How Dr. Ohhira saved my skin

For months, I was struggling with a cluster of what I thought was tiny pimples on my chin. After 2 weeks of them not going away, I noticed they spread to the other side of my chin. Because I am one of the millions without health insurance, I went straight to the Internet. I did my homework. I googled for hours for all kinds of things that could be causing this breakout on my face. All my life, I have been blessed with nice skin, so I couldn’t understand it. Could it be eczema? Could I have developed rosacea? Is it a bacterial infection? Is it stress? Is it my diet? From looking at pictures and reading detailed descriptions of what others were experiencing, I came to the conclusion that it was Perioral Dermatitis. I did tons of research on how to cure it naturally, at home. I wasn’t about to go to my dermatologist so that she could put me on antibiotics. I read that most docs like to prescribe skin creams containing steroids, because they work, initially. But then your skin condition comes back – and worse. No thanks. So, as I searched for answers, I did everything that was recommended. I switched to fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate free toothpaste. I like Sea Fresh Toothpaste by Jason. I think it works and tastes the best. I started taking Oil of Oregano. It's a natural antibiotic and it’s supposed to destroy organisms that contribute to skin infections and digestive problems. Instead of using any sort of facial moisturizer, I started to slather Nutiva’s Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil all over my face. I switched my cleanser to Epicuren’s Herbal Cleanser and would only wash my face once a day. I switch all of my shampoos and body washes to SLS free. Sometimes if I was feeling really u-g-l-y, I would dab some Tea Tree Oil on my chin. I used Emu Oil because it reduces irritation and inflammation of the skin. I stopped wearing makeup! I even went on a cleanse. I stopped eating eggs, meat, dairy, sugar and anything white. I was taking probiotics called BioK. I made sure to take my fish oil and evening primrose oil, which is believed to be beneficial in the treatment of a wide range of conditions such as  Eczema and  skin irritations like atopic dermatitis. Apparently our body does not produce essential fatty acids, making it important to bring in these nutrients through diet and skin care. 

After all this, I started to notice that my chin was clearing up! YAY! Then one morning, I looked in the mirror. There it was. On my left eye. A cluster of little red bumps right below my lower lash line! NO! This can’t be happening to me! Then I noticed it spread to my right eye. WHAT? Why? In my continuous search for new and amazing beauty products, I came across a soap at one of my favorite grocery stores, Henry’s. It was the most expensive soap on the wall, but it said that it was a probiotic. I figured I would try it. Dr. Ohhira's Probiotic Kampuku Soap. I didn’t dare use a bar soap on my face, but on my body, it was great. When I was done with the bar, I went back to my favorite bar soap, Mountain Ocean Skin Trip Coconut Soap. In the meantime, I was reading one of my favorite websites by Ann Louise of Fat Flush fame. She was discussing cancer causing Cosmetics and Shampoo. She mentioned Dr. Ohhira's soap and how much she loves it for fighting germs. I ran right back out to Henry’s to buy another bar. While I was there, I was talking to a sales associate about Kombucha Tea. I asked if he thought it would clear up the skin around my eyes. He tells me that they carry a soap that people swear by. They use it on their face and it clears everything up. He tells me it’s by Dr. Ohhira. I show him that I already have it in my basket. I go home and wash my face with it that night. It has been three days and I kid you not, these bumps are almost completely cleared up. I am in amazement.

It’s described as a beauty bar with natural plant extracts and essential herbs that leaves skin radiant, supple, and youthful. Not only does this beauty bar keep skin moist but it’s also a deodorant. His soap is free of artificial colors and fragrances, stabilizers, chemicals, preservatives, and I LOVE it! They say it’s ideal for dry or oily skin. I have dry skin. I have seen it retail for anywhere from $9.00 to $12.00 and it's worth every penny. If you suffer at all, learn from my experience. Go out and get yourself this soap. If you do, I would love to know if it worked for you. I will keep you updated on future posts as to it effectiveness.

