Help! Very dry skin since going raw...

[sherahtaylor]

Can I get some of your excellent advice/guidance? I went raw in August and was 100% for 2 months, then struggled for 3 weeks, and am now raw again for about a week.

Very quickly after I went raw in August, my skin started getting really dry. Mostly I noticed it on my hands & feet. I posted about it and most said it was probably detox. But it is STILL going on! I can't help but wonder if I'm not getting something I should in the way of nutrients.

My diet consists of about 60% greens, 30% fruits, 9% veggies, and 1% nuts. I sometimes eat something dehydrated like Alissa's Pizza or Rye Bread, but usually not. Mostly oranges, apples, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.

For a long time, about 3 weeks or a month, I took 3 T. of Udo's a day (I weigh 150 so 1 T. for every 50lbs) until I couldn't afford that anymore, but now I've been doing 2T so usually I get some.

I've tried somewhat halfheartedly to put raw coconut butter on it 3x a day, but I really think it's something internal. My hands are becoming very rough to the touch, especially my fingertips - the feeling isn't there as much since the skin surface is not smooth. They're looking wrinkled on the palms/soles with white lines everywhere. My face is also feeling dry & cracked much more lately.

We HAVE had a change of weather here in Oregon with freezing temperatures, but I've NEVER had this before going raw, and I've lived here all my life. :confused:

Any ideas? I'm open to suggestions!!

[juliebove]

Perhaps you should see a dermatologist. You might have something other than just try skin. I have a condition that comes and goes called dishydrosis. I just thought it was dry skin since it usually came about in the winter but it's actually a treatable skin condition. It could also be that you have an allergy to something you are using on your skin, or something you are coming in contact with.

[pdx kris]

I had the same thing happen. Something that works for me (and is cheap and enough to give it a try to see if it works for you :) ) is to use a dry brush on my skin everyday. It seems like that would dry your skin out, but it seems to stimulate the natural oil production. I used to need a really heavy moisturizer, now I only use jojoba oil on my hands, because I wash them very frequently. The rest of me stays just right!

If you google "dry skin brushing," you'll get lots of hits about how to do it properly.

[Rawkinlocs]

I experienced something similar for a while. My skin has ALWAYS been a vehicle that my body uses to cleanse through whether it was through acne, rashes or dry skin.

I noticed that my skin began sloughing off dead skin more after going raw. But after a while it calmed down. It could (as Juliebove said) be something you're using externally even down to the soap you are using. I try to either not use soaps as they tend to be drying or use very natural soaps such as pure African Black Soap.

I also like shea butter as a moisturizer...coconut oil seemed to make me appear dryer after using it.

[misslinda]

Make sure you stay hydrated. I know that during the winter months, there is a misconception that b/c it is cold out, that we need less water which is not true.

Well 3 weeks is enought time to reload the body and have to make it work even harder this time around and during the winter months.

If it were me, I would stick with lighter foods and mostly fruits in the morning with good source and supply of water thru out the day until you regain regularity. Regular exercise to keep the blood flow is essential too.

in my opinion, flush the kidneys well with water and exercise ;)

[PATH301]

I concur with misslinda here.
Just last two weeks for some reason I would be totally focused at work and not stop to hydrate myself like I was doing when It was warmer. Guess what my hands and lips and feet became really rough like sand paper :eek: Now I have to force myself to drink every 1 - 2 hours and slowly I 've started to see results: my feet are not cracked any more, and my lips,( which are usually my first indicators that something is wrong), are fluctual waiting back and forth from smooth to little chapped - which indicates that I'm not back to my normal hydrated self. My hands have gone from 50 grid to maybe 190 grid :rolleyes: :D .

[Rawsearcher]

Hi Sherataylor. I'm wondering if you eat avocados?

The reason I ask is because as a fellow "raw" newbie (2 weeks), I've actually experienced my skin being hydrated. I suffer from severe psoriasis. Before raw, my face was extremely dry. Now it looks like I'm using a moisturizer tho' I'm not! Body intuition tells me it's the 1-2 avocados per day, plus no milk / yeast product / meat that is hydrating my skin. In fact, the past couple days I've run out of avocados and also had more of those three no-no's (milk/yeast/meat) and (as if to confirm my intuition) I'm itching again.

Hmmm ... my first post ... Hi to everyone! :o

[alex]

Add 1 - 2 TB of Udo Oil to your smoothies.

For me the results were spectacular!!


alex

[rawnora]

My diet consists of about 60% greens, 30% fruits, 9% veggies, and 1% nuts. I sometimes eat something dehydrated like Alissa's Pizza or Rye Bread, but usually not. Mostly oranges, apples, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.

For a long time, about 3 weeks or a month, I took 3 T. of Udo's a day (I weigh 150 so 1 T. for every 50lbs) until I couldn't afford that anymore, but now I've been doing 2T so usually I get some.

