What do you use in the shower?, abandoning makeup, and acne.

I am fairly new to a LFRV lifestyle, but I have always been somewhat conscious of what I put on my body. About a month ago I decided to stop using any makeup (whether its vegan or not) because I don't want harmful chemicals absorbing into my skin. I never used much makeup (just eyeliner, mascara, and a tiny bit of to cover spots), but I feel that I need to learn to accept my true self. I became disgusted with myself when I traveled to my teachers college graduation and forgot my makeup bag and then made my boyfriend drive me somewhere so I could get some makeup. I NEEDED it to graduate. That was the last straw and I threw it all away.

I have also always struggled with acne on my face. Becoming vegan 2 years ago after being vegetarian for many years has significantly cleared up my skin. I think dairy was a huge part of the problem. However, I still have blackheads on my face (mostly nose) and occasional whiteheads. My skin seems to be gradually clearing up the more I commit for LFRV and since I have abandoned the makeup.

I understand that the skin is a way for the body to get rid of toxins and that is what my body is doing.

What I would like to ask the group is what do you use in the shower for your body, face, and to shave? What do you use for toothpaste? What would be best for someone like me who has a little acne on their face?

Also, has anyone seen dramatic improvement in their acne since becoming LFRV?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shae on July 31, 2012 at 1:54am

This thread has been informative so far, thank you Holly for starting it! Is there anyone else willing to share information for how us ladies can be more natural with personal care? I recently started using Dr. Bronner's soap which is amazing (and am in love with the almond scented one!) I started using that as shampoo and body wash, and am amazed with how gentle it is. I had a hard time finding quality organic stuff that smelled good because I used to be all about fruity smelling things, but Dr. Bronner is a great suggestion if you're not ready to let go of somewhat fragrant smelling shower soap just yet.

I also switched over to Aubrey brand products I've found in Whole Foods with some that are cruelty-free/vegan friendly and don't contain a mass amount of chemicals.

Permalink Reply by BeginnerBob on August 4, 2012 at 9:55am

Hi Holly, I have a point about acne which hasn't been covered in the replies. I believe acne is a "healing symptom" - a way for toxins to leave the body through the skin. It would follow there shouldn't be any treatment done for them. Cheers.

Permalink Reply by Eva Budai on August 7, 2012 at 8:50pm

I've been washing my face with honey for the last few weeks. I wet my hands, put very little honey on it and wash with it. Seems to work so far. If you are a woman make sure you have no problem in the vagina because even a small infection can cause bad acne. Whenever I had the slightest problem down there I had great acnes on my face, chest, back.

Permalink Reply by Rose on August 12, 2012 at 7:48pm

Hey Holly! I too am very conscious of what I put on my body. I work out in dirt and sweat for long periods of time and these are just some of the things I would recommend. (I'm going to separate them into paragraphs for an easier differential.) I'm going to apologize now for I am still learning English and like every other human I make mistakes. : )

Starting from the top ;P I use Trader Joe's Balanced Moisturizing Set as my Shampoo and Conditioner. It's mostly comprised of extracts from organic plant life and it's not tested on animals which is always a plus!

I've never had a huge zit problem.. the peak was in sixth grade but since then there hasn't been alot of activity. To get on with it though xD I use three products that are on the majority (? Sorry) natural. The first is Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream. This keeps my facial skin clean and doesn't strip it of it's good oils like products such as Dermologica. If I have a little blemish or two then I'll use Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick that REALLY works wonders! I believe that all Burt's Bees products are not tested on animals but if that's not the case then I know the ones that I use aren't so you can use these in good conscience. The last product that I use is the Simply Botanicals Anti-Blemish Hydrating Mist. It is completely natural and made up of purified water, french lavender, and tea tree essential oils. I got it from a booth in a flea market in Seattle so I don't think it's sold commercially, but they do have a website. (www.simplybotanicals.com) Anyways those are the products I use everyday on my face that have worked amazingly for me.

