Raw from the outside

[Nectarine]

I was just wondering, have any of you taken your raw lifestyle to include what you apply externally to your skin to keep it nicely moisturized?

[RowanC]

Yes, I only use organic raw coconut oil.

[Nectarine]

Coconut oil...interesting. I shall have to give that a try. Thanks!

[Bobbie]

I would do but I can't bare to waste food on my skin.
But I have stopped using non-raw products.
(Which means I don't use any now)

I have found that what I eat affects my skin far more than anything I apply externally. Water, Juice or Fruit Fasting makes my skin unbelievably silky and soft although that goes when I resume eating.
Avocados, oil and lots of water make my skin soft.

If food were free and nobody was starving I would make skin-masks from banana and oats (each contains a different substance that helps skin and is used to treat psoriasis) avocado and coconut cream (fat glorious fat), mango (antioxidants).
I do sometimes use the skins from banana, avocado, mango, papaya.

Supposedly urine is the best moisturiser in the world. If you look on the ingredients list of most moisturisers, especially expensive brands, they will say "Urea" which is a substance in urine. Some companies collect from public urinals.

[Nectarine]

Ha! :eek: and I get the feeling you ain't joking either! How disgusting! I occasionally apply an 80% organic, all-natural aloe moisturizer, but it's very expensive ($16 per 350ml/12 fl oz bottle). It doesn't contain urea in it thankfully. I haven't used anything on my skin for the last couple of days, and wash with a nice organic bar of soap made by the same company. I'm not overly or unnecessarily vain about the way I look, but my skin does need a bit of moisturising every now and again. I'll keep something handy that is in line with the raw lifestyle, but won't use it on a regular basis. Perhaps the need for a moisturizer is yet another symptom attributable to my having eaten cooked foods all these years, even plain ol' brown rice :cool:

[Bobbie]

Lol, no I'm not joking. Lots of people swear by urine therapy (drinking it and massaging it onto the skin) because as well as making skin soft, the substances are absorbed into the bloodstream and treat diseases. Some clinics even inject it (so the digestive system can't damage it). Apparantly it's just filtered blood so it's actually cleaner than drinking your own blood (and contains all the good stuff thats in blood). I think the massai warriors drink cow urine as well as cow blood.

I couldn't do it though, I'd rather have average skin.
Oh and once I read of a woman who had an infected leg for 6 weeks, then it turned to gangrene so she used urine compresses and they cured it in 3 days.

[Bobbie]

Anyway some natural beauty info-

Indian women swear by using sesame oil on their skin. I've never tried it.
They put coconut oil on their hair instead of conditioner - many leave it on overnight once a week.

I used to put olive oil all over my body as moisturiser when I was 13, before I was raw. It did make it softer and oilier (in a good way) but didn't compare to the affect eating two jars of olives in one day once, had on my skin. (Extremely oily and silky)
Equally, eating lots of avocados in one day has a much bigger affect on my skin than applying moisturiser used to. Maybe its just me?

Of course cucumbers are traditionally put over eyes to reduce puffiness.
I used to put used chamomile tea bags on mine instead, as they don't cost anything, but I don't have puffiness on a raw diet (ooh I've only just noticed that! wow)

[Bobbie]

Floatation tanks make your skin silky (the massive amount of epsom salts) but a session is expensive.

[Bobbie]

Ayurveda is based on the premise that nothing should be applied to the skin or hair, that cannot be taken internally

[PammieTaj]

Once I met a woman who was in her fifties and looked to be in her twenties (gorgeous salt and pepper grey hair aside). I asked her how it was her skin looked as good as it did - she literally glowed. She told me her secret was avocado oil. She used it as a moisturizer. I have never met anyone that looked as good as she did since. It really made quite the impression.

blessings and peace, Pam

[Princess Elaine]

Since I've been eating 100% raw (almost 5 months) my skin is great...I now do a few different things...sometimes I put coconut oil/butter on my face and I LOVE the way it feels...when I run in the early morning I put a whole lot on for protection from the cold...I also use an aloe vera plant...slice open a piece and rub in on my face...sometimes when I'm having papaya I rub a piece on my face....all of these things I use, not every day (and I hope you don't think at the same time) but as I reach for them I know it feels so food...also, apple cider vinegar is a good astringent.

