I have this memory of when I was a kid. I don’t know what was up with my feet, but I had a lot of broken and loose skin all over my feet and toes.
Just so you know what I’m talking about… it’s kind of like if you get a callous, or you rub your skin on your hands or feet too vigorously on something, and the top layer of skin can painlessly become loose. It’s still party attached to your skin, but there’s an edge just hanging there… opaque and just begging to be ripped off or picked at?
Do you know what I’m talking about?
Well anyway, when I was a kid, I had a lot of this loose skin all over my toes. I don’t remember how or why, just that it was there.
Now, it really wasn’t a big deal in most cases. In fact, when my feet were dry, you couldn’t notice this loose skin because it just blended in. However, when my feet got wet, my toes looked pretty dang gross – covered in loose, white, soppy, wet, dead skin.
I have this very distinct memory of being in the shower room after swimming lessons and being very embarrassed about my toes.
What was the obvious reaction to this? Try and pick the dead skin off, of course.
Seems logical, don’t you think? After all, it’s just hanging there looking like it’s only goal in life is to be free of my foot.
Sadly, this never worked. The more I tried to get rid of it by picking it off, the worse it got, and the more embarrassed I became at swimming lessons. But I kept doing it, hoping that one day, things would magically turn out differently and the dead skin would disappear.
One day I decided maybe I should just give up. So I decided that, as profoundly tempting as it was to rip off the loose skin, I just wouldn’t do it anymore.
Not surprisingly, that’s when the problem cleared up and I was asked to sign a lucrative contract as a child foot model. Just kidding, but really – the dead skin went away and finally my feet looked normal when sopping wet at the swimming pool! No more shame!
So, it’s also not surprising that when my acne was really severe, it took a huge leap forward toward clearness when I finally decided to stop picking and popping my pimples and just left my skin alone.
Later on when my skin was mostly clear, I was still getting a few pimples on my temple area. Because this area was not in my immediate line of radar when I looked at my skin in the mirror, I wasn’t AS concerned with having pimples there as, say, right in the middle of my forehead, cheek, or chin. So I wasn’t as conscious about these spots, and would pick at them mindlessly while on the computer or sitting on the couch.
Even though these spots didn’t cause me a huge deal of grief, I did still wish they would take a hike. But they just kept on coming. That is until I decided to make a concerted effort to completely stop picking at the area. And guess what? That’s when my temples became a pimple free area!
Later on, I took this whole concept of “leaving your skin alone” to the extreme, and embarked on the caveman regimen, where you don’t put anything at all on your skin. That means no products at all, and no washing your face. It’s the ultimate in irritation reduction. I did it as an experiment, but I’m still doing it more than a year later since it worked so well.
Doing this managed to give my skin another leap toward reducing acne. Not to mention it’s the easiest skin care regimen ever.
Anyway, my point?
We spend so much time fighting with our skin. When we feel anxious about the state of it, the natural reaction is to want to do something about it in order to push that anxiety away. But maybe the best option is to just put the fingers down and let your skin work itself out on its own. So far all of my experiences point to this being true.
However, I know that a lot of people have an extremely difficult time resisting the urge to poke, prod, and pick, and find it a practically impossible prospect to just leave your skin alone. If you need help to finally stop so you can give your skin the best chance to heal, I have an ebook available called Cure Your Skin Compulsions: The Ultimate Guide to Quitting Skin Picking, Popping, Touching, and Obsessing. It has a step by step procedure for quitting so that you can definitely succeed.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szb9tabnU4A
Get Cure Your Skin Compulsions now and quit picking, popping, touching, and obsessing for good!
84 Responses
I like that, we spend so much time fighting with our skin, and it only makes things worse! It’s a great lesson about war! Starting a war that we blame the skin for starting! But if we just leave our skin alone, the skin is happier and we are happier 🙂
My friends always asked me why I didn’t pick my skin whenever I had a pimple in high school, they said they constantly picked their skin and almost made me feel shameful for not “caring” about my skin/appearance. But I always said that my body is smart, is doing it for a reason and I don’t like to interfere. It wasn’t until a couple of months ago when I got a cluster of white heads on my jaw that I decided to squeeze them all out, then my entire face exploded with cystic acne!!! SO I was right the whole time, and I feel bad for listening to silly people and not my own intuition. But because of this experience I found this site and switched to a more natural skin care routine 🙂 I like it here.
I picked everything on my face from 12 to 20, when I went on my first round of Accutane and was scared to death by the possibility of scarring on the drug. When I relapsed several months after my course (much less severely) I quickly realized something – one single spot was almost NEVER a big deal until I squeezed it and it swelled/scabbed. That was what made a spot the focus of my whole face. Very occasionally, I still slip up, and I’m ALWAYS sorry because it makes the spot so much more angry and visible. I’m now on a water-only, no picking, minimal makeup routine, and it makes a huge difference. Quit picking!!!
P.S. I also quit using a loofah on my body and exfoliating/moisturizing my knuckles, elbows, dry patches, etc. I use only simple, all-natural soap when I need it. And my skin has never been better. I really believe our bodies know exactly what to do – we just have to get healthy to allow it to.
It’s the same for me! I have not used soap/body wash on my body for more than a year now(I still use handsoap and facial wash once a day, though) and my body skin is so much better. I used to get some whiteheads on my chest area and back, but now there’s basically none. It wasn’t like bacne, it was just some bumps, but now there aren’t any.
