Natural Skin Care

ACUPUNCTURE

2006-07-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is a well known alternative therapy due to its unique nature of ‘sticking pins’ into your body. Acupuncture is one of the tools used in oriental healing going back nearly five thousand years. The belief in oriental medicine is that we have meridians (invisible lines) which flow throughout our body. It is through these meridians that the body’s life force/energy flows. This body’s life force is known as ‘chi’. To get an understanding of what chi means a Chinese acupuncturist who I visited said ‘that you can go for days without food and water; however you can’t live for a second without ‘chi’.

According to Chinese philosophy, disease occurs when we get a blockage of chi or when chi doesn’t flow properly along the meridians. Therefore the aim of acupuncture is to correct this problem by stimulating the flow of chi and remove blockages. Therefore by restoring this flow of chi the body is able to heal and repair itself. The main key idea in Chinese medicine is that the body requires harmony and balance. I agree with this idea (which I have continually repeated throughout the book), that it is this balance and harmony throughout the ‘whole’ body that we need to try and achieve.

Most people will not like the idea of having needles inserted into their skin. However I can safely say that it is not really painful at all as you only feel a slight pinprick. After treatment, it has been reported that people feel a variety of sensations such as feeling very tired. I felt quite energised after my treatments so obviously these sensations may vary from person to person. It must be said that it is possible to see a worsening of your symptoms before an improvement is seen.

Natural Skin Care Solutions for Eczema and Psoriasis Part 2

2006-07-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

Natural Skin Care

BATHING AND WATER (Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis)

If you suffer from a skin condition such as acne, eczema etc. then maintaining good personal hygiene is of paramount importance. For example if your hands are dirty after you have been outside and you don’t wash your hands, your hands will be full of germs and bacteria. Therefore if you itch, rub etc your skin or use a cream on your skin with these ‘dirty’ hands, this is not likely to help your skin. You will be adding bacteria to the surface of your affected skin and when in contact with dry, cracked and broken skin these germs can lead to the skin becoming infected.
Our bodies should be washed all over on a regular basis. However here are some guidelines about what not to do when cleaning the body.

• Avoid excess water. This might contradict what I’ve just said above, however too much showering, bathing, etc can strip away the natural oils from our skin which actually help to keep our skin moisturised and supple. You may have noticed this if you have a skin problem, that after you come out of the shower your skin may feel raw and very dry. Thus you should avoid long bathing and showering, to prevent your skin from drying out too much.

• Don’t shower or bath in water that is too hot. I know that sometimes a very hot shower can feel nice, but this should be avoided if you have a skin disorder. Try to use lukewarm worker as hot water can have adverse affects such as itching and redness. Try and use a warm temperature of water that is not too hot as this has an adverse affect on the skin.

• Try and limit your exposure to hard water, which is harsher on the skin.

• Avoid products such as bubble baths and bath salts. Use products for cleaning the skin that are simple and designed for people with sensitive skin. Avoid cleaning products with fruit acids (otherwise known as AHA’s). Always ask at your pharmacist which product would be suitable to clean your skin.

Treat your skin kindly by avoiding vigorous towelling. Dry your skin by dabbing your skin with a soft towel gently, as opposed to rubbing your skin with a towel aggressively.

Always make sure to moisturise your skin after your bath or shower as your skin will be clean. It is also necessary to do this because to a certain extent your skin will have been dried out after a shower or bath; therefore this will help to keep the moisture locked in.

SKIN AND CLOTHES (Eczema and Psoriasis)

For individuals with skin problems it is essential to wear the right clothes that will not aggravate your skin. Try and wear clothes that generally feel comfortable on the skin. Tight and restrictive clothes are not good as they can make you feel hot, sweaty, itchy etc.

Cotton clothes and cotton mixes are the best option, try to avoid clothes made from wool, polyester and other synthetic fibres. Wash your clothes using a skin friendly non-biological wash and wash new clothes before wearing them for the first time, to remove excess dyes.

