A few years back a reader of mine told me about this detox from Holistic, that she and her boyfriend did. Since then it’s been in the back of my mind, so I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with it. Earlier this year I read about parasites and leaky gut syndrome. And I’ve been doing the Mag07 colon cleanse, as well as taking the Global Healing Center’s Paratrex capsules. Which I took during this summer. But I never ended up finishing the Paratrex cure because my skin was starting to get really bad. At the time I could not tell if it was because of Paratrex or something else. I still have a bottle left of Paratrex that I plan on finishing next year, as herbal detoxes can be done a maximum of 3 times a year.
Holistic Ultra Detox & UltraBalans
The Holistic’s detox consists of two products that work together in restore your gut health and clean out your body of harmful organism and parasites. The UltraBalans capsules (works very much like Paratrex, but not as powerful) has a mix of 8 different herbs to clean and balance your gut. You take about two caps twice daily. Then you have the Ultra Detox to take a long with the UltraBalans – a herbal- and fiber rich powder that you mix with juice to form a drink, and that you take between meals with 2 cups of water.
The Ultra Detox powder has a base of psyllium seeds, and while it smells like rosehips, it definitely does not taste good. I tried a few different juices and plant milks to chug it down with; orange juice was a bad idea, but apple juice was probably the best.
One time I was out of juice and so I tried mixing it with plain water, it ended up going the other way out. While I understand the technical use of the powder – and I truly believe that no “detox” is complete without some fiber to help push things trough – I still don’t quite get why it has to be so disgusting. The pills were of course no problems for me.
While on the Detox, Holistic recommend cutting off all processed foods and certain refined carbs like: bread, pasta, sugar and sweets. Of course, cutting even fruits if you have candida and no gluten. Drinking herbal or green teas instead of coffee, and avoiding all stimulants like alcohol and tobacco. No fried or microwave-foods. Eat less meat or no at all. And take away all dairy!
Instead they encourage you to eat more raw and organic foods, drink lots of water, and unless you suspect candida, fruits are allowed. They do say to eat a lot of nuts and seed, as well as adding certain spices.
But you can also do this detox on a juice feasting, but then remember to rest a lot.
I built up to the full dosage and held it for about 3-4 weeks until the powder and pills didn’t have many servings left. Then I gradually decreased the dosage.
I also occasionally took some Mag07, as well as Digestive enzymes with Betaine HCL to help support my digestion and detox further.
INGREDIENTS ULTRA DETOX: Psyllium husk, hibiscus flowers, Licorice root, cascara sagrada, kelp (seaweed), Beetroot, wax myrtle, peppermint leaves, cinnamon, fruit bowls from black walnut, pumpkin seeds, verbena, red elm, Chickweed, aloe vera leaf, Burdock, Rhubarb root, yucca, papaya (new ingredient March 2011), Garlic, Alfalfa, Blueberries, Clove, Red clover (new ingredient March 2011), thyme, Bentonite, catnip, buckthorn (new ingredient March 2011), Sage, Curled Dock, Dandelion, olive leaf, Marshmallow, ginger, cayenne pepper.
INGREDIENTS ULTRABALANS: Fruit bowls from black walnut, diatomite, fumaric acid, wormwood, cloves, ginger, olive leaf, Pau d’arco, milk thistle, turmeric.
Holistic E Vitamin 400IE
The Kinesologist placed vitamin E and progesterone cream on my tummy and said these would work beautifully together. According to her, my body seemed low in progesterone – which was something I suspected.
But we ended up with starting only with vitamin E oil for the first month, and later to see if the progesterone cream was still something that my body needed.
Many vitamin E products contain only alpha-tocopherol. The Holistic vitamin E, however, contains the full spectrum of vitamin E (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-Tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-Tocotrienols) that occurs naturally in vitamin E-rich plants.
Vitamin E is actually a known hormone balancer and helps to relieve PMS symptoms. It’s said that taking vitamin E supplement that contains all the types of vitamin E (especially gamma tocopherol) reduces the production of prostaglandins that contribute to cramps and breast tenderness. It also has anti-estrogen qualities. Certain researchers describes vitamin E as the “progesterone-sparing agent” because so many of its antiestrogenic effects resembled those of progesterone. As we may find out when doing a little digging, high estrogen levels can cause acne and severe PMS.
The Process
We’re living in a fast paced world… After two weeks on the detox and vitamin E oil with minor to no reduction in my acne whatsoever, I felt like this was just waste of time and money. As it was starting to get close to my period, a few pimples resurfaced. Nothing seemed better or worse. And just when I thought I had escaped from having menstrual cramps, it creeped up at night instead.
However, my period was for once in time! It’s been a long time since my cycle was 28 days.
And shortly after my period, it was like something turned and switched. My face started to look calm, and inflammation seemed to wind down. Slowly, no new pimples seemed to pop up. One week passed by… Two weeks… Ovulation time, got one-two pimples, though they stuck around for a week, they didn’t seem severe like before. Skin kept on looking calm and felt softer than usual.
Worth to mention: About half way in the detox, I also switched to a new vitamin D supplement. From taking 2500IU, I now take 5000IU daily.
At this time I had developed a routine in my skincare, as well as my daily life, and I was exercising quite a lot. But I’m pretty sure it was my hormones that appeared to be more balanced all of a sudden.
Then I got a reaction to a new product, which was hard to wind down even after I abruptly stopped using the product. But even during that time, no hormonal pimples seemed to pop up more than the ones I already got around ovulation.
Nonetheless, I still feel like the Ultra Detox didn’t do anything for me, except for making me more gassy than usual (and maybe some dry mouth?). Which is kind of funny, as it’s supposed to help with gasses and bloating! If anything was working, and from the information I’ve gathered, I’d say it was the vitamin E oil having an effect on my hormones. And so I felt a bit cheated, like the detox was only for her consciousness to know that I’ve been “cleansed”, you know.
