Stevia: The Miracle Sweetener & How to Use it!

Dried Stevia

"What if there were a natural sweetener that:

Was 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, with minimal aftertaste
Had no calories
Was suitable for diabetics
Appropriate for children
Did not cause cavities
Was heat stable and thus could be used for cooking and baking
Was a great alternative to synthetic sweeteners
Easily blended with other sweeteners, such as honey
And already widely and safely consumed in many countries around the world for decades.

Well, this remarkable, no-calorie sweetener called Stevia is, unfortunately, not a household name. It should be... With the availability of Stevia, there seems to be little reason to use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin."

Humans have used Stevia for centuries with no known side effects. The Japanese and others have been using it commercially to sweeten their treats for decades.  People who have little tolerance for sugar or other sweeteners can use Stevia leaf or Stevia extract. Studies suggest that Stevia has a regulating effect on the pancreas and could help stabilize blood sugar levels in the body, due possibly to its Chromium component, therefore making Stevia a better choice for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia, and those prone to Candida. Traditionally Stevia is indicated as a cardiotonic, anti-gas, and for obesity. Stevia is also used to reduce acidity (heart burn), hypertension, and to lower uric acid levels. Research suggest that Stevia will fight bacteria in the mouth. The sweetening power of Stevia extract is estimated to be 300 times that of sugar. Both leaf and extract may be used in cooking.
　
Diabetes and Hypoglycemia
Scientific research has indicated that Stevia regulates blood sugar levels, bringing it to a normal balance.

Weight Management
Stevia contains 0 calories, making it the ideal sweetener for any weight loss or weight management diets.

Cardiovascular
Studies have also shown that Stevia works as a cardiovascular tonic, lowering high blood pressure.

Bacteria
Stevia inhibits the growth and reproduction of bacteria and other infectious organisms like those that cause colds, flu and dental caries.

Skin care
Applied as a face mask, Stevia smoothes out wrinkles and is effective in healing acne and in treating seborrhea, eczema and dermatitis.

Digestion
Taken as an herbal tea, Stevia improves digestion and gastrointestinal functions and effectively soothes upset stomachs.

Raw Leaf vs. Extract

I have the fresh leaf in my garden, which of course is the cheapest to use.  However, the fresh leaf can't be substituted directly in recipes that require sugar.  I can dry it in the winter, and then powder it, of course, which is still far cheaper than the prepared forms in the health food stores.  Those have a purpose, though, too.  They are standardized, fully prepared and completely water soluble, so it might be worth paying the premium to know exactly how much you need, and not to have to filter all those darn leaves.  Easier to carry around with you to use during the day, too.

So be careful in the recipes below!  Keep in mind which concentration level of the stevia you are using is.  Raw form is of course far less powerful than extract, but the price certainly compensates for that...

Recipes and Suggestions for Use:

For teas, infuse the raw fresh or dried herb as usual in with your other black or herbal leaves.  No need for additional sweetener!

When substituting and experimenting with your stevia in cooking and baking, remember that it has no calories, so it doesn't provide the nutrients needed for rising yeast, for example. The raw or dried leaves can be made into an infusion, filtered, and directly included as the liquid component in recipes using water or milk for most purposes, though. It's far cheaper than the concentrated health food store version, if a bit more of a bother.
How to make herbal infusions:

Get inventive, and send us some of your suggestions!

Easy Ginger Ale

YIELD: 8-OUNCE SERVING

3 ounces ginger syrup (see below)
5 ounces sparkling mineral water
ice cubes

Pour the syrup into a 10-ounce glass and add the ice cubes. Slowly add the sparkling water. Stir and serve. 

Homemade Ginger SyrupYIELD: APPROXIMATELY 4 CUPS

With minimum effort, you can make this flavorful stevia-sweetened syrup to have on hand whenever you're in the mood for a refreshing glass of sparkling ginger ale.