We HAVE had a change of weather here in Oregon with freezing temperatures, but I've NEVER had this before going raw, and I've lived here all my life. :confused:


You likely DID have the problem before, you just didn't realize it because if you were eating anything approaching a "normal" diet the fatty wastes coming through your skin disguised the symptom. Now that you are eating largely water-based foods, the problem is revealed. It can take quite a long time for dry skin to heal, even when a person is 100% raw. Adding oils absolutely does not help, except to the extent that the undigested waste they create is eliminated through the skin, which can't be a good thing because the skin is only enlisted as a means of elimination when the body is presently or has been so overloaded by toxins that the primary routes are clogged. When a person is newly raw it doesn't seem right that skin flare ups should happen but when the body is using the primary eliminative channels to discard copious quantities of stored wastes, it can elicit in the body the same habituated responses (such as skin eruptions) that happened when the junk came in the first time.

I find that my skin becomes drier when the weather turns cold and dry (like it has been recently here in Washington) and when I eat more fat. Fat actually interferes with the delivery of nutrients to the cells, so eating more of it is clearly not the answer. When people eat a lot of fat, they don't have dry skin or dry hair because fatty deposits are always sitting on top of the skin. The cost of this 'benefit' is high because fats, especially processed oils, are difficult for the body to handle and even small amounts tax the liver and eliminative organs such that fatty wastes saturate the bloodstream and eventually make their way to the skin. This is why SAD eaters and relatively new raw fooders can experience the benefit of softer/moister skin when they use oils, and long-term raw fooders typically don't. The eliminative organs of long term, simple-eating raw fooders can handle the waste without enlisting the skin. The solution is the same as for all other bodily complaints -- eat as close to optimal as possible (high fruit/low fat/greens if you like them, all eaten simply or properly combined) for as long as it takes for your body to resolve the problem.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[luckitri]

This is a good thread. Like Rawkinlocs, my skin has always been a prime eliminator for me. When I first went raw and started doing the young coconuts my skin rejuvenated and I didn't need creams. Now I am not doing the coconut and during recent health crisis my dry itchy skin makes me wonder how much detox is coming through skin and how much of that detox could be salt or minerals or old medication? And would not these type things have a drying effect on my skin?

[BGVDiva]

Coconut Oil. Slathering this all over my body has made my skin "as smooth as a baby's bottom" :p

[Raw Magwene]

Drink water.

Also, I have the same problem with my hands, but it is due to my work (I am a costumer, and so the fabrics leach oil from my hands all day) and overexposure to water when washing the dishes, etc. I now use rubber gloves for washing dishes and apply shea butter after washing my hands.

For immediate relief on your hands and feet, you can get this little plastic gloves and booties that have a petroleum based moisturizer in them. Put them on at night and sleep with them on. Maybe you could get plain gloves and use coconut oil. They really moisturize your hands very well.

[luckitri]

So many types of skin problems. My husband has dry crusty with sores on palms. This is possibly related to diabetes and/or nerves. I have seen other people of Native American stock with similar hands. He is getting some relief from an Israeli Dead Sea Salt product that he rubs on hands - sold in kiosks in big malls here.
My mother had the dry around the nails that would catch on things and crack. I thought it was her work. Now I have it. I had even worse dry skin on my legs prior to raw. When I was ODing on young coconut the problem almost went away entirely. Now I am dry and itchy again but not as bad as before raw. My lower legs had horrible white flakes that I could not get rid of. I know it means something but what is the question.

[sukey2858]

I have had dry skin all my life and out of desperation I developed my own skin cream that I am in the process of patenting. It has only natural oils in it and no water or chemicals. Please check out my website. The ingredients are all organic and of food grade quality. You literally feed your skin from the outside. It is the only thing that has ever helped my skin. It works on every skin condition: dry skin, rashes, burns, bug bites, eczema, bed sores, wrinkles and age spots.

www.sukeysskinsoother.com

[free]

Same thing happened to me a couple of month ago except the dryness started when I incorporated oils into my diet. Try DiabEase you don't need to be a diabetic to use.

[anyanyapie]

I had a problem with eczema after changing to organic foods (before raw). Someone told me it was detox but it didn't go away. I went raw and it started getting better, but then it started to get really bad again. I noticed that I was not 100% raw, the one thing that I let myself have is bread (if I went out, I would be happy if I could get a sandwich with a bunch of fresh veggies on it). Anyway, I have recently cut out bread and all wheat/gluten products (if I do end up "cheating", I just have cooked veggies instead of fresh) and it has all but gone away. Oh, and let me just say that I cut out wheat at the begining of the Minnesota winter, so if anything, the weather was against me. :)

[Amikole]

Hi - What about some flax seed oil internally and shea butter externally?
-Amikole
www.sheabutter.net

[garden granny]

Try to drink at least a quart of filtered water per day, and I bet that will help, it might take a few days to see a difference :)

[eatyourbroccoli]

seabuck thorn TEA cream has made my skin softer than it has ever been in my life. no more dryness, ever. even worked on my heels.