The initial reason for that was a skin irritation in my armpits for which I had to stop using soap and deodorant. I still don’t use the average deodorant anymore and notice my sweat decreasing and not smelling bad, just saying – we don’t need those chemicals! 🙂
Tracy I’m so happy you did on an update on the caveman routine, I was wondering if you were still on it.
This could be the best skin care advice ever that the skin care companies don’t want you to hear. My skin wasn’t that bad and then I came across so many different products and thought it’d look better but focusing on it only made it worse. I’ve regretted every pimple I popped.
This makes so much sense because I look at my bf’s skin and its beautiful and he does NOTHING for it besides wash it with a simple soap. I do adore my jojoba oil so I may just stick with that.
I am beyond guilty of this and I am now in my 30s! My face is awful, thanks to PCOS. I did quit picking for a week or so and yes it did look a lot better, but then all it takes is one thing (such as owing a lot of money on my taxes to the IRS) to set me off and my stress spikes and I get out the mirror, put it in the sunlight and go to town. What is left is tons of marks, red, bleeding skin, scabs, etc. It’s so not worth it. I am hoping I get better and just learn to leave my skin alone!! I know it will thank me when that day comes.
Hey Rachel,
I feel the same way! It’s like when I am not stressed its good but as soon as something comes up – time to numb myself with picking. Its awful! but we can stop it! As soon as I become stressed I take deep breaths until I come back to the present and if I go to my face I am trying to say NO, be forceful and controlling over those compulsive feelings, then transform it. Taking a walk helps me, or going outside. Then it centers me and brings me back to my goals.
Rachel – I had TERRIBLE skin because of PCOS. Absolutely nothing worked to ease it or to make my skin less oily. It was slowly taking over my life and I felt so, so miserable. Over Christmas, when I was visiting my parents, I forgot my facewash (horror!!). My mum gave me some manuka honey to use and I have never looked back. It is amazing. My nutritionist also gave me Vitex and DIM to combat my whacky hormones and my acne has finally, FINALLY, started to stop. I’m left with a bit of scarring but I’m going to carry on with the manuka and try MSM cream (which I’ve read about on this blog). I would really encourage you to try Vitex and DIM.
Btw, are you still on vitex and DIM? How did it go for you?
I started doing vitex after coming off birth control and starting DIM about 2 weeks after that.
I did however notice that my acne decreased right after quitting birth control, yes, MY FACE IS BETTER AFTER QUITTING BIRTH CONTROL!!! Just saying that to people who are afraid of getting off of it!
I no longer have any pimples around my chin after almost a year of cystic acne there. However, I now have pimples on one of my cheeks mostly side, but I think it’s old stuff coming to the surface, because it’s been off and on there for a very long period of time. It might be just infected hair follicles.
I am taking vitex and dim now hoping of getting period again and hopefully not getting it real painful, when I do.
No hat, no necklace, and you look lovely as ever! 🙂 I just want you to know, from my objective perspective, you look no younger without your security items. Besides, I like being able to see your whole pretty face in your videos!
On another note, I have now been “product free” for a month. No soaps, no antibiotics, no birth control, no moisturizers, no BP – just honey, cinnamon, jojoba, and the old “no poo” method for my hair. The first week was awesome, but the next two weeks were hell. I broke out with white heads, both little and big, EVERYWHERE. I mean, my entire face was covered in them. And to top it off, my hair was always either looking greasy or dry. BUT it has all calmed down. I still have a stubborn little area of white heads around my hair line though and ya know what? It’s probably because I’ve been picking at them! So my next step is to stop fussing with them completely! Glad for the timing of this post, as I needed some one to tell me to stop. As always, loving reading your articles and watching your videos. Thanks, Tracy!
So are they starting to clear up now? Do you think they all come up because they are all healing? So when things come to head is this a good thing?
They are definitely clearing up. I only have a little patch on the left side of my forehead near my hairline and I really think it’s because: a. I wasn’t putting honey near my hair when cleansing. and b. I was still trying to “pop” them in that area!
One note about my acne before – it was everywhere except for my forehead. That’s part of how I knew my skin was probably purging and it would get better. I didn’t attempt to pop of them and they’d clear up in a couple of days. Of course at that stage they were almost immediately replaced by others, but not anymore! If any came to a big white head (like… to be popped) I’d use a little bit of vinegar on a q-tip to “scrub” it gently, removing the head and disinfecting, then I’d dab a bit of honey on it and just leave it on over night. It’d be virtually nonexistent by morning.
Hope this helps!
What kind of vinegar? Apple cider vinegar?
Also, how do you use jojoba oil? Like a moisturizer just leaving it on?
LOL! I shouldn’t have said that, now everyone is going to think I’m being insecure when I want to wear my favourite hat hahah.
But it is funny, after I made that video, I don’t feel as much like I need it and have been more willing to go without it. But then again, maybe it’s because my hair has finally grown out to the point where it can be styled better + it’s Spring so my head isn’t as cold! hahah
But anyway….. thanks 🙂 And good luck on quitting the picking!! love x
Tracy – that’s awesome that the caveman regimen is working so well for you! I’ve been doing a water-only washing regimen for the past few months on my face after deciding to completely stop the BP regimen on my forehead (I’m nearly off of BP completely!). My skin/acne was fine for a while but then began to get progressively worse and my skin was getting more and more oily. Then I re-read your article about banishing oily skin forever and realized that the water I had been using on my face was in the pretty warm to hot range. Starting a couple of weeks ago, I have been washing my face only with water in the lukewarm to cold range. My acne has only been getting better since then and my skin is noticeably less oily. Just wanted to share this positive experience with others who might find it helpful. Cheers!
