I wonder if it would help wrinkles and firmness? That's why I began putting coconut oil on my face and hands. And it just feels and smells so great. I also have been making a salt scrub using coconut oil or sesame oil. I use it every day while taking a shower - My skin is feeling much less dry these days - I think maybe I'll try to mix the sesame and the coconut for this purpose. Adding Iodine hmmmm.... I'm going to try it. It's

Then the lemon on my hands for brown spots? I never thought to try that. My daughter has the pigmentation thing on her face - I will be interested to see what happens for you. Keep us posted. If it works I will pass it on to her. So I will try it on my hands too.

Thanks Molly! what a cool idea.

Dear Molly,

I used to have very dry skin too, but now it is moist and soft. I attribute it to drinking what is called "structured water" You can get hexagonal devices and all manner of machines to alter the surface viscosity of water. The highest concentration of structured water is when you are younger and it dissipates as you get older, which explains the condition of your skin. Strucured water is also found at Lourdes. You can do this quite easily at home by freezing water for several hours and then piercing the top layer of ice and drinking the water underneath. The remote people's in Russia used to do that, just defrosting ice and drinking it and as a proportion of the population they experienced higher levels of health even though their diets were poor. Structured water helps your metabolism and elimination of toxins very efficiently as well as passing nutrients more effectively through cell walls. I read about it in the classic "Can We Live to 150 Years" and it has really worked for me. My friend is a Geophysicist and she said it made sense from her understanding of science. Another thing you can do is "dry body brushing" which you use a dry vegetable brush and do circular movements from your extremities to your heart before having a shower, it only takes several minutes and it stimulates the lymph and opens your pores for further elimination. It must be done dry in addition to any other wet mit or loofah that you may use for exfoliation weekly.

Molly + all --

Here is the info on Iodine and skin repair "from the inside out" that I read last winter, which I just located:


http://thyroid.about.com/library/derry/bl2a.htm


an excerpt:

"...even small amounts of Iodine absorbed through the skin can have good effects on body organs. From my own clinical experience, repeated application of Iodine (Lugol’s) to the skin appears to cause regeneration of the skin from the bottom up (Quiescent, stable or stem cell) (3) eventually sloughing the old version of the skin off like a snake molting. If there was a pre-cancerous lesion on the old skin, it is replaced with new skin minus the lesion. There does not seem to be any skin lesions which are not helped or cured by this procedure. In some cases I found clinically obvious low thyroid conditions also needed to be treated to be more effective. Minor lacerations and healing of surgical wounds respond well. If skin regeneration is from the bottom, then there is little or no scar formation.

My parents’ generation tended to put tincture of iodine onto a fresh wound to prevent infection. This turns out to be helpful but not the best way to use it. Besides it stung badly when applied. It is much more effective (and doesn't hurt) to apply iodine repeatedly after a scab has been formed. The iodine put onto the scab helps to organize total repair of the tissue..."

I made up a jar of EVCO/Sesame/Iodine into which I put a lot of iodine (although it still does not stain the skin, although I don't want to reach a point where it does and then not be able to leave the house...!). The nice thing about adding the sesame, in part, is that it seems to keep the EVCO more liquid so you can get a little spoonful out easily (instead of chipping away at a solid block of EVCO and iodine. I have not added enough iodine to itch as Molly describes (maybe that is a healing reaction, too!). (And, last winter I was putting straight iodine on my crow's feet and certain "problem areas" on my skin, which didn't produce itchiness either).

But wanted to say that this stuff is great, too, in the ears and in the nose (on Q-tips, don't answer the door or otherwise see anyone). And it eventually absorbs enough that you can go out without washing or wiping it off. You can also add a little oil of oregano for extra anti-microbial power.

I have not used soap on my face since Wombat and I had a discussion about it here last winter or spring... . (I moved my soap to the tooth-cleaning department!) My skin has never looked better, either. And what a relief not to go through the charade of face-washing every night hoping it would improve things!

Laura