[Nectarine]

Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with your salads once or twice a week, and plenty of water. They may not mix, but they sure do work well together for achieving well hydrated, supple-looking skin where I'm concerned. Organic, cold-pressed flaxseed oil works well too.

[Xanadu]

Yay! :D I'm glad somebody mentioned olive oil! I had the same problem. But I was making the mistake of eating mostly fruit. I was plenty hydrated but getting very little essential fatty acids. My face scared me horribly. It started shriveling and drying and crinkling up like I had suddenly aged 20 years not to mention the skin everywhere else on my body feeling like crusty paper! In a panic :eek: I started searching desperately for info and discovered the reason - as I said - not enough efa's. Eat plenty of: olive oil on your salads, flax seeds (not the oil as turns rancid far too easily which is carcinogenic) in your smoothies and on salads, avocadoes, coconuts and extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil, raw hemp seeds (found mine at Wild Oats) and seed butter, sesame seeds and sesame tahini, in short everything you can get your hands on with fats in it that's raw. If you must, do use an efa supplement till you get into tolerable condition. You can also slather olive, coconut, hempseed, and or avocado oil on your skin. Sea salt and lemon juice mixed with any of the same oils is a great skin treatment too but don't do this on cracked skin ofcourse (much cheaper than the boutique version and no petroleum products to leach the vitamin E from your body). One or two strawberries mashed up with olive oil is great on your face, hands and feet too or just mashed avocado. Hope this helps you as much as it did me! Oh and do drink enough water along with hydrating your atmosphere with a vaporizer or humidifier night and day in the winter especially. :)

[KatK]

I was having the same problem with dry skin on my hands. After reading the replies here, I realize it stopped when I started making sure I was drinking enough water that it stopped. I still have it a little after I wash dishes, even though I use a natural soap, so I was thinking of wearing gloves while dishwashing. But they feel better after an hour or so, so it hasn't been that big of a deal.

[Nectarine]

Yeah, you'd wanna wear gloves when you wash the dishes, as your skin will absorb trace amounts of toxic chemicals from the detergent.

[vgloveforlife]

My hands have probably aged 30 yrs since going raw. I looked at them yesterday and they were so dry and scaley it was scarey!

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong-my daughter has the same dry hands so it doesn't have anything to with doing the dishes. It is definitley internal..something were both eating or not eating. I am going to make sure to get enough efa's.

[Nectarine]

This is why I take my wheatgrass, because it has everything you need, including omega 3 and 6. You really don't need anything else to supplement what you think you may be missing when you take wheatgrass. I occasionally use cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, but only because I like to use it as one component of salad dressing.

[Missrawdiva]

Perhaps dry brushing would help?? I have extremely dry skin all year round, and when I started dry brushing the idea seemed absurd to me how you can dryly brush your skin to get it to look better. Fast forward 30 days later and now I look at my legs and say " wow" it does work. You can google some info on dry brushing and the benefits.

[Bobbie]

Before raw my skin was normal except for psoriasis. Since raw it is incredibly soft and silky. It's because I eat massive amounts of fat. At least 2 avocados per day, olive oil, hemp oil, coconut oil/cream, nuts and seeds.
I try to drink 2l of water per day, but if I don't manage that, my skin is still silky. However if I don't have the fat, my skin goes dry.

Before raw I cured the psoriasis with a 2 month juice fast. It's unbelievable what fasting or juice fasting does to the skin - if you're desparate to help your skin I'd really recommend it. Eating just fruit also makes my skin silkier.

What I eat has a much much much stronger affect on my skin than what goes on it externally. I'd never spend money on an expensive moisturiser, because fasting is cheaper and far more effective.

Supposedly the best moisturiser in the world is urine. Google and you'll find lots of information. I've never tried it but I've heard many anecdotes. Before you recoil in revulsion, look at the ingredients on a jar of moisturiser. You'll probably find "urea" on the list. That's from urine, and better to use your own than an animals, or the visitors of a public urinal. (Some drug and cosmetic companies collect it from public urinals)

[Bobbie]

Btw it's really odd that you have dry skin when your diet is so healthy and you're taking 2tbs udo's oil. It sounds like there's something wrong - maybe a food intolerance?
I tried taking flax oil every day for a while and didn't notice any difference in my skin or brain function. One day I ran out and started using hemp oil instead and did notice a difference. So perhaps you could try using hemp oil instead? I read of one man who developed dry skin when he took flax oil every day for years, he switched to hemp oil and the problem went away. In another book I read of soldiers during the war who ran out of butter and so used olive oil instead and they developed dry skin and hair and cracked feet. When they received butter again the symptoms went away. Olive oil has the opposite affect on me but everyone's different. Perhaps you just need to change your source of EFAs? Trying using just one type of oil at a time and experiment with the different oils to see if any of them is causing your problem or if any cure it?