Hi all-
Well I've been raw for almost a year now...but my acne has persisted. I don't think I'm very clean inside or I am still holding onto some toxic junk inside that's not cleansing out through raw foods alone. This has been confirmed by a local raw foods esthetician. In fact I think I may have gone raw "too fast" with little time for my body to adjust...

So I'm dying to cleanse. I'm just so tired of having acne, feeling ugly, etc. I have started a "Whole Body Cleanse" that has me taking milk thistle for my liver, fiber and a laxative blend of herbs at night. I'm on day three of it (it's a 14 day cleanse) and so far it's going okay. I'm just worried this isn't enough, isn't the right thing to be doing, isn't going to work, etc. I'd like to finish this cleanse to see how my body does after 14 days, if I feel different or "cleansed".

I'm just reading all these things online where people are cleansing and then passing tapeworms and mucoid plaque (whatever that is!), and other really gross stuff and I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about that!! I'm only 17, but who knows?! I'm kinda freaking out here.

I've been taking the IC Pearls Probiotics too.

Any advice, friends, is always appreciated. Suggestions? Other cleanses you feel are effective?

Thanks.

Hi and welcome Ambaryarena! I've done some cleanses and I'm 55 yrs. old and I haven't seen (I usually don't look too hard for stuff) anything like parasites, worms or mucoid plaque in my stools on any cleanses I've done. I don't think you should worry about that unless you've been diagnosed with something.

What percentage of raw are you and did you go to that % right from the start? Keeping your skin especially your face clean is a step in getting rid of acne. You can use something like the provodine iodine found in drug stores to cleanse your face with, which kills the bacteria. Use it like a night cream and wash off in morning, and you can use it during the day to wash with it also. Keeping your hands clean and not touching your face when you can't wash is best also.

The cleansing could also produce it's own results in even more skin acne or anomalies because of detoxing, it all depends on how healthy you are.

Drink plenty of pure water, filtered tap water is good, green juices excellent, fresh produce, salads, green smoothies, fruit smoothies all are good. You need some good fat, so try avocados, olives, young coconut all good sources for fat especially at your age.

Love,
Prism

Hi ambaryarena,

Sympathies. I know it can be a real drag having to face the world while your face is breaking out.

The main thing I have seen help others & that helped me when I had the problem is simple. Prism has already mentioned it, drink water. Not so much that you make yourself sick of course, but if you're not already doing it, try at least eight glasses a day. Don't just go for three days and quit. Be consistent, give it time. I'm routing for you so let us know.

Kit

Hi Ambaryarena, I am doing a liver cleanse and many people get clear from acne after some liver cleanse.Check out Andreas Morritz book:The amazing liver and gallbladder cleanse.

I'm 100% raw and went so from the start. Thanks for the iodine suggestion-- I'll pick some up today. I eat fresh produce, salads, green smoothies on a regular basis. I eat very little processed raw, nuts, fats, etc-- I notice these tend to make me break out.

Through the fall I was drinking 4 Liters of water a day for a while-- but it did not help, which is why I think I need to cleanse. I now drink 8-9 glasses of water a day.

Thanks for all the suggestions, and comforting words!

What kind of cleanses have you done, Prism? Any you'd recommend?

Let us know how the Iodine works for you will you? Many young people request help with this issue here. I'm 55 yrs. old, don't have acne and never did except just before a period and I'd get one on my face..so I knew it was close to coming and only when I was young. It quit doing that in my 20's.

Fats are good for you, and by adding some fatty fruits, you may go thru a cleansing stage for your acne, but really..your body needs those things, esp. young women.

As for cleanses, the raw diet is a total cleanse You can do a 1 day water fast, or juice fast. Using green juices, and or fruit juices. You can do lemon and water in the morning, and thru out the day in some of your drinking water.

How about drinking a green smoothie for lots of fiber, and the one I had yesterday was the best one I have ever made it tasted so good.

