Skin Crisis Averted

This stuff is the best!!!!!!

Hello natural night-owls!! lol I am rarely up at this hour (I likes my sleep, 8 hrs please...haha) and I have never blogged this late before either but everyone is alotted a few random moments every now and then. A few posts back (try last month....lol) I ranted about the issues I was having with my skin. I was trying everything. Neutrogena products, Clean & Clear, my tried and true Proactiv (worked wonders when I started having skin issues in 05-06), and anything else in-between. Well, my dear-sweet-fiance' was always raving about the Dudu Osun Black Soap that he uses. I never used it even though he kept telling me to (I'm so hard-headed lol) just like with Shea Butter; he always told me to use it because its 1) it's natural, 2) it has so many healing properties and skin/hair health benefits, and 3) its just the bomb! The thing is, you really shouldn't use things on your body that you wouldn't put into your body (i.e by eating)--I've always known that, and it's something that should just be like "well, duh!" but everyone doesn't see it like that. I finally gave in to the shea thing earlier this year and I loved it! Best thing ever! But....I didn't stick with using it on a daily basis, I only used it every so often and continued using commercial lotions by Jergens, Johnson & Johnson, etc. *Slaps hand* Bad, I know. But that is going to change.

Back to the soap...........

So by a twist of fate--if you will--a very generous and kind friend of ours gave me a bar of the Dudu Osun soap and some Chinese Ginger Tea when I got sick a few weeks ago. My face was still breaking out like crazy (this was way after my 1st skin crisis post) so it only meant that I needed to try this famous black soap. Ladies.....(and Gents if you're there.....) this Dudu Osun is the TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol I kid you not. Using this soap, you won't need to worry about that dry after-feeling you get from processed, chemical-laced soaps. I won't lie, I love Dove to death---why I didn't wanna let go and use my new find---but even the Sensitive Skin formula left my face dry a lot of the time. With the black soap, I can wash my face and not have to worry about putting on lotion, moisturizer, etc. Even without using Shea after washing with Dudu, my skin felt amazing and has a brilliantly healthy and natural glow. I saw my blemishes fade and the dark spots began to disappear. I figure in a few more weeks, my face will be flawless once again. And I owe it all to my newfound loves: Dudu Osun Black Soap and Shea Butter :) I just bought a 32.oz container of dark yellow shea butter (I hear the darker, the better (ie more vitamins, etc)) and two boxes of Dudu Osun from a vendor at the African World Festival in Downtown Detroit, all for $15--2 for $5 soap and $10 for the large shea container, not bad at all)

I can't wait to see how my skin progresses! I'm also going to modify my vegetarian diet to make sure I get all the nutrients I'm supposed to get

Buenos Noches Amigos!

P.S: Below I am going to list the ingredients in the all-natural Dudu Osun Black Soap and the benefits of Shea Butter.

***Everything as listed on the box/label***

Tropical Naturals Dudu Osun Black Soap:

Ingredients-Pure Honey, Shea Butter, Osun (camwood), Palmkernal oil, Cocoa pod ash, Palm bunch ash, Glycerine, Aloe Vera Juice, Lime juice & oil, Lemon juice & oil, Water & Fragrance.

Dudu Osun is the age-long African black soap made the traditional way by hand from PURE NATURAL INGREDIENTS AND HERBS from the tropical rain forest and savannah regions.

No artificial colors; no preservatives; Bio degradable. Product of Nigeria

http://www.tropical-naturals.com/

African Shea Butter:

100% Natural

African Shea Butter is made from the nut of the African Shea Tree. It contains a rich amount of unremovable fatty acid which renders it far superior to Cocoa Butter an other natural vegetabl butters. This fatty acid is crucial to rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin. Shea Butter provides all the essential vitamins needed to make skin look and feel smoother, softer and most importantly, healthier. Its theraputic properties protect the skin from wind, cold, sun, and it helps heal wounds faster. Shea Butter stimulates cellular activity, fights the effects of aging and repairs rough, damaged skin.

Usage:

1. Treatment of dry skin, eczema, and minor burns.

2. Pain relief from swelling and arthritis.

3. Improves muscle relaxation and stiffness.

4. Sunscreen, due to its rich content of vitamins E & F

5. Treats dark spots, skin discolorations, stretch marks, wrinkles, and blemishes

6. Massages, diaper rash, and as a hair conditioner.

Shea Butter does not expire. Store in a cool place.

Product of Ghana

Skin Crisis

Don't you hate it when you feel on top of the world and then all of a sudden something happens to make you feel like you've crashed and burned? Well, when my skin breaks out that's how I feel. I feel like I've crash landed into acne-world and there's no point of return at this moment. I know I'm probably exaggerating that a bit but lol I hate this.

My poor face has been breaking out for the past 3 weeks (it may have been longer than that). Every time I look up, I have a new little buddy sprouting on my face. I wash my face everyday. I moisturize with shea butter and I am a vegetarian. What gives? lol My hubby thinks it the culprit may be this black soap that I was using but I wasn't using that when I broke out (I actually started back when my face broke out---I thought my face missed it, it was natural black soap! haha) and I'm still not using it. So, yea....I don't know what to think. When I had bad breakouts a few years ago I used Proactiv and it worked wonders but since it was getting charged directly onto my dad's card (daddy's little girl right? yea right....) and we didn't think I needed it anymore my subscription stopped. But my face was fine. Only a blemish here and there, and that was rare. For those I used Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment and, VOILA! spots begone. But those left dark marks from time to time, and I'm fairly light so its super obvious when it happens.



With this surge in acne bumps popping up everywhere and the constant use of my lil C&C friend(and my bad habit of popping some of these bad boys on site---I need to break that habit, don't ya think?) I have been left with these hideous dark sopts on my face that have me feel a few levels less than pretty. So began the search for ways to make these spots disappear faster.



I have heard of Mederma before but never actually needed it. I knew I should have gotten some when my belly piercing went awol and and my body decided it was better off unpierced. Shoulda got it, but I didn't; but its not too late. I joke with my friends that I have two belly buttons now because of it. Looking up the uses for this scar healing miracle, I decided I would give it a try. If it doesn't work for my acne dark spots (which I found out in my search that they are not scars but hyperpigmentations resulting from skin inflammation {from the breakout}) then I will have it on call to fade my belly piercing gone wrong. According to the package, I have to use it for my belly for 3 to 6 months (yikes!!! lmao) and for my face 8 weeks, both requiring 3-4 applications a day. I hope to see the results I am looking for because I don't like looking like a leopard :(



I am journaling my skin's progress, so pictures will be shown after a few weeks.



Stay tuned.



P.S---If you have your own acne issues, please feel free to share your horror stories and remedies or products you have used, have heard about, etc etc

Ciao Bellas!!