I had the same skin issues with my feet as a child. My 12 yr old son does now, as well. I think it might be part of being a kid. Anyway, wanted to let you know that I found your blog back in August 2012 when I was 49 (I’m 50 now,can’t believe it!). I have followed the caveman lifestyle and my skin on my face has never looked so good. I have had acne since I was 14. I still get a few, very small zits, but I’m so happy with the reults of completely leaving my skin alone. I do still wear foundation and wash it off gently with that Jane Iredale wash cloth that I learned about from one of your blogs.
That’s awesome Linda!! So happy for you 😀
Does your son pick at it the skin on his toes? Tell him to leave it alone hehe
Thanks everyone for your comments. I am still working on kicking the whole picking habit and yes I am a sucker for hot water even though I know how bad it is for my skin. I have lots of blackheads that have been growing and coming up in places they always did but now that I am not picking them they seem huge. Should I be leaving everything? Will the blackheads and all the other stuff come out on their own? exfoliating them isn’t a good idea?
And with the caveman regime – what about the dirt and grime from your face touching things during the day (dirty air, pillows, blankets, hats, scarves, clothing, other people, etc)??
Hi Sarisol,
It seems the whole caveman journey is different for everyone. Some people it works for, some it really doesn’t, but it’s hard to say why in each case. Many people don’t seem to see a resolution of blackhead from the caveman alone, but perhaps when coupled with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
If you don’t want to do full caveman, you can always try this blackhead trick: https://thelovevitamin.com/8823/cheap-easy-natural-blackhead-solution/
As for dirt and grime touching your face…. I don’t know. Yes it seems counter intuitive to what we’ve always been told about dirt causing acne, but … you just have to let that go I guess, because for some reason it works. I never worry about dirt and grime touching my face. Most of the time it’s not really dirt, just what we are imagining in our heads is coming off onto our faces.
Besides, once you do the caveman for a while, the point is that the skin builds up it’s own protective barrier to keep dirt and bacteria out and keep your skin healthy
I’ve always had a picking problem; although, now I am more conscious about how bad it is that I try hard to not do it. However, I still do it and its mainly because of the painful blemishes, If it hurts then that’s why I pick at it 🙁
Also, do you still use jojoba oil Tracy? A while back you said you used it a bit, while on caveman, to fix some congestion.
I am really nervous about doing the caveman (maybe when its summer break and I dont have to worry about going out to classes)
I still use it when I remember to rub a little into my forehead, but not every day. I know the caveman is scary!! I was terrified when I first tried it
I have been trying the caveman regimen for about a month now with the very occasional dampening, or eye make up removal with a micro fibre cloth. I think it is helping. My skin seems to have a healthier colour at least. I do try not to pick but I tend to get the odd one or two absolutely huge white/greeney, yellow headed very painful spots that come up in big lumps and change the whole shape of my face (sorry if that’s too much info!) sometimes I find if I don’t squeeze these ones when they come to a head they stick around for ages. Plus it’s pretty embarrasing! Does anyone have any insight as to what could be causing these kind of spots? I’m taking 4 tablets of Estro blocks a day as well which I think might be helping. I was taking 3 but didn’t notice much of a difference. I have done some liver flushes as well. The rest of my face is kind of random. Sometimes it looks pretty good and sometimes every little mark from every old spot flares up bright red again or gets a white head and I look terrible.
Thank you Tracy for everything you do. You give me a bit of hope that I’ll get to the bottom of it one day x
I think with the big ones that hang around forever and just won’t go away until you pop them…. it’s a grey area. Sometimes it really is just better to get them out. However, most people pop and pick at anything, or squeeze things terribly before they are ready, or don’t give them a chance to heal on their own, and just do it so compulsively. If you pop it with very careful contemplation…. then…. so be it!
I had only one of the big ones that you speak of when I was going natural. It was on my chin and it was ginormous and very painful. I gave it almost 2 full weeks until I couldn’t take it anymore and it took barely any pressure to pop. I’d recommend giving it the tiniest big of pressure and if it doesn’t pop, leave it be. When it’s ready it won’t take much. After popping – make sure you clean it with some vinegar or something and cover it with a dab of raw honey to help it to heal. That’s exactly what I did and it was literally vanished within two days of popping it that one time. Good luck to you! (ps. this may be tmi and I know it’s totally gross, but mine stunk! (I had NEVER had that happen before) So it’s likely that bacteria was building for a long time – so be sure to clean it well!)
Opps, this was meant for Frances! 🙂
I don’t think I’m a compulsive picker, I’m pretty good at leaving the small ones, and even the medium ones, alone. Sometimes the massive ones just have to go though. Hopefully I will get them less frequently as time goes by. Thanks for the tip Kait. I will try it next time. Tracy, can I ask how long you had to take the high dose of Estroblock before you were able to cut down a bit and what did you take as the signs that you could take less? Also are you still taking a low dose now or did you stop completely?
