LOL, as soon as I saw the subject, I thought of Jessy!

Enjoy?

What does it do?

I would probably want to use butter flavored, but it might have some unexpected consequences.

I use Crisco (or similar shortening) to make flour tortillas, and I also use it in biscuits and pie dough, although for those I use half butter and half shortening. If I make tamales, I use shortening because Kevin will not eat lard, and therefore I seldom make tamales. I like carne asada tamales, and he won't eat that either.

It takes me so long to go through a can of shortening that I usually cannot remember where I have stored it.

Sorry to hear about your fight with Sjogren's - I am not familiar with that, but will look it up.

Lars

This may seem weird but I thought of an applicator for your crisco for less mess. What about a push up tube? if you keep it cool then it should apply in a thin coat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Switch out juice for crisco

There was another thread on GW (Kitchen Table) regarding Crisco as a moisturizer about 4 years ago.

I have not tried it myself but some people love it! Nix on the butter flavor however. I think you would be followed by flies and dogs!

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Crisco as a Moisterizer

I've been super super busy and not much on the forum lately....but of course the topic of this thread brought me in, so to speak....and could NOT resist when CLBlakey mentioned a tube full of Crisco....oh my, talk about being able to lubricate something inside and out. I'll be buying a set of new sheets, thank you very much.....non-stick. (baking sheets! I'm thinking of those hard crevices to reach in mini-muffin Norpro pans, yeah, right.....)

Oh, behave!

(Just kidding, Jessica -- please don't!)

Itchy dry skin was a topic somewhere recenty and it mentioned Coconut Oil as 'the best'. The itching dryness has been bothering me for years, so I gave it a try and I have to say that it .... the Coconut Oil....has given me the best relief ever. I use it on my scalp as well and it has really improved my grey frizzy-like hair. I am a believer!
Oh, and it soaks in rather quickly so that 'greasy' feeling doesn't last to long.

You can cook with it too!

Not Crisco, but... when I make pizza dough, I put into a bowl LIBERALLY doused with nice olive oil before it proofs. Gets a little messy, but I just moisturize hands and arms with what ends up on hands.

My sister is 85....about 25 years ago she read about using Crisco on her face to keep her skin smooth......so she tried it.
Her cat woke her up in the middle of the night licking her face.
She decided to go back to using whatever it was she was using.
LOL

I would try coconut oil too before crisco.

A few months ago, I switched to using coconut oil as a daily moisturizer. I love it.

I had previously jumped from one brand to another, of expensive moisturizers. But I'm sticking with this. It's not greasy, absorbs quickly, smells nice, and my skin feels great. I wish I had tried it years ago...would have saved a lot of money.

I use coconut oil. Organic, cold-pressed, unrefined. Mixed with a bit of almond and sesame and a drop of lemongrass essential as our dry skin cure. (nice massage oil, haha)
I just can't and will not use crisco or lard. Just too creepy and mysterious, lol. My house rule...if i can't enjoy a spoonful on a slice of baguette, i'm not cooking with it.
For tamales i just use the broth from roasting the pork for the masa liquid.

Our skin absorbs what we put on it. Proctor and Gamble has a shady past history. Just seems an overly processed mystery to me. The recent formula might be better but still mysterious...

Did a P&G rep start an internet skin cure use for crisco?

Here is a link that might be useful: has crisco changed?

My DD played ice hockey for many years. She attended many high talent camps where they were on the ice 4-6 hours a day. With that much ice time in their skates, there was always concern that their bare feet (yup no socks) would breakdown so the trainers had them use foot lube. The skaters would receive a cup of foot lube from the trainers every morning to lube their feet before putting on their skates. One day DD happened to walk by the trainer's office just in time to see the foot lube cups being filled from a big can of...you guessed it Crisco. Did I mention hockey skates are extremely odiferous? Yuck!

Imagine if, starting tomorrow, your household was allotted one pound of butter per month. Would that change your feelings on using Crisco or other solid shortening products? How would you use your weekly stick of butter?

