Just a quick post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year! 

I received some lovely plant wax candles, neroli oil and an aromatherapy spa kit which I’m really chuffed with. 

I’d love to hear what readers got for Christmas, so feel free to comment and let me know. :)

So, I’m sitting here on the sofa and feeling thoroughly sick and tired of the sinus infection that has plagued me for the last week. I’ve been on antibiotics since Saturday and it would be nice to see some real improvement soon.

I’ve never had anything like this before. My hearing is muffled and the pressure behind my eardrums is extremely uncomfortable. Oddly enough, I’m fine in all other respects - no sore throat or blocked nose etc. 

To top it all off, that blasted rash has flared back up again. Maybe it’s because I’m under the weather, but I’m really upset as it was showing signs of finally clearing. I could go back to the GP, but I don’t feel very enthusiastic about that, largely because I’ll probably get fobbed off with yet another emollient. I would be extremely happy to never see another paraffin-based product ever again.

I’ve bought myself some more rose cream from Earthbound Organics as it’s been one of the most helpful products I’ve used for blemishes. It arrived on Saturday, but the postman couldn’t fit it through the letterbox and I haven’t had time to collect it today. I’ll get hubby to grab it on the way into town tomorrow.

A friend has recommended a good private dermatologist, but I won’t be able to afford that until at least February. It’s nice to know I have the option though. In the meantime, I’ll have to grit my teeth and bare it or, more likely, just not leave the house lol.

OK, not exactly flawless per se, but I’m relieved to say that, finally, this bothersome rash on my cheek is clearing up. I’ve been trying all sorts of things on it (and left it alone for as while as well) and I now seem to have found something that works.

I’ve no idea what the rash actually was in the end, but I noticed two stages to it’s disappearance. The first period when things started to improve was when I applied Maia’s Omnibalm several times a day. Though the rash didn’t get any smaller, it did stop feeling hot and tickly. I think my skin might actually have been broken underneath the surface and the Omnibalm helped it heal.

Still believing the rash to ultimately be an oily skin problem, I then switched to using my rosewater toner and Aubreys Oil-Balancing moisturiser on it. 24 hours later, the rash was less red and had started to dry up. As the moisturiser had not irritated me at all, I decided to try Aubreys matching “wet” clay mask just before bed. Amazingly, the rash looked even better still the morning after.

I now use the toner 2-3 times a day and the clay mask in the evening, which I leave on for up to an hour. The rash now looks like a couple of small red patches which will hopefully disappear entirely over the next couple of days.

Incidentally, although I say my skin isn’t flawless, it is looking the best it’s ever done as an adult. I currently have no acne at all and the few marks that were left from previous outbreaks are fading.

Now let’s just hope things stay this way. :)

I was stumbling through the ‘net as usual recently and got very excited over a natural toothpaste and mouthwash range that I’d not seen before from a company called Sarakan. I’ve used natural toothpastes in the past and haven’t been very impressed with them - they usually taste yucky and, more importantly, don’t seem to clean my teeth particularly well.

Even more exciting was that these products are available at my local Holland & Barrett. It’s not often I can just walk into a shop and pick up a truly natural product, so I was looking forward to popping into town and buying some.

However, one thing concerned me. The product page on the manufacturer’s website has the following statement:

SARAKAN Mouthrinse comprises the main ingredients of the toothpaste together with a well recognized anti-plaque bacterial agent.

Hmm… what could that be then? And why was the name of this ingredient not disclosed? I decide to look up the products on some other websites and finally found the full ingredient list:

Aqua, glycerine (vegetable), witch hazel, polysorbate 20, Salvadora persica, CPC, oils of peppermint, geranium and clove, chlorophyll.

After doing a little research, the “anti-plaque bacterial agent” appears to be CPC a.k.a Cetylpyridinium chloride - a chemical which is very toxic when swallowed or inhaled.

In addition to this, check out the ingredients for the toothpaste:

Glycerin (non-animal), aqua, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, talc, Salvadora persica natural extract, Mentha piperita, Mentha arvensis, Eugenia caryophyllus, geranium, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium phosphate, Methylparaben, CI 77491.

Oh dear, this one includes a paraben! That’s such a shame as the rest of the ingredients hold up well.

To be fair to Sarakan, their products are still a lot nicer than many of the common alternatives available on supermarket shelves and effective oral hygiene does require something with a bit of oomph. I would have felt a lot happier though if Sarakan had chosen to list the full ingredients on their own website - to exclude such information automatically generates suspicion on my part.

Last week, I decided to come off the pill and oh joy, my dandruff is back. It seems to have been under control these last few months, but over the last few days I’ve had the classic itchy scalp and flakes again. My apple cider vinegar and andiroba oil pre-rinse is preventing all-out disaster, but I may have to do a post-rinse as well.