Actually I’m still taking three a day unfortunately. I did try to drop down to two for a while, but I started getting one kinda pretty big pimple right before my period each time. Not a BIG deal, since it’s like the only spot I get all month, but I decided to go back to three to see if it would fix that. My pre-menstrual time is not here yet this month so we’ll see what happens. If it doesn’t sort it out, it’s probably because I’ve gone through a few periods of fairly unhealthy eating over the last few months
I too am doing the full no water 30 day caveman. I had actually been doing a no water caveman and washing on the 7th day for about 3 months. I think the problem was that I was really irritating my skin at the end of the week which caused new white heads to form and the apparent redness. Now I am at the two week mark and the visual quantity of dead skin has barely changed from the 7th day. I think giving it the extra time without irritation is key.
Also, I had mild dandruff and itchy scalp for a while so I figured try it out with my hair as well. I plan to not wash my hair for the full month as well, giving it a chance to balance itself out as well. After all, its skin like the rest of the body which renews itself in one months time. I occasionally use a hair brush to work around my bed head and today I used a fine tooth comb and wet it to collect any flakes. I will update in two weeks for anyone that is interested.
Wow YOU ARE SO PRETTY. MY GOD!
Why thank you 🙂
Hi Tracy – I just have a question caveman/no face washing routine. What do you think of olive oil to use to moisturize? I just started 2 days ago, and my skin just has so much dryness which may help the breakouts, but I just don’t want to get any wrinkles (which is why I’ve gotten so hooked on moisturizing, hence the breakouts); however, I’ve found extra-virgin olive oil to be non-clogging and even somewhat healing. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
I would say maybe consider giving it some time to see if your skin balances itself out on its own and starts producing a normal amount of sebum to moisturize your face. But if you don’t want to, or maybe if you live in a super dry climate, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing to use a bit of oil to moisturize while on the caveman. Dry skin isn’t necessarily a good thing for acne. Sounds like olive oil works well for you, so I would say definitely try to combine it a no wash regimen. just rub a little bit on when your skin feels dry. I sometimes do this with jojoba… I don’t wash my face or do anything, just rub a tiny bit into my forehead every few days
This is exactly the info I was looking for. Knowing this, I think I will definitley go forward with the caveman. Thank you so much Tracy!
PS: Have you ever had any good experiences with pure Vitamin E oil? I get it at the drug store, but there’s nothing mixed in at all: just pure tochopheral acetate (sp?) I’ve also had some good luck with using this as well. For some reason, it doesn’t clog up my pores as much as say, cocoa or shea butter does, although it is quite sticky and can make you look shiny. The jojoba sounds good too; might give that a try one day.
Thanks again for your response… have a great day!
I don’t know. They say Vitamin E oil can be pore clogging because the molecules are kinda big. But I don’t know. Everyone is so different and responds to things so differently, if it works for you, then it works for you! Its supposed to be great for scars
What do you think of Wild Rose oil? I’ve heard it’s also very good for scarring.
Because I am doing the caveman (well partial-caveman. I have to use a medication on my face from my holistic doc because I have candida in my follicles :/), I have seen real improvement but when I get large flakes of skin on my face I use tweezers to get them off. I don’t actually touch my face, but would you still say this is not recommended?
I don’t think that’s a big deal!
Hi Tracy-
I was wondering if you had any insight for my situation. I was on BP (proactiv) for 8 years and recently weaned off. I’ve been off completely since January. I went right into the caveman after I quit. It seemed to go ok at first but about 6 weeks after I quit my face broke out all over, pretty badly. The dead skin build up was crazy too. My face felt extremely dry and rough. So I started to use gentle products on my face to wash 2x a day and have been using some moisturizers with healing ingredients. Now the breakouts only seem to be in areas where I have longer peach fuzz on my face, the sides of my forehead, the sides of my face (beard line), and my jaw line. I don’t break out on my upper cheeks, mid-chin, or the middle of my forehead. Have you ever heard of acne that only occurs in the areas with longer peach fuzz? Also, since quitting BP my face isn’t oily at all, it is more dry. Could it be that my skin just needs time to rebuild itself after quitting BP? Thank you so much. Your blog makes me hopeful that my skin will clear eventually since yours did after using BP.
Hi Tiffany,
I can’t say anything definitive, but it is pretty normal to have post-BP skin freak outs and will need some time to repair itself. I’m not really sure what to suggest. If things are starting to improve with what you’ve done, I say give it a while longer and see if the rest of the acne goes
Hi,
The caveman works for me as well, and I think it has to do with the acid mantle, skins natural oils, the level of the skins oils and not irritating it. I would advise people to gently get rid of excess skin or splash a handful of cold water on the skin once a day, nothing more. When I first started this my skin looked better, but that skin mask was terrible, so what I did was splashed cold water on my skin, let it air dry, then removed any of the obvious dry skin flakes. I still do this but it’s not as often as I use to.
I also take cool showers, usually 1-2 mins a day, really short and sweet. I don’t use chemicals on my skin, only sea salt to wash my hair, and I never let the water touch my face. I’ve noticed large improvements…I think sodium laural sulfates (soap) causes damage by removing the skin natural oil barrier and acid mantle. Fluoride could also be a culprit for me as well, the only thing I can do for that (yes I’ve read the E-book on it) is reduce my exposure to it. Overall my skin is doing much better, my skin is relaxed and I don’t feel bothered by it. Things that are bad for my skin include: hot water, soap or chemicals, and anything that takes away from the natural state of the acid mantle. Diet and lifestyle are also big contributors.
Keep up the good work!
MJ
Nice, thanks for sharing your experience with it MJ!