Cooks during World War II had to make those decisions, besides figuring out what canned goods and cuts of meat to buy (if available) with their monthly ration points.

One of my hobbies is exploring the effects of WW II on the American Home Front and during my studies, I confess to developing a soft spot for Crisco, Spry, and similar products that gave cooks an alternative to put decent meals on the table. Even though we have fought other wars since then, rationing has not been factor but Crisco shortening has lived on through all of them.

I wonder how, with all the cooking skills we have, we would do under similar conditions and with limited raw materials.

Fun to read everybody's reaction to my doctor's "prescription". :)

Just for the record, I'm not using the Crisco as a moisturizer, per se.

SjögrenâÂÂs is an autoimmune disease in which peopleâÂÂs white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands.

Although the hallmark symptoms are dry eyes (I've had eye plugs inserted in both eyes) and dry mouth (you know how your mouth feels at the dentist when they have that tube thingy in your mouth? That's how my mouth is 24/7). SjögrenâÂÂs may also cause dysfunction of other organs such as the skin, kidneys, gastrointestinal system (big problem for me), blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the central nervous system (huge problem for me). Patients may also experience extreme fatigue and joint pain (I have both of these) and have a higher risk of developing lymphoma.

Water is the best moisturizer. Once I get moisture to my skin the Crisco will help keep it there...so just after a shower (after just barely patting with a towel) is when I slather. :) I don't really have the luxury of choosing a product based on fragrance. BTW, the same doctor told me that despite advertising to the contrary Ivory is very drying and, if I have any, throw it away.

Ruthanna, you are so right. I avoid eating Crisco and use only organic dairy because I believe it's healthier. But I acknowledge I've also got some snobby attitudes about food choices. Higher awareness of health issues is good. Snobbish? Not so much. :(

/tricia

DH has psoriasis and uses sorbolene in the shower. You might ask your doctor about that- there's no odor.

When my son was little, he had eczema, extremely dry skin, and would get terrible rashes from contact with grass or sand--hard to keep little boys out of either. Our dermatologist recommended we use Crisco on him...or a product called Vanicream. I opted for the Vanicream, which came in a 16 oz tub with a pump, and looks an awful lot like Crisco! It worked like a miracle on his skin, doing the same thing Tricia describes to "seal in" moisture. No smell, no greasy feel, and it did a good job of protecting his skin--you could feel it washing off a day later at bath time. :)

Don't forget about doing your hair with it, for school pictures and other events--compliments of Calvin and Hobbes!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hair Crisco

I also vote coconut oil. I usually eat about a tablespoon worth a day along with using it as a moisturizer. I have AI skin conditions too and this helps a lot - eliminating gluten worked wonders for me too.

I hate to second the notion, but I also find that wheat, or grains tend to dry my skin. I'm intolerant to wheat, but avoid most other grains too. When I do cheat, I notice my hands definitely are drier. I know that you have enough challenges in your choice of cuisine, but it might be worth a try to add coconut oil and eliminate gluten to see if you have a better outcome.

Vaseline was my doctor's second choice. He said, "if it pours - throw it away".

I've been using the Crisco for a few days now. After reading here I have to say it's not anything like what I expected. No smell. No greasy feel. It disappears within 30-60 minutes. Has not stained clothes or linens, probably because it disappears so quickly.

What is the purpose of eating the coconut oil and or not eating gluten? What is the benefit? It confuses me.

My white blood cells have destroyed the cells that moisturize. It doesn't matter what I eat or do not eat, that's not going to change. Am I missing something?

I'm assuming for those of you that have success with some of these products also have bodies that have functioning moisture producing cells? Some more so than others because lots of medications contribute to dry skin also and there's a lot of other reasons for dry skin. Also, we're not talking just dry skin here - we're talking DRY SKIN.

Anyway, confused about how coconut oil or wheat might help?