Of course, it could be the sudden turn in the weather that’s doing it (boy is it nippy!), or the fact that most solutions I find stop working after a while. Looking back at my diary, I see that I used the vinegar with ylang-ylang to good effect earlier in the year, so perhaps I will switch back to that and see how it goes.

I’m off to the doctor later today to see about this rash on my face. While it sometimes calms down overnight, it’s just not going away. I intend to continue using natural products to treat it (the hydrocortisone wasn’t enough anyway), but I would like to get the doctor’s opinion on what it actually it.

Or maybe it’s caused by by spider bites. OK, I’m kidding, but I woke up to find one crawling up my neck last night. Have I ever mentioned that I hate spiders?

Answer: When it’s hazelnut oil.

Confused? All shall become clear soon. I stumbled across this disturbing article a few days ago and while it covers events starting almost two decades ago, the issues it discusses are undoubtably still current:

On August 10, 1991, a rusty tanker called the Mazal II docked at the industrial port of Ordu, in Turkey, and pumped twenty-two hundred tons of hazelnut oil into its hold. The ship then embarked on a meandering voyage through the Mediterranean and the North Sea. By September 21st, when the Mazal II reached Barletta, a port in Puglia, in southern Italy, its cargo had become, on the ship’s official documents, Greek olive oil. It slipped through customs, possibly with the connivance of an official, was piped into tanker trucks, and was delivered to the refinery of Riolio, an Italian olive-oil producer based in Barletta. There it was sold—in some instances blended with real olive oil—to Riolio customers.

Full article - Letter from Italy: Slippery Business

It’s worrying stuff and does nothing to ease the cloud of misinformation over what we put in and on our bodies. While it’s next to impossible to accurately determine if an oil is genuine, buying through smaller companies may be a safer bet. They are likely to have a closer, more personal relationship with their suppliers and thus be more confident of the origin of ingredients used within their products. Plus, you’re more likely to get an honest answer from a small company if you decide to query something. 

For a lot of people, this may ultimately not be a big deal. But where someone has a nut allergy or other important concerns over the oils used, it would be a good idea to ask before buying. If the company is unable (or unwilling) to clarify details, perhaps move on to something else intead.

Before I started using natural products, I never used anything on my face post-cleansing. After getting hooked on moisturisers, I gradually switched to using a toner in my routine as well. This was mainly because they looked so appealing and I simply can’t resist trying out new things, but over the last year I’ve been wondering about the necessity of this.

In a nutshell, toning isn’t an essential part of a routine. The main purpose is to remove final traces of dirt after cleansing but, unless your face gets incredibly dirty, that seems a bit pointless if you’ve cleansed properly. It’s also claimed that toners close pores after cleansing, but I’m not really sure they do this any better than simply splashing your face with cool water.

All that said however, the decision to use a toner is a personal one. I like how it makes my moisturiser go a bit further when if I apply it when my skin is still damp. I also think toners are great for spritzing onto a tired face throughout the day.

I think it’s important to take a look at what kind of toner you use as well. When you think of toner, an alcohol-based product with a variety of ingredients probably comes to mind. But a toner doesn’t have to be this complicated or harsh. Plain floral waters (or hydrosols) are a lovely alternative resulting from the distillation process of essential oils and are particularly good for people with sensitive skins. You can pick them up pretty cheap too!

I have a variety of toners to hand, which I switch between depending on how my skin is feeling. For regular use, I use a mild astringent to take care of my oiliness. I have a bottle of rosewater which I use for refreshment as needed. Finally, I have an alcohol-free mineral water and aloe based mist which is very soothing on hot, inflamed skin.   

So in conclusion, I personally like to use a toner, if not for the primary reason of being ultra-clean. It’s not a necessity and I don’t think my skin would care if I stopped using one, but it does enhance the use of my moisturiser and keeps me feeling fresh throughout the day.

If you’ve read my Suki review posted a few weeks ago, you’ll know that I really like the range. Unfortunately, I seem to have hit a snag - my skin is playing up in a rather disturbing way.

In early October, I posted about a blotchy red rash which had appeared on my right cheek. I attributed this indirectly to a nasty infection which I had at the time (and am still recovering from), however it’s been showing no sign of clearing up. I’ve plastered a variety of natural and non-natural products on it during the day, the most effective being sudocrem and calamine lotion, but they only control the intensity of the redness.

A couple of days ago, I decided to completely stop using the Suki moisturising products and return to my old routine of Aubrey Organics Toner and Oil-Balancing Moisturiser with only my microfibre cloth and water for cleansing. The rash has already calmed down and appears to be getting smaller. 