Hi Tracy,
Thank you so much for your wonderful website and videos! I’ve been progressively changing my life to a more simple and healthier one for many years now, and it’s shows, especially through my skin. I have my jojoba oil and I’m ready to try the caveman, and am very excited about it. I never had severe acne, but I always had pimples. During my quest I’ve noticed that the less ingredients and less products I used on my skin the better it looked. This is definitely the next step and it makes so much sense! For me it also helped to really focus on cutting back on sugar.
I know we can do the caveman for the rest of our body too, but what do you use to wash those oh so important and sensitive parts of the body? I’ve had a really hard time finding posts about what people use to wash their body since everyone is more concerned about their face. I want to be healthy from head to toe 😉
Thanks again, your fellow Canadian
Hi Tara,
I have only ever used water to wash the sensitive bits even long before I ever got into being healthy. I had read in magazines that using soap on it can change the PH and cause infection, and, well, that didn’t sound very good, so I never put soap directly on it. It’s like how they say not to ever use douches because it just mucks everything up. Like your skin, I guess the vagina knows what to do! It’s self cleaning! Mine’s been doing the caveman since 1999 😉 Also, as for body soap, I shave (sometimes), so I use dr bronner’s soap as a kind of “shaving cream”, but when I don’t shave, I only use water to get clean.
I don’t use any body wash at all, been doing that for more than a year and it’s never been better! I still sometimes use special soap for those parts after intercourse if I feel like it, but I guess, it’s up to you.
I am going through this stressful phase in my life that i just cant find anyone to share it with. My close friends all got their own problems and some are even suicidal so they came to me for help and i was just never able to bring myself to cause them more burden by telling them what im struggling with. And hence with all these built up stress inside, i took it all out on my face, squeezing, popping, and its getting progressively more compulsive and hard to quit. Yesterday i looked into the mirror and i was horrified at what i have inflicted upon myself.
I guess my habit started due to the fact that im living in a big family where everyone except is blessed with perfectly clear skin. I always felt alone and embarrassed for not having good skin and in attempt to achieve that, i kept on picking and prodding. Now the pressure from school work and other life situations added in and i am just a big mess. Im glad i found this blog and im reading all these comments that i can identify with. I am determined to kick this bad habit, give myself a break from all the time i wasted standing in front of the mirror and hating all the blemishes i have on my face. Thank you thelovevitamine!
We’re here for you Hailey. Lots of love on your journey of healing 🙂
Was doing pretty well with the less is more approach but got a whitehead and decided to pop it and start using a bit of BP. Well, I’ve had a bunch of pimples since then over the last two weeks.
Sad to say as I had a decent acid mantle going and now I have red marks and some scabs. When I pop I do try to use a tiny needle cleaned with alcohol but I hope I haven’t damaged pores. Of course the red marks take a long time to fade and after a decade of this it just sucks. I’m gonna try the less is more approach again. It’s so much easier though when you’re not getting new pimples.
True story: the big boss passed by my desk to give me a compliment (which is rare) at that moment a pimple right under my nose was oozing wonderful white pus. I saw him focusing on it, I could feel something was going on. After he left I headed for the bathroom, squeezed it and applied some BP I had. Just all part of what some of us go through. People don’t understand why I have to cancel going to certain things or avoid contact but there you go. It’s a hard way to live.
I know what you mean. But recently I’ve been trying to be okay with my skin. I was on a trip with my friends and didn’t wear any makeup on my skin for 4 days( I had a big, red pimple on my cheek) and was somehow okay with that. I didn’t think about it at all, it felt liberating 🙂
Hey, Tracey!!! Hope all is well in your world!! Kudos on the recent topics they’ve been good reads and good info.
I have a quick question, I think I’ve heard you mention it in things before (maybe haha) but have you ever had acupuncture done? I’ve been looking into it and have considered it for my acne and overall health. Thoughts? Thanks, Tracey!!
Hi Trish,
I have not had acupuncture done but I have always wanted to and think it’s pretty cool. I have heard of many readers getting it done and saying it helps. I say give it a shot!
Hi Tracy, I love your website! Just wondering, with this “cave regimen” thing, does leaving your skin alone include not putting makeup on? Thanks 🙂
Basically, yes. Although if I happen to get a pimple, I will put a small dot of makeup just on the pimple to cover it up (and not wash it off), and that is fine for me, but no makeup spread over the face or part of the face
Hi Tracy,
I have moderate acne and have been washing my face with only water and using no moisturizer for a week now. I am wondering if the caveman regimen would be an even better route for me. It is hard to say if the water regimen is working yet. I only break out on my forhead and chin. I just spot cover my zits for work with concealer and use all natural make up wipes at night before I rinse with water. Do you think my face would benefit more if I just switch to the caveman regimen?
What did you originally use on your face to get rid of the severe acne in the before and after picture?
Hey Tracey,
Unfortunately I can’t really say what will work best for you because everyone is very different – you will need to experiment and see what works for your skin type! I used honey to wash my face, jojoba oil to moisturize, and I’d use aloe vera gel too at night for the red marks
Did the aloe vera help the red marks? I have aloe vera plant in my house, maybe it’s time I make a good use of it 🙂
Yeah I used to use aloe vera to try and subside the red marks from my severe acne… seemed to work 🙂
I’m curious for those who use honey to cleanse their faces: how do you do it? Doesn’t it get really sticky and messy everywhere? I’ve wondered about this for a while now.
