Here we are, at the end of the week of learning how to slip things in to our daily routines in order to have clearer, softer, more beautiful skin.
If you’re just tuning in (or want to bookmark this post as a reminder of all of them) they are:
- Water. Drink 2-3 glasses of room-temperature, pure water upon waking up, before putting anything else in your mouth.
- Put Food On Your Face. Rub a little fruit or veggie on your face whenever you get a chance, rinsing it off after 10-20 minutes.
- Massage. Give yourself a light facial massage several times a week (or every day, even).
- Make sure you’re getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet – maybe even in the form of cod liver oil.
Throughout the week, we’ve also had bushels of great ideas tossed into the comments, so I want to share:
On the Facial Massage slip-in, Twylia gave this armpit-pumping advice:
“I love this…I was recently advised of how to do a lymphatic drainage on my face (which is kind of like massage) to help reduce the signs of puffiness. One thing I would add though, is that if you are doing this kind of massage with any frequency, it is always better to ‘pump your armpits’ so that the lymph can drain properly. The ‘pumping’ consists of crossing your arms, simply massaging lightly in the armpit area.”
And on the Fruit On Your Face tip, Stephanie made an awesome point. This is the BEST time to start rubbing fruit on your face, because it’s fresh and in season. She also reminded me about the cornmilk and lavender toner (which is still a fave) from way back in the wee beginnings of Crunchy Betty:
“I was going to say that I tend to do the “non-fruit” recipes more often, but I think that’s just because during the winter I use your recipes with coffee, almond butter, honey, baking soda, cocoa etc. (pantry items) more often. Now that summer has hit us and we have more fresh fruit on hand, I’m remembering some of my favs from last summer: the cantaloupe, mango, oh and the corn milk and lavender toner (I love that one!)… but that’s not a fruit, oops!”
From the Drink Water First Thing In the Morning post, Kimelah had this to say about the type of water to drink:
“For the past few years it’s been Reverse Osmosis water, but now I think I’m going to go with distilled water. I read once, so many eons ago, that distilled water helps to rid the body of toxins, as the water itself is empty of minerals it will leach the minerals from your body, but it starts with the BAD minerals. Of course, I’ve been told that once those bad things are out of your body you should stop drinking distilled water and switch to re-mineralized water.”
My thought on drinking distilled water is that it might be more harmful long-term, really, simply because (even though your body is getting rid of the BAD minerals first) it still needs replenishment of the good trace minerals, too. Eventually. The quality of our fruits and veggies (and their mineral content) has been depleted SO much over the last decades of commercial farming, we need them wherever we can get them.
And NOW. Now, let’s talk about today’s way to slip something in for beautiful skin.
Your Skin LOVES Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Especially Cod Liver Oil)
I really, really debated whether or not I should use this tip here. Mainly because saying “take a supplement” seems like a bit of a cop-out. I also don’t want to sound like I’m giving real medical advice (and now that drug companies make their own fancy synthetic “fish” oil, I don’t know where the line is … ahem.)
It had to go in here, though. Had to. I’ll tell you why, right after I show you today’s Slip It In For Beautiful Skin printable photographic reminder (this also happens to be my gorgeous nephew):
Here’s the link where you can download/print off high res.
So.
People come to me and ask me questions that are most often like this: “I have really dry skin/acne/dull skin/hair that won’t grow … what do you think I should do about it?”
My first response, bar none, is: “Whenever I have any skin problems/hair issues, I take cod liver oil. Without fail, and without many other interventions, the problem goes away in a couple of weeks.”
It’s my personal opinion that fish oil (or EPA/DHA/fatty acids) should be a part of every single person’s diet. I think it’s so very important for the development of healthy brains in children, for helping balance hormones in teenagers, and for assisting adults in not being so gosh darned depressed all the time.
Along with, like, a million kajillion other important things it does for our health. Including giving us healthy skin and beautiful hair.
