Alcohol free Herbal Toner, Splash, & Spritzer - How to Make & Use Traditional Herbal Vinegars

Our Handmade Herbal Vinegar, with some of the herbs...

One of the most oft used remedies in the ancient and medieval still room books is the herbal vinegar. Considered vital for all forms of beauty and health regimes, this humble concoction has fallen out of favour today, but it is the answer to so many of the pharmaceutical and chemical varieties that have replaced it. Women in the Western world have largely abandoned this traditional part of their regime entirely, thanks in large part to the modern burning alcohol based versions. But our grandmothers swore by it, and there was good reason. I have spent many years researching and experimenting with this marvellous product and with hair down to my knees and the clear, tone skin of a woman half my age, I can attest to it's healing and anti-aging properties!

The cosmetic type of vinegar of the past would be imbued with herbs that were more closely associated with beauty and skin conditions. This would then be diluted, usually with rosewater, then a splash of the final mixture would be added to rinse water after washing the face, hair, or body. It can help cure everything from dandruff to acne, and makes an excellent mild alcohol free toner. Used full strength in the final washing rinse, it was the original fabric softener.  It removes static and freshens clothes better than any commercial perfumed conditioner.  Try pouring it on a rag or new paper coffee filter and pop it in the dryer.  Instant dryer sheets, with no chemicals!

Another kind of vinegar I'm experimenting with is medicinal and culinary herb and fruit vinegars. Almost the same as herb wine, the mixture is further encouraged to vinegar, and it's taken a tablespoon in water for a refreshing medicinal beverage, or used in the cosmetic applications. For example, a calcium tonic with eggshells steeped in vinegar or wine is much cheaper and more bio-available than most pharmaceutical brands on the market. A traditional assistance for bone loss and nerves, you get far more useful calcium and other minerals than you could with most expensive mineral supplements! 1

If anyone's interested in using these but doesn't want to make their own at the moment, I'm currently selling these in our on-line stores. Let me do all the work!

For those that want to try these at home, here is an all-purpose cosmetic vinegar recipe based on traditional methods. (If you don't have all of these, try the common skin herbs you may already have around, like rose petals, lavender, rosemary, or chamomile.) We're supposed to have a slightly acid mantle on the skin. It helps retain moisture, is a better environment for our healing surface bacteria while preventing infections like acne and excema, and helps with tone. Harsh soaps in particular remove this mantle, and it can take hours to rebuild. Traditional toners after cleansing restore the pH acid mantle to the skin, leaving it softer and more youthful, the hair bouncer with less residue, and can help virtually eliminate dandruff.

Body vinegar:
one tablespoon each of dried or fresh:

lady's mantle
nettle
chamomile
white willow
fennel
elderflower
lavender flowers
red clover
calendula
rose petals
yarrow
comfrey root
horsetail
heart's ease
rosemary

Add enough apple cider or white wine vinegar to fill jar, stir or shake to remove bubbles, add lid, and set in the sun. Always make sure the herbs are covered to the top, to prevent rancidity, and invert every day or so to shake it up.

Filter out in a week. I put a funnel in a jar with a bit of cheesecloth and just let the herbs filter out by gravity without pressing or squeezing. You'll already see and smell in the difference in your vinegar! Now add equal amount of filtered water or hydrosol of your choice. I use rose, lavender, orange blossom, lime blossom or chamomile hydrosols. (Each one has different healing properties. Please see my links above for more information on the healing properties of some of the hydrosols.) Always dilute for use on person. Use few dashes in cool water to rinse skin, hair, or scalp after cleansing. Restores pH and acid mantle of skin, tones and helps cures eruptions. Helps with skin conditions of all kinds. Keep some in the fridge as a refreshing face and body spritzer on hot days. Safe for babies and children.

Don't forget to purchase real, brewed vinegar. Ordinary white vinegar now is just lab-created Acetic Acid diluted to 5%. It is certainly not nearly as beneficial to the environment to buy chemically made vinegar than simply white wine that's gone off, and it doesn't have the same richness of composition or balance of acids. Apple cider vinegar contains Malic acid, and has very different healing properties. Try different kinds of natural brewed vinegars, like rice and mead, and see if you can feel a difference!

And remember: If you are making healing teas, baths, soaps, or other projects, always get the finest quality, and protect the Earth, our Mother, by using organically grown where possible.

