I feel a little bad about writing a review on a skin care product that I don’t like so soon after writing about a product that I love, but I have had people asking about my experience with Dr. Hauschka’s moisturizer, and I guess that’s just the nature of a blog.
I actually wasn’t that excited about using Dr. Hauschka’s products in the first place, because I’d read so many mixed reviews on their skin care line - some people seem to love them, and some not so much.
I also knew that Dr. Hauschka’s philosophy was to use a lot of “healing” essential oils which I don’t like. I realize that essential oils can be at times very beneficial to the skin, but in my opinion (and from what I’ve learned since I’ve been immersed in the natural skin care industry), is that acne-prone skin just does not fit well with products made heavily with oils. Even oils that are non-comedogenic can sit too heavily on the skin and contribute to clogged pores and an acne breakout.
Of course I am a total believer of essential oils and how great they can be for the skin. But in my opinion they are only suited to mature skin types, or skin that is not in any way acne prone.
Always do your own research before you buy a new productContinue reading →
Last week I spent three days in Quebec City in Canada. If you’ve never been to that part of the world, Quebec City is a quaint little town with extraordinarily beautiful buildings, pretty streets and a lot of French (which embarrassingly I can’t speak a word of).
The city is currently celebrating its 400th anniversary so I shared my Quebec City weekend with a bunch of other tourists, most of them over the age of 70. It’s the perfect city for old people, because there’s not much else to do apart from wander around and eat food.
I had a lot of trouble finding places to eat because the city is so heavy on meat dishes. They had a lot of game meat too, like elk, boar and rabbit. I’m a vegetarian so finding a dish on the menu that didn’t contain meat was the tricky part. Most menus were in French too, so I often had to ask what was vegetarian (I’m getting good at saying “Vegetarian?” with a sad and confused look on my face). Actually, I felt really embarrassed that I didn’t at least have a French phrase book with me. A lesson learned for when I visit Europe.
In every restaurant that I wandered into, I found at least one token vegetarian meal on the menu. Although usually it was very rich in cheese and white pasta. So after the second day I’d overdosed on cheese and was craving a big salad, a lentil soup, or at least something that didn’t contain meat, cheese or refined grain. I’m used to eating a relatively healthy diet so eating a lot of refined foods and saturated fats is something I don’t do that often.
I thought I’d enjoy eating a lot of deluxe rich meals and not worrying about being healthy for a few days. But it played havoc on my digestive system. By the third day my guts were funny in a bad way and I felt bloated and had indigestion for the remainder of my trip through Montreal. My skin also lost a bit of its happy glow, and my face went a little blotchy. One thing eating healthy food does so well - even out skin tone. Continue reading →
I’ve been searching for a very, very long time to find the perfect natural moisturizer. A product that is 100% natural, 100% organic, moisturizing without being oily, able to improve the quality of my skin, and of course (and most importantly) - will not clog my pores or give me a break out.
Well, I’m very excited to tell you that I finally found one!!
I was first referred to Bee Yummy Skin Food by a friend of mine in London. I was getting into the habit of asking all the healthiest and most alternative people I know what they use on their skin and what they recommend.
My friend told me about a small business in New York City called Live-Live that makes their own skin care products, and of course she raved about how fantastic they were. I couldn’t believe my luck with the timing, because I was just about to head off on a trip to New York City for my first time ever.
I contacted Christopher, the owner of Live-Live, and arranged to meet him in New York to trial his products. I actually had arranged to visit his store towards the end of my trip, but accidentally stumbled past his shop when I was on my way to a raw food restaurant in lower Manhattan. It was one of those synchronicities where you know you’re onto a good thing. The raw food restaurant was right next door to Live-Live. What are the chances of that?
So What Exactly Is Bee Yummy Skin Food?
Before my trip to New York I’d heard so many amazing testimonials from people that had used Bee Yummy, so of course I was very excited about trailing the product. What I was most excited about, was the fact that the majority of these testimonials were from acne sufferers who had experienced amazing results from using Bee Yummy. From completely clearing up their cystic acne to fading their acne hyperpigmentation scars.
Here’s what some of the people who use the product were saying - Continue reading →
It’s rare to find a supplement that works amazingly well on its own at clearing acne. But what I’ve been hearing about pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), is extremely promising.