Product of Japan

Ingredients (Percentage & Purpose)
Fatty Sodium 94.8% - Detergent
Lactic Acid Bacteria Extract (Probiotic)* 4.0% - Humidifying Agent
Mountain Spring Water 0.7% - Solvent
Carame 0.5% - Humidifying Agent

*Ingredients in Lactic Acid Bacteria (Probiotics) Extract. Extract is comprised of natural, wild growing plants hand-harvested from the vast mountain region of the Chugoku district of Japan, seaweed from Japan’s ocean and mountain spring water. Raw ingredients are apricot, mugwort, brown seaweed, oleaster, plum, wild strawberry, mulberry, sea tangle, Chinese bayberry, wild vine, Chinese matrimony, shiitake mushroom, Chinese cabbage and loquat. Raw ingredients are carefully blended, naturally fermented and matured for up to five years.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is about cosmetics and beauty products. This entry contains my own thoughts and opinions, they are not influenced by anyone or any company. It is not intended to endorse any particular products or services, but is intended to share information that I have found useful. It is not a vehicle for communicating the positions of any company, organization or individual other than myself.

CREED Sublime Vanille

While I love the first fragrance in the new CREED collection called Royal Exclusives, CREED Sublime Vanille is not something that I will add to my collection. Yes, it's beautifully bottled in a hand-blown Pochet glass etched with CREED’s famous crest, and is huge at 8.4 ounces, but it's $475, and for me, it's just not justified. The fabric pump is a nice touch, and when not in use, the pump is easily removed and replaced with a multifaceted hand-cut glass stopper that turns the bottle into an art piece. For travel, the glass top can be covered with white Italian leather, secured with a gold cord.

So, there I am, standing at the counter, dousing myself with this juice. I can still hear the Neiman Marcus SA now. "In a week, that price is going up $100." It left such a bad taste in my mouth.

With that said, this smells so delicious. On first whiff, I got the citrus and vanilla. As time passed, the vanilla stayed and the slight musk came through.

It does not have long lasting power which is why I would never drop that much money on it, even if it's a lovely scent. By the time I got home, I asked my husband what he thought. He says, "It smells like baby powder. Nothing special..." Within an hour, there was no trace of it. Such a disappointment.

Top note: Vanilla from climbing orchids of Tahiti, heady Bourbon vanilla of South America.

Middle note: Luscious Tonka bean for profound depth.

Base note: A touch of bergamot orange for a citrus accent with a bracing dab of Calabrian lemon. Rare musk.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is mostly about cosmetics and beauty products. This entry contains my own thoughts and opinions, they are not influenced by anyone or any company. It is not intended to endorse any particular products or services, but is intended to share information that I have found useful. It is not a vehicle for communicating the positions of any company, organization or individual other than myself.

It all started...

When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, beauty was something that stood out in my house.

We can all remember playing in our Mom's makeup drawer, right? I must have really made an impression because at the ripe old age of 12, my Mom bought me my first makeup kit. I will never forget it. It was from Senna. It came with a lip gloss in Platinum Rose. The gloss was in a pot with a mirror. She got me a lip brush to go with it and I thought I was so sophisticated. There was a baby pink blush and a shimmery pink eyeshadow in the kit. It all came neatly packed in a clear zippered bag. Wow, was I lucky.

I can still smell my Mom's Oscar de la Renta that she wore on special occasions. I see her bottle of Chloe sitting on her dresser. I will never forget the Jean Nate that she splashed all over herself after her nighttime bath, before going to bed. I can faintly remember a fragrance making set I received as a gift one year. It smelled generic and child like, which was perfect for me at the time. What did I know? My first real scent was Heaven Sent by Helena Rubinstein. My big brother bought it for me. I remember thinking, he must think I'm all grown up! Love's Baby Soft was added to the repertoire. Anais Anais quickly became a favorite of mine as a young teenager. Of course, as the years went on, my nose became more sophisticated.

I have been getting manicures since I was 9. We had a big family event to go to, and I was treated to my very first manicure. I see children now at the age of 2 getting their fingers and toes painted in nail salons. For me? In 1980, it was a real treat.

and so it begins... The obsession with finding the perfect lip gloss. The irrational decision to buy yet another lip balm. The addiction to body scrub. The all knowing craving for the latest niche scents. The excitement when a new Essie nail polish comes out that I am convinced is slightly different than my go-to color Sugar Daddy. and so it begins...

DISCLAIMER: This blog is about cosmetics and beauty products. This entry contains my own thoughts and opinions, they are not influenced by anyone or any company. It is not intended to endorse any particular products or services, but is intended to share information that I have found useful. It is not a vehicle for communicating the positions of any company, organization or individual other than myself.