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can i use coarse mediterranean sea salt?
Perhaps PH is the issue... No worries, I'm a goldfish enthusiast and keep plenty of PH test strips on hand to keep tabs on my fishy's water quality! haha! so far, this ratio seems to be working very well. I haven't had any redness related to the ACV, I think the Green tea really helps to keep the irritation down. My face was MUCH less red this morning, I hope it keeps working as well.
Glad to hear that your redness is decreasing!
I'm new to testing for PH levels. I am getting mine at Indigo Instruments - 15.00 for 100. Is there a better or less expensive source? Also, would you recommend a meter over the strips? I haven't read any good reviews on those that are less than 100.00. Seems like a lot of people check their results against the strips anyway. I want to make sure I have reliable strips, so any advise would be appreciated.
strips arent reliable at all. atleast not with fish tanks. the api master kit for fish tanks is the best thing to measure ph and you can get it on amazon.
I realize that, funds are low and I am trying to use up a bottle someone gave me before I get an API drip test. I have the API ammonia drip test for sure because that is the most important thing to check for in my tank, I use a PH buffer so my Ph stays pretty stable and I don't have to test it as often 😉
I'm not sure where you could get strips that are not meant for aquariums, but I don't see why they shouldn't work for this. Lol maybe someone can chime in?
no this is private selection coarse mediterranean sea salt. im currently using x out morning and night with some aloe afterwards. its not really working but i think ill give it a few more weeks before changing to natural stuff. how should i get off of the x out and onto the natural stuff? also what all should i use? im 16 so my acne is probably bc of hormones and stuff.
thanks
Hmm. I'm pretty skeptical now. Many companies that produce sea salt know how valuable the trace minerals are, and so they get extracted from the salt and sold for more than the salt sells for. They're also less worried about not bleaching or refining it. And this is why i hesitate to say go for it now. You might have to splurge for a better quality salt just to be safe
Also yes, since you are 16 everything you eat/drink is especially going to have an effect on your acne situation. Hormones can be better regulated with a healthy and clean liver. In other words...no soda, refined sugar, crappy processed foods and all the toxic crap in them, (fast foods as well) If you really want to stop your acne, you have to start from the inside. It takes alot of discipline, but if i knew at the age of 16 that what i ate was directly affecting my acne, i definitely would have watched what i consumed.
Also you can help your body out by making sure your urine is as close to being clear as possible. In other words, drink water even when you aren't thirsty. And try to consume whole, organic, nutrient dense foods in place of crap foods. I do most of the shopping in the produce/organic section. More expensive, but then so is going to the hospital for health issues that could have been avoided by eating healthy all your life
also do i need to use distilled water, and could i use this along with x out and aloe vera?
also I don't know what x out is. And what type of aloe vera are you using?
x out is this new one step from proactiv. its a high dose of BP. im using aloe vera from the plant. i didnt want to try and find a liquid and it have some kind of additive that would make me break out. do i need distilled water for this? what can i drink instead of sodas that still tastes good? i HATE water. i will get the better salt tomorrow
Jonathon - What condition of acne are you trying to clear up? Is it a blemish here and there or something more? Could you describe it? What don't you like about water? Does it have a bad taste where you live? You could try keeping your drinking water refrigerated. I'm not a big fan of room temperature water but I can't get enough of cold water. You could also try adding lemon or green tea or both to your water. They would be beneficial to your health inside and out.