Before I buy clothes I check the label to see whether the materials used in the clothes will suit me. At times I have brought the odd piece of clothing that I really liked the look of even though it was made from unsuitable materials such as nylon and wool. However after wearing these particular clothes I have felt hot, sweaty and uncomfortable and have ended up hardly wearing these clothes.

BODY TEMPERATURE (Eczema and Psoriasis)

If you suffer from eczema or any other type of skin disorder that makes you feel itchy it is important to try and stay cool. The aim is to not get hot and sweaty which may bring on a damaging bout of itching and scratching. Therefore in hot weather it is advisable to wear loose and comfortable cotton clothing to help stay cool. At night in hot weather a person with eczema can get hot and thus feel itchy and irritated. Therefore try and keep your bedroom cool so that you can sleep in a comfortable
environment.

Conversely in winter do not sit close to hot heating sources such as heaters, coal fires etc. as this will make you hot and dry out your skin. Also, central heating that is too high can dry out your skin. When going outside in very cold whether wrap up well as particularly cold conditions can be very harsh to the skin.

natural skin care

Natural Skin Care Solutions for Eczema and Psoriasis Part 1

2006-06-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

natural skin care

CONTROLLING THE SYMPTOMS OF A SKIN CONDITION

As well as dietary modifications and lifestyle changes, a general skin care regime needs to be undertaken to control the symptoms externally. This skin care regime involves keeping the skin clean, preventing dryness, inflammation as well as itching thus reducing the possibility of infection. Shown below are the everyday basic steps that need to be taken to achieve the aim of controlling skin disorders. Next to each of the headings of the skin care tip recommended below, I have written whether the skin care tip is relevant to acne, eczema, psoriasis or all three conditions.

MOISTURIZE THE SKIN (Eczema and Psoriasis)

If a person has eczema the skin production of sebum is affected. The sebum is the moisturizing natural oil that keeps the skin supple. This is one of the key ways to keep eczema at bay on a daily basis. If you have eczema or psoriasis you don’t need me to tell you this, but be disciplined with moisturising your skin. It can be annoying and time consuming having to moisturise the skin often many times a day, however it must be done. If we are to try to heal and improve the condition internally, than we must do all we can to aid this process by helping the condition of the skin externally.

Emollients are often prescribed by doctors as it would be too expensive for individuals to buy such large amounts of moisturiser that they need on a daily basis themselves. Emollients help to form a protective barrier on the surface of the skin to help keep moisture locked in. Although emollients come in a variety of forms such as creams, ointments etc. there are two main types of emollient. These include water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions. Water-in-oil emulsions are heavier on the skin, oilier and tend too stick to the skin better. Oil-in-water emulsions tend to be lighter, more easily absorbed and less greasy.

When you buy a new product to moisturise your skin do a quick test on a small patch on your eczema or psoriasis. If it suits you and works well then you know you can use it on the rest of your body. Thus you may need to experiment with a variety of products to see which one works the best to keep the skin the more supple and moisturised. It is recommended that for all people that have skin conditions who require moisturisers, it is best to go for products that are especially designed for people with sensitive skin and that have as few additives as possible.

AIR AND LIGHT (Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis)

The skin is able to breathe and is an organ that eliminates wastes and toxins. As a result of these observations, if the skin is to be really healthy, it must not be prevented from carrying out these crucial functions. We tend to heavily wrap ourselves in clothes and consequently make it very difficult for the skin to breathe. The many different types of clothing that we wear today are composed of a variety of fabrics e.g. polyester, wool, cotton and therefore some clothes are less irritating to the skin than others. We must wear clothes that allow our skin to breathe, such as clothes made from cotton.

Our skin is constantly perspiring and thus a certain amount of water has to be evaporated from its surface. Unsuitable clothes could possibly prevent this evaporation, thus leaving on the skins surface its own secretions. These toxins which remain on the skins surface, may not be reabsorbed back into our blood, but will inevitably lead to the deterioration in the health of the skin.

