1 Month Scar Treatment Update Plus How to Survive The Winter Months

It's been a little under a month since I started using tea tree oil on my face and there have been a few noticeable changes. First, my face as a whole looks more alive and vibrant. The addition of TTO to my "regimen" has helped minimize my pores, making my skin look clearer. The other things I noticed could be signs of possible negative effects or healing. Only time will tell.

The first of those possible negatives is that upon close inspection my skin looks uneven. My cheeks, nose and forehead are a few shades darker than the rest of my facial areas.  They look a little dry almost as if a scar is covering those areas. This could mean one of two things.  The TTO is drying out my skin or my skin is trying to heal itself in those areas. 

The last noticeable change to my skin is that a couple of pimples have popped up since starting the treatment.  These pimples are always tiny and typically go away in one to two days. This could be a sign of skin agitation from the addition of TTO or my face trying to purge bacteria. 

All of my observations have lead me to believe that it is safe to use TTO. It hasn't caused much noticeable difference yet, but it also hasn't caused noticeable damage.  I will continue to monitor the results from continued use and modify my regimen as needed.

P.S.

How to Survive The Winter Months

Following the Caveman Regimen exactly can be tough, especially in the Winter months when skin is very dry and flaky.  How I survive the chill is by moisturizing daily with a natural oil or butter.  I used to use organic moisturizers and they worked well, but over time I started to use simpler products.  Listen to your skin.  If it looks dry protect it with a moisturizer.  I usually apply Shea Butter right after my shower while my skin is still damp to lock in the moisture.

Happy New Year!

Scar Treatment Update

Now that my skin is completely clear of acne, I'm focusing on scar healing.  I was at a bit of an impasse of what I should try first and I'm also on a tight budget.  I've tried using honey in the past when my face was still having breakouts, but I've heard honey only works if you get the high grade raw kind which can be pretty expensive and slightly hard to find.  I started looking into other remedies and also seeing if I might possess something that could get the process started.  Luckily enough  I had some tea tree oil lying around.  Some research later and I discovered that others are already trying tea tree oil for scar treatment.  Hence, the experiment begins.

Warnings and Applications:

Tea tree oil by itself is very strong and fragrant.  It can irritate your skin if you don't dilute it with another carrier oil or water.  I add a drop to my Shea butter and almond oil mixture.  I massage the oils into my face and splash with water in the shower.  If my skin happens to look overly oily, I dab it with a paper towel and I'm good to go for the rest of the day.  I do this once a day in the morning.  I also pay close attention to my skin.  If my face looks even and well moisturized, I leave it alone.  No need to mess with a good thing.  On the other hand, if my skin looks dry and malnourished I will now use the Shea Butter, almond oil and tea tree oil mixture.

6 month update on the Caveman Regimen

I know six months have gone by since my last post. I definitely meant to update more regularly...

So anyway, onto my progress thus far.  About six months ago I started the caveman regimen and stopped washing my face with anything besides water.  It took a relatively short time for my acne to clear up and I was ecstatic about the results.  It soon became obvious that my biggest issue would be dealing with the dead skin build up.  Over time there was a clearly noticeable buildup of dirt on my nose and chin.

As stated in my previous post, I started doing biweekly exfoliation.  I didn't notice any adverse reactions or setbacks which leads me to believe that the typical month long wait for exfoliation is unnecessary or that everyone's skin heals at different rates.

Additions to the Regimen

My original regimen was leaving my face alone completely for a week and then exfoliating at the beginning of the next week.  The dead skin buildup was a lot better after the exfoliation, but I was noticing that my skin was looking dry.  I used to think that my original skin type was combination/oily, but letting my skin breathe showed me it's true nature.  I actually have slightly dry skin.

I wanted to add a moisturizing step to my regimen.  The caveman regimen is supposed to rely on your body's defenses to heal itself, but I think there is a point at which you can start giving your body a little help again.  I decided to try using a Shea butter and almond oil mixture.  I had previously researched the oil cleansing method before and had actually tried it, but my skin was too damaged by soaps and chemicals for it to have any noticeable positive effects.  However, my skin was healthier now so I thought it was at least worth a try.
One morning about three months into the experiment, I put a dime sized amount of Shea butter in my hand and a few drops of almond oil to soften it up.  I rubbed it between my palms to warm it up until it became translucent.  Then I massaged the mixture into my face for a couple minutes.  For the final step I used a fresh washcloth and warm water to gently pat off the excess oil and gently wipe off any dirt build up.  The only noticeable adverse affect was a slight sheen to my face for up to 2 hours, but eventually the oil absorbed into my skin giving me a nice healthy glow.

Overall what I have learned is that skin heals in stages.  I was so obsessed with finding a miracle cure for my acne and I was actually making it worse.  When I stopped letting it rule my life, it cleared up.  Now it is onto the next step: scar healing.  Over the next few weeks I am going to try natural scar healing remedies like honey and yogurt. Whichever I chose to try first will be added to my regimen for a few weeks because I feel that it takes time to know if something is working.  I'll post here with the results.

Quick Update After Exfoliation

Okay so I exfoliated yesterday after not having washed my face with soap for two weeks. According to all of the caveman regimen how-tos, I should have waited another two weeks. But the build up of dead skin was too much for my ego, so I used a nylon exfoliating mitt.

I've had time to rest and when I looked at my face this morning I was pleasantly surprised. There are still a few flakes but overall my face looks better than it has in months. I'm going to continue to leave it alone for the next week, but I think I'm going to add weekly or biweekly exfoliating to my regimen because if there is no need to walk around with dead skin on my face, why go through all the embarrassment?

Caveman Regimen Beginning Stages

I am currently trying a new skin experiment called the caveman regimen. I have tried benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid to clear up my acne. I have also tried using sea salt and lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, baking soda... etc. Some of them worked for a while, but not a well as I wanted. 

Then I came across the caveman regimen in my search for other things to try. Essentially, you don't wash your face at all for a month. The idea behind it is that you are repairing your acid mantle after having destroyed it with soaps and chemicals.

So far, I am about two weeks in. At first I was doing the less serious version of the regimen by splashing my face with water daily. But I was afraid of drying out my skin so I would use an organic moisturizer afterward. But you are not supposed to use any chemicals, so I stopped washing my face completely.

The first few days my skin was very oily. Then it gradually started to even out. My face was starting to look more clear and any existing pimples were vanishing quickly. 

However, about a week later my face had a nasty build up of dead skin around my nose and on my chin. I knew people could see the flakes if they happened to be standing close to me. 

This morning I couldn't take it anymore. I had to exfoliate some of the dead skin off. I know I was supposed to wait a month but it is too embarrassing. 

I used a nylon mitt that I got from Rite Aid. I only used water and a gentle touch. A crazy amount of dead skin was on the mitt after I was done. I'm going to go back to not washing my face and hope that I haven't completely messed up the whole process.