Do you juice? If you juice and make green juices, even ones with carrots, or fruits, save the pulp in the fridge and add to your fruit smoothies..easy way to do both things without a lot of hassle or time. You can even make a raw soup or raw tomato/veggie based soup out of that pulp by adding in some water and warming it to finger test warm or under 117 degrees.

If you do any cleanses please do gentle ones, go slow, and don't do them for a long time, do short ones and see how they affect you. It may be a road you don't want to follow.

Love,
Prism

ambaryarena,

Could you post a typical daily menu? Acne is diet related, and if you would share what you typically eat in a day and the amounts, perhaps it will be clear what is causing your problem. Also, share about anything you put in your mouth (including beverages, drugs, chewing gum, snacks, candy, whatever) and what you put on your skin and hair.

I usually start with a green smoothie of spinach with bananas and a frozen fruit of some kind.

For lunch sometimes it's just apples, or a salad I brought, or nothing... then an after school snack of fruit or dried fruit.

For dinner usually another salad or green smoothie. I snack on fruits, veggies too.

I really eat 100% raw, no gum, candy, whatever. Very little nuts or processed raw stuff. Every few days I'll get a craving for some nuts and I used to overeat on them...but now I try and be smarter and eat more calories, or put some flax oil in a smoothie. This I still struggle with. Over the holidays I've eaten raw, but some more processed raw as my various family members have made raw recipes with things I usually don't eat-- oils, nuts, etc. or have bought raw crackers from the store-- that kind of thing. But my acne has persisted severly all fall throughout times of little to no fat and times of eating high fat. Which is why I think I need to cleanse.

On my skin I use mostly oils to moisturize, nothing that has chemicals in it. I use Morrocco Method shampoo as my hair and face wash.

Soon I am getting a juicer~ I'm looking forward to juice feasting. I really crave oranges and pineapple on a regular basis.

I do worry that when I eat overt fats-- I eat them too close to fruits and that my combining is bad. I know that this can be an issue for acne, but again what confuses me is that there have been times for which I have NO overt fats for weeks and still had acne, and then other times where I have eaten overt fats and still had acne.

Oh and I forgot that I did have a piece of cake at my Grandmother's house-- who still does not understand what raw means...and she made the cake "just for me" but it was made with love and I didn't feel awful after I ate it. The fact that I didn't feel awful makes me wonder how "clean" inside I am.

ambaryarena,

It doesn't seem to me like you are eating a lot of fruit calories, so I assume that most of your calories are coming from fat. What are you using for salad dressing?

Since you did not include the amounts of fruits or amounts of fat you eat, I can only guess your percentages.

Are you eating organic? This will reduce your toxin intake. This could be part of your problem.

Quit eating all oils. They are probably rancid. If your oils are refined, the oil is definitely rancid. For fats in your salad dressing, use raw whole seeds, say like sunflower, sesame, or hemp.

If you can eat a cake and not feel funny afterwards, that means you might still have some cooked foods in your diet. Perhaps the dried fruits you are eating are not raw. Or the ingredients in your salad dressing.

Perhaps you might try eating a month of only fresh produce - any fresh whole ripe raw organic fruits and vegetables, but no added flavoring - unless those flavorings are made with more fresh produce. Also, if you are using garlic, onions, salt, spices, vinegar, or strong herbs, these could be contributing to your skin problems.

Could you list all the things your eat that are not a fresh whole fruit or vegetable?

Another thing. If your skin is dry and you are needing to put oils on your skin, you are probably eating too much fat. Dry skin is a sign of nutrients not making it to the skin. Also, your body is absorbing those oils you put on your skin, which are probably rancid because they are refined.

Try putting nothing on your skin, and using only water to bathe and clean your hair. Also get a shower water filter, so you are not absorbing the chlorine from the water.

The next thing to look at are the household products you use to clean your place. Are you using natural non-toxic products, or are you using the chemical stuff that is sold in most grocery stores? What do you wash your clothes with?

I don't use any salad dressing. The dried fruits are probably not raw as they come from the co-op but are not labeled sundried. I don't use garlic, onions, salt, herbs, etc on a regular basis at all. Very rarely.