Please visit my shop for more traditional handmade cosmetics, tips, and still room products! http://misticalacscents.etsy.com/

Artisan Sea Salt: Organic, Traditional Nutrition, Healing, Medieval Re-creation, & Cleansing Magic!

Organic Herbal Bath Therapy with course Celtic Sea Salt

Sometimes known collectively as Artisan salt, there are several brands which are still harvested in the traditional manner. The Celtic Sea in Brittany and Tavira in the Ria Formasa Natural Reserve in Portugal are just two of the places that still practice the ancient techniques that some suggest can be traced back for thousands of years.  Celtic Sea Salt is in fact a brand name of sea salt that is harvested in the traditional manner.  This brand and some others are certified by Nature et Progrès, one of the oldest PGS in the world, functioning without discontinuity since 1972. Nature et Progrès still operates as a PGS, with its own private organic standard, its own certification procedures (involving peer review and consumers in the inspection process) but is not allowed to call its products “organic” (“biologique” in French) due to the third party certification requirements of the EU regulation.  I still find the designation very useful, however, using this third party certifier to distinguish their products from mined rock salt or evaporated sea salt.


Our bodies run on salt. Without properly balanced salt we run out of electrolytes and our ‘batteries die out’. Refined table salt, however, promotes pathological calcification and a breakdown of cellular tissue. All side effects, warnings, and bad press are based on medical research that has been done with refined, white table salt, which is 99.8% sodium chloride. NaCl can actually solidify the membranes of the human body, cause water retention, headaches, etc. Ordinary table salt can also contain aluminum-based ‘free-flowing’ agents and significant amounts of sugar. When people talk about "salt", they overlook the fact that there are approximately 82 other elements in natural sea salt which serve as a buffer to protect you from the harshness of pure sodium chloride. Those buffers ensure our bodies use the sodium properly, and eliminate it completely and quickly through the kidneys once it has been utilized. Your very blood requires properly balanced salt to function. When the cells of a mammal are deprived of sodium they literally explode attempting to equalize inside and out. Your cells must be bathed in a sodium-based, extracelluar fluid.

Sea salt actually stabilizes blood pressure, whether high or low. It is the primary cleanser of our veins and arteries, keeping our ‘transmission lines’ clean since it has the ability to clear plaque. Proper salt in the blood stream breaks up grease and ensure normal circulatory flow. A study performed in Rotterdam, Netherlands with 100 women and men with untreated mild to moderate hypertension showed that when common table salt (NaCl) was replaced with mineral salt high in potassium and magnesium a reduction in blood pressure equivalent to that obtained with hypertensive reducing drugs was achieved. The reduction ranged from 4.0 to 11.2 mm Hg systolic and 0.8 to 5.8 mm Hg diastolic. (British Medical Journal, 1994, 309: 436-40) A reduction in pulse rate was also recorded for the group given the mineral salts. No reduction in pulse rate was recorded for the group given the placebo and their blood pressures even rose slightly. Although this study was not done with properly balanced sea salt, you can easily see how beneficial a diet that replaced table salt with properly balanced sea salt could be for men or women with hypertension.

Sea salt not only helps to digest and emulsify foods natural oils, helping to scour the artery walls clean, it effects digestion. Proper salt actually creates hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is made from the hydrolysation of chlorine. Salt also re-enriches your saliva so your body can manufacture the proper digestive juices to break down complex carbohydrates, celluloids and chlorophyll. People used to eat a salty soup before a meal to enhance digestion.

Sea salt also recharges and maintains the cells and energizes the body. Proper salt recharges the cells in much the same way as a battery. The better you maintain the battery, the longer it lasts and the better it performs. Deprived of this vitally balanced saline solution, cells degenerate and age. We are salt-based creatures - tears, blood and sweat are salty. Those who preach a ‘no salt' diet should instead say a ‘no refined sodium chloride’ diet. The general rule of osmosis applies to bodily functions: Water goes where salt goes. If we do not replenish our body’s salt reserves, we throw off the vital balance of salt and water that keeps us operating normally. Your body will begin to secrete water more quickly in order to raise the level of sodium concentration in the bloodstream. Signs of too little salt in the diet may take the form of sweating profusely and loss of appetite, extreme fatigue and/or insomnia followed by muscles that become sore and stiff and begin to twitch. Convulsions can result in extreme cases. Traditinally harvested sea salt is completely unrefined to ensure proper bodily utilization. You will notice that it is moist; dry salt indicates that the magnesium has been removed, because magnesium clings to water. Salt from ancient sea beds and salt mines are also not as beneficial for humans. Millions of years of rainfall through many geological layers will deplete vital minerals from these deposits and introduce other components. Most of the essential elements are driven far below the salt line, thus destroying the delicate, natural balance of mineral, gases, and moisture found in the living waters of the ocean.

