Natural Cleansers and Seven Tips for Dry Skin

A contributing factor to dry, flaky, skin in winter is a drop in temperature. Although winter sometimes feels damp, there is usually less water in the air than on your skin and that creates a moisture vapour loss from the skin. As skin becomes drier, its surface layer stops producing the natural lipids which prevent moisture loss, and water cannot be retained so easily. Dry skin will also show wrinkles more easlit and contribute to an aging appearance.

Herbalist Greta Breedlove came up with this natural homemade skin care recipes face utilizing the seed of the avocado. It makes a moisturizing face scrub, especially for dry skin.

AVOCADO FACE SCRUB

Let an avocado dry a few days until you can remove the skin easily. Chop, then pulverize in a blender or food mill. Moisten with a little milk and smooth over your face, throat.

AVOCADO FACIAL CLEANSER

One egg yolk, beaten until light and frothy
1/2 cup milk
1/2 avacado, peeled and mashed

Beat the mixture with a fork until you have a thin cream or lotion consistency. Apply with cotton balls as you would a cleanser.

As a result of all these factors, sometimes skin on the face and body tends to be in worse condition in the winter months than at other times of the year. In extreme cases, a constant drying effect can even lead to cracking, flaking and redness.

These four tips for helping to keep dry skin at bay during the colder months come from Dr. Kucy Pon, Olay dermatologist.

1. A moisturizer is essential - A moisturizer performs several important functions, including replacing lost water. Water-binding ingredients, such as glycerin, help keep it in the skin.

2. Create an oasis - Put some moisture back into the air by using a humidifier in your home or office. It will counteract the drying effects of indoor heat.

3. Drink lots of water - Increase your body’s natural moisture level by staying hydrated throughout the day.

4. Keep wrapped up - Dress for the season and try to limit your skin’s exposure to harsh temperatures and damaging winds.

If you have dry skin, then you probably already know it can be really difficult to care for. When you don’t look after it properly, it can become flaky, and if it gets really bad, may even become irritated and red. Although it’s possible to find plenty of products that claim to be able to solve dry skin problems, unfortunately most of their claims are sales hype.

Although most over the counter products don’t do much to combat dry skin, there are a number of things you can do to improve the condition of your skin. It’s mostly a question of making some basic changes to your daily skincare routine. It won’t take long for your skin to appear more healthy and vibrant.

With dry skin, you have completely the opposite problem to someone with oily skin. Basically, your skin is suffering from a lack of sebum, the oil that helps to keep the skin moist and supple. People with oily skin produce far too much sebum. Sebum is actually made from skin cells, and is an essential ingredient in healthy, supple skin. Because dry skin has insufficient oil, you need to replace it from both inside and outside.

5.  Moisturize

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to use a good quality moisturizer. Choose a cream that is rich, but not heavy. Consider choosing a natural cream with aloe vera and chamomile. Both these ingredients are very soothing, as well as helping to reduce dryness and improve the skin’s healing abilities.

6. Choose Healthy Foods

You also need to look at the type of foods you eat. It’s important to choose healthy foods, because the healthier your body, the healthier your skin will be. You may not realize this, but your skin is actually the largest organ of your body. So it needs to be nourished just like all the other organs in your body.

7.  Supplement

Depending on the types of food you already eat, you might need to consider taking a supplement, such as Vitamin E, Omega-3 oils and B-Complex vitamins. Making sure you get enough of these important nutrients is a great way to improve the condition of your skin.

By nourishing your skin in all these ways, you should soon a marked reduction in the level of dryness. Helping your skin to be more supple and moist also helps to slow down the process of aging, so you’re the winner in two ways.

By Tom Turner

Natural Bath Recipies and Cleansing Treats

Homemade skin care recipes

I look for homemade skin care recipes for natural skin care using all natural ingredients. Everyone will experience different results. Try a recipe for a week or two and if this is not working try another one.

I try to use organic ingredients as much as I can. Tests have shown that plants that have been raised organically almost always have a higher concentration of healthful healing substances than their conventionally grown counterparts.

You want to beautify your skin with the most natural products around. Look no further than your kitchen and medicine cabinet to try these quick and easy recipes.

Milk Baths Recipes

Milk Baths are just like regular baths, only with an addition of milk and often other scents such as lavender, honey, and essential oils. Cleopatra, Elizabeth I of England, Elisabeth of Bavaria, and others have historically acclaimed the beautifying benefits of these baths.

Milk baths are said to utilize lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, to dissolve the proteins which hold together dead skin cells.

