Natural Skin Care Therapy Tips for Acne

Acne is not a new problem; people have been suffering from it for many thousands of years. In ancient Egypt for instance, oils were often used to soften and smooth the skin. It is only in recent times that people have begun to use acne creams made of chemical ingredients like benzyl peroxide, among others. These can not only have unwanted side effects, like the drying of healthy skin or the bleaching of clothing, but can be very costly.

It’s no mystery that our grandmothers seemed to know best. When it comes to health and skin, the more natural the ingredient, the better. Of course, there are times when natural remedies may not be as effective and that is Ok. However, just be aware of the natural options you have first, before you waste a lot of money on another product that doesn’t work. Many people today discovering the old-world secrets in caring for their bodies more naturally, and are turning to natural and herbal remedies, such as the following simple ‘kitchen cures’.

Acne Remedy #1: Make a paste of nutmeg powder and milk, and apply to your face in a thin layer. Leave on for up to an hour, or even overnight.

Acne Remedy #2: Take an orange peel and leave it to dry, and then grind it to a powder. Mix with water and apply directly to the pimple.

Acne Remedy #3: Applying garlic directly to a pimple can also be a great remedy, as garlic is a natural disinfectant.

Acne Remedy #4: Mix a spoonful each of fresh lemon juice and cinnamon. Apply to the acne overnight for several nights in a row to be effective.

Acne Remedy #5: Take fresh leaves of fenugreek and grind to make an acne remedy that is also said to be effective in reducing wrinkles. It should be left on for only fifteen minutes.

Acne Remedy #6: Papaya juice, which is high in natural enzymes, makes a wonderful acne solution all on its own.

Acne Remedy #7: Boil a cup of milk, and then allow to cool to room temperature, and add a spoonful of limejuice to make a acne face wash.

Acne Remedy #8: Mix rosewater, cucumber juice and lime juice in equal amounts. Apply to clean face and leave on overnight.

Chemical skin care ingredients you should avoid if you are acne-prone or have oily skin in combination with acne:
• Butyl stearate
• Cinnamon Oil
• Isotearyl isostearate
• Cocoa butter
• Jojoba oil
• Coconut oil
• Decyl oleate
• Myristyl myristate
• Myristyl propionate
• Octyl palminate
• Octyl stearate
• Peppermint Oil
• Isopropyl stearate
• Isopropyl, isostearate, myristate or palmitate
Try several of these natural remedies and see which one is best for you, be aware that it can take several days to have an effect. Make sure you use clean spoons and dishes to mix your remedies, and remember to wash your face as usual in between treatments.

Skin Changes Through Pregnancy

Chloasma or the “Mask of Pregnancy” can cause blotchy discoloration on your face and splashes of darkened skin that may appear on the forehead, nose, and cheeks in a mask-like configuration on some pregnant women — more often in dark-skinned women.

What causes chloasma?  Those annoying pregnancy hormones are showing up again, causing hyperpigmentation on many parts of your body. You might have noticed your freckles and moles are darker now, there’s probably a dark line down the center of your abdomen (the linea nigra), and your areolas might be a deeper shade as well.  Dark-skinned women usually notice such hyperpigmentation more, but light-skinned women aren’t off the hook completely — they too will get their fair share of darkening skin, though it may not be as noticeable.

Despite have clear skin most of their lives, many women find another “new experience” awaiting them once they discover a pregnancy. The beginning stages can be small and unnoticeable pimples - usually showing around the jaw line or forehead due to hormonal fluctuations.

Three main factors contribute to acne: increased oil production, clogged pores, and a bacteria called P acnes. First, oil causes the dead skin cells to stick together, leading to a clogged pore, which is called a blackhead or a whitehead. Bacteria then moves into the pore, producing inflammation, which manifests as redness and pus. Addressing acne requires medications or treatments that decrease oil secretion, unclog pores, and kill bacteria.

As the pregnancy progresses, the acne will worsen. It is at this point, many women may frantically search for cures in their local drugstore or try home remedies. Perhaps they feel overwhelmed by the choices or confused by the long list of ingredients and decide to give up finding a solution. In some cases, the acne can grow to included pigmented or “age” spots as well.

All of these changes typically last the duration of the pregnancy and are due to hormonal changes and increased oil production, resulting in acne, while higher estrogen levels will activate skin color cells to make dark spots. This occurrence is so common in pregnancy that it’s been given the name “mask of pregnancy.” Sun exposure will exacerbate the issue further without a good sunscreen or sun protection.

Like many others, when facial skin suddenly becomes oily, the first reaction is to take away all moisture or anything ‘greasy’ that can increase the feel of oil on the skin layer.