Celtic Sea Salt is harvested annually from Brittany, the north western most point of France that borders the Celtic Sea. The government of France considers the region where Celtic Sea Salt is harvested a national treasure and imposes the strictest regulations to keep its resources pure. Twice daily, the ocean water that feeds the marshes is carried inland from the North Atlantic Current by 15 foot tidal waters. Celtic Sea Salt is hand harvested by the paludiers or salt farmers of Brittany the same way it has been for generations. In Portugal, similar traditions are followed by the marenotos (salt gatherers). It takes four years to train a paludier. During the winter months the oeillets or salt beds must be groomed to prepare for the next season’s salt crop. This process involves meticulous raking of the bottom of the oeillets. Each oeillet is lined with a natural layer of clay and sand that helps filter any debris present in the water. Before the water flows into the oeillets it is held in large settling ponds which have their own ecosystems. Brine shrimp and a variety of plants and fish thrive in these ponds. Because these fragile organism cannot live in polluted environments, by monitoring the health of the ecosystems the paludiers can gauge the quality of the brine in the salt fields. In early March, the ocean water is allowed into the field for the first time in the season. This water is directed to the fields via a series of canals. The brine flows through the oeillets which vary in number from 30 to 100. The brine settles in the fields for approximately three months before the first harvest. During this time, the salt is allowed to exposed to the sun and wind, allowing water to evaporate. The paludiers test the salt regularly at every oeillet. Analysis performed periodically ensure there are no detectable levels of heavy metals in Celtic Sea Salt.

When I'm pregnant, I have a strong tendency to water retention and a lack of energy. During my last pregnancy, I was able to easily combat both problems in a healthy way by eating traditionally harvested sea salt. I sat down with some raw carrots and a dish of salt, dipping the carrot into the salt to eat it. By the time the carrot was gone, I was full of energy, and never had any edema this time. I highly recommend it as a safe, gentle alternative to many of even the more severe problems of pregnancy, including hypertension, mineral depletion, edema, constipation, and others.

Traditionally harvested sea salt is a food and should be used as such. Because it has a perfect balance of the essential trace minerals and gases the body requires, in cooking or baking use only 2/3 of what the recipe calls for. Always salt to taste. Because it emulsifies oils, chefs have known for centuries that if they add oil alone to food, it becomes ‘greasy’ and indigestible but if salt is added, it breaks the bonds of the oil giving it a wonderful taste and consistency. Sprinkle it lightly over raw fruits and vegetables to aid digestion and mineral absorption. Some dissolve and drink small quantities in a glass of water, fruit or vegetable juice. Instant mineral water!

Medieval reCreationists should also take note of this traditional salt! When civilizations move inland away from the ocean, many solutions are created to solve the salt problem. Some mine it in available areas as rock salt, which is different in every quarry, or bring it in from the sea directly or as kelp and other products. In much of antiquity, elaborate and impossibly long trade routes were established to carry various forms of salt all over the known world. It's one of the reasons that salt was worth it's weight in gold!

In attempting to reCreate dishes of the past, current table salt is completely inadequate to the task. Not only does the simple toxic structure of modern table salt completely change the chemical reactions of the cookery, the added iodine and "free flowing agents" change the flavour. I can always tell when someone uses table salt in cooking or baking. Even sea salt harvested for modern tastes does not have the necessary consistency. Sea salt harvested in the traditional manner has the correct ratio of constituents and is the best ingredient for replicating the taste, texture, and quality of medieval dishes.

Salt is often used in ritual and spell work. It can be for cleansing a space or object, representing the ocean itself, or as a substitute for adding blood potency to the endevour. Since blood has almost the exact same minerals components as sea salt, and is said to taste the same, the only kind of sea salt that should be used in ritual is traditionally harvested sea salt, with its natural and unaltered ratio of minerals. Table salt, as a toxin and chemical, is an abomination. Though for a simple cleansing, modern sea salt could be used in a pinch... Heh.