x out is this new one step from proactiv. its a high dose of BP. im using aloe vera from the plant. i didnt want to try and find a liquid and it have some kind of additive that would make me break out. do i need distilled water for this? what can i drink instead of sodas that still tastes good? i HATE water. i will get the better salt tomorrow
Hah! Proactiv. I should have guessed. I saw proactive on TV when i was 16 and was so mesmerized. And then i used it for 5 years, and finally found out there are natural treatments that are even more effective. That is...if you want to call proactive effective. I don't personally
Anyway enough about proactiv
Glad to see you use aloe straight out of the plant. It's far and away the most beneficial when used like that. I could rant about banana boat's fake aloe crap, but i won't. I won't talk about all the extra chemicals they add. I definitely won't talk about how aloe vera isn't bright green in color naturally. And there's no way i'm even coming close to talking about how any aloe in it is going to be largely useless because who knows how old it is and where they got it from
Distilled water would be great, but you don't necessarily need it for this to work. It is ideal tho, but i don't use it cause i haven't created my own distillation system yet. But if you don't have distilled, filtered is the next best. Unless you are loaded and can afford to buy pure spring water. And actually that might not be a terrible idea, because you wouldn't need much for this toner each time...
I hate water by itself as well. It doesn't have a bad taste, but it's so bland i can't take it. I either add lemon to it, or 100% stevia. (not truvia, or other stevia blends that use sugar alcohol) Look at the ingredients. It should only list stevia, or some have added inulin soluble fiber, which is fine. But yeah, i add a packet of stevia and the water tastes so much better to me. Lemon plus stevia is like, well...lemonade. guess that was obvious
Also like gingergirl said, you can add tea, or make a large amount of tea and store it in your fridge. Doesn't have to be green, but green tea is without a doubt great to be consuming. You can add raw honey (very pale in color, no pasteurization/refining), lemon, stevia...i guess that's all i ever add to my tea
Ofg,
Speaking of Stevia, I have been looking into it and got scared off from reports that some people break out from it. Have you ever heard of that?
Also, I have been researching aloe for the past week and learned so much. I found a website called the International Aloe Science Council (iasc.org) that is full of great information about aloe. It lists growers and products that pass their certification. The only company in the USA that grows organic aloe and passes their certification on the majority of their products is Lily of the Desert. The shelves of stores in the USA are full of products that have little if any of the healing properties of aloe in them. Sadly, it is a real scam of an industry.
Ofg,
Speaking of Stevia, I have been looking into it and got scared off from reports that some people break out from it. Have you ever heard of that?
Also, I have been researching aloe for the past week and learned so much. I found a website called the International Aloe Science Council (iasc.org) that is full of great information about aloe. It lists growers and products that pass their certification. The only company in the USA that grows organic aloe and passes their certification on the majority of their products is Lily of the Desert. The shelves of stores in the USA are full of products that have little if any of the healing properties of aloe in them. Sadly, it is a real scam of an industry.
I just have to chime in here about aloe: I LOVE it! I have a couple of aloe plants and a bottle of Lily of the Desert Aloe. I honestly like both, and if my poor little plants produced enough aloe for me to use everyday, I would. But Lily of the Desert is the next best thing. I agree, most of the aloe crap out there is mostly chemicals.
x out is this new one step from proactiv. its a high dose of BP. im using aloe vera from the plant. i didnt want to try and find a liquid and it have some kind of additive that would make me break out. do i need distilled water for this? what can i drink instead of sodas that still tastes good? i HATE water. i will get the better salt tomorrow
Hah! Proactiv. I should have guessed. I saw proactive on TV when i was 16 and was so mesmerized. And then i used it for 5 years, and finally found out there are natural treatments that are even more effective. That is...if you want to call proactive effective. I don't personally
Anyway enough about proactiv
Glad to see you use aloe straight out of the plant. It's far and away the most beneficial when used like that. I could rant about banana boat's fake aloe crap, but i won't. I won't talk about all the extra chemicals they add. I definitely won't talk about how aloe vera isn't bright green in color naturally. And there's no way i'm even coming close to talking about how any aloe in it is going to be largely useless because who knows how old it is and where they got it from
Distilled water would be great, but you don't necessarily need it for this to work. It is ideal tho, but i don't use it cause i haven't created my own distillation system yet. But if you don't have distilled, filtered is the next best. Unless you are loaded and can afford to buy pure spring water. And actually that might not be a terrible idea, because you wouldn't need much for this toner each time...
