Sounds excellent, Jennifer. I think it is really good that you are drinking a lot tea (I should do that as well).
I am washing my hair with homemade soap (I make my own soap) and use lemon rinses or white vinegar rinses afterwards (1 tbsp vinegar in 2 cups of water). Recently I started adding 2-3 drops of rosmary essential oil which obviously is very good for the scalp. I will start experimenting with Ylang Ylang, Lavender or Patchouli soon.
I am unhappy with my skin right now. My skin has broken out quite bad in the last few days (I am in the middle of my cylce - maybe that is the reason).
I have to admit that I am drinking soy milk every morking (around one cup). Maybe I should stop and see how my skin reacts.
Right now I am sitting here with a manuka honey + fullers earth clay mask.
Sounds excellent, Jennifer. I think it is really good that you are drinking a lot tea (I should do that as well).
I am washing my hair with homemade soap (I make my own soap) and use lemon rinses or white vinegar rinses afterwards (1 tbsp vinegar in 2 cups of water). Recently I started adding 2-3 drops of rosmary essential oil which obviously is very good for the scalp. I will start experimenting with Ylang Ylang, Lavender or Patchouli soon.
I am unhappy with my skin right now. My skin has broken out quite bad in the last few days (I am in the middle of my cylce - maybe that is the reason).
I have to admit that I am drinking soy milk every morking (around one cup). Maybe I should stop and see how my skin reacts.
Right now I am sitting here with a manuka honey + fullers earth clay mask.
Amazing, what type of process do you use to make your soap? I never could do the vinegar rinses on my hair, but either way my hair's faired really great without it. That's unfortunate that you're unhappy with your skin, definitely try cutting the soy milk and see what happens. I love almond milk, it's a great alternative. That's great that you're doing a manuka honey and clay mask, my skin always glows so much more the next day after I've done one. Also, have you been trying them out for long? If so, have you noticed a difference?
A tea store!? How perfect for you!
Glad the BCP stoppage hasn't taken too much of a toll. I think you made a good choice!
Thanks! It's been great so far already, so many different kinds of tea to try. I'm glad about the BCP stoppage, but worried still that over the next few months my skin could get worse while transitioning. Based on some posts I've seen in the hormonal treatment section of the site it seems like a possibility. Either way, it's something I'm happy to be done taking.
How has your skin been over the past week? Any diet/supplement/regimen changes? I love checking in with your progress too, especially since we're following such a similar diet/lifestyle.
I love checking in with you. This has been such a positive thread (unlike some on this site, bleh!). My skin was nearly 100% clear after starting the zinc cream and broccoli/ DIM supplement (which is for my estrogen dominance). I even was weening off the Differin, and just washing with OCM and manuka honey (inspired by you!).
But lately I have been breaking out more. I am worried that the DIM is wearing off, I have read it only works for 3 month and that's about where I am. But it solidifies for me that it's hormonal acne that I am dealing with. It's hard for me to be objective about my skin, because I am so fair and my red marks last forever. I only have 2 actives right now. I switched from Differin to back to Retin-A again, because it seemed to help my red marks more. And the Aczone is my go-to, it helps my actives not turn into pustiles (which is my downfall because I am a popper!)
Still avoiding my IgG food sensitivities (gluten, dairy, eggs), staying away from soy, peanuts and citrus. I debating on going Sunday for an IPL treatment. It's a low level one, so it's not too harsh, but I've been reading horror stories for most of the day so I kinda want to cancel it. I don't want to risk making my skin worse for the chance of it getting better.
Holy shoot, it's been months!
Unfortunately I can't say I'm clear entirely, but definitely close. My breakouts follow a strict pattern now, mid cycle and end of cycle, to be expected since stopping the bcp. In terms of my diet, no changes at all. No cheating either. Sometimes I have more natural sugars than I should, but that's the closest to cheating. The tea store I work at has the greatest beet root sugar, so good in iced teas! Religiously doing spirulina and chlorella, drinking more white tea, more oolong, . I met a woman at work who said that taking chlorophyll is the only thing that helped her acne, which supports the spirulina/chlorella idea at least. Less scarring because I'm getting less severe acne, except for the picking sometimes. As far as my topical regimen goes I haven't changed much really, switched to bentonite clay though, and added that into my manuka honey for the a.m. face wash. Also I've started using rosehip seed oil, not for acne though, but for scar healing. It's actually advised against for acne prone skin, but it doesn't seem to irritate mine. I usually use coconut oil now as my carrier oil, but occasionally still use avocado or jojoba. Sorry for being so unreliable with updating, but unless it's related to applying for school/picking classes I haven't really been online at all!
Hey hon! So glad to hear that your skin is being more manageable. I notice I am not on the org as much when my skin is clear... which is what I was hoping was going on for you. I'm so impressed by your diet and regimen. I really need to get back into chlorella/spirulina, I know an animal rescue group that uses Sun Chlorella to heal their sick animals, and even says it helps beat parvo in dogs. How do you use the bentonite clay? On problem areas, or as regular masks?
Glad to hear you are doing well, thanks for continuing to update 
For all you vegans/vegetarians make sure you get adequate zinc/b vitamins which is possibly why you are getting acne in the first place.