In my beauty products, nothing but traditionally harvested sea salt will do, of course. The natural composition is far gentler to the skin, and helps the cells regenerate and heal. I blend them with herbs and use them in the bath, in powders, and in salt scrubs to nourish my body, relax my muscles, and balance my skin. You can check out some of my available blends in my shops!

For cooking, baking, bath salts, and beauty treatments, I personally will never use anything other than traditionally harvested sea salt: for myself, my family's, and my clients' health.

Some data from the work of Jacques DeLangre, Ph.D., Biochemist, and ‘the Salt and Grain Society, Inc.’

Abridged version of this article published on Witchvox, March 3, 2013

Natural Acne Solutions



Organic Herbal Steams are fantastic solutions for Acne!

I spent years fighting some of the most serious acne there is. After 10 years of topical Sodium Benzoate, then oral tetracycline, the dermatologist insisted I take Acutane. Otherwise, the threat went, since it was connected to my hormones, I would have it until I hit menopause. I jumped ship on conventional medicine. I do not believe that they have an effective working paradigm for why acne happens.

As just one example, there are many dermatologists who prescribe oral anti-bacterial for treatment. The theory goes that if they kill all the bacteria in your body, surely that will affect the bacteria on your skin that causes acne. But for that to work, you must take them all time, or the bacteria will simply return. It's not an STD. Those bacteria are normally on your face! NO pharmaceutical antibac is supposed to be taken for more than three months. I have never met a dermatologist yet that explained that to me, and they usually expect you to be on whatever toxic product they recommend for you for YEARS. It is a SERIOUS danger that is almost never recognized in these treatments. Acutane is a Vitamin A overdose. It has such incredibly nasty side effects, not only can you not get pregnant, it has the potential to kill you. I never recommend buying a pharmaceutical product that says it's for acne. Unless it's from a health food or natural goods store. And STILL read the labels.

Acne is a mindset, like dealing with any chronic illness, and a focus on reducing or curing it for the longterm is your best defense. Any other kind of thinking contributes to the Cult of Powerlessness.

Let's talk soap, then. Those with acne issues wash their face twice a day or even more. Ordinary drying soap, like nearly all bars, simply drain your face of oil and stimulate the sebaceous glands (they are the oil producers on your face) to create MORE oil. After all, your face is dry, right? It's their job! These soaps are perpetuating the problem. Most liquid castile soaps clean great and don't dry you out. I use Dr. Bronner's, 'cause one can it for so many things, like delicate laundry. And it's very inexpensive for its level of concentration. A bar soap that is used for healing, like oatmeal or comfrey, or aloe, make with all natural non-toxic ingredients (no lye or animal glycerin), can also be very beneficial instead of the harsh and irritating drug store or medicated brands. I also make a soapless washing grains that cleanses, exfoliates, tones the skin, and can be used every wash.

Let's look at bacteria. Do you make sure that you wash your face with a new washcloth each and every time? Even a new corner will work. Look at everything that touches your face. Using a new towel to dry ensures that someone didn't just wash their hands from fixing the plumbing and gets germs on your face towel. Do you replace your pillow cases and bedclothes often? If the collar from your jacket touches your face, try a scarf next to your neck that you can wash. These are great ways to start to get into the mindset that something can be done about your problem. By YOU.

We also touch our faces hundreds of times a day without knowing it, or being about to stop it. Ideally, preventing opportunistic bacteria from taking advantage of this would decrease breakouts. One of the most useful products I've found for this is, believe it or not, the humble deodorant stone. It works by spread a microthin layer of bacterial inhibitor on your skin to prevent underarm bacteria from increasing and subsequently smelling. It can do the same job on your face to inhibit surface bacteria. Wetting and rubbing the stone on your face give you that microthin layer of protection that can also be under your makeup! It also has the added bonus of providing minerals directly to your skin that it needs for healing and balancing.

When your bacteria is under control, to help balance out your overactive sebaceous glands, a mud mask of plain ordinary beauty mud, nothing expensive or with fancy ingredients, once to three times a week, and no more, gives your pores the airing out they need to keep clean and balanced. My washing grains also makes an excellent mask, and used with honey, can help prevent and heal breakouts. It's also less messy and has the added value of healing herbs inbuing your skin!

