Ugh..

It's been quite a skin nightmare for me since Thursday evening. As winter progresses and the air dries my skin out, I've been looking for a good bath product in hopes to keep my skin hydrated and soothed.

I ordered some Melaleuca stuff (see a previous blog re: multi-level marketing companies) because they have a tea tree oil-based bath oil that is supposed to work wonders on dry skin. Well, I got the product in the mail on Thursday but of course the delivery guys left it on the front porch. Everything froze including the Renew bath oil. I let it thaw out though I have to wonder if somehow freezing the product perhaps altered its chemistry...

I hopped in the bath, but of course my evening bath rituals are never so simple. I also added some Masada bath salts (the Woman version with chasteberries, rose geranium, etc). As I began soaking in the tub, my skin did feel instantly better; however, I also noticed a film building up on my skin that I was not fond of. I have this habit of scraping down that film with my fingernails because I love seeing it leave my skin, all those toxins, etc. Well, the majority of this film was not the typical grey but instead a bright white, most likely from the product itself.

I followed this bath with the Renew Lotion. Next thing I knew I woke up ITCHING. All over! OH MY GOD. I haven't itched this bad in YEARS!

Now, add this to yet another factor. I had my ears candled right before Thanksgiving. While I got rid of a lot of wax this way, my ear canals were dried out too much in this winter weather. Within two weeks, perhaps I was sticking my fingers in my ears too much afterwards, but I think I then gave myself an otitis externa infection. I tried the natural stuff (garlic/mullein, tea tree oil/grapefruit, etc), but the pain and itching in my outer ear never let up so I got an rx for Cipro-HC (expensive!!!).

So, with all these factors in mind, I'm either:

a)allergic to ciprofloxacin

b)an idiot for scraping the film off my skin b/c it probably took away the good protective stuff as well

c)an idiot for using an altered product (due to freezing)

d)an idiot for mixing products (though I've never had a problem like this before!)

e)not an idiot, but perhaps sensitive to Melaleuca stuff.

Well, hmmm.....as I sit here itching away, just pray that this will go away sooner than later...

I used a little bit of Nature's Gate oatmeal lotion and Dr. Haushka's moor/lavender oil last night hoping to relieve some of the itching. A little relief but nothing major yet. Here's to one more round of bathing, this time with Dr. Hauska's lavender bath. Wish me luck.

Food, diet, etc....I was reading an interesting article on raw foods dieting. And how that just doesn't fly too well here in Minnesota winters. Sometimes you just HAVE to have warm food in your belly when it's 5 degrees outside! I'm all about eating in season and if that means roasting the squash, I roast the squash!