Exposing our skin to the air, does not necessarily need to be taken in open air (however this is extremely good practise when the weather is appropriate), but can be especially beneficial when indoors. Exposing or ‘bathing’ our skin indoors should be undertaken in a well aired and moderately warm room. This bathing of the skin in air will help to keep the skin healthy and generally contribute to the overall health of the body.

Sunlight is a very healthy tonic for the skin and has a good effect on the vitamin content of the body. However, we must not forget that excessive exposure to the sun can do harm to our skin. No matter how tanned the skin may be, it should not be exposed for lengthy periods of time to the direct rays of the sun.

If the skin is to be maintained in a healthy condition, we must not forget that it needs to be given air and light.

AVOID IRRITANTS (Eczema and Psoriasis)

This may seem obvious but an irritant is a substance that when you come into contact with it, irritates your skin. Below I have listed some of the common irritants that should be avoided so as to not aggravate the skin.

• Perfumes and Cosmetics
• Tobacco Smoke
• Wool
• Synthetic Fibres
• Dust
• Washing Powders and Liquids (Use rubber gloves with a cotton lining when doing the washing up).
• Use ‘non-biological’ soap powders and detergents for washing clothes.
• Soap. Normal soaps tend to really dry our skin as it removes some of our natural oils from our skin. Try to use soap alternatives, such as special skin washes designed for dry and sensitive skin.

natural skin care

How to get clear beautiful looking skin Part 3

2006-06-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Clear Skin

The ‘adding’ part of the diet should be carried out at the same time as the removal part of the diet (where you must eliminate certain foods from your diet).

Fatty Acids

Another major and often discussed issue regarding eczema, psoriasis and other related skin conditions is that of ‘essential fatty acids’. This deficiency in essential fatty acids has been heavily linked with eczema and other skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Essential Fatty Acids can only be obtained from food as they can’t be made in the body. There a variety of crucial roles that essential fatty acids play in our body and some of these are as follows:

• Help to strengthen the structure of all our cells, as well as our skin cells.

• Prevent moisture loss from these cells.

• Assist in balancing our hormones, which in turn helps our digestive system

Therefore it is crucial that if you suffer from a skin condition you must obtain fatty acids in your diet. A source rich in essential fatty acids is evening primrose oil. I have read a variety of study’s where eczema, psoriasis and acne sufferers were given a few weeks of evening primrose orally and noticed a significant reduction in itching (in the case of eczema) and a vast improvement in their skin condition.

Water

However it is common knowledge that to improve the health of our skin, water is often one of the first tools we can use. Therefore if you have a skin condition it is crucial that you should aim for a regular daily intake of at least two to three and a half litres of water a day. Remember water is required for all of our bodily functions, especially elimination and to regulate body temperature. However avoid drinking during a meal as I was told by a nutritionist that it dilutes our digestive juices.

Vitamins

If you have a skin disorder you may be deficient in certain vitamins in the body, therefore these may need to be taken in supplement form as we may not obtain these in our foods in our diet on a daily basis.

Also, we may require certain vitamins that have beneficial properties and healing effects on our skin. For example people with skin conditions often require zinc which is not found in their diets. Zinc is required for a number of reasons in the body some of which include: transporting carbon dioxide, Zinc is required for immunity, growth and metabolism, Zinc is necessary for the synthesis of collagen, Zinc acts as an antioxidant, Zinc is crucial for the structure and function of cells. The list of vitamins and minerals and their functions in the body is vast. I would recommend looking around at your local health shop/store etc. to find a multivitamin and mineral supplement, that is free of additives, yeast etc. Try and find a multivitamin that contains all of the B-complex vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C etc. This has had a highly beneficial effect on me and people I know with skin problems. Sometimes we might notice a vast improvement in our skin as a result of taking such a supplement, as we may have been lacking certain vitamins in our systems.