I think I may have some candida, over eating on overt fats issues. I find I must stay away from overt fats generally, and if I do start eating them I have a hard time stopping. Although this does appear to be changing slowly (I feel I have more control and am able to move toward an 80-10-10 diet)

I really eat mainly raw organic fruits and vegetables.

I do have a shower filter. I use a mix of non-toxic and toxic products-- I don't have total control over what my parents buy, but have influenced them in the dishwashing detergent department at least.

I don't think the oils are bad-- my skin always looks better after using the Morrocco Method oil-- it has been recommended on this site before by sciencegal if I remember correctly (could be someone else, sorry). That's about the only one I use, other than coconut butter.

Thanks for all the thoughts, suggestions, Bryan. I really appreciate it.

Would you suggest doing a green smoothie feast for two or three days to see if that clears things up? That sounds really appealing to me right now.

ambaryarena,

If a green smoothie feast sounds good to you, try it and see. It may be that green smoothies are cleaner than what you are currently eating, so this will be healing for you.

I suggest that you cease all other cleanses though at this time, so you can be experiencing fully the green smoothie cleanse. I personally don't see liver cleanses as beneficial for people eating moderate to low fat all raw vegan diet.

Alternatively, what might even be more healing than a green smoothie cleanse is a mono fruit diet for the same amount of time. Choose your favorite non-fatty fruit, and eat only that fruit for three days - whole and not blended. You have probably been eating lots of greens over the last year, so going 3 days without greens isn't going to hurt you at all. A mono fruit diet will require less energy to digest than a smoothie diet, assuming you have organic ripe fruit to eat. This will also clear your palate a bit, so that you will be able to make better food choices intuitively. If you do the mono fruit diet, also don't put an end date on the diet. Just do it until you feel the cleansing has stopped.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2008 08:42PM by Bryan.

The short fasts as Bryan says are good cleanses and not hard to do. Even if you just do a pure water fast for a couple days, you can also extend that to your body, with using nothing except pure water on your body, hair and face. No soap, oils, lotions, etc..no matter how pure they are. Water is a solvent on its own and will clean your body of what matters but won't stip it of the vital natural oils it needs.

Coconut oil can be somewhat clogging for pores, on delicate body parts, face, neck, underarms, buttocks, inner thighs, chest. It's great for lips, under eyes, and all other parts of body I found.

I started my morning off with a green/fruit smoothie and it's very yummy! I have 1/2 mango, some raspberries, a handful of spinach, and some green/carrot pulp from my juicing session along with either some water to blend, or your choice of fresh juices or if you must some bottled juice..just enough to be able to blend and whip to what consistancy you like. I don't mind very thick and I like that it does a good job of cleaning my digestive system.

Love,
Prism

Maybe a skin brushing and also a face brushing would help you.

[www.fbworld.com]

Check on this article about turmeric and its amazing properties for the skin.

Thanks cy-- I've always heard to avoid the face when doing skin brushing. Is face brushing something else?

Whenever I eat any nuts, seeds, or their oils I get really bad acne. I have talked to a couple of other raw foodists who have the same problem. You might want to eliminate them from your diet for a while and see if that could be the cause. I seem to be okay with avocados and olives though.

Ambaryarena,

I'm also having issues with acne, and as I've only been raw a few months (100% for 2 weeks), I know it's due to my body being in detox mode. I also had dry skin - that became drier after going raw - use oil(s) as a moisturiser,and have been using the Morrocco Method shampoos for my scalp and face as you have for the past week.

As I have deep tan skin - and a bald head - not using any oils to moisturise is n-o-t an option, and it was very, very dry. I would dry skin brush before my showers, but it wasn't helping enough. So, for the past 4-5 days I've added using loofahs to my routine; I use a large one for my body, and a baby one for my face. The difference in my skin is amazing!!! It's now "baby's butt" skin - soft and silky smooth - and the dryness is @ 95% gone. The acne's calmed down somewhat as well, which is great. I was afraid using the loofah on my face every morning would be too much, as I have very sensitive skin, but, instead,my skin is thriving on the habit!

