s crazy expensive
4. Dr. Alkaitis Organic Eye Creme ~ love this so far, it does an amazing job of hydrating the eye area and my 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Concealer (color: Creme) goes on perfectly on top of it, totally worth the price
5. Clarisonic Skin Care Brush ~ my brother and I use this nightly and both of us are addicted to it since it’s keeping his skin clear and keeping my skin from getting dry patches

I hope everyone is doing great! Always feel free to leave me a comment or email me (I definitely will respond, even though it might take me a few days).

~Stephanie
xx

I’ve put together two fantastic DIY skin care recipes using milk, honey, and aloe vera — three ingredients that were widely available in Egypt and used frequently by Cleopatra. For best results, make sure all the ingredients are organic and as fresh as you can get!

{MILK & HONEY MASK}

{BENEFITS}
Moisturizing, anti-aging, evens out skin tone and texture, heals damage, soothes inflammation.

{INGREDIENTS}
1 Tbsp. organic milk ~ see if you can get local, raw goat’s milk or cow’s milk; you can also use plain, organic yogurt
1 Tbsp. organic, raw, unfiltered honey
(Optional) 1 tsp. aloe vera gel ~ see if you can get an aloe plant, then you just break off a “leaf” and squeeze the fresh gel out!

{DIRECTIONS}
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. After cleansing, apply the mask to your face, neck, chest, and anywhere else your skin needs extra TLC. Leave on for 10 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water, and a splash of cool water.

{MILK & HONEY BATH}

{BENEFITS}
Moisturizing, anti-aging, evens out skin tone and texture, helps prevent breakouts, soothes.

{INGREDIENTS}
3–4 cups organic milk — see if you can get local, raw goat’s milk or cow’s milk, you can also use powdered mlk
1/2 – 1 cup organic, raw, unfiltered honey

{DIRECTIONS}
After taking a shower or bath (you definitely want to wash first and get in new bathwater for this soak), fill your tub with warm water. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl, then add to the bath water while the water is filling the tub. Soak in the tub for 20 minutes. There’s no need to wash off, though you can give yourself a quick rinse (water only!) if you’d like.

Enjoy! I love the milk bath most of all…let me know how you like these treatments!

~Stephanie
xx

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Stratus  Instant Skin Perfector, $44.
Smells great, feels phenomenal, very moisturizing, erases imperfections and gives you a “glow,” and also doubles as a foundation primer.

Elixir Lip Gloss in Twinkle, $20.
Smells great, non-sticky, very moisturizing, doesn’t taste bad like most lip glosses.

The Japanese Skincare Revolution, $13.
One of my favorite books on skincare. Very simple, holistic approach to beauty with practical advice. Plus, the author is living proof that it works.

Annnnnd the link to my latest article on getting rid of acne: 3 “Secrets” to Clear Skin (No More Acne!)

Please Note: Vapour sent me two of their products for free to review. I was not paid or in any way compensated for my review. I purchased The Japanese Skincare Revolution on my own and was not compensated for my review in any way. I am not affiliated with either company.

Not surprisingly, the articles I wrote on getting flawless skin and banishing dark circles contain much of the same information you would need for curing acne (I recommend you read them first if you haven’t already ). I would say about 80% of the “clear skin recipe” is diet, the rest is genetic potential, exercise, skin care, and herbal assistance. And for acne, there is one more special consideration, and that is hormones.