Proponets say that the natural properties of milk help to:

Soften/Smooth
Exfoliate
Make visible new, fresh cells
Accelerate skin cell renewal
Moisturize
Stress relief

Various Ingredients Mandatory
Powdered or Fresh Milk For Scent
Honey
Oatmeal

Homemade Milk Baths Recipes

Milk and Honey Bath
It seems that women have been indulging themselves with milk and honey baths for centuries, so I am assuming that it does the body good… So, here is a quick and easy recipe that should do the trick. Enjoy.

1/2 cup liquid honey
3 cups powdered milk
lavender buds (added for color and fragrance)

Combine the ingredients above in a large bowl and then transfer to a decorative glass bottle in your bathroom. This also makes a great and inexpensive gift idea.

Scoop out a luxurious amount of the milk bath and dissolve in a warm bath. You can also use these ingredients to increase the luxurious scents and detoxifying atttibutes:  Lavender, Essential Oils, Herbs, Nutmeg, Bergamot, Geranium, Seaweed, Sea salt

Lavender-Honey Milk Baths

Ingredients

Tablespoons dried lavender flowers*
1-1/2 cups whole milk, cream or combination
1/3 cup honey

Directions Process lavender flowers in a blender until they become a powder, turning off the blender and scraping down the sides as necessary. Whisk together lavender powder, milk and honey in a glass bowl, then pour into a jar. Before each use, shake the jar and pour half of the mixture into the bath. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes enough for 2 baths.

*Dried lavender flowers can be found in the spice section of gourmet and specialty stores.

Choosing Natural Facial Soaps and Cleansers

In the last 10 years startling news and information on how our food supplies and soaps and cleansers are created have surfaced. And it isn’t pretty.  If you have been keeping up with the news and the recent movements back towards more herbal and organic soaps and cleansers, you should know that is has never been easier or more affordable to choose the herbal and organic, especially for your facial and skincare needs.

When you are looking for something herbal to apply to your face and skin, you should know that there are many organic skin care soaps and cleansers on the market. The possibilities are endless when you want to pamper the senses with an organic bath and body product.

Not only are organic skin are soaps and cleansers therapeutic, but they are also healthier because they use herbal ingredients unspoiled by chemicals or preservatives. Some of the ingredients found in many herbal facial skin care soaps and cleansers include organic essential oils, herbal and organic vegetable oils, as well as organic herbs from the wild.

When looking for an herbal skin care product that will suit your needs, you should look for labels that contain phrases, such as 100% Herbal or 100% Biodegradable.  Herbal, facial or organic skin care soaps and cleansers should also stay clear of the use of fragrance oils, artificial colors and synthetics.

Just to get an idea of some of the ingredients and choices a customer may look forward to when purchasing organic skin care soaps and cleansers, you could exfoliate your skin with the help of organic pumpkin seed oil and fresh pumpkin seeds.  When you want an exotic, herbal scent to grace your body, you may prefer a chemical-free, all-herbal perfume created from tropical flowers.

When you need help healing your skin from problems, such as scars, dark marks and sun damage, there is a night cream made from tangerines and calendula, which can be used to ease the appearance of blemished skin.  An organic apricot facial scrub can exfoliate, deep clean, as well as moisturize the skin, all at once.

When it comes to matters of the face, this area of skin is considered the most visible. If problems arise concerning skin and acne, herbal and organic facial skin care soaps and cleansers can correct or treat some of these problems without the harsh chemicals that are used in non-organic soaps and cleansers. For example, a toner made from pure lemons, witch hazel and peppermint essential oils can be a great solution for easing problem skin.

When you are in need of an herbal facial skin care product that will stimulate circulation, as well as treat open pores, there are toners made from lavender and rosewater that can do the trick.

There are endless websites offering a line of herbal, facial skin care soaps and cleansers on the Internet. You could purchase a face cream made from rose and chamomile, promoting facial hydration and the unclogging of pores. Just as with this particular product, many organic skin care soaps and cleansers are good for those who have sensitive skin.

Other herbal product alternative offer Vitamin C as the key ingredient, which is also gentle on the skin. Your skin will also receive the advantages of Vitamin E and A. Also look for daytime hydrating cleansing creams made from oatmeal, aloe vera, Mediterranean olives and soy just to name a few more options. The result is smoother, toned skin.

The market is booming with plenty of choices to consider, including organic eye gels for reducing puffiness, organic 15 SPF sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, as well as many other organic skin care soaps and cleansers for sun damage, cellulite, acne and wrinkles.

Have fun experimenting with the best combinations for your face and skin and watch the dramatic results unfold, herbally!