For toothpaste I personally am still using the chemical stuff just so I don't waste money by throwing a 1/3 of the way full tube. But what I'm going to start using when it's done is the Anti-plaque toothpaste by Trader Joe's. My family converted to it a while ago and it's been working great for them. My brother has very weak teeth so he uses that and other supplements but it's really been helping him so that's a good thing. It's all natural and does not have Fluoride, Lauryl Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, or Saccharin which I'm assuming are good things. : )

In terms of my body I'm going to brake it down into what I use as soap and what I use for moisturizer.

Soap: Like many here I use Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. I love them because not only is it natural, It gets every speck of dirt of your body (this is with a natural loofah) and has a wide variety of scents to choose from. (I currently have Eucalyptus and Lavender) These too are not tested on animals and probably have a lot of other benefits mentioned by other members. He has a website where you can purchase his products (www.drbronner.com) but they also sell his products at stores such as Trader Joe's and Sprouts. * His soaps are a little expensive for my preferences but they are worth the price because it's very good quality*

Moisturizers: I use 4 products that all perform different uses for me. 1) and my absolute can't live without is 100% natural African Shea Butter. I use it as often as I can because the soaps strip EVERYTHING unfortunately for me including my natural body oils. The Shea Butter makes your skin so soft and smooth to the touch it's unbelievable. I microwave mine in a porcelain cup/mug because it for some reason conducts electricity in metal (probably because it has a trace amount of iron or something along those lines) and I don't use plastic because the heat from the microwave + the heat from the oil after a while will melt it. You can rub it in from it's solid state which is what my mother does. The reason why I microwave mine is because it makes it into the consistency of like a thick almond or olive oil and I can pour it instead of using my hand's body heat. * 2) Second I use is my local CVS's 50 SPF Sunscreen I would probably recommend a more natural alternative such as 3)Trader Joe's Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion. It's Fragrance free, non clogging, and light enough for any skin type but it's only 15 SPF and I prefer more protection then that. (Keep in mind though that really anything over 50 SPF has so many chemicals that it really stops being productive. I learned that after using 100SPF and being roasted alive x l. ) 4) Is really for special occasions or when I want to feel special x P and that is Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion. It has Royal Jelly which is supposed to be amazing for your body (I haven't done much research on it but I believe it's fed to the queen bee of the hive so it must be good quality right?) It has all sorts of natural ingredients but what makes it special is it has ground up natural mica powder which basically makes you sparkle in the sunlight like Edward Cullen... OK that's a little bit of an overstatement but it does have a slight shimmer that gives you the slight glow that pregnant women have.

* You can get Shea Butter in it's natural state online. I buy mine literally in bulk (a 5-10 pound Shea Butter Block depending on how much I'm using and how much I give away). I also have heard of them being sold in flea market type areas or small African stores (if you live in LA Leimert Park would definitely have some). Also what I want to add is when I say natural/true state be careful of the refined Shea Butter. Shea Butter is naturally a dark/mustard yellow. If what's sold commercially is like a white or any other color it has been refined so just watch out for that*

Shaving: It really depends on the situation... Sometimes I dry shave (just razor +skin) but that's obviously not recommended for risk of nipping yourself, sometimes I shave just with water, but really I just use the Neutrogena Men Skin Clearing Shave Cream.. I stole it from my dad one day and it's worked for me since. It's probably the worst product I use in terms of chemicals (and I'm totally open for a natural alternative) but it fights razor bumps & ingrown hairs, smells good, and is easy to shave with. Sorry I have no natural recommendations except for dry or water shaving.. : /

I'm not a huge make up wearer because thankfully I don't need it. I just use mascara. I don't know of any natural makeup brands that are specifically in makeup, but what I do is I take the Radiance body lotion and a Q tip and apply it on my eyelids to give it a little glow. What I did in secondary school when my mom wouldn't let me wear mascara is I wet my finger and just curled my eyelashes a little (It worked surprisingly well). If your into wearing lipsticks or colored chapsticks I very much recommend Burt's Bees products they have many colors to choose from and they all work great.

Well Anyways Congratulations on choosing such a healthy lifestyle and staying with it! I hope this essay ; P helped. If you have any questions just message me or comment. Thank you for reading and veggie on!