So. You're cleaning your skin, your facecloths, your pillowcases, microlayering your skin, and mudmasking twice a week. What happens when you get a breakout, or what do you do about the ones you've already got to heal them faster? Tea Tree oil is the one I use personally, but it's not for everyone. It's very harsh straight up and can burn the skin. But I'm used to it, after years of Sodium Benzoate and all. A solution of the oil, or a preparation cream can be helpful. I have also found the glyercine solution of Citricidal to be most efficacious, especially recommended for those who cannot tolerate the Tea Tree well. It's very antibac, is not nearly as harsh, but doesn't have the analgesic quality that Tea Tree has. The humble honey can also be a lifesaver. Honey is anti-bacterial, and can draw out impurities in the skin. Put a dollop on your outbreak and let it soak up the nastiness for at least 15 minutes. Or, if you want to get rid of it in a serious hurry, without having to worry too much about scarring, applying a very hot washcloth or plastic spoon several times to the inflammation runs it through its lifecycle very fast. The end result has to heal as usual, but it doesn't take several days to build up, hurt or burst.

It will take at least six months from the time you start convincing your face that it's now safe to let go on the oil production. But to do that you must take into account the problem of moisture loss. Water is absolutely vital. It not only moisturizes, it is also fundamental to smooth function of all body systems, including removing toxins from the skin. Most of us in Western culture are extremely dehydrated, and used to it! We all need our 5 - 8 glasses of water a day. Coffee is not water, nor is pop, or even tea. All of those are diuretics, and require an equal amount of water to balance them. Every time we have our cup of coffee, we need to balance it out with a cup of water. Although juice and herbal teas are not water, they at least are not dehydrating and do not need to be balanced by an extra glass of water. So have your coffee, but keep your water bottle close at hand!

As well as the water, skin moisture requires oils to keep it from evaporating. If you didn't have the oils, you'd evapotransporate in hours! They are in fact beneficial, and absolutely necessary for you to maintain healthy skin. A round of essential fatty acids produces marvelous results in alleviating much of the condition by helping to nourish and moisturize your skin from the inside. Essential fatty acids will not make you fat, as they are the essential building blocks for all your cells, and are found in many oils. Unrefined flax seed, evening primrose, fish oils, borage, blackcurrent, as well as many others contain the Omega 3, 6, and 9 essential fatty acids in various ratios. Flax seed oil, in pills or liquid, is my favorite. It's cheap, and has all the necessary Omegas, though it's not as high in some to make it ideal. If you use it in liquid, it has to be consumed within 3 weeks. Take with food, and I have never heard of a overdose yet, though it can have a laxative effect. I'm not a fan of evening primrose oil. It's very pricey, and due to it's estrogen relation, can be a depressant for those prone to it. Fish oils, while cheap, contain a form of Vitamin A that can be toxic in high doses.

Allergies may also be a serious issue. Environmental sensitivities often come out in skin. I highly recommend, if you don't already do it, switching ALL of your cleaners, shampoos, detergents, conditioners, soaps, hairsprays, etc., to natural, sulfate and phosphate free brands. These are available at most alternative health or environmental stores. Your skin could be reacting to any number of chemical combinations in your laundry detergent (after all, those protein dissolvers can't distinguish between the protein on your skin and the protein on your clothes), or your shampoo, plus your soap, plus your hairspray... You may experience significant improvement as your skin will no longer have to be burdened with extra chemicals. This goes for makeup, too. If it's all natural, and that is so NOT the Body Shop, it doesn't matter if it's oil based or not. Anything that goes onto your skin, you should be able to eat. Because you ARE eating it. Your skin absorbs everything on it into your system. Which is why....

You may also wish to consider food allergies. I personally like checking for all of the standard ones first, including gluten products, refined sugars, overconsumption of meat products, alcohol and caffeine and other poisons as well. If your system does in fact have reactions to these, it would naturally come out in your skin, as it is one of the four elimination organs in your body, along with the kidney, lung, and bowel groups. If these systems were overtaxed by buildup, your body would try to enlist your skin to help take some of the burden. As this is not something your skin can easily do, it will often react badly, with symptoms of acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, etc. I highly recommend removing many of the above foods, so that your skin can better get on to the business of healing itself, and not have to deal with so much with elimination. So, speaking of toxins...

