★★★★★
I'm an avid fan of this page—and of the holistic, natural approach to treatment. I owe that to at least 15 years (from age 13 to age 30) of terrible skin and associated label reading at Walgreens to treat cysts, white heads, pustules, red inflamed skin, all very painful and awful (where were you then, Earth Clinic?). Lest I sound like I'm issuing an informercial testimonial, I progressively tried the tetracycline, the proactive, sulfur, rubbing alcohol, ibuprofen, salicylic acid lotions, AHAs, blemish pads, creams--I even bought a snail mucus cream (which actually did work but was exorbitantly priced); I popped zits and stuck them with tissue paper doused in hydrogen peroxide—until I finally concluded I was making it much worse by putting more chemicals in my system and on my skin. It was an education in skin care.
So I began a regimen of skin oil moisturizing, finding grape seed oil too drying, but emu oil just right, perfectly moisturizing and soothing. I also switched to a fragrance free salicylic acid face wash with hydrogen peroxide. Things looked up a bit.
Finally, at 30, I had a baby, and my hormones normalized; the acne completely subsided, but my skin was left terribly pocked. Small ice pick lesions dotted my cheeks with the occasional larger flat scars from cysts on the sides of my face. Making it worse is the dilemma of pronounced wrinkles where the facial muscle warps at a scar. So, of course, I begin looking for natural wrinkle remedies and for something to smoothen the overall texture of my skin. I've considered (but have been too chicken to try) derma rolling, at-home salicylic peels; I've rubbed with washcloths, had and broke a Clairsonic, tried a natural retinoid (and panicked at the ensuing, inflamed breakout), a homemade Vit. C serum, did lemon juice glazes.
Truth be told, I am prepared to just live life the way I am but I continue to have experimental urges. Then I came across a Baiden mitten, which is essentially a Turkish hammam bath mitten made of a thin knotted natural fiber that rolls away (by gripping and gathering) the top layer of dead skin. It's the act of a deep peel (not a scrub) with no chemicals that's making my skin respond; I think it's almost being tricked into producing collagen.
I use the mitten to massage with long up and down strokes almost daily in the shower under running water (important) followed by a spritz of a simple 1:3 ACV:water toner, a Vit. C serum (1:7 water: tiny drop of glycerin), and finally, a slathering of argan oil. But weekly, and I think this is what's making all the difference, I really do a hard scrub in up and down or side to side motions with the water off, and I've turned the water off after a long, steamy hot shower. The skin rolls off in clumps.
My skin is often raw (ACV, or even hot water feels scalding) and red (best to do at night), so after a gentle pat down with a towel, I'll slather on a thick layer of extra virgin coconut oil and go to bed. In the morning, my skin looks smoother, plumper, more even. I suppose the mitten opens up and rolls away blackheads, because my nose is seeing good improvement. Blemishes are past, wrinkles getting better, I feel. My skin is glowing, so smooth it reflects light. The icepick scars are flattening, some gone for good, but the cyst scars now tend to stand out a little more (because the rest of my face isn't as pocked). I'm sure with time, I'll see improvements. It's been only two months.
Perhaps the only warning I should issue with this treatment is don't overdo the hard scrub initially until you're aware of how the pressure it can take. At first, I did and scrubbed off the skin to a bleeding point on the bridge of my nose, between my eyes. Didn't take very long to heal but will be sure not to do that again!