Remember you can’t rely on vitamin supplements alone to obtain the necessary vitamins in your diet. It is of paramount importance that you not only revise your diet by removing harmful foods but that you must try and eat foods rich in such vitamins, for example vitamin D which be found in oily fish. Vitamin E can be found in broccoli, leafy green vegetables, seeds etc. Folic Acid can be found in carrots, avocadoes, melons etc. There are a variety of sources such as books and the web that will show foods that are high in particular vitamins and minerals.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a plant native to eastern and southern Africa and is cultivated extensively worldwide. For the purpose of healing the skin from within, we must take advantage of the healing properties Aloe Vera has to offer.

Aloe vera has traditionally been used as a colon cleanser to maintain healthy skin and for its ‘anti-inflammatory’, protective and healing properties. These properties are the exact ones that are required to help heal the condition of someone with a skin disease. On a daily basis I take an aloe vera capsule to help maintain my skin in a healthy state. For the adding part of the diet which should be carried out for three to four months. Try to get aloe vera tablets that are ‘whole-leaf’ and are high-strength eg. 500mg.

Green Tea

Instead of drinking vast quantities of traditional tea (which is high in caffeine), which we are trying to avoid, as stated in the removal part of the diet, it would be advisable to drink green tea on a daily basis. Green Tea is rich in anti-oxidants which help to prevent damage to our body, by reducing the affect of free-radicals (toxins) in our body.

EAT FRESH FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND SEEDS

Remember we are trying to cleanse our systems from within and move away from processed foods, which contain highly amounts of sugar, salts and additives and move to more natural and healthier foods which contain essential vitamins and minerals we require for healthy skin.

Remember we are trying to reduce the amount of acid in our digestive systems, thus eating more alkaline-forming foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables and seeds is essential. This topic discussed above is often discussed as the acid/alkaline balance in many books. Remember in today’s diet we get an excess build up of acid due to a variety of foods we eat. Most of these foods that cause an excess build up of acid such as citrus food and fried foods have been accounted for in the ‘removal’ part of the diet. However we must eat alkaline forming foods to try and ‘mop up’ any excess acid in our systems.

I am confident that whatever skin condition you may suffer from, if you follow the diet shown above and follow it strictly for at least three months, you will see some improvement in your condition.

clear skin

How to get clear beautiful looking skin Part 2

2006-06-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

The following substances (discussed below) need to be removed from your diet.However, it takes the body time to adjust and only after a couple of months will you get a true and fair picture of whether removing these foods is having an impact. Also, be disciplined if you want a true picture of whether these foods help to cause or aggravate your skin condition. It is no good following the diet for a week or two then eating the odd slice of pizza. You will be cheating yourself and remember the aim is to try improve your condition for ‘your’ benefit.

Chocolate

Chocolate is not surprising being featured here, as it is a well known as not being particularly good for the skin. As with other foods with a high sugar content, which encourage yeast growth, eating chocolate can irritate your skin. It can result in the flaring up of your skin condition, for example the appearance of more spots in the case of acne. Even people, who tend to have perfectly healthy skin, sometimes get spots or more inconsistent skin after eating too many chocolates which is an obvious indication that they aren’t particularly good for your skin.

Citrus Fruits

We need to keep a balance between the acid and alkaline levels in our system. When we have an imbalance of too much acid in our system, this results in an imbalanced digestive system and consequently harmful effects for the skin. Therefore, citrus fruits (such as oranges, lemon, lime etc) which are high in acidity, should be avoided. For some reason that I do not know I have also read from many related sources that eating pineapple should be avoided.

Chillies (Hot Spicy Food)

I am sorry for all of your spicy food lovers but we all know that very hot and spicy food isn’t exactly great for the digestive system. The spices and colourings used in such foods can irritate the bowl and once in our bloodstream, for conditions such as eczema can cause severe irritation to the skin.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms like yeast are a fungi, hence as we are trying to eliminate the growth and development of fungi in our gut, it becomes obvious that mushrooms should be removed from the diet.