I hate water by itself as well. It doesn't have a bad taste, but it's so bland i can't take it. I either add lemon to it, or 100% stevia. (not truvia, or other stevia blends that use sugar alcohol) Look at the ingredients. It should only list stevia, or some have added inulin soluble fiber, which is fine. But yeah, i add a packet of stevia and the water tastes so much better to me. Lemon plus stevia is like, well...lemonade. guess that was obvious
Also like gingergirl said, you can add tea, or make a large amount of tea and store it in your fridge. Doesn't have to be green, but green tea is without a doubt great to be consuming. You can add raw honey (very pale in color, no pasteurization/refining), lemon, stevia...i guess that's all i ever add to my tea
Yay for water! You have no idea the health benefits of drinking water all day. I am five months pregnant, and have avoided the dreaded hands and feet swelling that plague most by keeping a water bottle with me all day. My doctor is surprised. My doctor is also happy about the fact that I don't eat sugar, so my blood pressure and weight is good and no risk of gestational diabetes... but that's another story... lol!
Yay for water! You have no idea the health benefits of drinking water all day. I am five months pregnant, and have avoided the dreaded hands and feet swelling that plague most by keeping a water bottle with me all day. My doctor is surprised. My doctor is also happy about the fact that I don't eat sugar, so my blood pressure and weight is good and no risk of gestational diabetes... but that's another story... lol!
Congratulations on your pregnancy and staying so healthy! Do you use any sugar replacements or alternatives?
Jonathon - What condition of acne are you trying to clear up? Is it a blemish here and there or something more? Could you describe it? What don't you like about water? Does it have a bad taste where you live? You could try keeping your drinking water refrigerated. I'm not a big fan of room temperature water but I can't get enough of cold water. You could also try adding lemon or green tea or both to your water. They would be beneficial to your health inside and out.
white heads around my chin area. i think waters really bland unless you put like flavor packs in it or koolaid.
what about marcum sea salt grinder? is this ok? if not ill go get dead sea salt or himalayan.
can i use coarse mediterranean sea salt?
Perhaps PH is the issue... No worries, I'm a goldfish enthusiast and keep plenty of PH test strips on hand to keep tabs on my fishy's water quality! haha! so far, this ratio seems to be working very well. I haven't had any redness related to the ACV, I think the Green tea really helps to keep the irritation down. My face was MUCH less red this morning, I hope it keeps working as well.
Glad to hear that your redness is decreasing!
I'm new to testing for PH levels. I am getting mine at Indigo Instruments - 15.00 for 100. Is there a better or less expensive source? Also, would you recommend a meter over the strips? I haven't read any good reviews on those that are less than 100.00. Seems like a lot of people check their results against the strips anyway. I want to make sure I have reliable strips, so any advise would be appreciated.
strips arent reliable at all. atleast not with fish tanks. the api master kit for fish tanks is the best thing to measure ph and you can get it on amazon.
I realize that, funds are low and I am trying to use up a bottle someone gave me before I get an API drip test. I have the API ammonia drip test for sure because that is the most important thing to check for in my tank, I use a PH buffer so my Ph stays pretty stable and I don't have to test it as often
I'm not sure where you could get strips that are not meant for aquariums, but I don't see why they shouldn't work for this. Lol maybe someone can chime in?
I looked into the pH strips for aquariums and they are strictly in the alkaline range. What I have is one set that goes from 0-14 in whole steps and another from 0-7 with .5 steps for fine tuning facial solutions. I don't like that the strips are disposable...I would like to find a reliable digital meter that I can count on. I think it would save money in the long run.
Ofg,
Speaking of Stevia, I have been looking into it and got scared off from reports that some people break out from it. Have you ever heard of that?
Also, I have been researching aloe for the past week and learned so much. I found a website called the International Aloe Science Council (iasc.org) that is full of great information about aloe. It lists growers and products that pass their certification. The only company in the USA that grows organic aloe and passes their certification on the majority of their products is Lily of the Desert. The shelves of stores in the USA are full of products that have little if any of the healing properties of aloe in them. Sadly, it is a real scam of an industry.
