GRAY HAIR AND PIMPLES

I am cursed with the genetic predisposition of going gray early. Now, in only my mid-30s, I am half gray. That's not really all that bad. There IS hair color, of which I use plenty. The gray hair is not my complaint. My complaint is that I have this much gray hair, yet my skin is still oily and very prone to breakouts. Add to that my tendency to scar very easily and that equals terrible skin!

The last time my skin was this bad I was 18 and it was solved with birth control. The scars took longer to solve, but eventually faded. Then I had babies. My skin broke out with both pregnancies, but after the second child I saw a dermatologist who gave me Differin and a prescription zit cream. It worked wonders. I glowed. A few years later the scarring had built up again. My breakouts were not frequent, but hormones did produce one or two each month. This time, however, insurance was an issue so I just took a few Differin samples. They didn't work. I have been devastated. In the year or so that has passed my skin has gotten increasingly worse (likely due to symptoms of early menopause which I inherited from the same ancestor that gave me early gray hair). Right now seeing a dermatologist is a bit frivolous given the type of insurance coverage I have so I have been going it alone.

First off I use Cetaphil cleanser as recommended now by two different dermatologists for ANY skin types. I have changed to mineral makeup. I have given up on over exfoliation, which I was addicted to for many years. When none of this helped I turned to the only place I knew to turn. Pinterest.

A few months ago I came across a pin for this Crunchy Betty blog post. I was intrigued and set about getting on the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) band wagon. I have been trying to stay away from chemicals and get more natural so this seemed like a great option.

When you read this post you will see that you can formulate the oils many ways. I chose to use 2 ounces castor oil (the most cleansing), 1 ounce jojoba oil (for acne), 1 ounce olive oil (for moisture), 1 ounce sweet almond oil (for my oily skin), and 5 drops of tea tree oil.

At the same time I started using this I also started a dairy-free, sugar-free, grain- free diet for some dietary issues I was having. This was supposed to help my face as well (and even help reduce facial hair!!!).  Within a week I saw a difference. I was sold on OCM. The diet, not so much. I mean, that is HARD. I did actually see a difference in how fast my facial hair was coming back in, though!

In the meantime my diet has turned to crap. The holidays ARE just over. And I have not tried to reformulate my oil. I also have a real problem with following directions, remember? When I get lazy I may realize too late that I didn't get all the oil off. Or maybe I will just resort to my Cetaphil again because it doesn't take as long.

Right now my skin is embarrassing. And that is why I am resolving to start again. I plan to reformulate a little and stay religious to the OCM. Over the next few weeks I will keep to a good routine and will let you know the results.

Wish me luck!!