Skin Problems Tell Me About Them

Article #1: Skin problems? Tell me about them! By Richard Hill

Perhaps I was vain, but having my face covered with red, or red and yellow oozing lumps made me a little self-conscious and depressed. The old platitude, “Beauty comes from the inside” sounded nice, but talking with people and FEELING their eyes on the big “honker” on my nose or that “headlight” on my chin didn’t do much for my self-confidence, especially if I was talking to a girl I was hoping to impress. All this may sound like teenage trauma. But I was almost 27 years old and things were worse than ever. This wasn’t my only problem. I was plagued with hay fever, migraine headaches, prostate trouble, poor vision and several other complaints. But my pizza-like complexion was my main concern and secret shame.

After 14 years of this “teenage” malady I was depressed and baffled. There was nothing I (or anyone else) could do for me. The slow but sure disfigurement I was stuck with was something I couldn’t accept. Only fellow acne sufferers will understand my desperation and secret anguish. I’ve talked with many grossly fat people, asking if they would trade their excess weight for a chronic skin condition. So far not any would even consider it. And many of these people had contemplated suicide over their weight.

I really had given it my best shot. I had applied gallons of Clearasil, Oxy 5, 10 and 15, washed with Stridex, alcohol, witch hazel, distilled water and special skin soaps and cleansers. I washed many times a day. I was a voracious reader and tried every method and treatment I could find in those 14 long years. I was given various prescription drugs by dermatologists. The labels warned of dangerous side effects. Sometimes I would get temporary relief, usually not.

Next I tried health food store “cures.” I developed a library and gathered glib knowledge from all the “experts” and their methods. I hunted down all the herbs (red clover, golden seal, cayenne, etc.) supposed to cleanse the system. I drank them from morning ’til night. I drank a half-gallon of carrot juice each day. It turned my palms orange, but did nothing for my skin. I did various other juice combinations. They did nothing. I stopped eating chocolate, nuts, fried foods, white sugar, white flour. I even gave up all fruits for a year.

I graduated from Clearasil and smeared my face with green, red and yellow clays, separately and in combinations. I took activated yeast every morning just before my vitamin ritual. I was assured my problem was a vitamin/mineral deficiency as well as an unclean system. I took megadoses of A, B complex, C (with bio-flavonoids and Rutin), D, E, folic acid, K, multi-minerals, chlorophyll, wheat germ oil, brewer’s yeast, lecithin and protein powders, using my handy pocket pack. The few times I forgot caused me as much anxiety as the heart patient who forgets his nitro-glycerine.

Then I began to “fast.” I took so-called “juice fasts,” ones with products designed to clean out my colon. I took enemas of warm watery cold water, herb water and distilled water. I drank gallons of water to flush out my system. I tried “organic blood salts” and several other surefire cures. I was getting plenty of fresh, Los Angeles air and sunshine.

Next I got serious. I had said I’d pay a million dollars to solve my problem. Now I began to pay it on the installment plan to a young chiropractor into “natural healing.” I got adjusted, x-rayed, diagnosed as having adrenal stress, given new vitamin/diet combinations. I took the glucose tolerance test and was diagnosed a hypoglycemic. (Since then I’ve never met anyone who took the test that was not so diagnosed!) This was the time I went on my no-sugar, no-nuts and no-fruit diet for a year.

I was as bad off as ever and switched to an older naturopath/chiropractor. He put me back on fruit, different vitamins and juices. When this didn’t work he hit the problem with everything he had—more adjustments, x-rays, ultrasound, cold packs, hot packs and, finally, colonic irrigations with and without oxygen! I took these three times a week. It was expensive and embarrassing. But I was determined to get well or die trying. I was that desperate. After all the discomfort and expense my complexion was worse than ever.

I didn’t give up hope. I returned to my library and came across a little book I hadn’t paid too much attention to. It had seemed technical and too different. It was called Food Combining Made Easy by Dr. Herbert M. Shelton. Having nothing to lose, I tried this silly thing. Within a week my face started to clear up. It continued to get better. I stopped the colonics, adjustments, ultrasound and all the other things. Looking for more books by Dr. Shelton, I found Fasting Can Save Your Life at a health food store. I ordered more Shelton books from Natural Hygiene Press. I began to understand the basic ideas of Natural Hygiene and dove in with both feet. It was working where nothing else had. I gave away my vitamins and herbs, got back to 2 or 3 meals a day (from 5 and 6). I washed only with warm water.

I knew I had stumbled onto a new way of life and found people with no cures to sell. They had an understanding of the laws of life. They had a system where one can return to harmony with these laws and achieve total health. I made arrangements to fast under the supervision of Dr. Virginia Vetrano. I fasted at the Chateau Des Sages for 14 days. I listened to lectures and tapes and I learned more about Natural Hygiene. I wanted what these people had. I returned home with my skin more clear than it had been in 14 years. My hay fever and migraine headaches also were gone. At last my search was over and I reached the happy-ending.

I wish I could stop here saying everything was fine. But, I had more learning to do! I stayed with the Hygienic program for three months with never a pimple or sniffle. I thought I was “cured.” I began to stay up late and “just this once” eat wrong food combinations. Within five months I was living worse than before I had discovered Natural Hygiene, junk foods and all. “Clear Skin!

Anything Goes!” I was headed for a fall and I fell hard. It wasn’t easy to start back. But after some bad acne days, I was able to get back on the Hygienic Path. This was, in part, with the help of a certain anonymous group of overeaters. They gave me the tools to deal with the mental blank spot that preceeds that first compulsive bite. Thanks to them I found my way back and everything cleared up again. I learned that I’m never “cured,” but only healthy so long as I obey those Unbending Laws of Life.

I hope anyone with a similar, or any, health problem will take time to look into Natural Hygiene. I had to try everything else first. Maybe someone out there, who reads this, will be able to skip some disappointments and start in on a new, healthy life. I’ll be glad to talk and write and answer questions for anyone who asks for help. This way, by passing the word along, I hope to pay back a little of the joy I have received through Natural Hygiene.

The above article is reprinted from Naturally, the Hygienic Way.