SAVAGE SKIN CARE PROTOCOL
The ancient samurai warriors held themselves to an impeccable grooming standard. Their constant focus was on preparation for a good death. In the likely event they were mortally wounded, it was important to them to leave behind a well-groomed corpse.
Leave it to samurai culture to turn something like bathing in flower petals and exotic oils into a savage practice intimately connected to death in battle.
The HAGAKURE is a collection of samurai tenants, stories, and philosophy compiled by Yamamoto Tsunetomo in the 16th Century. The time of the original publication was a period of unprecedented peace in feudal Japan. Tsunetomo’s estimation was that peace time was causing a revolting softening of the warrior class. Old men always think the generations of men that come after them are little bitches – Tsunetomo was no exception.
The Japanese word word hagakure means, “hidden by leaves.” D.E. Tarver, in his translation of Tsunetomo’s texts, suggests the title points toward the hidden true spirit of the warrior – buried deep in his heart, mind, and soul; a truth that is hidden by the leaves of solemn discipline and a rugged exterior.
With regard to personal hygiene, Tsunetomo states on page twenty five of the Tarver translation:
Professional appearance is of utmost importance. Most people who look shabby and unprofessional look that way because they have not taken the time to groom themselves.
A warrior should display the highest professionalism at all times. Train yourself to speak properly by practicing at home. Practice your penmanship carefully, one letter at a time.
Exude a modest confidence in all things.
Taking care of your body, your face in particular, is a good practice. Your appearance speaks for you before you open your mouth. And, such self-care rituals consistently engaged catalyze a felt sense of reverence for your body that is beneficial in many ways.
Without question, eating a strictly whole foods diet is the best thing you can do to improve your appearance. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and an organ of detoxification. If you are eating the toxic standard American diet full of chemical products, sugar, and preservatives, the intelligence of your body will push toxins out through the skin causing all manner of rashes, blemishes, and disruptions.
Modern allopathic dermatology would then suggest alleviating said disruptions by applying chemical toxins in the form of topical ointments - in addition to the ones you’re eating that are causing the problems in the first place. This will only further confuse your body’s innate intelligence and compromise its ability to express health.
Understand that the critical first step in improving the appearance of your face is to eat ONLY real organic food. For a deeper dive on how to clean your body from the inside out click here to get a free tutorial on implementing an anti-fungal dietary regiment.
In addition to eating real food, you can further amplify the radiance of your healthy skin by engaging the holistic facial treatment protocol listed below. I personally do this once per week.
Here’s what you’ll need:
High quality water (artisanal well or natural spring water)
In a bowl combine:
2 tablespoons of high quality water
3 tablespoons ACV
2 large tablespoons of bentonite clay
½ teaspoon charcoal powder
10 drops tea tree oil
Work this into a paste with a spoon. If it’s too soupy add more bentonite clay, if it’s too thick add more liquid. Set aside.
Wash your face and pat it dry. Take the rosewater bottle and apply a few sprays to slightly moisturize your face.
Apply paste to face and neck. Let it sit for 15-20mins. As it dries on your skin, you’ll feel it begin to tighten and harden, pulling any toxicity from your pores. This will tingle and you’ll learn to love it. The more ACV/less water you use, the more intense this sensation will be.
Hop in the shower and rinse clean with soap. It’s a good idea to exfoliate with a mildly abrasive washcloth as well.
Once out of the shower pat dry, apply a few more sprays of rosewater, and massage a few dabs the beef suet cream into your face. If your face is generally dry, use a healthy dab. If your face is generally oily, use less.
Now, prepared for a good death, you can bask in the warm glow of radiant vitality and go give the gift of your shining face to this mad world.