{HOW TO GET RID OF YOUR ACNE IN 3 STEPS}

Getting rid of your acne comes down to these 3 things:

• Balancing your hormones in order to balance sebum (oil) production
• Eating a a quality diet to minimize waste products in your body and bring more nutrients to your organs (including your skin)
• Keeping to a good skin care routine to prevent dead skin cell build-up and acne bacteria growth

{STEP #1: HOW TO BALANCE YOUR HORMONES FOR CLEAR SKIN}

ELIMINATE THE GREAT PRETENDER
Ever notice how women tend to get a pimple or two (or three…) around period-time? This has to do with an increase in estrogen, the hormone that is closely tied with the condition of our skin. Now, if you keep coming in contact with a compound that pretends to be estrogen, what is going to happen? Quite a bit. These artificial estrogens (xenoestrogens) in our environment can cause acne, weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, reproductive problems, and a whole host of issues. Your exposure to these compounds can be greatly reduced by:

• Drinking out of glass instead of plastic (do not use coated stainless water bottles either, as they contain xenoestrogens in the lining)
• Using glass or stainless un-lined food containers
• Using natural skin and care products without parabens, synthetic ingredients, and artificial preservatives
• Eating organic foods to avoid pesticides containing xenoestrogens
• Drinking and bathing in quality filtered water to remove xenoestrogens from the water (in my personal well-researched opinion, I suggest you do not buy cheaply made filters – high quality filters will cost more but are better for your health and produced with virgin, BPA-free materials)
• Using physical sunblocks instead of chemical sunblocks
• Using non-hormonal birth control methods

MAKE USE OF HERBS
Personally, in addition to eliminating unnecessary plastic, I took a hormone balancing herbal blend called “Restore” from Herbally Grounded to help remove the artificial estrogen from my system and naturally regulate my hormones. I took the supplement for a total of 6 months, and it completely got me back on track. I highly recommend it — their shopping cart is not up right now, but you can call them and they’ll ship to you if you’re not local. They say to take Restore continuously, but you only need to take certain herbs for a select period of time to get your body back on track, and then you go back on if/when needed. Kinda like cycling steroids haha.

Many women also have a lot of success with chaste tree berry (also known as vitex), which is widely used for female hormone balance. The herb increases progesterone levels, which prevents estrogen-related breakouts.

I also personally recommend Dr. Bob’s Drugless Guide to Balance Female Hormones — it’s a really helpful book about getting a good understanding of hormones and how to keep them balanced naturally. Whether it’s acne, dry skin, menopause, menstrual issues, it’s all hormone related, and it’s important that we understand what factors influence our hormones and how to balance them ourselves.

EAT THE RIGHT FATS
Prostaglandins are fats that act like hormones, controlling skin and muscle condition, as well as inflammation — which is why it is imperative that you are consuming quality fats at a proper amount in order to produce beneficial prostaglandins responsible for clear skin. Incorporate these 4 simple things into your daily routine:

• Do not consume “hydrogenated’ oils or fats ~ these trans-fats harm your heart, waistline, and skin
• Consume more Omega 3 fats in the form of wild-caught fish, fish oil, and organic grass-fed/truly free-range animal products (i.e. eggs, yogurt, kefir) ~ flax seeds may or may not be okay for you
• Do not eat fast food, creamy salad dressings (unless you make it yourself), and fried foods ~ these will throw off your hormone balance by producing the “bad” prostaglandins that produce acne and inflammation
• Eat more fresh organic fruit and green smoothies to bring more nutrients to your skin and keep your organs running smoothly

The only fats I consume are Carlson Labs fish oil in lemon, and organic first-cold-pressed olive oil. The foods I eat that contain fat are grass-fed yogurt or kefir, grass-fed buffalo/beef (1–2 times per week), and raw fish (very rarely, maybe once per month or less). I do not consume any other animal products — no milk, no pork, no chicken, no butter, no cheese, etc. Grass-fed yogurt or kefir and grass-fed buffalo and beef contain high amounts of CLA, an extremely healthy fat that promotes healthy weight and body fat percentage (and even helps overweight people lose body fat) and does not negatively effect our hormone balance. What WILL effect your hormones in a bad way is conventional animal products, where the animals are treated poorly, injected with hormones to make them grow faster and larger, and given antibiotics to treat their numerous diseases due to unsanitary conditions. When the animals are killed, they are subjected to incredible stress and abuse, causing their bodies to pump stress hormones into their body, and you end up consuming this array of hormones, which then screw up your body’s natural balance and can result in acne. Know your source, or don’t eat meat.