Usually when I read about supplements that promise an acne cure I don’t pay too much attention because often their claims at clearing acne are either false, or premature. What made me turn around completely on pantothenic acid was a story I read from an adult acne sufferer who had tried everything. And then completely cleared her acne 100% by using this supplement.
I was browsing through the forums of The Best Day Ever membership site when I came across Vanessa Johansson’s post. Vanessa is the owner of the 25 year old skin care manufacturing company, RainShadow Labs and has found her cure through using gentle skin care, not picking or squeezing her spots, and taking daily doses of pantothenic acid. Here is her cure -
“I have struggled with acne myself, as have my children. After almost five years on a raw food diet and massive cleansing, I know that the liver is the source of my acne. I am low on certain enzymes that break down fats, so they do not process correctly and clog up my skin in an attempt to detox. I have had this confirmed through blood testing with a lab and a Naturopath.
Now for the CURE, and I do mean cure.
Take 20,000 milligrams of pantothenic acid every day. Increase the dosage until you are acne free. Stay at this dosage for a few months and then drop down to a maintenance dose that works for you.
This treatment is 100% effective, and safe. I have gone over it with David Wolfe. Pantothenic acid is vitamin B-5, it heals your adrenal system, it is water soluble so it will not build up in your liver or system but the excess will flush out daily, and it actually truly works.
My favorite source for pantothenic acid in capsules is iherb on the Internet. Get the Jarrow brand of Pantothenic at 1000 mg per capsule. It costs about five dollars per bottle. Take 5 capsules four times a day and build up as you see fit. I guarantee clear skin in one month. I feel your pain. Here is the solution.”
After reading Vanessa’s story I did some research on how and why pantothenic acid works, and have realized there are a few key factors that make this supplement work so well -
We all know that refined and artificial sugars are one of the worst foods for our bodies, and especially for our skin, which is frustrating because sugar is in just about everything. And then of course if you’re a sugar addict like me, it takes a lot of willpower to try and ignore those sweet food cravings and eat something healthy instead.
I have a bit of a habit of reading the ingredients list on ‘treats’ in health food stores. It’s rare that I find a product that does not contain any refined, cane or artificial sugars, but I’m always hopeful. Keep in mind that just because you find a product in a health food store, it doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. Health food stores usually stock milk-free and gluten-free products as well, which are good for allergies but often still high in refined sugars.
I keep reading Maltitol in these ingredients lists …
Maltitol is an artificial sweetener which I’ve seen in just about every ’sugar-free’ chocolate, ice-cream and cookie in North America. While Maltitol is very rarely found in foods in Australia, it seems to be incredibly popular here in Canada and the U.S.
When I first saw maltitol listed in the ingredients on a food packet (I think it was chocolate), I memorized the spelling and did a quick Google search for it when I got home. I came up with fairly average results - I didn’t find any strong evidence that maltitol is bad for you, but I didn’t find any glowing health reports either. I also had a strong intuitive feeling that maltitol is not that great an ingredient for my body, so I avoided consuming it.
So, after months of continuously reading maltitol in sugar-free foods and avoiding them, I felt like it was about time that I got to the bottom of this. What exactly is maltitol, why is it so popular and is it a good or bad sweetener?
Price: US$39.95
Last week I spent three days in Quebec City in Canada. If you’ve never been to that part of the world, Quebec City is a quaint little town with extraordinarily beautiful buildings, pretty streets and a lot of French (which embarrassingly I can’t speak a word of).
In every restaurant that I wandered into, I found at least one token vegetarian meal on the menu. Although usually it was very rich in cheese and white pasta. So after the second day I’d overdosed on cheese and was craving a big salad, a lentil soup, or at least something that didn’t contain meat, cheese or refined grain. I’m used to eating a relatively healthy diet so eating a lot of refined foods and saturated fats is something I don’t do that often.
It’s rare to find a supplement that works amazingly well on its own at clearing acne. But what I’ve been hearing about pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), is extremely promising.
We all know that refined and artificial sugars are one of the worst foods for our bodies, and especially for our skin, which is frustrating because sugar is in just about everything. And then of course if you’re a sugar addict like me, it takes a lot of willpower to try and ignore those sweet food cravings and eat something healthy instead.