After doing all kinds of research, and going on the advice of the Weston A. Price foundation, I’ve come to accept that the best way for me to get all the vitamins and fatty acids I need is to take cod liver oil.
My new personal favorite (and one I can afford, most of the time) is Carlson’s soft gel Cod Liver Oil 1,000 mg capsules.
There’s a bit of controversy over cod liver oil, mainly because a vast majority of producers really screw up the vitamins A to D ratio, which leads to potential vitamin A toxicity.
This is why the Weston A. Price Foundation put out their list of recommended cod liver oils. Here’s the list of all of them, available in nearly every region of the world, along with a lot of vital cod liver oil information.
Even if you don’t want to, or can’t afford to, take a cod liver oil supplement, make sure you’re getting PLENTY of omega-3 fatty acids, along with all the other good stuff that comes with a high-quality fish oil.
You don’t have to take it as a supplement, if you can stand to/afford to eat fresh fish on a regularly often basis.
Just slip it in whenever you can … and I swear, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be amazed at the change in your appearance (and mood).
What Supplements Do You Take?
Omega-3 fatty acids aren’t the only things you can take for healthier, more radiant skin and hair. In fact, I’m thinking of several right now that I want to “slip in” from now on.
But I’m curious what, if any, supplements you take – for health or for beauty (or for both, because they sure do seem to go hand-in-hand)? Or do you think your diet provides you with all the vitamins and minerals you need?
Let’s hear it! What bottle should we put in our cart the next time we’re at the natural foods store?
Slip It In For Beautiful Skin: Facial Massage and Acupressure
It’s amazing to go to see this website and reading
the views of all mates on the topic of this paragraph, while I am also keen of getting
know-how.
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog
and would like to know where u got this from.
thanks a lot
Just curious, what are your views on Vitamin E? I’ve read some controversial studies, but when I was living in Syracuse (a freezing, snowy climate where the heaters were always blasting indoors), I found the supplements worked wonders. After a few weeks of taking Vitamin E, my breakouts subsided, and my chapped, rashy skin came back to life.
This
post is well written and informative. I don’t comment often, but it doesn’t
cost me anything to say it when it’s true. Cheers.
Canvas Bags
we add Vit D & Vit C , esp during the fall & winter months.
Vit D is SO SO important to human beings 🙂 for our mental health :-)found one place only in nature : SUN SHINe. Many studies have proven that the closer people live to the equator the happier they are.
& an Added bonus .. LESS Skin Cancer !
it is advised that we get 30 min of UNPROTECTED sun every day.. but millions are SO obsessed they lather on the sunscreen before even going outside !our bodies are “wonderfully made” and NEED the heathly rays to actually protect us from the damaging rays ! just had to vent.. 🙂
LISA 🙂
I just found your blog about two days ago and I’ve been reading and absorbing every since. I LOVE your blog! I was SO, SO, SO happy to see you mention both Cod Liver Oil and Weston A. Price in the same post! Happy dance! I am a follower of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions is the best cookbook/info book ever. I take Fermented Cod Liver Oil from Green Pastures at the recommendation of several Weston A. Pricers. It’s amazing stuff, for sure! The fermenting of the cod liver oil makes it even more potent.
Anyway, just wanted to drop a note, and say how happy I am to have found you. I’ve posted a few comments already as I am going through your archives.
I absolutely take Omega-3’s!! Both fish oil and flaxseed oil. Taking fish oil is one of the “non” vegan things I do, but it’s worth it because, I too, believe it’s just so good for you. Being vegan, I also take a B12 supplement. I believe this is key especially if you are vegan and feeling run down (or just kinda down). The supplement can be non-animal even though the only other way to get B12 is consuming animal products. I’m always open to just being the healthiest I can be – if that means adding supplements to my life, then so be it 🙂
Oooohhh…wow. Thank you so much for these tips! I like to use oatmeal as my everyday cleanser, but I’ll try using fruit.Avocado masks are also good!