It’s actually not as messy as it sounds! You just gently rub it around your face like a normal cleanser and wash it off.. it doesn’t get everywhere 😀
Hi Tracy,
What’s your view on spot-treatments and do they count as “picking”? I do my best to leave my pimples alone, but sometimes when I am putting some aloe vera on them with a Q-tip, for example, I will accidentally remove a scab or a whitehead (pustule? I hate the names!). Just wondering if you would recommend avoiding spot-treatments entirely….
Hi Emily – no I wouldn’t say avoid spot treatment, unless it ends up being more harmful than beneficial! But you have to make that call. If you accidentally remove a scab or white head, it’s probably not the end of the world. But if spot treating habitually leads you to active picking, then it might not be worth it
Hey Tracy,
How long should I expect the results from just leaving my face completely untouched. Better question, how long did it take you to go from severe acne to almost clear? Thanks!
It’s hard to say, that’s going to be different for everyone! For me, it took about three months to get from severe acne down to none/very mild, but of course I was doing other things as well. It’s just that I remember a significant improvement quite rapidly after making the decision to stop picking and popping my skin. But I don’t remember the exact timeline of that, sorry.
Hello Gorgeous!
First I want to say I am blessed that I came across your blog. I’ve been hooked on it, a little obsessive actually, lol. **warning this may be a bit long** 🙂 I’m a 26 year old esthetician and have always been interested in skin due to having acne at such a young age and having dealt with it off and on over the years. I remember times in middle school and high school where I wouldn’t go to school because I was terrified of what people would say to me. Of course no one ever did but in my head I thought they would. Looking back when my acne was worse, I truly believe it was due to using too many chemicals on my face and picking at my skin. Times in my life when I was more gentle and used less products I remember my skin either being clear or not that bad other than a few pimples here and there. The holistic way of treating your skin and your body as a whole is something I’ve kind of read here and there but have never done a lot of research on it like I have been the last few weeks. I also bought and started reading Ultimate Secrets to Acne Freedom. So my skin was clear from 19-25 with times here and there where I would get pimples but just normal ones, nothing cystic and they never bothered me or made me feel unconfident and I just used Cetaphil cleanser and SPF moisturizer. When I started to go to beauty school and we started doing facials on each other is the beginning of my skin problems since being in high school. Even through 2 pregnancies, going back and forth from eating vegan to eating meats and dairy, etc. Anyway, (trying to make this as short as possible)I started getting congestion in my skin and immediately I freaked out and my teachers kept suggesting different products to use on my skin. So of course I listened and my skin just got progressively worse. After graduating I tried going the all natural route but didn’t do a ton of research. I was using Dr. Bronner’s lavender castile soap, organic apple cider vinegar as toner and coconut oil to moisturize…my congestion got worse and this was the beginning of random more deeper/cystic acne on my cheeks, jawline and chin. Than I said F it several months ago, I’m going to see an esthetician and get their opinion. I went through 2 different esthi’s and went through Dermalogica and Jan Marini products and my skin just got worse. More deeper acne here and there, at least one or 2 every two weeks and still congestion all in my cheeks mainly. Forward to now, 2 weeks ago I said I’m going to start the caveman (not fully) even though I was TERRIFIED and still am. My guts telling me that it’s the chemicals and picking that caused all the congestion and deeper pimples. Since starting I haven’t had any deep acne but still a TON of congestion which killlllllllllssssss my confidence. I’ve been so anti-social and self conscious for like a year now and I HATE THIS FEELING! Most depressed I’ve ever been (along with dealing with going through a divorce). I’ve been wearing Jane Iredale mineral makeup in the morning to cover my several scars on my cheeks and chin for work but the last couple of days I’ve just been using a dab of Jane’s concealer just on the scars instead of mineral powder on my whole face which is something I’d NEVER do! I haven’t been washing my face in the morning but at night I splash my face with water several times and pat dry. I’m just worried I’m not taking all the makeup off which may cause more congestion even though I haven’t noticed more. My face feels a bit dry and looks dry especially in my cheek area but overall feels more balanced than it has this whole year and is starting to look healthier. If it wasn’t for the congestion I’d be soooo happy. I’ve also noticed areas where I have scarring or areas of congestion there are like dry patches that I just peel off easily and it looks clearer. What are your thoughts on wearing minimal makeup, how to remove it, and what should I do if I don’t have active acne just mainly dealing with a bunch of congestion that I’ve had for a year now? Once my skin clears more (hopefully sooner than I think but we shall see…I’m trying to stay hopeful inside in the midst of my depression) I want to start living my passion and start helping people dealing with acne to try to heal it in a holistic way (opposite of what we’re taught in school) & get out of my 9-5 office assistant job so I can spend more time with my daughters and start living my dreams! Acne can have so much control and power in our lives, it drives me crazy! But I know I and all the rest of your readers dealing with skin problems will all overcome this and live happier and healthier lives. I’m done writing and I hope to hear back from you and hear your thoughts and suggestions. You are such an inspiration, seem so sweet, you are gorgeous and oh-so knowledgeable!
Peace, love & blessings to you!
Veronica
Just to add real quick, I stopped birth control after yearrrrrs of taking it, several months ago. I also made an appointment to see a naturopath the beginning of November which I am SUPER excited about! Also I started my period this week (being doing the modified caveman for 2) and did not get 1 cystic pimple just 2 tiny red bumps which are gone now. I usually would get at least 2 before starting. CRAZY to me!! :)Ok I think I’ve written enough, sorry the novel, haha! Goodnight!