Never fear, these again are temporary problems with easy fixes. First, stop using anything oil-based and switch to gel-based or water based sunscreens and moisturizers for the time being. Treat your skin as if it were previously an acne-prone, pigmented type and finally ask your doctor or dermatologist for a baby-safe acne treatment if the situation is really uncomfortable. Your skin should return to its previous condition soon after your baby is born.

•  In the meantime - Eat foods that contain folic acid (you’ll also get plenty in your prenatal supplement), since studies have shown that a folate deficiency can be related to hyperpigmentation. Good choices include green leafy vegetables, oranges, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cereal.

•  Stay out of the sun as much as possible and wear a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (sunlight can also intensify hyperpigmentation). A hat and long sleeves are a good idea if you’re fair-skinned, headed to the beach, or have a historically sensitive complexion.

•  If you like, use a good concealer to cover particularly pesky spots, but skip bleaches or other chemically based lightening treatments until after you give birth. Refrain from using peels or lasers as well, as they could interfer with the chemical balance of the fetus.

Ayurvedic overview for Acne and Rosacea – part II

The word Ayurveda translates to “the science of life” (Ayru – life and Veda – science). Ayurveda has brought true health and wellness to millions of individuals throughout the ages with simple changes in daily living practices. Incorporating just a few of these proven methods into your lifestyle can bring about radical changes in your life.

It is currently considered a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the United States of America, but this ancient art of healing has been practiced continuously for over 5,000 years.

That said, there are some specific treatments that many recognize as effective treatments for skin conditions. For starters, regardless of the skin condition, Ayurvedic practitioners suggest staying hydrated. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that water helps to naturally stabilize dry or oily skin. Drinking enough water also helps prevent the loss of moisture through the skin, which helps to promote overall wellness.

Ayurveda also recommends adhering to a daily regimen for proper skin care, including the use of a natural soap and the use of natural skin moisturizers. This is true whether a person has naturally dry skin or suffers from a more serious condition such as psoriasis. The key is to make sure that the moisturizer is, in fact, natural, containing only substances such as aloe vera—a natural antibiotic that many believe is particularly helpful in the treatment of many skin conditions. Unfortunately, many commercially available moisturizers contain preservatives and other chemicals, and do not fully absorb into the skin, instead remaining on the surface and sometimes clogging pores as a result.

In addition to proper hydration and skin care, Ayurvedic medicine has identified three natural supplements that appear to help treat a wide range of skin conditions—neem, haemafine syrup and khadir. All three of these are widely prescribed to treat acne, psoriasis, and eczema, although many believe they can be used to treat any skin condition. The tree stem, root, and bark of neem, a large evergreen tree, have antibacterial properties. It is used in supplement form to treat skin conditions. In addition, many Ayurvedic soaps contain neem extract. Haemafine syrup is a natural solution made up of more than a dozen herbs. It is used as a remedy for all types of skin diseases through its natural blood purification properties. Khadir, also known as the acacia catechu herb, is another natural blood purifier used to treat skin conditions.

Besides supplements, some Ayurvedic sources also suggest that a person with a skin condition receive an abhyanga, a traditional Ayurvedic massage that uses herbalized oils to draw toxins out through the skin.

Is Ayurveda Safe?

Ayurvedic practitioners argue that their treatments have fewer side effects than prescription drugs and other traditional medical therapies, since Ayurveda is a completely natural approach. However, certain treatments, such as herbal supplements, should be taken with caution, since they can interact with other medications or even produce side effects such as rises in blood pressure. So as with any new medical treatment, consult your doctor prior to beginning any Ayurvedic therapies. This is especially true for people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, or for women who are pregnant.

Your Organic Skin

Skin is the armor of the body. It is the outside waterproofing, element-fighting surface that protects our internal organs and skeletal structure from the harsh outside elements. Yet skin, overall is ignored most of the time. Healthy skin is important for a glowing completion of course, but if your body is unhealthy – your skin will be also.

The toxic world of industrialization has finally caught up with us. Producing toxic waste disasters, disease and tons of garbage buried so deep it can never breakdown. All these “modern advancements” have left our food supply as little more than a chemical compound in itself. If you can do ONE thing to give your skin and your body a fighting chance, you would be wise to choose as organic a diet as possible. To maintain a healthy skin, organically grown food is must.

In light of recent organic trends in our food, organic skin care products are also gaining popularity. For healthy lifestyle and healthy skin, limiting the amount of toxins and chemicals you put in your body is a must. If the environment or living “green” is important to you, you should also be aware of companies that produce the products you buy and their manufacturing practices.

