So, as many of you know, I have begun my skin journey without benzoyl peroxide, as I overdid it and it caused a flare.

I did a TON of research and decided that jojoba would probably be a good solution for me over time. I knew going in that it I was going to be bumpy at first and it could take 3-5 months to clear me without medications. I quit dairy and gluten. I am mostly avoiding omega 6 chips (hard to do, miss those chips!!!). All acne aggrevators.

Well, I hope this post helps someone down the line. Jojoba is scary for me personally. I has crated a BILLION bumps, and red enflamed acne on my cheeks that I have not had since I was 16, or maybe ever. Just horrible. I am so bumpy and miserable. I am consulting with a natural acne advisor but she lives in Asia so it has been hard to set up a consult. She loves jojoba and I am highly skeptical of it for me.

In my research, I have discovered that COLD PRESSED HEMP SEED OIL can be a godsend for those that get whiteheads under the skin. This is because those of us that get this tricky kind of "buried" acne, produce a sebum that is high in oleic acid, which makes the sebum VERY sticky and it gets trapped in the pores. Hemp oll (just a few drops, or you can cleanse with it and wipe it off) is high in linoleic acid, which keeps the sebum more liquid. If you can tolerate it you can use a salicyclic toner first but I doubt Dr. B would approve- I don't know anymore if I can tolertate salicylic, but I think in due time, just the hemp oil will clear me (like, 4/5 months, ugh). And soap, any kind, can disrupt the acid mantle of the skin. So I am skipping soap and adding two drops of hemp oil to my water cleansing routine and maybe a hemp oil cleanse once a week, or use a bit extra to remove makeup. I can't recommend the salicylic acid part of this routine, but the author said skin would eventually clear without it and the salicylic would clear it faster because it removes existing plugs. So I guess for now I am just using hemp. The author has been researching this type of acne for 20 years, until she came apon the hemp oil solution and kept at it for 4 months. I wish jojoba would help, but it is high in oleic acid. It has really devistated my skin.

http://practicalbohemianbeauty.blogspot.com/p/clearing-clogged-pores-rec...

I hope hemp will help some. I am still waiting to hear back from Dr. B if I can use it but I think it has been ok. I tried some last night. Sigh. Heading into summer with the worst skin I have ever had in my life :( I hate jojoba (for me).

Now I am heading into ovulation with frequency, etc... And with bif in my protocol again, and the stress from this acne, I don't know what is causeing my icky frequency to come back. Sigh.

On a better note, a few days ago I had a completely symptom-free day!!!!!!! 

Thanks for reading!!

xoxo