One thing I have been blessed with is great skin. I have had a little eczema around my mouth after age 30 but it comes and goes and is not so noticeable. I also have the skin bumps on upper arms that show if I do not get enough sun and don’t get my vitamin A (from liver!!). The universe spared me problems with facial acne in high school since I guess I already had enough to deal with having weight problems and many food issues. Many of my nutritionist friends have remarked on how nice my skin is and all I can say is count your blessing folks, some people would give anything for what you have.

I have met Liz Wolfs several times and she is a good friend. She is gorgeous but she acts like she does not even know it. She is smart too and a great writer. She doesn’t have the slightest bit pretense even with all her great assets. What she does have is an undeniable need to share joys and sorrows about a lifetime of problem skin with others. She found out the hard way that skin is a reflection of our internal environment.

I have had many friends and family members deal with severe acne the conventional way with Accutane or other harsh prescription interventions (always check with your doctor for advice before changing a medication). Some of them have not been able to repair the damage done their gut from these long term antibiotics. I feel passionately that we need to get the word out that taking toxic pills and potions is not the way to clear skin. Young people can do so much damage to their bodies before they start to understand how food will impact hormones. I don’t just mean chocolate and greasy foods but a much larger picture of inflammatory food toxins paired with unrealized food sensitivities.  Liz helps us understand how the lack of a healthy gut flora and adequate natural fats will show up in whiteheads, cystic acne, dryness, and comedones.

Liz before Skintervention!

Liz After Skintervention!

As you can see Liz Wolfe no longer has skin issues!

I asked my intern Coco what she liked about Liz Wolfe’s Skintervention guide because she has a special interest with her own skin problems. Coco’s endorsement follows:

I haven’t had this much oil on my face since I was a teenager. No, I didn’t fall face first into a cheese pizza. The truth is that I slathered oil all over my own face…because someone told me that washing my face with oil would make my skin clear and glowing. Sound crazy?

 According to the book “Skintervention Guide,” it’s not!

Nutritionist Liz Wolfe’s new book explains how you can get a beautiful, radiant body by choosing the right foods and the right body-care routine. How does using oil to cleanse your face fit into that? We’ll get there.

 Liz, who enlisted the expert advice from Primal Life Organics skincare founder Tina Felber, says there are three things that are necessary for achieving outward beauty (and inward health):

Nourishing Foods

Anti-inflammatory, real foods are necessary for the health of your hair, skin, nails and teeth. Most of the recommendations are consistent with a primal or Weston A. Price philosophy:  meats, vegetables, healthy fats, some nuts and fruits, healthy beverages, some raw dairy if you can tolerate it. The books explains how soy, low-fat foods and certain oils wreak havoc on your appearance, and why animal protein and vegetables are imperative. You’ll be walked through how to find the best meats, dairy and oils, and provided with links (oh, the magic of an e-book!) for purchasing some of the author’s top recommendations.

Included with your purchase is a helpful resource guide for finding specific food or beauty products mentioned, and a very simple list of non-intimidating recipes that even the most beginner of cooks can handle. The book is almost worth buying just for the recipes, which are perfect for creating quick, healthy and simple meals for one.

Just a few of the recipes you’ll find:

• Sweet Potato & Bacon
• Turkey-Apple Hash
• Easy Stuffed Peppers
• Taco Wraps
• Salmon Patty Salad
• Berries & Coconut milk (this is the recipe in its entirety: “You can handle this one.” You bet I can – but I’d never have thought of it on my own!)

 Good Digestion

“If you can’t use the nutrients you give your body, they can’t make your body healthier or more lovely.”

I’ve never seen digestion addressed in a book about skincare, but Liz makes an excellent case for why proper gut health is paramount to achieving a radiant glow. She explains how to assess your stomach acid production (and fix it, if needed), and outlines how poorly functioning digestive organs affect our skin and health – and how to support them for internal and external beauty.

Safe and Effective Skin and Body Care

 This is the longest section of the book, and for good reason: most of us are vigilant about avoiding chemically-laden foods, Liz writes, “yet we rarely audit the chemicals we put ON our bodies all day, every day, for our entire lives!”

What you put on your skin – your body’s largest organ – eventually makes its way into your body, so the idea that so many conventional skin and body care products contain harmful ingredients is appalling. At best, many of these ingredients are irritating; at worst, some are neurotoxins, have been linked to cancer, and/or can disrupt your hormones. Skincare expert Tina Felber explains the ins and out of skincare and advises us on how to deftly navigate the skincare aisle – even at “natural” grocery stores. Luckily, “Skintervention,” provides us with healthy, effective and often inexpensive DIY options to many traditional alternatives.

 The book includes or links to recipes for easily making or buying many personal care products:

·         Deodorant
·         Toner
·         Personal Lubricant
·         Shampoo (or, rather, a “no-poo” alternative)
·         Facial Masks
·         Hair/dandruff Treatments
·         Zit Zappers

How to lesson from the book: Oil Cleansing Method (OCM):

The basic concept behind this increasingly popular method is that oil massaged into your skin will dissolve the oil that has hardened in your pores. There are several options of oil you can choose from, and Liz purports the OCM is beneficial for everyone, even those with oily, acne-prone skin. As with the rest of the skincare portion of “Skintervention,” the oil cleaning method features three tiers for skincare, depending on how much time, effort and money you’re willing to invest in your regimen. The Basic Oil Cleansing Method (tier one) is as follows:

1. Massage oil on your face (jojoba, coconut, avocado, oil are all options).
2. Lay a hot (but not scalding), wet washcloth over your face for 30 seconds and allow the steam to open and cleanse your pores.
3. Wipe the oil off and continue on your merry way to flawless skin.

 The Bottom Line

While neither a standalone reference for nutrition nor a replacement for your dermatologist, “Skintervention” is an outstanding resource and, in my mind, the best how-to beauty book available. A reader who is currently entrenched in the Standard American Diet may initially find Liz’s recommendations overwhelming – but the beauty of an e-book is that it’s always on hand and you can easily search for key words on your computer.

“I wanted healing, not a temporary solution!” Liz writes of embarking on her quest for healthy skin. Pick up a copy of “Skintervention,” and you will be well-equipped to begin your own journey towards lasting healing and beauty.

Get your guide today to start the healing for a permanent solution!

Only $37 for a lifetime of beautiful skin!

Win the Skintervention guide ($37 value)  by following the rules below:

• Leave a comment on this blog post of why you want to win
• Subscribe to my blog
• Like my Facebook page (optional)
• Like the Skintervention Facebook page
• Winner will be picked randomly from the comments
• Contest ends March 30, 2013

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Caitlin Weeks

Caitlin Weeks, BA, Certified Nutrition Consultant, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach, and NASM Certified Personal Trainer is a San Francisco based Holistic Nutritionist serving clients locally and beyond (US & international) via phone and Skype consultations. Since 2001 Caitlin has had success conquering obesity after a lifelong struggle with her weight. Since 2009 she has been winning the battle over Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by managing stress and using a paleo diet. She is committed to educating others about the benefits of traditional foods and efficient exercise. She writes weekly articles about health and nutrition on her blog: www.grassfedgirl.com

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