Proactiv vs. Aspirin...

I developed the most terrible allergy to dairy products (cow only) 2 years ago.

Even lactaid can't help.

No - it's not just my stomach that revolts... My body whole-heartedly rejects any bit of cow-dairy. The rejection of said products emerges on my face...

I get the most horrid cystic pimples - the large ones under the skin that hurt. Without going into details - I've tested even the tiniest amounts - and still I'll get an instant result - within 10 hours.

I've become the annoying person at the dinner table asking "does that have any dairy in it?". I hate hearing myself have to ask that all the time. I used to love going to restaurants and checking out the dessert menu first to see what they offered so I'd base my food order around the dessert. If the dessert was uninspired, I'd get a good entree. If the dessert sounded scrumptious, I'd get a soup or appetizer.

Now, more often than not - I just get a good entree (but only after my process of dairy elimination leaves me with 2 or 3 options).

Friends try to convince me to use Proactive as a remedy... but I find that to be silly... Like putting aloe vera over sunburnt skin. Sure, it might help - but if I know how to prevent the condition - then why use some product after the fact to treat it.

I read about Proactiv and it contains harsh ingredients which may bleach clothes or towels... and may dry skin out or cause irritation. If my skin is mostly good except for the occasional spots due to minor (or major) transgressions (I do indulge sometimes)... why buy some expensive and potentially harmful product?

Here's my salvation - thanks Lisa for turning me on to this:

The Aspirin Mask

• 6-7 Aspirin tablets
• enough water to just disolve the tablets
• Honey - to bind the ingredients

Make a paste, and apply as a mask over the face (or spot treat the sections). Leave on for 5 minutes - then exfoliate & wash off.

What does this do? The aspirin removes/reduces the redness, & shrinks the puffiness. The honey keeps the skin from getting too dried out, and the resulting exfoliation leaves the skin baby soft! And it's CHEAP!

I used to bake all the time - always made desserts for special occasions. Now I can't have 95% of what I used to make. It hurts.

I just can't use goat or sheep based dairy products as replacements all the time...

Good thing my favorite cheese (manchego - pictured right) is sheep-based.