181 replies to this topic

[deville]

Hello...just updating my experience. All of my zits have basically shrivelled up and died, so to say...but I have been bombarding them with the solution, as well as tea tree oil/vinegar (as a facewash like used by ukochana - very very refreshing, I must say!!)...I have also been using the manuka honey gel from Living Nature (free shipping from nzpacific.com!!), and a combination of these things has resulted in zero new zits forming...I can't believe it, I've been running to the mirror as soon as I wake up, and aside from the ugly red marks left behind past breakouts, I have zero new active zits!! And I usually break out like mad during this time of the month.
Hopefully, this stuff does not lose it's effectiveness, cause my skin hasn't looked so good in a long, long time.

[KT]

That's great news, deville! Just wondering - do you use the method with the cotton pads? Is it really necessary to go to bed with all that dried, crusty salt on your face? - cos I find it a horrible feeling!

I was wondering whether taking the warm salt solution and smearing it over your face for a bit, before rinsing with water, would have the same effect? What do the experts think?!

Deville - what exactly has been your regimen in the last couple of days

[deville]

Hey KT,
I think it's really important to keep the salt on all night...as I find that it sucks up all the oil that I produce (one of the factors that causes zits), and keeps me from getting new ones. I applied the pads onto active zits, and kept on resoaking them in the solution a couple of times...in a short time all of the gunk had come to the surface...after that, when I squeezed everything out, it was also important to keep on disinfecting the area (to stop reinfection), so I kept on using the pads...now, that my zits aren't active, and I have zero new ones coming up, I just use the solution as a toner at night...meaning that I don't keep the pads on anymore.
After a lot of experimenting, here is my regimen:
I wash my face in the morning using the acid vinegar/tea tree oil solution that ukochana recommends, I also use epsom salts as a scrub in the mornings, cause it feels really good!! Then I use Living Nature Manuka oil & honey gel on my acne prone areas, on the non-active acne I use their Hydrating and Vitalising toner Gel (I cannot use creams of any kind, cause it's zit city for me), but these gels are so amazing...they smell like ass, but the look and feel of my skin has really improved since I've been using them.
At night, I wash my face with Cetaphil (oily skin cleanser) and apply the epsom salt solution like a toner. Even though the Living nature manuka honey & oil gel really helped me with healing zits, it didn't stop new ones from cropping up - something which the epsom salts has done - I mean, in a few days, it has basically annhiliated all of my active zits, and stops new ones from coming up - instead, what I have noticed is that most of the big zits turn into whiteheads, which can be easily squeezed out, and heal without scarring. Hey, whiteheads I can take anyday over zits that scar.
Good luck

[lllynch]

Hey Deville, it's nice to see that it's working for you. I was just wondering if you have to mix a new solution every night when using it as a toner, or would you be able to use the same solution for a few days. Also, does using it as a toner help fade red marks, or is it just used to keep new ones from coming up. And do you apply it over your entire face or only acne prone areas? Thanks.

[deville]

Hey Deville, it's nice to see that it's working for you.  I was just wondering if you have to mix a new solution every night when using it as a toner, or would you be able to use the same solution for a few days.  Also, does using it as a toner help fade red marks, or is it just used to keep new ones from coming up.  And do you apply it over your entire face or only acne prone areas?  Thanks.

Hey lllynch...I mix a new solution every night...but I don't make a lot, like less than 1/4 of a cup, and I add a LOT of salt...hmmm...overdosing on epsom salts ...I just use it on my whole face, cause I love how it controls my oil production throughout the night, in the morning I wake up with perfectly matte skin (as opposed to the oil slick I usually have).
Also, I use a lot in the morning as a face scrub...love those face scrubs, really look forward to them actually:)

[ukochana]

Hey Deville,
I'm glad that you're having such good luck with the regimen, you're clearing up faster than I did! Although I didn't use the Living Nature products...but I've been looking them up online, and they look really great - all natural, w/o chemical preservatives - awesome! I think I might purchase the Vitalising Toner - it's not greasy, right? I can't stand anything greasy on my face (after years of wearing greasy sunscreen each and every day, I have developed a very strong aversion to creams). But I figure that I have to at least protect my skin a little bit - and that gel sounds great.