BE WARY OF EXCESS PLANT ESTROGEN
Another important consideration is nuts, seeds, and soy. I do not consume nuts, I eat seeds very rarely, and once in a great while I will eat natto (fermented soybeans). I was a 100% raw foodist for over 2 years (and vegan for a total of 5 years), where I gained 20 pounds (!) from including nuts, seeds, avocados, and nut butters in my diet. Not only are nuts and seeds high in fat, they’re high in estrogen, so it’s a double-whammy of problems (we all know excess estrogen causes weight gain). Flax oil is also high estrogen, and I avoid it because I would rather eat freshly ground flax seeds and not consume a highly concentrated estrogenic oil. If nuts and seeds do not have a negative effect on you, by all means, keep eating them! But then, you wouldn’t necessarily be reading this if you didn’t have acne or regular blemishes…so give the no-nuts/no-seeds/no-soy thing a try and see if it helps. You can always go back to having a small handful when the urge strikes.

I also want to note that during my time as a raw vegan, my skin was not fairing well — I would always have blemishes on my forehead, and sometimes even on my lower back or chest. It was gross. So I did a TON of research, decided to stop eating nuts and seeds, and replace them with more fruit and greens. I went back down to my normal weight in 2 months, and my skin completely cleared up in just under 1 month. Raw food is becoming quite popular, and it can be a wonderful diet, but make sure that if you do it, you do extensive research and achieve some balance. For me, a variation of Dr. Doug Graham’s 80/10/10 works well and I naturally shift into this diet in the summer months — I simply include more greens than his recommended amount, and do not eat super-sugary hybrid fruits like bananas and pineapples.

On a sidenote, there has been research done on how nuts have heart protective qualities. I agree that they do, but so does eating healthy in general, as well as consuming omega 3 fats from fish, krill, and grass-fed eggs/kefir/yogurt. If you have a problem with estrogen and its effecting your health and skin, then it’s worth it to switch your fat sources from nuts and seeds to something else.

{STEP #2: HELP GET RID OF ACNE BY EATING A QUALITY DIET}

FOOD BASICS FOR CLEAR SKIN
Eating a good diet is essential for every organ to work properly — you cannot have flawless skin without the right foods (and if you see people with acne-free skin who eat crap, that does not mean they are healthy inside, nor does it mean their skin will stay nice for long on their poor diet).

Now, what I eat consists of really simple, really tasty, organic, unprocessed foods. I have a balanced mix of cooked and raw foods from both plant and animal sources…

• If I eat rice, it’s brown, not white. Brown rice has far more nutrients (including B vitamins, great for skin and stress) and far more fiber.
• If I eat dairy, it’s fermented and grass-fed, not milk or cheese. Fermented dairy is virtually lactose-free, and contains beneficial bacteria that help you absorb nutrients. Overall great for skin.
• If I eat grains, it’s only rice. I especially avoid wheat because it is well-linked to inflammation, acne, and digestive issues.
• If I eat fruit or vegetables, they are organic, either fresh or flash frozen. Non-organic produce contains xenoestrogens and harmful pesticide residue (can’t be washed off – it’s in the flesh), which is not a recipe for good skin.
• If I want something sweet, I eat fruit or a fruit smoothie. I do not eat hybridized, seedless fruit — they are too high in sugar, too low in fiber, and can spike your insulin…which results in an inflammatory response that leads to skin disorders like acne.
• If a recipe calls for “sugar” (which causes inflammation which can lead to acne) I substitute it with raw, unfiltered honey, stevia (the green powder, not the refined white powder), fresh applesauce, or molasses, depending on the recipe.
• If I eat meat, it’s organic, grass-fed, local from people I know, and/or wild. If you can’t get meat like this, buy it online from a reputable farmer (do your research), or don’t buy it at all. It’s that important.

