Hence You Must Mask Ye Faire Maiden...

How wretched you must look if you don't mask your face at least 3 times weekly, your body once weekly. We have come such a long way and modern concoctions are rather effortless.

Why? Because its how we treat the skin to the stuff it can't absorb. Just because your skin doesn't swallow up clay or seaweed it does not mean we shouldn't use it.

Who speaks such blasphemy?

In Shakespearean and Renaissance plays and readings, the frequent reference to "fair" actually means "distinctly shining". Egg glaze and poppy oil were just some of the things used to treat the skin and insure courtship.

Women also used to wear protective armor-like mask's around the square. This was done after chemical peels were left on the skin for 7 days. These peels would wound the face for a week or so and the mask served to protect it from the sun and to keep the skin "faire". Upon the 7th day the face would first be steamed with honey. Removal was complete by gently rubbing milk soaked breadcrumbs on the face. It wasn't rare for a woman of 50 to look 25.

Now today's painless masks can do many things like moisturize, brighten, give you that "O glow"... whatever your heart desires.

Or maybe just a little mini detox from your latest hangover?

Gone are the days of quicksilver, lemon and turpentine peels. Wait what?

How To Eliminate Adult Acne- The Paleo Diet

If your dealing with adult acne there is one thing that you need to know; the cause. Believe me when I say its dietary.

I am not talking about eating to much chocolate or drinking too much coffee. I'm talking about sugar, grain and dairy. The bottom line is they are not fit for human consumption. If you don't believe me just read the Paleo Diet book and try the diet for 4 weeks. Every single zit will be gone. I guarantee it.

The root cause of acne is always misunderstood. Most think that because oil exists on the skin during this time that it's the cause. They try to treat the oil, always unsuccessfully by burning the skin with chemical peels or drying the skin with Peroxide. Neither works long term and the acne returns. The reason for this is that the physiology and PH of the skin have not changed. This is fundamentally internal and must be done with diet.

The root cause of acne is inflammation and inflammation is always caused by food allergens. So why are we always trying to treat the oil? Long ago scientists discovered that many times oil was present in acneic skin conditions. It was known that the oil that was clogging the follicle was of a thicker nature; hence the clogging. The mission then became to treat the oil as it appeared to be the cause. I think the oil is there to protect the skin from inflammation. In essence oil production can increase we are under stress, or generally not treating ourselves well.

So what came first the chicken or the egg? Or in this case the inflammation or the oil?

I'm going to stake my vote on inflammation which is the cause of all disease.

So what causes inflammation?

Stop eating that candy and just read the book already...

How To Bathe Part 2: Lavender Can Kill You

Back in the day, when I was still an amateur bather, I discovered aromatherapy. I would go to the herb store and buy those bottles of 100% pure essential oils. Some of them I could buy a little larger than others because they were used more frequently. I decided to buy a large bottle of Lavender. This bottle was 50 bucks.

So I get home and start to run the bath. I open the bottle and without looking dump half of the bottle into the bath. Normally these bottles come with a dropper in the top. So when you pour it you can count the drops. This bottle had no stopper because it was professional sized. I had no idea this was the case.

I am looking at the tub and thinking to to myself that I will take this bath since its now a $25 bath. I get in the tub. Ah relaxing!!! But wait is that a headache coming on?

After about 15 minutes I start to feel weird like I'm going to pass out in the tub. I can't keep my eyes open, I try to stay awake but feel sick in the process. I am now nauseous, and weakly trying to hold onto the side of the tub so I don't drown and then I taste it... lavender oil in my mouth?

How did I swallow it? I wonder if this is the problem.

I realize that I did not swallow it but that it was in every cell of my body and that's why I could actually taste it. In my aromatherapy training I was taught this but was a non-believer. Ancient lore says that garlic, when rubbed on the feet, can be detected on the breath within 20 minutes.

I dry off and lay in my bed, too weak to move. It took more than 10 hours to feel better and I had to brush my teeth once an hour, to eliminate the lavender taste which kept returning for days.

Obviously I am still very much alive...but I say don't try this at home.

How To Bathe Like The Japanese

You know you need a shower but don't feel like it. Fret no more because the ritual bath is making a comeback.

I have found that people no longer know how to bathe well myself included. What do I mean? Well going to the store to buy a body wash to dump in the tub for bubbles is not a bath. It lacks elegance and does not give the bather the true rejuvenation they need.

There are many ways to bathe well but for god sakes make some damn effort! You need to create a bathhouse-like environment.

The first thing you need to decide is what ails you. Is it sore muscles, tiredness, a sickness of some sort, anxiety, a rash, or are you just plain dirty?

So here is an example of a real bath. Just tonight I took a ritual bath... relaxation is the intention.

Because I have decided to quit my job and go forward with this website ...I'm totally tense. I also got sick this week and really needed to feel and smell good. I was sent a Japanese bathhouse kit from a company who specializes in the ritual bath. In the kit there are several steps that lead to bathhouse style bathing. First a clay wash that smells like Yuzu, then a scrub that has various seeds and rice grains in it smells like Lemongrass, next a mesh bag containing; cherry flowers, various barks, rice and seeds goes in the tub and filled with water. As per the instructions I routinely squeeze this pouch over me as I bathe like I'm being prepared for sainthood, then I pat myself dry get out of the tub, I apply lime oil to my skin, over that I apply a plum cream. Bliss I tell you.

You may be thinking this is insane but its not. You can focus your mind during this type of relaxation. You can achieve this better than any massage for a fraction of the cost.

I smell divine for 3 days.