lllynch - it is important to do the cotton pads at the beginning, because you're creating a poultice that draws out all the gunk in your pores, if you just leave the solution on to dry, you're not drawing anything out, just drying out the zits - so they'll dry with the crap still inside - and you're still stuck with clogged pores that can re-infect. I think extraction is very important - as long as it's done right. The solution loosens all the blackheads/whiteheads and anything clogging the pore, so they come out with minimal squeezing. But most people forget to disinfect afterwards, which is extremely important!! Don't extract, unless you have a couple hours afterwards to keep on applying the solution w/ tea tree or that manuka stuff that deville uses. Once all of the active zits have come out, and they're nicely drying, you don't have to use the cotton pads anymore, just use it as a toner, or a scrub to keep the pores clear.
Hope this helps

[ROAR]

can't you drink epsom salts to do a liver flush, also?

[SteveLewis]

I'm sitting here with cotton balls soaked in Epsom Salt solution stuck to my face. It feels really weird as if my skin is shrinking under it .

[deville]

I'm sitting here with cotton balls soaked in Epsom Salt solution stuck to my face. It feels really weird as if my skin is shrinking under it .

OMG...that made me laugh...but it's supposed to feel that way, it's bringing everything to the surface...epsom salts are awesome - I only got a couple of tiny white heads today, and I know they were supposed to be big zits - the salts annhiliated them!!

Ukochana: yeah, Living Nature is great, their gels make my skin feel so good that I can live with the pukey smell.

[l33tpete]

hey deville, can you describe the smell of the living nature honey gel? i thought about getting it before but read comments about the smell and changed my mind, but hearing your praises too makes me wonder...

Could you be more specific on how it smells exactly? Anything you can think of it smells similar to?

Is it worse than the "sour, dirty sock" smell of ACV? If its like a bad cologne/perfume i can deal with that, but something along the lines of rotting garbage or horse manure i dunno....

[SteveLewis]

Hey Deville,
I'm glad that you're having such good luck with the regimen, you're clearing up faster than I did!  Although I didn't use the Living Nature products...but I've been looking them up online, and they look really great - all natural, w/o chemical preservatives - awesome!  I think I might purchase the Vitalising Toner - it's not greasy, right?  I can't stand anything greasy on my face (after years of wearing greasy sunscreen each and every day, I have developed a very strong aversion to creams).  But I figure that I have to at least protect my skin a little bit - and that gel sounds great.

lllynch - it is important to do the cotton pads at the beginning, because you're creating a poultice that draws out all the gunk in your pores, if you just leave the solution on to dry, you're not drawing anything out, just drying out the zits - so they'll dry with the crap still inside - and you're still stuck with clogged pores that can re-infect.  I think extraction is very important - as long as it's done right.  The solution loosens all the blackheads/whiteheads and anything clogging the pore, so they come out with minimal squeezing.  But most people forget to disinfect afterwards, which is extremely important!!  Don't extract, unless you have a couple hours afterwards to keep on applying the solution w/ tea tree or that manuka stuff that deville uses.  Once all of the active zits have come out, and they're nicely drying, you don't have to use the cotton pads anymore, just use it as a toner, or a scrub to keep the pores clear. 
Hope this helps

How exactly do you utilize it as a scrub or toner?

[deville]

hey deville, can you describe the smell of the living nature honey gel? i thought about getting it before but read comments about the smell and changed my mind, but hearing your praises too makes me wonder...

Could you be more specific on how it smells exactly?  Anything you can think of it smells similar to?

Is it worse than the "sour, dirty sock" smell of ACV?  If its like a bad cologne/perfume i can deal with that, but something along the lines of rotting garbage or horse manure i dunno....

Actually...it's not THAT bad, I mean, it's just different, like tea tree oil. It has that same strong 'antiseptic' smell...except tea tree is 'fresher' smelling, more eucalyptisy, while manuka has its own distinct smell, but along the same lines. It is DEFINATELY not like ACV...that stuff makes me wanna retch!! I'm only saying that is smells, because the scent sticks around for a couple of hours after you put it on your face.