I blend my own herbal infusions (I hate calling them “teas”- I don’t use tea, camellia sinensis, in my blends so calling it “tea” is like calling every flower “rose”. Yes a rose is a flower, but not all flowers are rose. Sorry, I get on a bit of a rant about that one. lol). The blend I drink daily consists of red clover, red raspberry, nettles, alfalfa, oats and just a pinch of stevia. I have been upping the amount of red raspberry to regulate my periods- and it seems to be working. It’s pretty much my multivitamin for the entire day.
So besides my herbal blends, I also take fermented cod liver oil from Green Pastures and I take (or try really hard to remember to take) spirulina. I cap the spirulina because I really can not stand the smell of the stuff, let alone be brave enough to try it straight. 🙂
ooh, jeanette, i love the idea of the “multivitamin” in ~tisane~ form. (i’m not sure if tisane stands alone or if it’s herbal tisane, but i know the definition is an herbal infusion without camellia sinensis.) i drink at least one cup of tea/day, so that is something i can see myself doing more consistently than taking a pill.
i’m also really interested in the effects of red raspberry leaf (just started some google research based on your tip)… what is the flavor like if steeped alone? and how did you come up with your brew? thanks! 🙂
Red Raspberry alone is really yummy. Actually a very good friend, who happens to be an herbalist, told me about the blend I make. I get most of my herbs either from a local store here in AZ, at BulkHerbStore.com, or at MountainRoseHerbs.com
Unfortunately I do not know the exact vitamin/mineral makeup in a serving of my “brew”- just keep in mind that a daily serving is 1 quart.
i’m really bad about taking supplements.. i only take iron pills about once/month, but my doc would like me to take them daily. at least they made it into my anti-cramps routine! (ibuprofen, iron, chocolate, nap. more chocolate.)
Nettles are super packed with iron. You can drink them as a “tea” to really boost your iron. I find them rather “green” tasting, so I blend mine with other herbs like red raspberry and even some Celestial Seasonings fruit teas (I have a little jar that I rip them all open into- just make sure they’re the fruit ones and not the fruit/spice ones- that might taste gross combined).
To make a daily serving, put 4 teaspoons (you can even do up to 4 tablespoons) into a canning jar. Cover with very hot water. Cap and let steep all night. Drain in the morning and drink throughout the day (or all at once). You can sweeten it or drink it plain. I usually dilute mine 1/2 with water so it takes me the entire day to drink it.
I always had a hard time with iron supplements (when I was pregnant, Dr wanted me to take them). I either had a reaction to the coating, or got so dang constipated from overdoing it that they all just ended up in the garbage, along with all the money I spent on them!
And as for your anti-cramps routine…. try adding red raspberry herb to your nettles blend. Red raspberry is a uterine tonic (meaning it helps all things uterus related and “tonic” meaning you can safely consume it daily). I have some in my daily herbal blend and I love it.
thanks! i didn’t see this before posting below. 🙂 i will definitely look into the nettles and red raspberry leaf.
I really love Barlean’s omega swirl. I add a tbs to my Greek yogurt or just take a spoonful. It tastes great,not fishy or oily. This is my first ever comment, so I also wanted to let you know I have stopped all the retinol rx, the antibiotics the dermatologist prescribed. I had been taking the abx for over a year and seems like everything just stopped working. My face exploded with “spots”. And where it wasn’t spotty, it was so dry and flakey. I just discovered your blog a week prior to my appointment with the dermatologist. ( required to go every 6 months for rxs). When I got there, she wanted to increase the current abx and add a diuretic! I’m a nurse and understood the reasoning behind it, but couldn’t justify the need for monthly blood work. So I quit! I started the ocm! Now my skin looks so much better! I don’t have to remember to take a pill every day, I don’t have to use a retinol the makes my skin fall off and most importantly, I don’t break out nearly as often! It’s been 6 weeks now, all the tiny bumps on my forehead are gone! I have had 3 bumps, that’s it! In 6 weeks! I’v totally gone crunchy!!! Big thanks to you!