Organic Skin Care is the most rapidly developing field in the beauty industry. Now what does Organic mean? Organic refers to anything grown or raised naturally. But more specifically, it means plants are grown on certified natural land without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification or irradiation. In many cases, these organic farms are highly regulated by the Federal Food Safety Commission. Organic skin care means protecting your skin from harmful chemicals and using organic products whenever possible.

There are many organic products available on the market today. Most can be found at a local organic specialty stores, food suppliers or a national health food chain like Whole Foods. As organic products become more and more popular, many standard food stores, Like Safeway or Albertsons’ are also providing these products on their shelves. There are also plenty of websites offering organic skin or beauty care products online.

An organic product is preferable for natural skin care balance as it will generally contain far fewer chemical properties then it’s drugstore counterparts and thus have less possibility to cause inflammation or irritation. Of course, even an herbal product can have side effects as they are “chemicals” in their own right, so always be aware of the list if ingredients in the products you buy and the reactions your skin personally has to allergens.

Keeping Skin Healthy

The market today is flooded with beauty products. Everywhere you look, another new product is on the shelf (or on the website). So, how does one choose which is the best product for them? If you are inclined to treat your skin naturally-meaning without harsh chemicals-then organic or natural skin care may be the best for you. Not only do these products help your skin in a more balanced, natural way, they are also much less harmful to yourself and the environment.

Below are five basic steps in keeping skin healthy, along with the use of organic skin care products.

Eat and maintain a balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that help you maintain a healthy skin the natural way. Avoid processed and greasy foods. Familiarize yourself with healthy, organic food that you enjoy and will promote better health. Supplements will also provide assistance in keeping your whole body healthy. Keeping the entire body healthy is the primary key for healthy cells. This is the most important organic skin care tip. Skin can only look as good as the nutrients you feed your body. The skin is the primary conduit for the liver to process toxins.

1. Drink plenty of water. A huge percentage of the body is composed of water. Water intake will help you clean the body. Water also hydrates the body and helps prevent dry skin. Well-hydrated cells function well. Cells that function well can help maintain youth. The more active a person is, the more water he/she needs. Eight glasses of water a day is the recommended amount of water intake, however, as for athletes and energetic people, more is needed to replace the fluid they excrete through perspiration. There is no replacement to drinking plenty of water and this is not only a great organic skin care rule but a great habit to adopt.

2. Exercise. Aside from a boost in energy, moderate work outs promote blood circulation and increase oxygen in the blood stream. Both help in maintaining the youth of your skin.

3. Wash your face with mild cleansing products. Cleansing products with strong substances can harm cells. Ensure that you use clean water when washing the cleansing products off your skin. Don’t rub your skin vigorously with the towel - it irritates the skin. Wipe gently with soft cloth. Organic skin care products are milder than those with synthesized or processed ingredients and don’t need to be scrubbed off.

4. Use organic skin care products when possible. Products with natural ingredients will clean you r skin just as well as those full of chemicals. The closer the ingredients are to their natural state, the less harmful for your skin. Most organic products work with the body’s natural process in fighting harmful elements and potential diseases as opposed to chemically forcing the skin to respond to treatment.

5. Moisturizers are recommended for all skin types. Even oily skin loses its natural moisture after using harsh cleansing products. If your skin is not properly moisturize, it will dry and age faster. Toners help in cleaning traces of dirt and cosmetics not easily removed with the use of cleansers. Try to use a product containing zinc or a natural sunblocking agent to protect your face from the harmful UVB rays of the sun.

Organic skin care gives you the greatest opportunity to have a healthy skin, without using harmful ingredients. The appearance of your skin indicates the state of your health. If you are suffering from acne or any other skin condition, try treating it from the inside out first. Give your body a chance to balance itself with healthy foods and supplements before you spend hundreds of dollars on topical treatments. Your skin is your body’s armor, protecting your from the elements. Help it do its job.

Quality Skincare

Many consumers are frustrated by skin care products that don’t do what they claim to. Worse still is investing in an expensive yet ineffective cream or treatment only to discover the cheapest drug-store brand would work just as well. In a world of hyper-consumerism, false advertising and a plethora of products from which to choose, how do you choose the good from the bad?

There are some great products on the market that can genuinely improve your skin’s appearance and help your skin look smoother, more radiant, and youthful. But, there are literally thousands of products to choose from and unless you spend hours a day researching beauty products, it’s difficult to find the one of the few that actually produces real results and eliminates years of aging from your face and body.

Not only should a quality skin product help reduce bags under, and fine lines around, the eyes, but it should even out coloration inconsistencies caused by age spots and other unwanted pigment concentrations.