I just have to chime in here about aloe: I LOVE it! I have a couple of aloe plants and a bottle of Lily of the Desert Aloe. I honestly like both, and if my poor little plants produced enough aloe for me to use everyday, I would. But Lily of the Desert is the next best thing. I agree, most of the aloe crap out there is mostly chemicals.
x out is this new one step from proactiv. its a high dose of BP. im using aloe vera from the plant. i didnt want to try and find a liquid and it have some kind of additive that would make me break out. do i need distilled water for this? what can i drink instead of sodas that still tastes good? i HATE water. i will get the better salt tomorrow
Hah! Proactiv. I should have guessed. I saw proactive on TV when i was 16 and was so mesmerized. And then i used it for 5 years, and finally found out there are natural treatments that are even more effective. That is...if you want to call proactive effective. I don't personally
Anyway enough about proactiv
Glad to see you use aloe straight out of the plant. It's far and away the most beneficial when used like that. I could rant about banana boat's fake aloe crap, but i won't. I won't talk about all the extra chemicals they add. I definitely won't talk about how aloe vera isn't bright green in color naturally. And there's no way i'm even coming close to talking about how any aloe in it is going to be largely useless because who knows how old it is and where they got it from
Distilled water would be great, but you don't necessarily need it for this to work. It is ideal tho, but i don't use it cause i haven't created my own distillation system yet. But if you don't have distilled, filtered is the next best. Unless you are loaded and can afford to buy pure spring water. And actually that might not be a terrible idea, because you wouldn't need much for this toner each time...
I hate water by itself as well. It doesn't have a bad taste, but it's so bland i can't take it. I either add lemon to it, or 100% stevia. (not truvia, or other stevia blends that use sugar alcohol) Look at the ingredients. It should only list stevia, or some have added inulin soluble fiber, which is fine. But yeah, i add a packet of stevia and the water tastes so much better to me. Lemon plus stevia is like, well...lemonade. guess that was obvious
Also like gingergirl said, you can add tea, or make a large amount of tea and store it in your fridge. Doesn't have to be green, but green tea is without a doubt great to be consuming. You can add raw honey (very pale in color, no pasteurization/refining), lemon, stevia...i guess that's all i ever add to my tea
Yay for water! You have no idea the health benefits of drinking water all day. I am five months pregnant, and have avoided the dreaded hands and feet swelling that plague most by keeping a water bottle with me all day. My doctor is surprised. My doctor is also happy about the fact that I don't eat sugar, so my blood pressure and weight is good and no risk of gestational diabetes... but that's another story... lol!
Congratulations on your pregnancy and staying so healthy! Do you use any sugar replacements or alternatives?
thank you! No I really don't use any sweeteners, my taste has changed and they just taste.... off to me! haha. However, I do have some sugar-free vanilla syrup I use to sweeten my morning cup of coffee. And I eat alot of fruit to quench my sweet tooth. My favorite breakfast is a mix of plain non-fat yogurt, fruit, and plain honey granola. YUM!!
so is sweet tea ok or is that bad too? i barely drink sweet tea but if i had to i would.
also what the best way to get off the x out? im thinking of just using this and aloe 2 times a day.
I would stay away from sweetened tea personally, there is soooo much sugar. Unless you use a natural sweetener... in my experience though, your taste buds change after an adjustment period and you get used to the bitter taste. You could also try to flavor it with some lemon or experiment with difference citrus and even raspberries!
Ofg,
Speaking of Stevia, I have been looking into it and got scared off from reports that some people break out from it. Have you ever heard of that?