Hey Veronica – you might consider maybe doing a modified caveman where you don’t wash your face, but maybe you still use a bit of jojoba oil or something… it might help you get the benefits of the caveman (ie. less inflamed acne), but also help with clearing that congestion.
i seem to have moved on from a picking habit to an itching habit. the dry pimples on my face itch so much. is this a common thing with cystic acne? this constant itch? it’s not itchy like flaky red, but just…there’s all this dead skin that needs to come off, and i don’t know how much to exfoliate anymore, if at all. i find it can help sometimes to exfoliate with cinnamon. better than itching your face to bits with your nails. i just don’t know what to do about it. i use jojoba and sometimes tamanu oil to moisturize daily, and i can’t stop wearing make up because my skin is so bad there is no way i can show up to work like that. ugh 🙁 the climate is getting colder and colder too…
Hi Tracy! I am 16 years old and a very recent convert to the holistic tratment of acne. I have severe, pustular acne in the T-zone and I clinged to antibiotics, topical treatments, cleansers, and moisturizers for about 8 months (until about 20 days ago). They worked phenomenally for me up to January 15 or so, but then things went downhill big time. I was so afraid of the acne coming back that I went even more product-crazy and actually chemically burnt some of the skin on my face off. So, I went back to my old regimen again of the three products that my dermatologist have to me, but my skin was now hyper-sensitive to any product. My dermatologist recommended isotretinoin, however my dad heard about the possible risks of ulcerative-cholitis and other digestive disorders that have been linked to accutane and would not allow me to take the medication. I felt hopeless; I stopped washing my face with products. I looked up a lot of acne-related videos on YouTube and I found you, what a gold mine! You have given me very practical health tips for general well-being with acne improvement as a gray side-dish. Thank you so much. My facial products used to be my obsession and now, because of you, my obsession is leaving my skin alone! I haven’t washed it or touched it with water in about 10 days now. It has been quite the journey. I have been using organic extra virgin coconut oil to moisturize, is this a good idea?
With Great Thanks, Daniel Coleman
Hi Daniel,
I’m not Tracy, but I’m sure she’ll absolutely be amazed to read your comment! 😉
Yes, virgin coconut oil is a great all natural moisturizer! However, it tends to act more like an astringent and can be pretty drying for some people, if used alone, but on the other hand there are lots of people who swear by it! People who experience dryness after using coconut oil or tend to break out from it, are usually those who are more prone to a hot and dry type of skin with actively inflamed acne. Coconut is a very light and warm oil and works extremely well for people prone to being cold and tend to have an oily skin.
If coconut oil is not moisturizing enough for you, you could try other cold-pressed oils in a good organic quality: hemp oil or jojoba oil seem to work especially well for acne prone skin, and extra virgin olive oil or almond oil are great for dry and sensitive skin types.
I’ve read that coconut oil can be comedogenic/pore clogging, but do whatever works for you! 🙂
Hey Svea, Question in response the comment you left for Daniel. I was using hempseed oil but it left me with a sheen on my face, it never sank into my pores. I loved the feel of it but it would just sit on my face, never made my clogged pores worse though. Than I tried jojoba oil and it gave me a rash, little red bumps on most of my face which I’m trying to heal now. I’ve tried coconut oil but it did act as an astringent for me. Made my skin soft and was unclogging pores but my face was so tight and dry. I’m using grapeseed oil now which isn’t irritating my skin and sinks into my skin, but it’s not cold pressed or organic. It’s the aura cacia brand they sell at Whole Foods. I have combination and acne prone skin. I’m just so lost with which oils to use!
Hi Veronica,
if an oil doesn’t sink in or even causes a rash, it’s definitely the wrong choice for you. If grapeseed oil feels good, sinks in easily and doesn’t cause any breakouts or irritation, stay with it! You could try an organic and cold-pressed version the next time. Important is, to apply just 1-3 drops of oil to damp skin, otherwise it won’t sink in. Keep cold-pressed grapeseed oil in the fridge.
Here’s an article I wrote about different oil choices for different types of skin:
https://thelovevitamin.com/3103/that-oil-is-ours-basic-skincare-with-oils/
I dont know if this normal. But i have been reading your articles, and have decided to leave my very dry acne prone face alone. But since i have done that, i dont if my face is purgeding or what, i think my acne is getting worse. Yes i have been drinking more water and take some herb and supp. I take cod liver oil and echinacea herb and drink rose petals tea with honey and drink water. I keep thinking my acne is going away. But whenever i smile or make facial expressions WITHOUT touching my face white pus or liquid that then turns to blood to purple goo begins dripping on both side of cheeks. My sister has witnessed this that while we were having a conversation. Large amounts of blood began oozing down my face out of nowhere. She looked so horrifed she was like “ugh, oh my god your bleeding!” This made me embrassed and scared at the same time. There are times, where i think my acne is getting in the way with my family, the people who i love the most. I mean yes i ve had acne in the past and took antibot and benzoyl per. But now , those dont work for since i moved to a dry climate and my face turned dry too. Whereas now i want to leave it alone and not do anything. I dont want my face to become dependent on antibot and benzoyl. So whenever i take a shower, at times my face becomes soo itchy i change the water pressure so that could at scratch it for me without me touching my skin. And when get out, i just put on dickson witch hazel and thats all. And right now im looking in the mirror as i am writing to you that my both of my cheeks are really dark purple almost to black someone who has very fair skin. I mean from far away i either look like a burn victim or someone who got punched in the face really bad. Plz help, am i doing anything wrong? Or is this purging?
