We’re having a bit of a heat-wave here in the UK at the moment and, unfortunately, it’s doing my poor skin no good at all. The rash I suffered with last summer is trying to come back, thankfully I still have my tea tree and eucalyptus cream to keep it at bay. I’m absolutely terrified of it being really nasty like it was last year as it took several months to ease off.

The heat is affecting my hair too. Though the vinegar rinse is successfully keeping dandruff to a minimum, my hair is greasy and limp within hours of washing. I don’t really want to wash it every day, but I’m not sure what else I can do. Any tips from readers familiar with this predicament would be greatly appreciated.

My acne is slowly improving. I think my body is finally getting used to being back on the pill - it’s taken about 6 weeks. The old acne marks are taking their time fading however, so I’m having to wear make-up whenever I go out and this frustrates me somewhat. The good news is that it hasn’t messed up my periods though (a common complaint from users with this particular pill), I started my last one bang on time.

I shall trudge on as always. And hope for a cool day sometime very soon.

I was browsing through some old emails today and suddenly realised that I’ve now been using natural skincare products for a whole year! I’m amazed how quickly the last 12 months have passed and I’ve learnt so much about my skin. It’s been a fascinating journey for me - I’ve gone from trying out all manner of new products to finally settling on a few basic essentials that really suit my needs.

Though I still suffer from a few skin problems, I feel that I understand them a lot better and am more positive about keeping them under control. I can confidently say I won’t be returning to mainstream, synthetic products.

Anyway, just thought I’d mention it as it’s a pretty important milestone for me. I’ll be updating more frequently in May, thanks to my shiny new internet connection which was activated yesterday!

In my early 20s I switched from the mini-pill to the combined pill in the hopes it would improve my acne. I ended up quitting after trying two different brands unsuccessfully and never got around to going back on the mini-pill. Until three weeks ago that is.

Well I expected to have a few issues with my skin and that’s certainly what I got. In fact, I’ve been experiencing the whole range of typical PMT symptoms - increased acne, overly flaky scalp, a very short temper and incredibly tender boobs.

To counter the skin problems, I’ve been using plenty of apple cider vinegar in my hair and face care routines.  Even so, I’m noticing greasiness returning after only a few hours. Not a lot I can do about my temper, other than try to bite my tongue before I say things and for the last concern I just have to make sure I’m wearing my most comfortable bras.

Generally, I’ve been trying not to worry about all this. I’m adding a new hormone into my body and it’s understandable that I’m going to have some balancing issues for a few weeks. But two days ago, something happened (which may be totally unrelated) that made me freak out a bit. I had a tiny little whitehead appear just under my lip and upon gently squeezing it, an enormous purple bruise suddenly appeared right underneath!

I can only assume the spot I squeezed was close to a capillary or something. I have never ever had bruises on my face and it was quite upsetting to see this prominent blotch on my chin. Applying a liberal amount of concealer didn’t manage to cover it either, so I skulked around indoors all day with no intention of being seen by anyone.

Thankfully, it’s already started to fade, but it’s certainly made me think twice about popping any more spots. Which I guess can only be a good thing really.

So, I shall continue to hang in there and hope my body adjusts to the mini-pill soon. Wish me luck!

During my journey of natural skincare discovery, I have tried several products that didn’t work for me as I’d hoped. Rather than stash them away in a cupboard to be forgotten about however, I experiemented a little and found that while they didn’t serve their original purpose, they provided benefits in rather different ways.

The beauty of natural products is that they are so safe and gentle you don’t have to worry about using them on varying parts of your body. I thought I’d share a list of items I regularly use in this manner:

• Anita Grant’s Ylang-Ylang & Kelp Babassu Shampoo Bar:  I was really hoping this would be a nice shampoo for me, but it made my hair sticky and heavy. Not too surprising as it’s designed for thick, curly hair which is the total opposite of mine, but I thought it sounded nice. I have found it makes a fantastic soap and use it all over my body - it exfoliates gently and the ylang-ylang and kelp prevent oiliness.
• Pure Nuff Stuff Shampoos, Shower Gels and Handwashes: I do actually use these as intended, but I’ve also found they are interchangable. So if I like the sound of a certain shampoo, but want to use it as a bodywash, I can do.
• Essential Care’s First Aid Repair Lotion:  I also use this as intended, but in addition it makes a nice moisturiser if I’m feeling particularly oily. It’s also great at drying out acne and sometimes even prevents a spot appearing if I apply it early enough.
• Akamuti’s Kalahari Watermelon Body Oil: As well as being a gorgeous massage oil, it’s useful after shaving to prevent itchiness. Is also wonderful used as a bath oil leaving my skin baby soft after drying.
• Anita Grant’s Carrot & Wheat Germ Cleansing Oil:  Though my OCM attempts were unsuccessful, I’m currently using this twice-daily on the stretchmarks behind my knees. I’ve only been using it for a couple of days, but it might help and at least enables me to use a product I had 95% of left and no idea what to do with.
• Pure Nuff Stuff’s Afterscrape Balm:  Great for general itchiness and not just after shaving. I’ve even tried rubbing some onto my underarms as a deodorant and it was quite effective.

So don’t go throwing out those expensive goodies you can’t use. Think about how else they might be useful and experiment. Even if something is totally wrong for your skin-type, chances are it will come in handy somewhere along the line. Even though my skin is generally oily, I still get the odd dry patch sometimes.

Also bear in mind that hormones affect our skin and so you might find that some products work better at certain times of the month. If possible, give yourself a few weeks to thoroughly try out a product before dismissing (or praising) it.

In the unfortunate event that you have products which still offer no useful purpose, consider giving them away to friends and family. I gave half a dozen items to a friend the other week and, while she didn’t like all of them herself, her family soon snapped them up with gusto!

Price: £6.99 for 118ml
Rating:
Link: http://www.aubreyorganicsuk.co.uk

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Natural Grain Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin, Calendula Oil, d-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Camomile Oil, Arnica Extract, Rose Water, Calamine Powder, and a complex of Sandalwood Oil, Patchouli Oil, Jasmine Oil, Fir Oil, Vanilla Oil, Cedarwood Oil and Rose Oil

I was a little unhappy that my crystal deodorant didn’t always keep me dry and that the pump often got clogged up, so I decided to look for something new. The lovely selection of oils made this product stand out and I’ve always enjoyed using the Aubrey Organics range, so it didn’t take further convincing for me to give it a go.
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