Some sufferers have told me that cleansing herbs or fasts have done them wonders. Red clover blossom, taken as a tea or pill, is totally idiot proof. Great for first time herb users. Kambuchu was particularly effective in many cases. Dramatic results have sometimes been seen in a week! This is often the case when people are working frequently with toxic chemicals, like hairdressers and mechanics. Or just helping out your skin with a nice toxin removal. There are lots of cleansing options, but Kambuchu shouldn't be used by people sensitive to mold allergies.

And don't forget the hormone issue! Hormones control absolutely everything in your body. When you get stressed, adrenals kick in and affect your biochemistry. When you bleed, estrogens, progesterone, and other hormones flood your system. That's why contraceptives seem to alleviate the condition for some. But they are a lie, in the end. The risks to your body from artificially messing with synthetic hormones is so great that controlling your acne is simply not worth it. And they never cure the condition, anymore than they permanently prevent pregnancy. I have never taken them in my life. If you are convinced that it's a hormone imbalance causing most of your acne troubles, there are many natural HRT at your disposal. Wild yam is an herb that can be taken internally for far cheaper than the makers of the creams would like you to believe. Much of it is rendered useless in your liver, which is why the creams are considered more effective, but enough gets though to help. There are many plant pseudo-estrogens that your body can handle for more readily than the synthetics, such as black cohosh, licorice herb, damina and many others. Your best bet for long term female hormone balancing is Dong Quoi. Take at least a month to see results. It also works with all the other short terms I've already mentioned. Another long terms are vitex or chaste tree berry (best womb toner around) which must be used for at least six months.

This is by no means a comprehensive review, but it should be enough to get most people on the right track. These simple, safe and non-toxic treatments are an excellent way to start.

Please visit my MisticalAcScents Etsy store for organic acne focused products.
http://misticalacscents.etsy.com/

Skin Disorders and Natural Treatments

Organic Natural Home Spa from my shop...

Skin disorders, such as eczema, psoriasis, dry, flaky, scaly, red or irritated skin, are often painful, unsightly, and downright frustrating. They are usually more than a simple rash, and can often last for a long time. Eczema for example is an frequently painful skin condition that often looks like a rash, can be dry or scaly, and can last for many years. In some cases there can even be blisters that weep, ooze, and crust over; a distinctly unpleasant condition to live with. Generally only a dermatologist can give an accurate diagnosis. If you suspect you have a skin condition, I highly recommend a trip to a specialist to be certain. If you already know you have it, don't despair! It may not be something you have to suffer with for the rest of your life. Sufferers had tried many, many treatments to cure their long term skin disorders. I will list, in order of importance, some of the things they found helpful.

First, you may have to figure out what's causing it, and what to do about it. Your most likely options include:

1) moisture loss. Water is absolutely vital. It not only moisturizes, it is also fundamental to smooth function of all body systems, including removing toxins from the skin. Most of us in Western culture are extremely dehydrated, and used to it! We all need our 5 - 8 glasses of water a day. Coffee is not water, nor is pop, or even tea. All of those are diuretics, and require an equal amount of water to balance them. Every time we have our cup of coffee, we need to balance it out with a cup of water. Although juice and herbal teas are not water, they at least are not dehydrating and do not need to be balanced by an extra glass of water. So have your coffee, but keep your water bottle close at hand!
As well as the water, skin moisture requires oils to keep it from evaporating. If you didn't have the oils, you'd evapotransporate in hours! Even if this isn't your only cause, a round of essential fatty acids produces marvelous results in alleviating much of the condition by helping to nourish and moisturize your skin from the inside. Essential fatty acids will not make you fat, as they are the essential building blocks for all your cells, and are found in many oils. Unrefined flax seed, evening primrose, fish oils, borage, blackcurrent, as well as many others contain the Omega 3, 6, and 9 essential fatty acids in various ratios. Flax seed oil, in pills or liquid, is my favorite. It's cheap, and has all the necessary Omegas, though it's not as high in some to make it ideal. If you use it in liquid, it has to be consumed within 3 weeks. Take with food, and I have never heard of a overdose yet, though it can have a laxative effect. I'm not a fan of evening primrose oil. It's very pricey, and due to it's estrogen relation, can be a depressant for those prone to it. Fish oils, while cheap, contain a form of Vitamin A that can be toxic in high doses.