One exciting thing to note is that I read a study 2 or 3 years ago about several scientists visiting different cultures and tribes to examine the quality of the people’s skin. They found that civilizations that did not consume many starches and “white” food (like potatoes and white bread), and instead ate a lot of vegetables, greens, fruits, and meat (when available) had no incidents of acne among them.

The common thread with these foods is that they do not spike your insulin, which means they are non-inflammatory, which also means they will not contribute to acne. The less inflammation you have going on in your gut, the less acne (and other skin disorders) you will have.

DON’T WORRY – TAKE IT SLOW
I do not recommend you make a drastic change from your current eating habits. Go about it slowly to give your body time to adjust. This way, you will also not get thrown into a sort of “detox” scenario where you breakout more, get headaches, cold or flu-like symptoms, etc. For instance, if you currently buy conventional meat, switch to grass-fed. If you buy conventional produce, go organic more often than not. Use free-range eggs from happy hens. Switch from cow’s milk to goat’s milk, or get off dairy milk entirely and go for rice milk or almond milk. See what I mean? Small changes first. They add up after awhile, and before you know it, your skin will be clear, you’ll have more energy, your body odor will be weaker or nonexistent (I never have to wear deodorant…I just don’t stink!), and you will get sick less often.

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite cookbooks because it can be frustrating figuring out what you’re going to eat when you’re not used to eating certain things. I often make recipes from these three books, but I substitute certain foods where I need to (for example, if a recipe calls for pork, I’ll use grass-fed beef or buffalo instead; if a recipe calls for wheat, I use rice or omit it altogether): Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking by Aveline Kushi, The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno, and The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids by Tosca Reno. I make something out of these books almost every day (along with my essential rice cooker…love that thing, I even reviewed it). I have tons of raw food “cook” books on my shelf, but many use a buttload of nuts, seeds, and soy sauce (tamari) in their recipes, so I often don’t use them. My raw food meals aren’t fancy — it’s basically me washing the fruit, then eating it; or me chopping up fruit and greens and putting them in the Vitamix for 30 seconds (and I’ll refer to Victoria Boutenko’s Green for Life for some yummy green smoothie recipes).

And just a sidenote, it’s important that you stick to your clean way of eating and hormone balancing program until your acne clears up. Then, occasionally, if the urge strikes you to have a piece of cheesecake or whatever, then do it. Having clear skin is really nice, but so is living.

TAKE EXTRA CARE OF YOUR LIVER
The liver is an enormously important organ. It’s our built-in filter, and it also provides us with clear skin should we choose to have it. A well-functioning liver will help you achieve acne-free skin. The dietary recommendations listed so far will automatically be helpful to your liver, and you will start seeing results in your skin. However, if you are still experiencing some acne after 3 months of implementing the changes mentioned in this article, then incorporate these power tools:

• Milk thistle ~ very liver protective, excellent in glycerin tincture form or added to smoothies or tea (this is a seed, therefore it’s estrogenic, but it should be very helpful and not cause additional acne)
• Dandelion ~ promotes optimal functioning of the liver; drink as a tea, add to a green smoothie, or add it to soup, stew, or eat it as a side dish
• Burdock root ~ perhaps my favorite herb; high in minerals; treats skin and liver disorders; tastes great in soups, stews, and teas, and can also be taken as a tincture
• Turmeric ~ very liver protective, anti-inflammatory, too many benefits to list!; simply sprinkle the spice onto your meals; I also take Gaia Turmeric Supreme as a back-up
• Lemon water ~ a simple little drink, have it in the morning before breakfast to give a little boost to your digestion and liver
• Herbal tea ~ my favorite herbal tea for helping to clean up the blood and digestive system is Yogi Tea’s Detox; if you don’t have the time or money to get some of those herbs listed, go with this for now because it’s easy, cheap, and effective (if I ate poorly and am getting some blemishes, I’ll drink this 2–3 times per day for 2–3 days, and my skin is all clear again)

You will also want to avoid ingesting alcohol — it’s not a good idea to drink heavily when you need your liver to be in good shape. A glass of wine or sake here and there is fine, and better yet, avoid the hard alcohol altogether.