Hi Diana,
that’s definitely not purging. It sounds more like a more serious skin condition like eczema or rosacea. Please let a dermatologist see your face, just to know what might be the underlying cause for your bleeding. You don’t HAVE to take the prescription medicine then, but can google for more natural healing options if you prefer that. Probably NOT washing your face is not the way for you to go. I wish you lots of love and hope you can beat this condition soon! Take care!
Thank you so much for your website. It has been extremely helpful. I have the same story as many here. Early 30’s when out of nowhere horrible chin, jaw, neck acne. I changed my diet, and added many of your suggested supplements. It’s been about 3 weeks and things are getting a lot better, though still a work in progress. My question is I’m using jojoba oil, honey, tea tree & cinnamon as my daily face wash and sometimes using it with the ocm. After reading this blog, should I stop using the ocm due to putting hot water/ cloth on my face?
Thank you again for all of your information. I really can’t thank you enough.
Hi Teresa,
yes, I’d try the jojoba-honey-mix without a washcloth. You’ll see that you won’t need it. Honey is a great emulsifier and helps to wash off the oil as well, while locking in moisture. Hot water can aggravate existing skin conditions and inflammation and dry out your face on the long run.
I wish you lots of love! Keep doing what you’re doing.
hi I’m interested in trying the caveman regimen but I have some questions. When I was younger I used to not wash my face and I would get acne, why would it be different now and cure my acne? Also, I’m an athlete so I’m sweating a lot on my face every day. Won’t the bacteria from the swear left on my face cause more acne?
Hi Tracy!
I just happened upon your blog and I am very thankful to have found it! I have been wanting to go natural for quite a while now. I have mastered the no-poo method and I only use coconut oil to moisturize my body, but nothing seems to be going right with my face. Up until my junior year in high school, I had absolutely perfect skin. Since I hadn’t really changed my washing habits, I know hormones and stress played an enormous factor (I had just made a big move and restarted my life, and suffered from depression and anxiety and also ate horribly then). Over the past summer (I am now a college freshman), I began doing the oil cleansing method with olive oil (using generic kitchen quality..). I took a break after the summer and began washing my face again, and got a topical prescription cream that basically burned off layers of my face (it cleared for a bit, but I quit because I hated the idea of relying on chemicals). After quitting the cream, I went back to washing/moisturizing normally but my acne still came back. Recently (about a month and a half ago) I began using pure coconut oil for the oil cleansing method. I researched and read that olive and coconut oil are very comedogenic (and I have light, sensitive skin). I quit that, not wanting to clog my pores any more, and bought organic castor oil and jojoba oil, mixing a 1:2 castor/jojoba ratio. I have been using this blend for about a month, and I am worse now than I have ever been. I thought it was purging, but I think I have cystic acne and comedones, AND gross huge whiteheads. I found out that castor oil is toxic especially if used long-term and that some people have breakouts from both castor and jojoba oil. How do I naturally clean my face without stripping my natural oils? I am scared to do caveman at the moment since I am still in school and I am limited on money. Is it just hormones? I have been eating pretty well and exercise regularly. I will take ANY advice.
Thanks for reading!!
I used to have extremely combination skin – dry as heck if I didn’t put on any moisturizer and then oily as can be a few hours later. I was so frustrated with face washes leaving my skin tight, dry and sensitive. I gave up and instead only use grapeseed oil on a damp cotton pad to take off my makeup and an extra swipe to clean dirt off my skin. I moisturize with a drop of pure aloe vera gel (not the green stuff you get at the drugstore – only pure aloe) and some avocado oil onto damp skin. Holy cow! All my skin problems have cleared up: smaller pores, no acne, wonderfully balanced and moisturized skin. It really does work to leave your face alone!
I also use an all natural soap on my hair and body and I don’t need moisturizer after. Yay for all natural!
Hi Tracy!
I am a compulsive picker… i have to say. I can control for a litlle while and then BAM! I have a question though, how does the infection goes away if I do not extract the pus? Also I would be interested in your cavemen regimen e-book as I am a compulsive skin care buyer, especially when new pimples appear, I king of feel that I have to do something…. Is possible to buy it on it own? I have the feeling that I would save a lot.
Thanks for all your knowledge.
I am 4 month post-pill and breakout right before ovulation and more massively and painfully before my period. I have less than 2 weeks of nice skin and hope.
Hi Tracy! (and everyone)
So I tossed every facial products into the trash and stopped picking at every pimple I see. But you know, when you leave a zit to ripe, a nice yellow sac of pus begins to form on top of it (it’s not just me right??)
So what do I do with it? Do I gently pop it? Does it dissolve within?
Hi Tracy! (and everyone)
So I tossed every facial products into the trash and stopped picking at every pimple I see. But you know, when you leave a zit to ripe, a nice yellow sac of pus begins to form on top of it (it’s not just me right??)
So what do I do with it? Do I gently pop it? Does it dissolve within?
I have found myself noticing more and more acne breaking out on my forehead and cheeks, and this article gave me a lot of help! I always thought that picking at it would pick away the bad skin, but it actually was making it worse! I will stop picking at my face from now on and hope to see results!
Awesome! Yes it’s true, leaving our skin alone can be the best thing we ever did for it!