2) allergies. Environmental sensitivities often come out in skin. I highly recommend, if you don't already do it, switching ALL of your cleaners, shampoos, detergents, conditioners, soaps, hairsprays, etc., to natural, sulfate and phosphate free brands. These are available at most alternative health or environmental stores. Your skin could be reacting to any number of chemical combinations in your laundry detergent (after all, those protein dissolvers can't distinguish between the protein on your skin and the protein on your clothes), or your shampoo, plus your soap, plus your hairspray... I know one woman who came to me with a terrible irritation on her torso. It was in a exact line matching where her skin contacted her bra and panties. After she had shown me where it was, I told her it had to be her 'delicates' laundry detergent. Even if that isn't the cause, you may experience significant improvement as your skin will no longer have to be burdened with extra chemicals. A soothing soap such as a natural comfrey and aloe blend can be very beneficial, instead of the harsh and irritating drug store or medicated brands. You may also wish to consider food allergies. I personally like checking for all of the standard ones first, including gluten products, refined sugars, overconsumption of meat products, alcohol and caffeine and other poisons as well. If your system does in fact have reactions to these, it would naturally come out in your skin, as it is one of the four elimination organs in your body, along with the kidney, lung, and bowel groups. If these systems were overtaxed by buildup, your body would try to enlist your skin to help take some of the burden. As this is not something your skin can easily do, it will often react badly, with symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, rashes, etc. I highly recommend removing many of the above foods, so that your skin can better get on to the business of healing itself, and not have to deal with so much with elimination. So, speaking of toxins...

3) toxic buildup. Some sufferers have told me that cleansing herbs or fasts have done them wonders. Kambuchu was particularly effective in many cases. Dramatic results have sometimes been seen in a week! This is often the case when people are working frequently with toxic chemicals, like hairdressers and mechanics. Or just helping out your skin with a nice toxin removal. There are lots of cleansing options, including red clover tea, but Kambuchu shouldn't be used by people sensitive to mold allergies. Which brings us to ..

4) Candida, yeast or fungal infections. Hardly ever explored by dermatologists and yet so common among both men and women, I've seen mysterious decade old cases clear up in a month due to a Candida purge, or topical application of tea tree oil to treat for possible fungal infection. Colloidal silver and propolis can be used both internally and externally for this purpose. GSE and acidophilus yogurt can be used as well. It especially affects those with higher levels of body fat and correspondingly larger amounts of skin and folds, as well as the higher correlation between weight and other forms of candida, such as thrush.

"Candida Intertrigo: This perhaps is the most common form of a Skin Candida infection. It can occur anywhere the skin forms folds, such as the groin, beneath the breasts or between fatty skin folds. In the warm and moist environment common to these areas, the growth of Skin Candida is promoted, leading to the formation of a rash that begins with tiny blisters which rupture and spread the infection.
Eventually, this manifests as a red, moist, macerated rash which is frequently itchy. Besides treating such a rash with anti-fungal therapy, keeping the affected area clean and dry is essential" a
b

If you think this is what it might be, you'll eventually want to do a Candida purge, but for the moment, get yourself to a local food store and pick up some *live culture* organic yogurt. Smear it liberally on the affected area, and eat some too, if you can... If you get some immediate relief, it's a good indicator that this is what you have. You'll need to keep the area as dry as possible when you aren't treating it, so always clean shorts, perhaps lightly dusted with powder, will help. Tea tree can really relieve the pain and itching, but it isn't for everyone. I can handle it directly on my skin, but you may want to put a bit in that cream before applying. You have lots of other options, too...

It's such a simple thing to treat, but since most dermatolgists don't even recognise it, people can suffer for years. Really offends my delicate sensibillites...

This is by no means a comprehensive review, but it should be enough to get most people on the right track. I know it seems hard once you've tried just EVERYTHING from the doctor and nothing seems to work, but I invite you to take a fresh look. If it is you or someone you know suffering, nothing will help more than a positive attitude and a belief that something can be done, and these simple, safe and non-toxic treatments are an excellent way to start!

Please see my MisticalAcScents Etsy shop for many organic, non-toxic, and healing herbal remedies and cosmetics for your skin!
http://misticalacscents.etsy.com/