Oh, and if you see anything online about a liver-gallbladder flush, please don’t do it. Not only has it been disproven as an effective cleanse, but I know TWO people personally (friends, not just heard-it-through-the-grapevine) who had their gallstones tested by independent laboratories and they were not gallstones at all. Use your common sense on this one — drinking a crapload of oil and Epsom salts is in no way going to be good for your liver. Eating well and making use of some great herbs and spices are more than enough to cleanse your liver and keep it in great shape. You don’t have to go extremes.

OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Eating this way is not difficult or expensive.

You know what’s difficult? Looking at the mirror and being upset that you have acne.

You know what’s expensive? All those acne creams and potions that cost $60 a bottle and fail to treat the real problem.

If you really want clear skin, you’ll make this work. You’ll find good, inexpensive sources for what you need, like online shopping, farmer’s markets, co-ops, or even growing a little garden. You’ll make your food in advance and bring it with you to school or work. You’ll say no when someone offers you some high-fructose-corn-syrup-filled treat, or a fast food lunch. You’ll ignore the people around you who think your new way of eating and doing things is dumb, picky, a hippy thing, or anything else…because, hey, you’re the one with awesome skin and a healthy body. Who’s a dumb picky hippy now, huh?

It took me about 2 years to get my family to really read the ingredients and care about the food they’re buying. A lot of times, people just don’t realize what’s in their food, because in their mind, why would anyone use a bag of chemicals in that box of cookies? Well, you wouldn’t, but food manufacturers would. The other bump to overcome is thinking it doesn’t really matter, and that being “picky” about your food isn’t necessary. My answer is always this: “I wouldn’t have to be ‘picky’ if food was real food. I wouldn’t have to be ‘picky’ if other people didn’t try feeding GMO corn to cows and putting chemicals on the plants I want to eat.”

Eating well is totally worth it, because slathering on a cream to cover up the underlying problem is not going to solve anything. You are the only one responsible for your health, and you can choose to be healthy with beautiful skin.

{STEP #3: BANISH ACNE WITH THE POWER OF GOOD SKIN CARE}

After the first two steps, this one is gonna seem like a cakewalk. First and foremost, skincare depends on your skin type. You can have oily skin with acne, dry skin with acne, mature or young skin with acne…you name it. Using products that cater to your skin type while preventing and healing blemishes is very important.

I always advocate going with natural products. The reason is pretty simple: nature provides an abundance of effective tools for our skin, your body knows exactly what to do when in contact with natural ingredients, and it can do no harm unless you’re allergic or it’s obviously a toxic plant (which you wouldn’t use or see in a skin care product anyway). The basic rule is: if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. Whatever you slather on is going to find its way into your bloodstream and through your organs, so make sure it’s good stuff.

I love this book!

If you want more information on skin treatments, using your hands to heal your face, “skin fasting,” and treatments for specific types of acne, I very highly recommend Chizu Saeki’s book, entitled The Japanese Skincare Revolution. It’s one of THE best books I’ve read on skincare — her take on the skin is refreshing and positive, and she provides a wide variety of specific solutions that are really easy and effective. I’ll probably do a post or YouTube video on this book soon (I just did one on Amazon), that’s how much I love it.

I’m going to recommend products for each skin type from several natural brands that I am most familiar with and have personally used, or still use. (Please note that I am not affiliated with any of the brands listed here, and I am never compensated for any recommendation or review that I give). For more information and links to my 2009 “Top 10″ natural brands list, click here (opens in a new window). So let’s get to it!

ALL SKIN TYPES
Makeup: Since you want to get rid of acne, it’s important you’re not clogging your pores with makeup gunk everyday, because you’re not helping your skin get any better by doing that. Use a mineral makeup — it will not look cakey or dry on oily skin, but for dry skin, be sure you are very moisturized before applying and mix the minerals with your moisturizer for a creamy application. The minerals will also benefit your skin and allow it to breathe. My favorite mineral brands are Alima and All Natural Face because they do not add any parabens or bismuth oxychloride like many other popular mineral makeup brands. If you prefer creamier foundations or stick foundation, try Vapour.