Smoking

I can safely say that in almost every book I have read on skin disorders and advice I have received from herbalists, homeopaths etc. smoking should be avoided if you have a skin condition. Smoking is extremely detrimental to your health and this is a fact which everybody knows. To help solve a skin condition the aim is to be healthy, eliminate toxins, relax etc. Therefore smoking by introducing harmful chemicals and tars into our body is obviously going to be even more harmful not only to your lungs but also your skin. Therefore if you have a skin condition you shouldn’t smoke.

Avoid processed foods

Avoid highly processed foods that contain high amounts of artificial additives and colourings (such as ready made meals). Eat fresh fruit and vegetables and more plain and simple foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes etc.

Part 3 will explain what needs to be added to your diet to get clear beautiful looking skin.

skin

How to get clear beautiful looking skin Part 1

2006-06-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

The following substances (discussed below) need to be removed from your diet
However, it takes the body time to adjust and only after a couple of months will you get a true and fair picture of whether removing these foods is having an impact. Also, be disciplined if you want a true picture of whether these foods help to cause or aggravate your skin condition. It is no good following the diet for a week or two then eating the odd slice of pizza. You will be cheating yourself and remember the aim is to try improve your condition for ‘your’ benefit.

Yeast

Yeast is the first of the potential food allergies I will explain. I will now list foods that we commonly eat which are high in yeast and that should be avoided

• Bread (Including Pastry, Pitta Bread and Naan Bread). There are yeast free alternatives to normal bread that are widely available, such as soda bread (which I now eat) and black rye bread.
• Beer
• Foods containing yeast extracts. Many foods that you would not expect to have yeast in them have yeast extracts in them. It is advisable to check whether a food has yeast on the food label. Although this can be tedious at first when buying food in a supermarket, I have now become used to it. A quick glance of the label of a certain type of food you are unsure about will show whether it contains yeast. As time progresses, due to a lot of ‘label checking’ you will build up knowledge of foods that contain yeast.
• Soy Sauce
• Some Frozen Foods

Not only must these foods mentioned above be avoided, the potential growth of yeast in our systems must be avoided.

SUGAR

Obviously most of the foods we eat contain some sugar. Apart from the following foods mentioned another common source where sugar enters our diet is in tea and coffee. Most people drink either tea, coffee or both and often think nothing of having two to three teaspoons of sugar in their tea/coffee. Sugar taken in this form (especially white sugar) can be very refined and processed which is not good for our systems. If you read any magazines or books with articles relating to dieting, de-toxing, skin problems etc. you will commonly find the advice to severely reduce the intake of sugary foods, as it not only greatly beneficial for your skin but your general health as well.

Dairy Products

This means eliminating milk, cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products from the diet. There are a variety of replacements for cows milk, such as Goats Milk (which is easier to digest) and Soya Milk which also contain first class proteins that are found in cows milk.

Eggs

Eggs are also another well documented source of food intolerance. You may find that if you suffer from a skin condition such as eczema you may unknowingly have an adverse reaction straight after eating an egg. If your condition is aggravated after this it would obviously be a good idea to stop eating eggs.

Red Meat

I have found that omitting these foods from my diet has helped to contribute to the improvement of my skin.

Coffee

Also, note that many other drinks have high caffeine levels such as energy drinks. Tea has caffeine although in smaller amounts then coffee. Some people may think an alternative to coffee would be to have decaffeinated coffee. My friend who has psoriasis used to drink vast amounts of coffee every day, noticed a vast improvement in his condition after he stopped drinking coffee.

Part 2 will contain what other important things which have to be removed from your diet for you to get clear beautiful looking skin.

Clear skin

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

2006-06-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

When I talk about conventional medicine I mean orthodox, ‘normal’ medicine i.e. when you see your doctor at your local surgery or practise and he/she prescribes you treatments

e I would stress that it is important to seek medical advice when eczema, psoriasis, acne etc. rears its ugly head for the first time on your body. Your doctor can then prescribe the relevant suitable medication and give instructions on how to help reduce and alleviate the symptoms. I have visited my doctor on a countless number of times. I have also been referred to a dermatologist by my local doctor on a few occasions.