/tricia

I am glad youi're finding some success. As to the idea that an allergy may produce dry skin, I am assuming that in addition to your dry interior, you also have very dry skin, hence the Crisco. I am not disputing the value of crisco, rather I was suggeesting that gluten/wheat may exacerbate the dry skin problem.
To the best of my understanding, the Crisco is used as a remedy to lubricate and moisturize your exterior. Clearly that's necessary too, but in addition, you might experiment with eliminating certain foods to see if there's any improvement in your skin.
From your first posting, you shared that your doctor had recommended the Crisco for your skin and you were seeking feedback. Other posters suggested alternative remedies. I'm happy that you're finding some success and not disliking the process of using shortening. It's probably easier to spread than Aquaphor!

This post was edited by compumom on Fri, Jul 5, 13 at 16:11

No, I think you misunderstood me. I'm willing to try a tablespoon of coconut oil and/or giving up gluten. I just don't understand how or why they might help? My moisturizing cells have already been lost. What does not eating gluten do?

The Crisco does not moisturize my skin. It helps retain the water after bathing (I don't dry off). Doc says that cool water is good.

/t

Okay, I understand now. In addition, you may want to try a few flax seed capsules daily. DH has had a continuing issue with dry eyes and he must wear hard contact lenses to correct his vision. He's seeing a specialist at UCLA. Recently, in a social situation, he was introduced to a different opthamologist who suggested taking this supplement. He has found success at four pills a day. Now he's rarely complaining and feels much more comfortable.

HA! I'll have to give this a try :-). The fingers on my right hand are a total disaster from constantly cooking and washing.

(FWIW: they are MUCH better since coming off gluten. No idea whether this is actually related, but now it's just dry skin whereas before it was awful red scaly eczema all over my hands that was so horrendously itchy I would claw my skin off. Also a big difference in canker sores. I think there is some data, at least correlational, for both, and it's logical since eczema is immune mediated but I can't say anything definitively)

I've used coconut oil for cooking and baking, as well as on my face and skin for about 15-years. It even works fairly well as an alternative sunscreen. I can't use commercial sunscreen products due to the chemicals in them. Topically applied, coconut oil helps wounds heal faster and has a whole long list of other benefits including helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

There are benefits in flax for skin issues too, but you benefit more from taking the whole seed (milled into flaxmeal using a spice/coffee mill) rather than just the oil. You can't get the oil any fresher than by milling the seed yourself, and the commercial flax oil and flaxmeal products have been exposed to heat, light and air, so they are substantially degraded before they ever hit the shelf. You really benefit from milling your own flax.

Coconut oil taken orally helps keep skin soft and help heal eczema and similar skin problems. Dry skin, according to one source in my stack of information on the topic, is because "there is a relative imbalance or deficiency of saturated fats -- especially in relation to the amount of carbohydrates in the diet." The water in our cells comes from metabolizing fats. Evidently, the water we drink mostly goes into the blood-stream, rather than the cells, and then out via the kidneys.

I put coconut oil in cooked cereal, hot beverage, mix with honey like you would make honey-butter, and also mixed with peanut butter (or other nut butters)..... In a pinch, it also works well as a bread spread - vegans often use it that way.

The nutrients in coconut oil, especially that hard-to-find-in-foods, lauric acid, which coconut oil is a rich source of, are beneficial for the immune system as well as autoimmune disorders. Cod liver oil is also beneficial, especially in the winter when most people don't get enough vitamin D from the sun.

In some people, many who don't ever realize they are sensitive to it, wheat can have a destructive effect on skin. In fact, over-consumption of simple carbohydrates can have an effect on skin, and wheat is probably the #1 source for carbs in the diet, followed quickly by sugar.