Makeup Remover: Use olive oil or coconut oil on a cotton pad or ball, and swipe it over your makeup. It’s cheap and VERY effective — it gets off all the makeup in just one go.

Treat: A great way to treat blemishes is with tea tree oil. This is my favorite go-to treatment. It’s non-drying and is just as effective as benzoyl peroxide. Witch hazel toner and white willow bark extract (they get salicylic acid and aspirin from white willow) are both very effective at preventing and healing blemishes, and these ingredients are in some of the products I recommend. You can also try a blemish treatment stick from Talulah or Evan Healy. In addition, use homemade masks (I’ve provided a few recipes so far, more to come!), cotton lotion masks (see The Japanese Skincare Revolution), and try masks from the natural brands I’ve listed here. You can use masks several times per week to help heal and re-balance your skin.

Heal: For acne marks, apply vitamin E oil (make sure it’s not mixed with other oils) to the spots. You can also apply fresh lemon juice to the areas every day to lighten them faster — just squeeze a few drops of lemon juice onto your finger and dab on the discolored areas, and leave it on. Organic milk and yogurt will also help lighten acne marks — simply spoon some onto your whole face or discolored areas and leave on for 5–10 minutes, 3 times per week.

OILY SKIN
You are actually quite lucky. Oily skin tends to wrinkle less, and you may think your oiliness causes acne, but that’s not the case. The oil is very protective, you just need to make sure that dead skin cells and bacteria don’t combine with your oil to create pimples. Eating well, eating the right fats, and using the right skincare will all ensure that you do not produce too much oil and will improve your overall skin condition.

Cleanse: In the morning, wash with water and perhaps a toner, like champagne, or a lavender or orange blossom hydrosol. You don’t want to over-wash your face, as you’ll only make it more oily. At night, use a gentle, non-drying cleanser, such as 100% Pure Organic Cranberry Cleansing Foam, Talulah Geranium Sap Purifying Cleanser.

Exfoliate: Exfoliate 1–3 times per week with a gentle scrub that does not contain any harsh beads, such as ground up nuts or seeds. Exfoliating regularly will remove any dead skin cells still on the surface, which is a breeding ground for acne bacteria. It will also refine your pores. Use something like 100% Pure Pineapple Facial Scrub, Talulah Vanilla Bean Rejuvenating Cleanser, or the very popular lemongrass Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser by Suki. If your skin is also sensitive, try rubbing the scrub between your palms for a bit to soften, and add a little more water or a few drops of your regular cleanser if needed.

Moisturize: Use lightweight serums and oils. Using oil on oily skin is actually a good thing — grapeseed oil, rosehip oil, and olive oil, for instance, are excellent moisturizers and are helping in getting your oily skin to produce less oil. Excellent serums include 100% Pure Aqua Boost Hydrate Serum, Talulah Oma Face Serum No. 1, Evan Healy Rosehip Treatment Facial Serum, or Living Nature Balancing Day Lotion. At night, use your serum/oil and follow up with a cream filled with potent antioxidants and skin clearing ingredients.

DRY & COMBINATION SKIN
Incorporating the right fats into your diet and using good moisturizers will help re-balance your skin and protect it from flaking, wrinkling, and blemishes.

Cleanse: In the morning, wash with water and just use a rose or orange blossom hydrosol to wipe your face clean. You don’t want to over-wash your face, as you’ll only make it more dry. At night, use a gentle, non-drying cleanser, such as 100% Pure Lavender Honey Cleansing Foam, Talulah Geranium Sap Purifying Cleanser, or Talulah Moonflower Cleansing Balm.