~Rose

Permalink Reply by David Costa on August 13, 2012 at 6:11am

That's a lot of products, I'd ditch the moisturizers, you are probably over soaping your body if you need them. I'd skip soap all together, I almost never use any soaps except for laundry and the dishwasher occasionally, or if I get greasy hands from my bike. Maybe use it occasionally and only a tiny amount when some part of you feels really dirty. Beware of any soap you use to clean not just yourself but things like dishes, clothing, automobiles, maybe your a surgeon and need to sterilize your hands constantly idk, do your hands get dry a lot?

I ditched sunscreen, I'm working on exposing myself to the sun for a small amount of time as often as I can to build a tolerance to it. Then covering up or sitting under some trees for cover.

For shaving, maybe go electric? Ask what some other women are doing here. As a guy I stopped using shaving cream for my face when I was a teen, I just use electric.

Royal jelly is an animal product.

Permalink Reply by Rose on August 14, 2012 at 11:35am

That's a lot of suggestions, just as a disclaimer a lot of the products I listed are not used on a daily basis, yet, are products that I would suggest for anyone that wants to convert to healthier options or options that are softer and more natural on the body while still using fine grooming products such as soap, moisturizers, and acne solutions.

To address the moisturizers. Although I use them I don't need them because my skin is fine after the showers that I take with the soap I use. I use Shea Butter just to make sure my skin is smooth, soft, and well nourished.

If you were talking about "I use it as often as I can because the soaps strip EVERYTHING unfortunately for me including my natural body oils. " Then I can definitely understand where your coming from when talking about dry skin and over use of soap. I guess what I meant was that with the dirt that comes off while your scrubbing so will some oils from your body (and under certain circumstances.. all). But I do agree that soap should be used in small portions. No I am not a surgeon : ) but I do need to make sure I stay sanitary for the well being of people around me as well as well as myself. I don't believe in using no soap personally because I work a lot with dirt, public objects (handles, knobs, equipment), and I cook so I don't want to contaminate any food sources. No my hands don't get dry a lot because I try to take very good care of my skin.

As for sunscreen. Personally and this really is just for me because I encourage people to do whats best for them. I don't believe i'll stop using sunscreen. It's not a sun tolerance issue. I just really don't like the sun and tans, and I unfortunately work out/work a very good amount in the sun. So I really am just trying to protect my skin for health and cosmetic issues. I will definitely consider any natural alternative though.

Your electric shaving suggestion will definitely be considered! The shaving cream that I use like I mentioned isn't the healthiest. My only concern for the electric shaver is that although I shave, my hairs are very small so they might not be caught by the prongs of the machine.

And thanks! I was wondering what it was.

I understand and respect that certain grooming products aren't used/approved by everyone, and these were just products that I use, used, and will use as a vegetarian and maybe soon to be Raw Vegan. I hope the list of suggestions helped more then it hurt. I wish everyone a great day.

~Rose

Permalink Reply by David Costa on August 15, 2012 at 3:11am

Reason I don't like sunscreen is all the skin cancer talk, it sounds more likely to me that the sunscreens have something in them or do something to the light that causes cancer.

Cancers seem to come when people are doing something different than what life has seen for millions of years.

Ozone depletion and other modern day factors complicate this. As well as me being white skinned from having ancestors that hid from the sun for many generations under clothing and indoors a lot of the time to hide from the cold of the north.

I still don't trust rubbing anything on my skin to try to interfere with the sunlight, people didn't do that not that long ago. I've never heard history stories from long ago of anyone having skin cancer problems, it's also possible they may not be we'll documented enough, still doesn't mean they had sun problems.

Seems like humans don't belong in direct sunlight for long, most species similar to us seem to stay in the trees all day where the sun is not as intense. When I go for a walk through the woods I generally feel better than being in an open space with lots of sun, it's why we die so easy in the desert.

Anyone feel free to dispute my thoughts, I want to know if I'm wrong about things.

Permalink Reply by Rissah on August 19, 2012 at 5:03pm

+1 Stephanie. Oil cleansing method did wonders for my skin as well. I use castor and grape seed oil. It seems contrary to put oil on acne but the castor oil is anti-fungal,and will actually dry out your skin if not mixed with another moisturizing oil. I started doing that about a year ago and have the same bottles I started with. It may help with the breakouts until your diet clears up that aspect. :)