I don't have the skin issues common to PCOS, but I have lived most of my life in Arizona, much of it before we were educated about the importance of sunscreen. Being blue-eyed and fair-skinned, I'm more than a little paranoid about what that is eventually going to mean with regards to the condition of my skin.
One night I started researching what common natural ingredients I could use to help my skin be as healthy as I could be. My three favorites so far:
1. Fish oil. I know, you're sick of hearing about it! But healthy skin is dependent on healthy fats in the diet. Fish oil is great for skin health…I've noticed in the years since I've been taking it, some prominent scarring I got from a second degree sunburn on a Costa Rican vacation, has lessened.
2. Coconut oil. Coconut oil is a mild exfoliant, and it also encourages collagen growth. If you look at many of your skin care products they already contain coconut oil. Why not go to the source? I just use the virgin coconut oil most people buy for cooking. I've noticed that it has started to fade some of my sun spots in the 4 months I've been using it…here are before and after pics.
3. Camellia oil. This is also known as green tea seed oil, and that is exactly what it is. It is especially high in EGCG, the antioxidant green tea is famous for, and EGCG helps to prevent collagen breakdown. I will be writing more about this oil in a future blog post. I was provided a bottle of this oil to experiment with in both cooking and skin care. I figured with one item promoting collagen production and the other preventing its breakdown, I had a nice combination.
I notice that in the month that I've been using camellia oil, the wrinkles I've accumulated from years of laughing and assertively expressing myself (Ha! If you know me you're thinking that due to my personality I should look like a California raisin!) It's kind of fun to look in the mirror in the morning and see some of the new changes. It also seems to stimulate blood flow (which EGCG does in other parts of the body as well), as I get a nice rosy hue to my skin almost immediately on using it. These are before and after shots after just two weeks of using Camellia oil twice a day on my skin.
Speaking of coconut oil, my friend Denise recently rescued a Sharpei mix from the local animal shelter. Phillip Bruno was scheduled to be euthanized because his mange was so horribly out of control. After learning that coconut oil can be useful for mange as well, as it is a nontoxic oil that is absorbed by the skin and helps to suffocate the responsible mites that can make this disease very tough to eradicate, she decided to try coconut oil on PB as well. Here are pictures of him on his first day being rescued and a week after being treated with various medications and coconut oil. On day one his skin was so scabbed over he couldn't even open his eyes, now he's making eyes at the camera! (I told Denise if we're not careful it may work so well it will de-Sharpei him!)
By the way, PB is so popular he has his own Facebook fan page where you can watch his progress. He's a real charmer!
If you're interested in camellia oil, here is the link where you can find it online.
I'll post updates of both myself and PB as we have them!