I’m in a way not surprised that I didn’t feel much effect of the detox, but I thought I’d at least experience some headache? While I know many others have had great results taking this detox, but I was already eating and pooping right. It upset me that I wasted money on it, especially when I told her that I had been taking Paratrex just a month ago (which did make me feel something when taking it). I felt “clean” in my body, it was just something else my body needed to fix my hormonal issue that started when I took a break from vitamin D more than 6 months ago. I know this will sound strange, but I felt like whatever parasites I had, they were working with me, and was not the cause of my hormonal issues.
Sticking to the diet (the one that’s recommended by Holistic, not the one my Kinesiologist wanted me on) was very easy for me; as I already spent the last couple of years without many of the foods that you should avoid while on the detox. While I didn’t do a cold turkey, I have definitely cut down on gluten (and even some of the vegan junk foods) even more so during and now after the detox.
But even though with this slight success, I started to look into Vitex and DIM supplements again. And I was close to call off my second consultation to start experimenting on my own again. As testing out pills was way cheaper than doing a hormone analysis.
Also, after the breakout from a product, I was feeling fed up with my acne issues. I seriously begged my body to just stop with this game. And I wrote this long “email”, threatening and telling it that I don’t want my whole life to be about my acne. Sometimes writing it all out can feel very cleansing. :)
Two days after my message and three days before my appointment, I felt like I didn’t have a progesterone problems anymore. Actually, I didn’t feel like I had any hormonal issues anymore. I started to admit that the small “lymph-bumps” that was the only thing that didn’t go away after probiotics, were suddenly gone. Poof! No more cysts around my jawline. After many ifs, I decided to go back, as she clearly did help with something that I’ve been trying to fix for years! And no progesterone cream or Vitex was even needed!
Conclusion
I still feel like the detox was completely unnecessary for me to go through. Like it was this obligated protocol when becoming a knew patient; a way to charge some extra money. Although, even with all of that grudge, I still can see myself doing this detox again. I know, I know, I don’t understand myself sometimes! But I really wish the powder tasted better, and I would order it off of internet where the price is more competing.
And whether it was putting my emotions into text and telling my body that I want to close this chapter in my life; or the vitamin E and/or higher dose of vitamin D; or possibly the detox itself; that put my face into rest. Whatever it was… My acne issues that I’ve had this past six months has finally now been resolved. I still get the occasional spot, but nothing like the constant cysts I’ve had to withstand these past months. I can now continue with my acne scar treatments without worrying. *knocks on wood*
Now I just have to deal with all the post-redness caused by all the breakouts. I know I should’ve made before and after pictures. But the only picture for you to compare to is the recent one I put up. Where you can obviously see how spotted I’ve gotten since a few months back after my last treatment. So you can just imagine the cystic outbreak I’ve suffered from during these past months. One even left me a new scar…
Afterwords
It’s been a confusing time where at a point I didn’t really know what to do, as I’ve tried and tested 90% of everything. I dare you to name some natural remedy that I haven’t tried! And it didn’t help either that at one point what I did seemed to work, you know. And then the pressure from my Mom, that it came back. I felt like giving up and close this blog, as all my work up to this point clearly has had no impact or relevance to my acne. Diet has not cleared my acne, nor has antibiotics, accutane, drinking more water, exercising, meditating, staying off certain foods, proper skin care, you get the story. I feel doomed.
I’m so fed up with my skin-problems, I’m doing too many things right for that one thing to be an issue.
Whatever happened to that 80/20 rule?
But as I’m writing this, I’m waiting on a package with my vitamin E oil and haven’t taken it for two weeks. Two days after the new moon, I get my period. Another cycle of 28 days. I’m back on track! While three spots resurfaced and itched, they were gone as fast as they came. And nor have I experienced any typical bloating, tender breasts and mood swings this week. But best of all: No menstrual cramps!
I’ve had people telling me, “Do this! Do that! Maybe it’s this?” But this has been a very atypcial acne issue. One that I didn’t feel like I had answers to, but certainly not strangers on the internet. But I’m glad I can still trust my body to guide me to the right treatment, even though I’m skeptic as hell through all the steps.
I did indeed have a progesterone/estrogen issue, but it got resolved with the most unlikely of treatments.
I wouldn’t ever have thought about vitamin E if I didn’t open up to quackery. Yes, I will still call it pseudo science, because it is. I just call myself lucky, that it worked.
And once again, my acne leads me to the very unlikely of places, boosting my health and vitality. It’s just sad that scars are left behind.
Related Articles: Acne Update + Kinesiology + Going on a Detox
Have you done a detox?
Tell me your experience in the comments below!
My acne is stubborn like yours, I think it’s very tied to hormones too. I have always like 4-6 of them, either smaller or cystic or both. Did vitamin D really help you? I know for certain I have the same hormone issues–I was tested. :/.
Hey Dani!
As of right now, it seems to be a combination of vitamin D and vitamin E (as well as taking 1 tbs of flax seeds everyday).
In the past, looking at the statistics of my period in correlation to taking vitamin D, all I can say is that it has helped. Just the fact that lack of vitamin D put me on this hormonal roller coaster again, is proof enough that it was a key factor in my hormonal imbalance. But as from this post and seeing a kinesiologist, vitamin E was lacking too, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps regulate hormones. My skin is 99% clear, except for some oddities around my period and ovulation, but nothing major like before.
You can read more about my findings on Vitamin D and the Menstrual Cycle with graphs and all here:
Part 1 & Part 2
However, I can’t say take this and that and it will help you too, as I’m no expert. I recommend you see a naturopath of some sort that can guide you in resolving your specific hormone imbalance :)
Good luck!