I just began taking evening primrose oil for my eczema; the dermatologist said to take a steroid cream, which, um, doesn’t do diddly squat. I’d like to take more omega-3 supplements as well, but I am never great about my supplements, so I am starting with a multi-vitamin and the EPO to see how that goes. I do try to eat fish regularly (we are having salmon this evening), and I also like to stir in some ground flax seeds into yogurt from time to time (also into oatmeal.
Someone mentioned ACV – I want to use it more, but I definitely take it when I’m feeling under the weather (it’s also in me new “conditioner” recipe).
Thanks for being such a great resource of things natural! 🙂
So I just realized that iHerb sells Carlson, in the dosage and everything recommended by the Weston A. Price foundation, and that’s the place where you can use my code OZE706 and get $5 off your first order. Here’s the link to the original soft gels http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Cod-Liver-Oil-Gems-Super-1000-mg-250-Soft-Gels/2782?at=0 but I also notice they have low vitamin A soft gels, too, which might quell some concerns about getting too MUCH vitamin A http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Cod-Liver-Oil-Gems-Low-Vitamin-A-Lemon-Flavor-1000-mg-300-Soft-Gels/14946?at=0
Since reading your blog, I’ve started taking ACV daily, I’ve dropped shampoo and face wash from my routine completely, and I’ve been taking fish oil whenever I swing by the parents house (they always have about 15 bottles of it lol). They’ve been taking it because it helps with joints and arteries, not for face or hair. But those are always a plus! I did not, however, realize that there can be some dangers associated with it… I’m checking out the list now, and can hopefully help spread the word!
This is such a sensitive subject for me because lately I’ve been finding fish oils slipped into everything from yogurt to bagels, and while I’m all for omega 3’s, I’m also a vegetarian. Boo. That said though, I used to put flax oil in my morning oatmeal for veggie friendly omega 3’s and I loved it! B-vitamins are another supplement I’ve taken in the past and would consider taking again. Other than that, I try to do health tonics with apple cider vinegar semi-regularly.
I’ve been taking cod liver oil for the last couple of months. I also take a C vit. I really think that you can get what you need through real food, but there are reasons that you might not be getting it (or enough of it) in your diet and a selective supplement is o.k. The only thing with the CLO caps is that you REALLY need to take them WITH food… whenever I forget and take them alone… (urp!) but maybe that’s just me. 🙂 Flax oil has a lot of Omega-3s too (and uh, no li’l fishy burps).
Yeah, cod liver oil! The only supplement I take (when I remember–gosh, there’s so many things to remember to do in the morning) is krill oil. I bought a bottle from Mercola.com when Mercola said he liked krill oil either because they are smaller or have a shorter life span (can’t remember which), thus accumulating fewer toxins in their little krill bodies. I don’t know if that makes any real difference, but what the hey. The supplement I bought is enhanced with evening primrose oil for women’s menstrual and menopausal needs. I really like it, but when I run out I’ll try the cod liver oil supplements WAP suggests, just to mix things up!
Vanessa, there’s still plenty of ways to get your Omega 3 as a vegetarian. Like spirulina. Do a Google search for “vegetarian omega 3” and you’ll find loads of options.
I take 2000 iu of vitamin D, 1000 mg of DHA omega 3, a B-complex vitamin and a multi vitamin. I split up my doses so I take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at dinner
Alas, being a vegetarian, cod liver oil is a no go, I’m afraid. And there really is no other alternative, is there? 🙁
~Ness
There is: Algae oil. You can get it at places like iHerb. I’ve got a vegan-friendly version called Omega-Zen. I was hoping it would taste less fishy than the fish oil I’ve tried, but it tastes pretty much the same. 😉
There is yet another alternative to fish oil . Try Pure Maracuja oil by Tarte. I have been using it with great success. It replenishes and moisturizes your skin. Fab on very dry and/or sensitive skin. It comes from a plant that grows in a rainforest.