In a marketing-rich world of super models and glamorous actors, many will understandably spend any amount of money to make themselves look better or younger. Cosmetic surgery and skin care is a multi-billion dollar industry.

As the law of supply and demand proves, the higher the demand for youth and beauity, the more manufacturers will rush to provide the solution. Many times this rush results in the creation of an inferior product with little to no research and development to back it.

All of the money goes into the marketing of the product. On the surface everything looks great. The bottles and jars that the creams come in look appealing. The magazine advertisements are glossy, complete with a youthful looking model or a well known celebrity who doesn’t even really use the products.

You can’t really blame these companies. When you are spending a fortune paying for marketing, whether it be on the product containers, magazine, radio, and TV ads, royalties paid to celebrities and models, you have to charge a lot of money for your products or you’re going to lose money.

On the other hand, this doesn’t mean you and I have to fall for these types of marketing schemes. After all, these companies aren’t going to encounter any shortage of people who will open their wallets and purses to purchase their products anytime soon. The reality is most people simply won’t take any time to research products and understand what ingredients work and what ingredients are actually bad for your skin!

Acne Words to Know

Acne: Words to Know
Androgen:
A male sex hormone found in both males and females.
Anti-androgen:
A drug that slows down the production of androgens.
Antibiotic:
A drug that kills bacteria.
Comedo:
A hard plug that develops in the pores of the skin composed of sebum and dead skin cells. The mildest form of acne.
Comedolytic:
Drugs that break up comedos and open clogged pores.
Isotretinoin:
A drug that decreases sebum production and dries up acne pimples.
Sebum:
An oily material produced by sebaceous glands that keeps the skin moist.
Tretinoin:
A drug that increases the rate at which skin cells are formed and die.
CAUSES
________________________________________
The exact cause of acne is not known, however, several risk factors have been identified.
• Age. Because of the effect of sex hormones, teenagers are quite likely to develop acne.
• Cosmetics. Make-up and hair sprays that contain oils can make acne worse.
• Diet. Acne is not caused by diet, but some foods can make the disease more serious.
• Disease. Hormonal disorders can increase the severity of acne problems in girls.
• Drugs. Acne can develop as a result of using certain drugs, such as tranquilizers, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and anabolic steroids. Steroids are synthetic hormones that may sometimes be abused by athletes to increase the size of their muscles.
• Environment. Acne can become worse as a result of exposure to oils, greases, and polluted air. Sweating in hot weather can also make the condition worse.
• Gender. Boys are more likely to develop acne and tend to have more serious cases than girls.
• Heredity. Acne is more common in some families than in others.
• Hormonal changes. Acne can flare up during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Menopause is the period in a woman’s life when her body stops producing certain hormones.
• Personal hygiene. Strong soaps, hard scrubbing, and picking at pimples can make acne worse.
• Stress. Emotional stress can contribute to acne.

Skin Care Ingredients to Look For

Before we have a discussion of specific ingredients, it’s important to educate ourselves a little bit more on skin itself and what makes a product good or poor. Your skin is the largest organ of the body. Anything you put on it can be easily absorbed through the pores. When you use skin care products, they are typically applied all over the face, neck, and body. This covers a lot of surface area and, therefore, a great deal of chemical absorption occurs.

The biggest reason our skin, whether on the face or the rest of the body, develops lines and/or starts to sag, is that the collagen and elastin in our skin begins to break down. Collagen is a protein that is fibrous in nature. What makes collagen different from other kinds of protein is that it possesses great tensile strength, which means, among other things, it provides firmness to the skin.

You don’t need to be a scientist, therefore, to understand that as collagen breaks down due to aging, the firmness of our skin becomes…well, less firm. Wrinkles appear and skin starts to sag.

Elastin, too, is a protein that helps skin stay “flexible” and firm. If your skin is stretched, elastin is the protein that helps it return to its original position.

What all of this means for you as a consumer is you do want to avoid buying products that are nothing more than wrinkle or fine line ‘fillers.’ Some creams will give the appearance of plumper fuller skin while it still sits on the surface, but once absorbed or removed, the illusion is gone. Want you want to look for is a product that actually stimulates new collagen and elastin production in your skin. If you achieve this, you will, in reality, begin to turn back the clock.

Unfortunately, some cosmetic manufacturers will include some great ‘active ingredients’ while filling the majority of the product with inferior filler. Because these active ingredients are beneficial for the skin, they include just enough to be allowed to legally list them on the product label. This way, the typical consumer thinks they are getting a great product of high-quality. But, because these ingredients are expensive, and because, many well known companies spend much of their budget on marketing, the amount of these ‘active ingredients’ is limited to have any real benefit for your skin.