[deville]

How exactly do you utilize it as a scrub or toner?

For the toner, I just use the epsom salt solution as described above, and spread it all over my face before going to bed.
As a scrub, you just have to mix a handful of salts, mix it with water and scrub:)

[lafasta]

First just wanted to say thanx to ukochana for replying to me, and showing me the link to this board. I'm going to start this new regimen tonite and see how it works. I just have a couple questions before i start:

1) Do i need to wash my face before i use the epsom salt solution?

2) My face is red, dry and irritated right now, will the epsom salt make it worse, or more flaky?

3) How do i make the vinegar/tea tree oil wash?

Any help u guys can give would be great. Thanx again!

[ukochana]

Hi Lafasta,
You need to put the solution on a clean face - ie. free of makeup/creams/etc. I really like Cetaphil oily skin cleanser, but I guess it depends on your preference. I only washed my face with cleanser at night, and then I used the epsom salts solution (as you don't want to be walking around during the day with dried salt on your face:). At first, I recommend using the solution as a poultice to draw out all of the zits (that is, using cotton pads as explained above). When your skin starts clearing, you can just use it as a toner, without leaving the cotton on. And then you can just use it as a scrub like I do.

For your second question - I actually find that my skin heals much more quickly with the epsom salt washes, like redness, inflammation, and scabs are significantly reduced. My guess is that they would actually help you with your problem, but as a reminder - they will STING the first couple of times until your skin gets used to it.
Actually, this reminds me how I got the idea to use epsom salts in the first place - my dog was bitten, and had a large wound, which became infected with - well, you know what - what the vet kept on stressing was that epsom salts were crucial to getting the infection out (along with antibiotics he prescribed), because they draw out the infection, and help with healing. Anyhow, so I guess this is based in 'real' science...even if it is doggy science.

As for your third question, I've already posted that up like three times, so take a look above.
Hope this helps

[ukochana]

Deville,
I placed my order from nzpacific.com for the vitalising toner, and a couple of things for my mom (christmas present:)...hopefully my order will come BEFORE christmas.

[lafasta]

Thanx so much, i'm going to start this regimen 2nite!!!

[deville]

Hello...just writing to tell everyone that I've remained zit free so far...I usually have at least two or three at one given time, and so this is simply awesome! Also, the redness and inflammation from past zits is going down, and now all I have to worry about are the red marks (hate those, cause even though there's no 'real' zits, these things make it look like I've still got a face full of them!!).

I also have a new 'discovery' to share - I have eczema all over my neck and hands, and to my surprise, wherever the epsom salt solution has either dripped down, or touched, my eczema is fading away! Like half my neck (where the solution dripped down) is 'normal' again, while the other half is red, itchy and basically rash-like. I can't believe this!! I've been struggling with cortisones, and now elidel for basically my entire life, and all it took was some $2.99 salts??? OMG, not to mention that this is sooo much healthier for my skin than the other stuff!
So I tried it on the inside of my elbows, and...it stung...a lot...like I thought I wouldn't be able to take the stinging, but I waited it out, and it subsided within a couple of minutes. And throughout the day, the huge patches of eczema basically shrunk down to dramatically smaller patches...and the itching has stopped...geez, who knew that all it took was some epsom salts??

[chikin]

I posted in the thread in the regimen section, I'm trying this method at the moment and after just 1 day I've got pretty promising results!

*fingers crossed*

I'll keep you all updated on my progress!

[deville]

Hey Good luck chikin...hope it works for you as well as it works for me.
I started gettin a zit on my chin last night (oh, I can tell when the suckers are coming)...so I slept with a cotton pad on it all night...I peeled it off in the morning, and overnight, the zit had drained into a whitehead!! How great is that?? So now I'm sitting here disinfecting it...so much time we acne sufferers spend on our faces!! But, for me, it's worth it...I've never seen my skin heal so fast...all of my past zits have basically healed now, and the ones I started treating with epsom salts barely leave any red marks...it's just the past red marks from before that are still lingering.