For those of you that don’t know, I will sum up some of the conventional medical approaches to dealing with eczema, all of which I have tried and tried and tried again. These approaches are more or less the same for psoriasis i.e. tar solutions and creams. This is also true in the case of acne where the only main difference is the use of antibiotics to try and tackle the problem.

CORTICOSTEROIDS

From a conventional approach one of the main ways in dealing with eczema is to suppress the inflammation of the skin. This is done by using steroids (corticosteroids) which come in different strengths and forms. These steroids will be prescribed to treat flare ups of eczema and other skin disorders such as psoriasis. The common forms in which steroids are prescribed are as topical steroids such as creams, lotions, ointments etc. They are available in a variety of strengths and stronger creams with a higher steroid content are used to help control flare-ups of the skin. A doctor will prescribe varying strengths of the steroid dependent on the severity of an individual’s eczema, psoriasis etc. As the application of steroids can result in side effects such as thinning of the skin, the continual use of steroids is discouraged. I have been prescribed the popular steroid hydrocortisone for a number of years.

EMOLIENTS

To keep the skin moisturised and to prevent it from drying and breaking, doctors will prescribe emollients which can be applied to skin.

ANTI-HISTAMINES

They are commonly prescribed in pill form to be taken just before sleep to prevent irritation and itching at night.

ANTIOBIOTICS

In severe cases of eczema antibiotics may be used. They tend to be used when the condition spirals out of control and there is weeping and severe damage to the skin resulting in bleeding, as the skin becomes infected. When infection occurs the eczema becomes worse and worse as the skin finds it difficult to heal and the more you itch and damage your skin the greater the infection becomes.

In the case of acne, antibiotics are used to reduce the bacteria on the skin that contribute towards the acne.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

THE SKIN EXPLAINED

2006-06-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Skin

The skin is one of the largest organs in the body. The skin is an organ of the body just like our liver, kidneys etc. Most people think of the skin as simply a cover for the body and do not tend to associate it with the rest of the system. As with all of the other organs in our body, the skin has a variety of highly specialized functions to fulfill. Whilst there may be conditions in which the skin is specifically involved, it plays its part in every kind of illness. The skin may have to carry the burden of other ill-functioning organs when the system is under strain.

The Structure of the Skin

As mentioned previously the skin is one of the biggest organs of the body and a man has approximately 1.5 square metres of skin. The skin consists of two distinct layers. The outer layer is known as the epidermis and the layer beneath which is known as the dermis.

The outer layer (epidermis) is the really protective layer and is thicker in parts where protection is most needed, such as on the soles of the feet.
The under layer (dermis) is also designed to give protection, as well as provide a variety of other functions. In the dermis we find the nerves, blood and lymph vessels, together with the sweat and sebaceous glands and other specialised cells.

Our skin being one of the most important organs of the body, depends for its health on our whole internal system functioning well.

The Digestive System and the Skin

As the skin covers the body we do not relate it directly to the digestive process. However, to try and understand the true function of the skin and thus take care of it, we must recognise the fact that it is closely associated with the nutrition of the entire body. It is clearly evident, that the maintenance of a healthy skin is directly and extremely dependent on the dietary habits of an individual. Therefore, the state of the skin can be affected more quickly through this medium than in any other way.

The habit of overeating, especially of sugary foods, will affect the skin more dramatically and quickly then people would imagine. Conversely, ‘under eating’ certain types of food, thus leading to a deficiency in vitamins and minerals will lead to skin problems and disorders. If we do not eat a balanced diet and our diet is very lop sided, then this will lead to problems which will be shown on our skin. Crucially, all of these skin problems and conditions are end-results and need no direct treatment. More importantly they need tackling at their source i.e. in the disorders of the digestive system.

Therefore, the conclusion of this is that the health of the skin must be considered in direct relationship to the food that we eat.

[Skin]