I’m obviously very disappointed that I’ve encountered this problem with Suki, especially as I’ve bought several full-size products and they don’t come cheap. I’m almost out of the serum, but still have roughly half the velvet creme and the toner left. I did use some of the lemongrass cleanser yesterday and it doesn’t seem to have aggravated the rash, so I’m hoping I can at least continue to use that.

I’m guessing that perhaps the Suki products may be too rich for my skin and/or I’m using them too often. I did cut down from toning/moisturising twice a day to only once, but it made no difference.

Hopefully returning to my old routine will clear this up for good - I’ll keep the blog updated with any news.

I got through my entire period this month with only one spot (and that was on my neck) so I think my regime is working very well. I’m not sure if it’s the Suki products or the microfibre cloth or a combination of both that’s doing the trick.

For the last week or so, I have noticed a couple of small dry red patches on my right cheek. This worried me as I suffered with these quite badly several years ago and I’m terrified of it coming back. I was concerned I might be reacting to something in one of the Suki products, so I left out the cleansers for a few days and only used the Blue Chamomile Serum and White Willow toner. This hasn’t really made any difference, though the patches aren’t getting any worse.

About two days after my period finished, two pimples suddenly appeared on my lower right cheek. This was followed by a third one the day after, plus a tiny one right above my upper lip, and then two more on my left cheek. I was really upset as my older acne marks were finally fading and I was looking forward to having blemish-free skin for the first time in years. Naturally I began to panic and desperately looked over all the Suki ingredients fruitlessly hoping to find a clue.

Then it dawned on me and I felt like such an idiot - since around the time all these new problems started, I’ve been feeling under the weather. I had shooting pains in my temple for a couple of days, then a slightly sore throat and most recently a blocked nose. I suspect I have a viral infection and if my body is busy fighting it, it would certainly explain why my skin is suffering.

As soon as I realised this, I made a concerted effort to drink lots of water and I’m continuing to do so. I think it’s making a difference as the existing spots are now drying up and no new ones have formed. I am using the Suki Facial Creme again, but I’ve decided to leave out the Moisture Rich Cleansing Lotion - although it’s nice, I don’t think it’s necessary and I prefer to just use the microfibre cloth at night. 

I will update again when my infection has cleared up and my skin is able to return to its normal state. In the meantime, I will tentatively state that I think I’ve found my acne Holy Grail.

About a week ago, I was doing some shopping in Tescos when I spotted a pack of two microfibre cloths for £1. I vaguely recalled reading something about using them as face cloths, so I thought why not give them a try?

Now as far as I’m aware, these are bog standard cloths designed for cleaning your car. Basically, they are made up of microscopic fibres that capture dirt and grease without damaging the surface they are being used on. I discovered that there are several different formulations, the most common being an 80% polyester 20% polyamide mix which is what mine are comprised of.

It seems that many people find microfibre cloths work very effectively using just water. However, I recently invested in a pricey natural cleanser so I wanted to utilise that as well. My routine now involves application of said cleanser then I soak the cloth in water, squeeze out all the excess and wipe the cleanser off in small circular motions. I have found this to work very well, with no trace of cleanser left on my skin afterwards.

But onto the really important stuff - has it made any difference to my acne? I have to answer that question with a resounding yes! I have had maybe two tiny pimples since I started using it and no blackheads! The light exfoliating action of this cloth seems to be successfully removing whatever it is that clogs up my pores before they have any visible impact. I’m very interested in seeing how it deals with my hormonal acne when that time of the month comes around and will update this post accordingly.

For those that use the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), these cloths are apparently wonderful for removing final traces of oil. I really wish I had known this when I was using the OCM as it might have made quite a difference for me.

The cloth is also very gentle on my sensitive skin. You might think it would be very harsh if it’s exfoliating so thoroughly, but it’s actually very soft with a slight sticky grip that doesn’t pull at the skin.

These cloths can last several months with daily use, but I wouldn’t mind having to replace them more often due to the low cost. Do be careful not to wash/dry them with other fabrics though - they have a tendency to pick up lint and coloured ones will also run very easily. The best method of care is to simply soak them in water, squeeze the excess out and allow to dry naturally. If necessary, use a gentle detergent, but never apply fabric softener which will clog the fibres.

When I start getting low on cleanser, I’m going to try the water-only method and see if this is as effective. By all accounts, it may work even better, but I don’t want to waste the products I’ve already bought.

I would heartily recommend giving one of these amazing cloths a try. Like any product, they don’t work for everyone but they are so cheap it’s really worth a try. Don’t worry that all the marketing says they’re for cars and other hard surfaces - it’s not what they’re used on, but how they work that matters. Many companies offer microfibre cloths especially for the face and body, but they are essentially the same thing. The only difference is that you will pay considerably more.

I’d love to hear readers thoughts and experiences (positive and negative) so please pop a note in the comment box if you have anything to say. :)