People are breaking out from it? I believe you gingergirl, i'm just not sure i believe the people reporting this. That is like someone saying they break out from water. I mean...it's just a leaf. I would love to know what brand these people were using, because many people see packages labeled '100% stevia' and think it's perfectly fine. Well, it does contain amounts of 100% stevia, but the rest is Erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol. It's very deceiving how they do that. You really have to look at the ingredients list
I don't think anyone should fear using stevia. People have also blamed multi-vitamins for causing their breakouts, and while this is actually very likely, you have to look at what they were using. Most (if not all) were using a relatively inexpensive one like one a day or centrum, which use synthetic and incomplete vitamins. And i've already ranted about the importance of only using Raw muliti-vitamins derived from whole/organic foods. More expensive but absolutely worth the extra cost if you supplement
These are night and day different, just like using stevia and Erythritol loaded 'stevia' packets are different. Anyway, thanks for the info on aloe vera gingergirl. I'll have to look into it. I know aloe has many healing properties when taken internally as well
what about marcum sea salt grinder? is this ok? if not ill go get dead sea salt or himalayan.
Seeing as marcum is a seasoning brand with a bunch of different products, and also seeing as how they don't have a website describing how their salt is processed...i'd avoid it and spring for the Dead or Himalayan. It will be worth the extra money.
If it were me, i would simply stop using the x out. You may experience a transition period in your skin since you are switching products suddenly, but that's to be expected. And it might not be a huge transition at all. When i switched from chemical products to natural, it was cold turkey. Granted, you may have some more blemishes pop up because blemishes take a while to form, so the ones showing up could have been in production for a week or two. Basically you need to give your a skin at least a couple weeks to adjust and allow any blemishes to surface. After that you can see if this is working as well as it should
Ofg,
Speaking of Stevia, I have been looking into it and got scared off from reports that some people break out from it. Have you ever heard of that?
People are breaking out from it? I believe you gingergirl, i'm just not sure i believe the people reporting this. That is like someone saying they break out from water. I mean...it's just a leaf. I would love to know what brand these people were using, because many people see packages labeled '100% stevia' and think it's perfectly fine. Well, it does contain amounts of 100% stevia, but the rest is Erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol. It's very deceiving how they do that. You really have to look at the ingredients list
I don't think anyone should fear using stevia. People have also blamed multi-vitamins for causing their breakouts, and while this is actually very likely, you have to look at what they were using. Most (if not all) were using a relatively inexpensive one like one a day or centrum, which use synthetic and incomplete vitamins. And i've already ranted about the importance of only using Raw muliti-vitamins derived from whole/organic foods. More expensive but absolutely worth the extra cost if you supplement
These are night and day different, just like using stevia and Erythritol loaded 'stevia' packets are different. Anyway, thanks for the info on aloe vera gingergirl. I'll have to look into it. I know aloe has many healing properties when taken internally as well
I would like to give the pure Stevia a try in moderation. Do you use the powder or the liquid? Does the powder mix well with water?
I would like to give the pure Stevia a try in moderation. Do you use the powder or the extract? Does the powder mix well with water?
I use the powder that comes in packets. And it mixes really well in water. I use SweatLeaf (100% natural stevia sweetener) It is stevia and inulin soluble fiber. I use it all the time in my water. I think SweatLeaf also makes a liquid form as well tho
I just wanted to give you all an update on how it is working for me!
I love the results, I've been using it for about... 5 days now I think? Twice a day religiously after cleansing with oatmeal. I varied it a little bit by adding 1:3 ACV and three drops of lemon juice (may increase the lemon juice later to help lighten my scars). Every morning when I wake up, my skin is less red than it was the night before. It may be the green tea masking the redness, but hey I'm not complaining! I have very pale skin and I don't notice a green tint at all either. The zits that I had when starting this (a few on my chin, a couple on my cheek, and a couple I could feel coming up to the surface) have all dried up and I'm just waiting for them to heal. I'm not a picker, so I want to wait for them to heal on their own. Even the ones that are still under the surface aren't red; I can feel them but not see them; weird, huh? Maybe it will dry them up before they come to the surface, but I'm not holding my breath lol.
My skin does feel tight for about an hour after I use this, but then softens up during the day. It's not a dry, peeling tight, it's more of a firm tight, if that makes any sense. And I'm sure my skin will adjust as I continue to use this.
I'm interested to see how it has worked for other people, so I am going to go through the previous posts on this thread.
it lasts about one week give or take a little.