Here's a partial list of gluten-related rashes and other skin manifestations:
-oral ulcers (tongue, mouth)
-cutaneous vasculitis
-acanthosis nigricns
-erythema nodosum
-psoriasis
-vitiligo
-Behcet's disease
-dermatomyositis
-icthyosiform dermatoses
-pyoderma gangrenosum

In the link below, coconut oil has been indicated as useful for the treatment of chronic and genetic conditions, including SjogrenâÂÂs syndrome. It might be a useful point of research at any rate, and I would hope it would actually be helpful. I know it's helped a friend who has Sjogren's, but it's not a one-size-fits-all thing.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Healthy Ways Newsletter

I can confidently say that my skin problems are not caused by a deficiency of saturated fat *grin*. My refrigerator door alone contains three pounds of butter, some lard, a jar of egg yolks, and various cheese :-D

Thank you, Grainlady. That was exactly the type of info I was wondering about when people were suggesting to give it a try. Still don't know why not eating gluten would help Sjogren's?

I studied your link quite thoroughly. Written to sound like coconut oil is a "miracle" product. A "fix" for just about everything.

When confronted with something I know little about, the banker in me always starts by following the money trail. In this case, Bruce Fife was easy to follow. His website led me to the Weston A. Price Foundation, Tropical Traditions, Gold Label Coconut Oil, Brian Shilhavy and, of course, books I could purchase on the benefits of coconut oil and places I could send them donations. :)

Those two men and the organizations they are affiliated with also are doing Christian preaching on their websites. I'm a Christian so I don't have a problem with the concept but...I learned, again as a banker, to be very wary of those trying to reel me in using Christianity to sell me something. :) Brian Shilhavy went to a school for sales/marketing in which Brian said he, "excelled". He's done a good job with coconut oil, IMO. Better than in his selling "accident and health insurance" days. lol

I'm a pragmatic person and usually follow my gut instinct. I'm just plain suspicious of anything suggesting it's a cure for just about all that ails. In the case of coconut oil the money trail left me unconvinced that it's anything other than a marketing scheme. Crisco is also substantially cheaper than the coconut oil. I will ask my doctor about it though.

I'm curious about your friend with Sjogren's. How does he/she use coconut oil and what benefits has he/she been able to document? I would feel more credible at my doctor's if I could say, "So and so has photos showing a marked lessening of lesions after taking a tablespoon of coconut oil for a month." Or, whatever the benefit was...maybe a different skin biopsy result and a difference in neuro pain?

/tricia

This post was edited by triciae on Sun, Jul 7, 13 at 16:47

Tricia-

Many people who have Sjogren's also have wheat sensitivities. Gluten has been known to trigger autoimmune diseases. I believe many of today's diseases and conditions are related to food and nutrition, as well as environmental.

My friend (in her mid-40's) noticed improvement when she stayed at her mother's for a prolonged period of time due to her failing health, and her mother (who is my best friend in all the world) has used coconut oil for cooking/baking at least as long as I have. She started using the coconut oil topically (her mother has seen good results using it on her skin as well) and also used it on her lips. She puts a dab on her tongue and swishes it around in her mouth and claims it helps her dry mouth problems.

I think the biggest challenge with Sjogrens's is that the medical professionals just don't know all that much about it (and any number of other autoimmune conditions), each person has it in varying degrees, and not all treatments work for every individual. They treat the symptoms rather than the disease. My friend also takes other supplements that support and/or modulate the immune system, so it's not just coconut oil.

I keep coconut oil in our home food storage because I believe it to be an essential part of our healthy diet and can afford it even on my $125/month food budget. You can often use as much as 25% less coconut oil as a substitute for liquid or solid fat in a recipe, so it doesn't normally take as much fat as is called for in most recipes for additional savings.

I can get LouAna brand at Wal-Mart for $5.98 for 30-fl. oz. and use it for cooking and baking because it doesn't have a coconut flavor - it has a neutral taste. I also use other brands (Nutiva - check Amazon.com for sales, and Swanson's - also purchased on sale), which DO have a slight coconut flavor. You can get bulk amounts at a lower price when you check around on-line. I've purchased it from Wilderness Family Naturals,Tropical Traditions, Swanson's, The Grain and Salt Society, Coconut Oil Supreme, and other on-line sources over the years.

-Grainlady