4 cups water
4-or 5-inch piece fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon white Stevia powder
2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
1 tablespoon lemon extract

Peel and finely chop the ginger. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and Stevia, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a heat proof container, and stir in the vanilla and lemon. Covered and refrigerated, this syrup will keep for several days.


Flourless/Sugarless Chocolate Cake (non-vegan)
Ingredients:
14 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS. unsalted butter
10 egg yolks
1 tsp. Stevia
1 TBS. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
10 egg whites
1/2 tsp. Stevia
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Instructions:

Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler, or in microwave. Set aside to cool slightly. Beat yolks and the Stevia until smooth; stir in vanilla and lemon juice. Blend in chocolate mixture. Beat egg whites in large mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 tsp. Stevia, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir 1 cup whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into a 10 or 12-inch pan which has been greased and floured and lined with wax paper. Bake in a preheated over at 250 F for 2 1/2 hours. Cool COMPLETELY on a rack before removing from pan. Serve with whipped cream.


Grandma’s Apple Pie
Yields a 9 inch pie

Pastry for a 9 inch, 2 crust pie
6 cups peeled and thinly sliced pie apples
1 or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Stevia Extract Powder
2 to 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of cloves or allspice
2 tablespoons butter

Fit bottom pastry into a pie dish. In a large mixing bowl sprinkle lemon juice over apples and stir to mix. Using a cup or small bowl stir together Stevia, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves or allspice. Sprinkle spice mixture over apples and carefully stir to coat apples. Pile apples into crust. Dot with butter.

With water, moisten the outer rim of the lower crust. Place upper crust on pie and crimp edges together. Slit top of pie to allow steam to escape. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Aluminum foil can be placed over the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Cool on a rack, cover and leave at room temperature overnight or refrigerate if you like. This pie is delicious at any temperature.


Pesto SauceYields 1 cup sauce

This unique herbal sauce freezes well for later use. Goes on sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes or by itself on bread or crackers.

1/2 cup parsley leaves, stems removed
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil (olive oil if you prefer)
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Green Stevia Powder
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or Parmesan style soy cheese

Process in a blender the parsley, garlic, oil, salt and Stevia. Push down the sauce with a rubber spatula as needed. Add remaining ingredients and blend. The sauce need not be entirely smooth. Refrigerate in a covered jar.


Stevia face masque/ Stevia liquid
Ingredients:

Green Stevia powder

Instructions:

Brew like tea. Mix residue with extra virgin olive oil. I keep it in the fridge. When this is smoothed on the skin, it is like a cool breeze blowing on your face. Let it dry. When it has dried, rinse off. Your face will feel sooooo smooth and soft. Took 5 years off my face, even a friend noticed how relaxed I looked!! Nothing like "recycling" your Stevia leaf. Extra paste can also be stored in the fridge for two or three days.


Lemon Ice Cream Sweet cream with a lemon zing.Yields 6 servings

1/2 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder OR 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Green Stevia Powder
1 cup milk, skim or whole
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine Stevia, milk, and cream in a small, deep mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve Stevia. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 or 2 hours until solid around the edges.

Remove from freezer. Add lemon juice and extract. Beat thoroughly and replace the plastic wrap. Return to freezer.

After 2 hours beat again. Freeze some more until consistency is firm but still soft enough to dip. This entire process requires about 6 hours and very little effort.

For leftovers, remove from freezer about 1/2 hour before serving to allow for softening. Whip again if desired.

Variations:

The amount of Stevia and lemon extract can be varied according to taste. Equal amounts of lemon extract and vanilla extract can be use.

Vegan: In place of dairy milk use soy milk.

Vegan Noggin
2 10 oz pkgs. silken tofu
16 oz vanilla soymilk
1 TBS. plus 1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 to 1 cup brandy or rum
nutmeg to taste

Combine everything except nutmeg in blender; blend 'til smooth. Serve chilled and dusted with nutmeg.

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/

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/