So I've been using this for a month now after quitting the regime (used it for 4 months) and it's great, I had mild acne and I've only gotten a few pimples since then and they've always been near my hair, like I haven't shaved in a while and there's one forming on my upper lip right now. Red marks have definitely faded but there's still quite a lot of them and I think that's mostly because of the damage caused by the regime. onefatalgoose, how long did it take for your red marks to fade? And what shaving technique do you use?
I haven't really improved my diet at all, it's pretty much the same as it was before and I'm eating a lot of calories trying to gain weight which apparently causes breakouts. I take a cheap multivitamin, I'm going to start supplementing that with more vitamin D though trying to get 4000 IU a day.
Hey there..... Just want to ask what you think about the Cerasee plant?
It's bitter melon/ bittersquash/gourd in english....
The leaves of this plant is also made into tea.... Since i can't find any genuine green tea around where i am now, i used the leaves of this plant instead coz we have an abundance of these here in our backyard (And also from where i am we're fond of eating these bitter leaves)...... I've just brewed some last night and have been using it as a cleanser, just the natural i didn't add any salt yet coz idk if the salt we have is organic sea salt.... And i also added some to the toner i am using now.... Soo far it has relieved the itchness on my face zits.... Hope it'll help.....
onefatalgoose, how long did it take for your red marks to fade? And what shaving technique do you use?
Going into using the green tea/sea salt toner, I had no red marks. I had dealt with most of my acne issues by using nothing topically (after years of chemical abuse) and drastically altering my diet. However, in college (about 5 yrs ago) I had red marks galore on my neck. Even for many many moths after being clear. Perhaps even a year or so. But lo and behold, they did eventually completely disappear. In high school i had severe back acne, and loads of red marks. But they've been gone for many years. This is for all of you thinking you are stuck with them forever. You're not, but it takes time for them to disappear.
I use a Remmington electric shaver, but i only use the trimmer on the back. I really feel like when acne prone skin gets shaven too close, it causes red bumps and ingrown hairs. My face is like a sandpaper texture instead of completely smooth, but i think it's worth it. I only recommend using Remmington, as i have used each brand and found every other trimmer to be largely useless as it tugs out your hairs instead of clipping them.
I haven't really improved my diet at all, it's pretty much the same as it was before and I'm eating a lot of calories trying to gain weight which apparently causes breakouts. I take a cheap multivitamin, I'm going to start supplementing that with more vitamin D though trying to get 4000 IU a day.
Yeah, as far as the multi is concerned, you're better off getting your vitamins from nutrient dense foods. Or if you want to supplement, Vitamin Code Raw Vitamins are great. Or New Chapter Organics. Expensive, but the real deal. Made from whole organic foods, so you're getting the complete vitamin, not just one part of it. And cheap multi's = synthetic vitamins
does this help with acne marks got acne redmarks and fadded acne marks???
I believe it will, yes. And red marks can take a long time to heal, but i really feel this would help. Don't get discouraged. You're number one priority is eliminating acne. (unless you have) Then you can move on to focusing on red marks. They do go away. I had many on my neck that i thought would be permanent. I swear they were there for a year after my acne disappeared, but there are none left on my neck. Not one. So don't be discouraged
Hey there..... Just want to ask what you think about the Cerasee plant?
It's bitter melon/ bittersquash/gourd in english....
The leaves of this plant is also made into tea....
I have never heard of this plant, or heard about using it's leaves for tea. If anyone else knows anything about it feel free to chime in.
i'll try to find some info
.....well i thought... it's the basic principles as your green tea toner minus the salt....and it's freshly picked bitter melon leaves so i gave it a go........
here's a link that summarizes bitter melon's traditional uses
.....well i thought... it's the basic principles as your green tea toner minus the salt....and it's freshly picked bitter melon leaves so i gave it a go........
here's a link that summarizes bitter melon's traditional uses
http://www.blackherb...com/cerasee.htm
Sounds promising...I look forward to hearing how it works for you!