So, when choosing a skin care product, it’s not just about selecting one with good ingredients; it’s also about choosing one with a high concentration of these good ingredients.

• Collagen

After the brief review of the importance of collagen, you would think that buying a product with collagen in it would be a great thing. And the marketers who sell products that contain collagen know this. But, again sadly, collagen molecules are much too large to penetrate into the skin when applied topically and there presence in a beauty product has no effect whatsoever. To be of any benefit, you must purchase a product with ingredients that have been shown to stimulate your body’s own collagen production.

• Phytessence Wakame

Phytessence Wakame is an exotic kelp, native to the Japanese Sea. It works by blocking a harmful enzyme in your body called hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid in your skin. Without hyaluronic acid, the elastin and collagen fibers lose their “glue,” which leads to a loss of youthful appearance and dark eye circles. Hyaluronan is a major component of skin, where it is involved in tissue repair.

• CoQ10

If you look at the ingredient list for some of the better skin care products, you’ll often see CoQ10 listed. CoQ10 is short for Coenzyme Q10, so you may also see it listed this way. CoQ10 is a vitamin like substance that is found in all of our body’s cells and is very important for healthy skin. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant. A lot of skin damage and aging comes from free radicals wreaking havoc in our body’s cells. CoQ10’s antioxidant ability can counter these free radicals before damage occurs.

Unfortunately, like many other vital substances, as we age, the amount of CoQ10 in our bodies becomes depleted.

Although CoQ10 is a great ingredient, not all forms are equal. One in particular stands head and shoulders above the rest. This version of it is called Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10.Most of the CoQ10 you buy in a typical skin care products are not readily usable when applied topically to the skin.

• Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10, on the other hand, is a special nano-emulsion form of CoQ10, which penetrates far down into the skin, thereby providing much greater benefits for skin health. In fact, Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10 has been shown to penetrate seven layers deep into the skin, making it extremely effective at gobbling up free radicals in your skin. The result is a powerful anti-wrinkle effect.

Determine Your Skin Type

Determining your skin type is easy, and the information will help you when buying moisturizers, cosmetics and facial cleansers.

Step One
Wash your face with a skin cleanser, then rinse and pat dry.

Step Two
Wait one hour.

Step Three
Note whether your skin feels “tight.”

Step Four
Press a separate piece of tissue onto each area of your face: chin, center of cheeks, outer cheeks, center of forehead, outer forehead and nose.

Step Five
Examine each tissue and look for oily residue or flaky skin residue.

Step Six
Interpret the results. Oil on each tissue indicates an oily skin type, while oil on only some tissues (specifically those on the T-zone, which is the center of forehead, nose, chin and center of cheeks) indicates a combination skin type. Flaky skin residue on all tissues - without oily residue - or a tight feeling in the skin indicates a dry skin type. No oil and no flaky residue on any parts of the tissue indicates a normal skin type.

Tips & Warnings
Pore size is another indication of skin type; small pores generally indicate dry skin, while large pores mean oily skin. Remember that there are many factors that affect your skin type, such as weather, emotions, hormones and stress, and this will cause your skin type to be in a constant state of fluctuation.
“Combination skin” products that claim to serve different functions on different parts of the face are suspicious. You’re better off using different products on different areas.

Overall Things You’ll Need
Hand or Wash Towels
Mild Facial Cleansers
Oil-free Facial Cleansers
Oil-free Moisturizers

Dry skin recommendations

Dry skin recommendations and supplements that can help your skin

LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS

Dry skin responds best to climates with high humidity and hates cold, dry and windy climates. Indoor heating and air-conditioning can also be drying to skin. If you live in a dry climate, try to use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. There are many affordable varieties available on the market or for re-sale today.
Don’t steam facials because steaming is actually more drying than hydrating. Likewise, avoid steam rooms, swimming pools, chlorinated hot tubs and overly hot baths. Avoid those old-fashioned recommendations to put your face under a towel over a pot of boiling water. Not only will this lead to excessive drying, it can also cause broken capillaries or blood veins along the fragile skin of the cheeks and nose.

If your skin tends to be dry, and tight or wrinkled and sun spotted, avoid excessive sun, exposure or hot wax facial treatments, hair sprays and hair dyes that can dry your skin and provoke inflammation leading to dark spots.

Hormone replacement therapy can help to lessen skin dryness after Menopause though it will increase age spots due to new hormones stimulating pigment production. It may help prevent the wrinkles that quickly occur after menopause Consult with your doctor with your family health history to make an informed decision on HRT.

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