The changes I've made dietary-wise are that I've increased the amount of food I'm eating, added green smoothies back in more often (one a day) and significantly increased the amount of fruit that I consume.

I wish you all the best! Try various things and see what works for you; every body is different! I also plan to do a mono fruit diet soon - I can't wait to attack some bananas!!!

Everything Bryan suggested... ditto!

What helped my skin and energy level and overall:

I cut out most dried fruits and all oils. Oils are a processed food-type product, not a real food. I get necessary oil from coconut or avocado, not from a bottle.

Also, Soraya's suggestion about the face loofa is similar to something I started doing a couple of months ago that helped me. A dermatologist suggested I scrub my face with a washcloth. That seemed rough to me so I bought a small, soft-ish skin brush at a health food store. I thought, at first, that it would still be too rough, but it has been perfect.

And... last but not least, more fruit and more veggies in their plain state. Yum! When I get sluggish or feel a bit toxic, I'll mono eat oranges or bananas or grapes for a day or two. (My choice of which is determined by what is organic and available at a reasonable price.)

I hope this helps. Let us know how you are doing.

Lee

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been using the iodine and it's working really well...I can tell it's clearing up some problem areas. I bought a loofa today and I'm excited to try that out too. I've decided to cut out all dried fruits and oils-- I think I didn't realize how much dried fruit I was eating. I'm really excited to get a juicer too...that should help me eat lightly and speed the detox.
Thanks again.

I would agree with what CY said above about Turmeric. I was trying it for the liver cleansing properties and my skin has gotten better than it was when i was a kid...I'm 41 now. Every day since Christmas I've been blending up a couple of thumb-size pieces of root in green coconut water and I can't believe how great my skin looks and feels. In the article that CY linked there is info about how to use it topically too, but I haven't tried that.

good luck, Greg

Where do you buy fresh tumeric root, Greg? I'm in Minnesota...so I'm not sure where I would get some...any suggestions?

I found some on a hike which is most likely not going to happen in Minnesota, but our local health food store carries it too. I would ask at your health food store and also look for any Asian markets if you have any larger cities nearby. It keeps really well in the fridge...it's in the same family as ginger... so if you have to buy some in bulk, i think it would last a pretty long time.

good luck, Greg

People may not realize but certain everyday foods can create acne from Black Pepper, certain melons, watermelon, certain spices, each person is different but certain foods/ingredients aggravates or creates acne and certain ones help. Hope that helps.

Bryan Au
[www.RawInTen.com]

I'm reviving this topic because it is a hard one. Acne has been a huge frustration in my life. I have suffered from acne for almost ten years. I am 24. I get it mostly on my back and chin. When I go raw vegan it clears up for the most part and I am convinced that my acne is mainly from consuming dairy products. However I have noticed a non-food related cause of my acne as well...you might not believe me... it's cat fur!!!!! I had a very elderly cat (21 years old) whose main pleasure in life was to be petted. After these long petting sessions my face would be covered in oil and I would have to wash my face immediately afterwards. Unfortunately I'd still wake up the next morning with acne flareups! And since her fur was everywhere in the house it was impossible to avoid. I lived with that cat for nearly 20 years before I realized I was allergic to her! (She finally passed away and I miss her dearly but I don't miss the acne.) I've also noticed certain metal necklaces will give me acne on my chest. Perhaps there is something in your environment causing excess oil and bacteria traps. If you are a person with sensitive skin, diet can help and some say a raw diet may eventually eliminate allergies. But you might also have to identify and remove non-food triggers from your environment. If it is indeed an environmental cause the trigger could be lurking anywhere.

Other non-food helps for my acne included drinking tons of water, taking long hot baths, exercise and good skin exfoliation on a regular basis.

"If you are a person with sensitive skin, diet can help and some say a raw diet may eventually eliminate allergies. But you might also have to identify and remove non-food triggers from your environment."

Oops! Might I add I'm not implying getting rid of your pets if that is indeed the cause because that would be cruel and horrible. I'd rather look like a garbage pail kid with a face full of acne than get rid of a dear four-legged friend.