What I've noticed since going raw is not only do I not have any blemishes but my pores have become small...that blew my mind...I'm thinking, how does tht happen...my skin changing completely...and I LOVE it!!!

Oh, I take off my makeup with either grape seed oil or olive oil and then just wipe with a wet cloth...I no longer use any soap on my face.

I wish I'd of known about this when I was young...love, Elaine

[Bobbie]

Soap does dry the skin, and beauticians and natural health journalists would tell you off for using it. I stopped using it when I was 13 and started using a cleanser made from clay. It's called Angels on Bare Faces by Lush in the Uk. http://www.lush.co.uk/ Probably just plain clay would do just as well.

[Bobbie]

The soaps from Lush are extremely harsh and dry out my skin much more than normal "chemical-full" soaps. I never use them.

[Nectarine]

This is all extremely valuable information as I'm doing my shopping tomorrow. My thanks! :cool:

[Myself Again]

I use honey on my skin as a moisturizer! Now, I don't apply it and leave it on (I'd have the whole neighborhood stuck to my face by day's end!). I slick on a thin layer a couple times a week, leave it on for about ten minutes, then wash it off! Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it draws in moisture from the air around it. It leaves my skin feeling so nice and soft! Seriously!!

[Nectarine]

Oh I believe ya! I've read about honey's moisture boosting properties many times, but I'd since forgotten about it, and what a great way to smell too :D

[swingbolder]

I think eating raw is the best beauty "product."

I never break out anymore, my skin glows, and like Princess Elaine said, my pores have gotten smaller too, they used to be a lot more noticeable. My skin is just cleaner too. When I swab it with a wet cotton ball and cleanser, it comes up clean, whereas before it used to come up dirty.

[Nectarine]

I think eating raw is the best beauty "product."


Indeed, indeed. My skin looks cleaner too, translucent, polished, and even toned. This raw lifestyle is a major watershed in my life. I mean, I've tried just about every class of product out there for pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps), and nothing has ever worked completely to my satisfaction. Some of these products chemically burn the skin into submission, so you're basically swapping one set of problems for another probably worse set. But since making the transition to an exclusively raw diet, my skin has cleared up just like that! I've been shaving now for 15 years or so, and this is the first time I've been able to look at my shaven face (and nowadays scalp) and see nothing but smooth skin :cool:

[pdx kris]

Actually, the urea in most skincare and haircare products is created in a laboratory.

I'm a huge fan of coconut oil used externally too, especially on my body, but on my face in the summertime. In the winter when I want a little more protection from the elements I use jojoba oil, or sometimes a moisturizer from Dr. Hauschka when it's really, really cold.

And for the body, don't forget dry skin brushing! Better than any exfoliator you can buy at the store or even one you can make, and the benefits are more than skin-deep!

[Pierre]

I use jojoba, EOs, and a henna mix. I know that EOS aren't raw; the rest, AFAIK, is. And I agree that eating raw is the best beauty "product". My skin (I notice it easiest on my hands) is noticeably softer - I think it's the olives.

[eatyourbroccoli]

seabuck thorn oil has made my facial skin, previously damaged from a staph infection, wonderfully wonderfully soft again. softer than ever before, really.

[Nectarine]

I guess, referring back to Bobbie's brief commentary concerning Ayurvedic principles, it's not so much a case of applying strictly raw ingredients to your skin, as whether what you do apply is naturally safe in the event that your skin absorbs some of it (in the tiny amounts that it does) into your bloodstream. Wholesome ingredients basically. Everything mentioned so far sounds good. I just bought myself some coconut oil, as that was the first suggestion in this thread. Surprisingly not greasy, who would have thought it? It'll make a nice little backup in case my skin feels in need of some TELC (Tender External Loving Care) :)

Blessings...

[AICgem]

Not raw, but I get my soap and shampoo bars here
http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/index.html

or use african black soap for body/face/hair