Scarlett Beauty

I'm starting to enjoy my new regime. I've taken a lot of inspiration from 'The Alkaline Sisters' they have a wonderful website, with some beautiful imagery and lots of great recipes that actually work, and taste good.  Here's a snap of their veggie quinoa burgers, which I am going to try out at the weekend. My skin is improving too. Here's a quick snap from my iPad cam (hence the grainy appearance). The main changes are less breakouts and much less dry and flaky patches. There is still some redness, but maybe that will reduce too with time.  I might add here that I have all but eliminated cheese and milk from my diet. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm following an almost vegan regime. Me? Vegan? That will never happen! I can't resist a bit of fish. 

Lets start with a list of known ones, and I'll add new things as I discover them. Lemons Limes Kiwis Raw onions and leeks. Raw spring onions Strawberries  Raspberries Pineapple Chillies Tomatoes  Caffeine Vinegars Excessive salt Some apples, ie cox if very tart. Grapes Red fruit and veg. Raw garlic Dark chocolate  Ginger As a rule of thumb I  avoid: 1. All citrus,and strongly acidic foods, such as vinegar.  2. A lot of very salty foods and those with strong flavouring also trigger a reaction in my face, that means things like salt and vinegar crisps, and a lot of low calorie snacks like the snack a jack rice crackers. 3.Yeasty products also affect me, making my face feel hot and look very flushed. It's very uncomfortable. I can't use 'nutritional yeast flakes' and some ready made soups with yeasty stocks. I use kallo products with low yeast and salt content and make my own soups.

I use several products on my skin, and switch them round depending on the condition of my skin, or time of day. Cleansers: Av ê ne Clenance gel face wash.   Avêne tolérance extrême Neal's Yard rose face wash Neal's Yard wild rose beauty balm Toners: Colloidal silver (rivers of health) used as a sweep after cleanser or face wash. Also nice as a refreshing spray anytime. Neal's Yard Rose water. Moisturisers: Neal's Yard Rose facial oil. A few drops after toner, and before moisturiser, it's lovely.  Neal's Yard Frankincence Hydrating cream. This is the best moisturiser I have ever used. It is fantastic for dry skin, it's rich, and absorbs fully without residue. A dab is good for daytime, and a big dab will give a wonderful soft skin overnight. Aloe Vera lotion. Since I don't have an aloe Vera cactus, I use this. It's a bit sticky, so I use it as a cooling face mask - and rinse after, or use it at night. Calendula cream - ...

So it's now 10 days from my 'fresh start' and it has felt very tough actually. I felt so depressed on Monday that I booked a doctors appointment, thinking I would go and ask for some anti depressants or something. I felt so hopeless, lethargic and unable to cope. These last 2 days have picked up, and I'm feeling better, my skin is looking better as well, thanks to my strict diet, no caffeine, no sugar, nothing refined. Its amazing how much rubbish I was eating, when I really paid attention to it. Even 'healthy' muesli bars are packed with sugar. All of this could have also been a contributing factor to my depressed feelings. Even it is a hormonal event, it should not feel so terrible, and I do feel deep down that its all connected, the skin, the low mood and the anxiety and tension. I'm in the process of composing some posts about skincare, and my regime, and more about diet, but to make them accurate and interesting I find it's not something I can ...

I am having a terrible day today, feeling so miserable. It might be because I'm being quite strict with my diet and am having withdrawal symptoms... either that or I'm starving. My skin has improved a little, although still getting a few fresh pimples every day. its going to take time.

There are so many sources of information out there, and so much advice. Where do you start? These last few days I have been mulling it over, whilst making changes to my diet, as, I reason that is as good a place as any to begin, it's also easier than diving into an extreme regime using supplements and so on, So what are my symptoms? 1. Rosacea. A reddening of the face. 2. Acne. This is linked to the rosacea, the skin gets inflamed and I get a lot of white spots. My face gets hot in reaction to some foods and also tingles. 3. Depression/anxiety:  It's also become apparent to me (and I am reminded of this every month) that I may be suffering from some form of PMS. Hormonal changes certainly have an effect on my skin, I have noticed this for a long time. The feelings of unhappiness that go with it are much worse now than they have been for a long time. I lose my memory and focus, and I feel very unhappy and negative. I get snappy, and often tearful for no apparent rea...

It's September 2013, I am a mummy to 1 little girl, settled and living in Essex. I design freelance for fashion companies, and have had a few months work this year, but presently experiencing a quiet phase.  I have been run down for a few weeks,  suffering a cold and general tiredness and low mood. It is no surprise then that my skin is terrible, and the dreaded acne rosacea is all over my face. my diet regime is pretty slack and I've not been to the gym for months. I know full well that all of these things also lead to a general lowering of mood, and  limit my ability to function and enjoy life. Its time NOW for a restart. the cold is passing, its September, a time of new beginnings. In the past I would have turned to my trusty Sher skincare products, and regime to give me a fresh start. but now they are gone, and I am alone in a sea of advise and information about how to treat this condition. I have a few cornerstones to base my plan on, and beyond that, I hope to ...