Exfoliate: Exfoliate 1–2 times per week with a gentle scrub that does not contain any harsh beads, such as ground up nuts or seeds. Exfoliating regularly will remove any dead skin cells still on the surface, which is a breeding ground for acne bacteria. Don’t exfoliate too often, it will make your skin more dry. Use something like 100% Pure Pineapple Facial Scrub, Talulah Vanilla Bean Rejuvenating Cleanser, or the very popular lemongrass Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser by Suki. If your skin is sensitive, rub the scrub between your palms for a bit to soften, and/or add a few drops of your regular cleanser if needed.

Moisturize: Use lightweight serums and oils, and at night, include a cream as well. Using oil is actually a good thing — grapeseed oil, rosehip oil, and olive oil, for instance, are excellent moisturizers and ease dry skin much better than a synthetic drugstore moisturizer. Excellent serums include 100% Pure Aqua Boost Hydrate Serum, Talulah Oma Face Serum No. 1, or Evan Healy Rosehip Treatment Facial Serum. For a night cream, try Talulah Primrose Calming Face Serum or any one of 100% Pure creams. I have also found that applying coconut oil (I use Tropical Traditions coconut oil because they use traditional methods and package in glass, not plastic) to my face works wonders and also prevents blackheads due to the lauric acid. It’s one of the few things that leaves my skin truly moisturized and doesn’t clog any pores.

MATURE SKIN
Fighting wrinkles and acne at the same time can be struggle, and what’s going to help you out more than skin care is your dietary choices. Step #1 and #2 are extremely important for you.

Cleanse: In the morning, wash with water and just use a rose, lavender, or orange blossom hydrosol to wipe your face clean. You don’t want to over-wash your face. At night, use a gentle, non-drying cleanser, such as 100% Pure Lavender Honey Cleansing Foam, Talulah Geranium Sap Purifying Cleanser, or Talulah Moonflower Cleansing Balm.

Exfoliate: Exfoliate 1–2 times per week with a gentle scrub that does not contain any harsh beads, such as ground up nuts or seeds. Exfoliating regularly will remove any dead skin cells still on the surface, which is a breeding ground for acne bacteria. Exfoliate 1 or 2 times per week if you have dry skin, and 2–3 if you have oily skin. Try 100% Pure Pineapple Facial Scrub, Talulah Vanilla Bean Rejuvenating Cleanser, or the very popular lemongrass Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser by Suki. If your skin is sensitive, rub the scrub between your palms for a bit to soften, and/or add a few drops of your regular cleanser if needed.

Moisturize: Use lightweight serums and oils, and at night, include a cream as well. Using oil on your skin is actually a good thing — grapeseed oil, rosehip oil, coconut oil, and olive oil, for instance, are excellent moisturizers and penetrate deeply to assist your skin. Excellent serums include 100% Pure Aqua Boost Hydrate Serum, Talulah Oma Face Serum No. 1, or Evan Healy Rosehip Treatment Facial Serum. For a night cream, try Talulah Vervain Flower Healing Complex or any one of 100% Pure anti-aging, antioxidant creams. Use your night-time moisturizer to do Tanaka’s anti-aging facial massage to eliminate sagging and wrinkles, and improve skin tone and texture.

{THAT’S IT!}

I know this was a super-long post, but I hope you found it useful and will start incorporating some great changes into your diet and skin care routine to clear up your skin. And as always, feel free to comment or message me if you have questions or requests, I’m here to help. Here’s to your new beautiful skin!

~Stephanie
xx

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The massage is credited for reducing and preventing wrinkles, improving sagging skin, minimizing pore size, eliminating puffy eyes and under-eye bags, and improving skin tone and skin texture.

I researched for several days hoping to find English translations of the videos to share with you, but there were none at all, only bits and pieces of English transcripts with some pictures.

So I had the videos translated for you guys (a wonderful man named Szu did an incredible job, and refused any payment for his translation work, I’m extremely grateful to him), and I worked until 4 am this morning to do the English subtitles and English voiceovers. And voila! I have posted them on my YouTube channel today so you can start doing this 3-minute anti-aging massage!

Enjoy!
~Stephanie