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Last month I posted a blog about Story of Cosmetics. This video has caused big waves, particularly in the US where lobby groups work hard to maintain the toxic status quo. I am please to say the ground swell against toxic ingredients in everyday products is growing. Over 200,ooo people have watched the Story of Cosmetics since its launch on July 21st. What a great response! Not only did people watch but they responded, grateful for raising this issue as a topic for debate.

Stacy Malkan from the The Huffington Post has written an update about why the video was made in the first place. You can read the full article here but to summarise the key reasons she cites are:

1. Cancer Prevention - getting potentially toxic products out of our everyday skin care isn’t just a good idea it is essential. As quoted in Stacy’s article, “The true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread.” These statistics aren’t just isolated to the US. In Australia we face exposure to similar levels of potentially toxic chemicals and with similar regulatory controls (or should I say lack of regulatory control!)
2. Getting carcinogens out of baby shampoo makes good sense – just because it is a tiny amount doesn’t mean it is ok. Babies are tiny and they don’t have the same resistance to toxic chemicals that adults do (and even then, why would you want to expose anyone to toxins). I have spoken to many mothers who say they didn’t care about using organic and natural products until their baby was born. Then it becomes essential.
3. We believe in a better way - as Stacey writes it is possible to have a thriving cosmetics industry and use natural ingredients, or at the very least non-toxic ingredients. However, in order to achieve this, we have to change. And as consumers we have buying power which influences all business, from small to big. The other way to encourage change is through regulation. As Stacey writes, “Manufacturers are slow to embrace change — if they embrace it at all. The only answer is regulation that forces industry to consider the potential health effects of any and all ingredients used. The priority has to be our health.”

It is so heartening to see the impact the Story of Cosmetics is having and indeed the positive influence that can be had using social media. Keep it up I say! Please let me know what you think about this topic.

If you didn’t get to watch the video, here it is again:

Launched on July 21st, The Story of Cosmetics is the brainchild of Annie Leonard, a campaigner for safe cosmetics. This video may look cute but the message is serious – get toxins out of our skincare! Annie discusses how cosmetic companies get away with including ingredients that are potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing) in products such as baby shampoo and flow on effects of such action. The Story of Cosmetics will help spread the word to millions of people and in turn help effect the changes needed to ensure all the products we use are safe for us and our families.

At Vitale Natural we completely support Annie’s message and only stock toxic free skin care. Help spread the word by telling your friends about “The Story of Cosmetics“.

Baaaahhh! This winter has been a shocker for me with regard to red skin. While mostly OK during the day, at night in heated rooms (it doesn’t help that I practically sit on the heater) my skin flares up and goes bright red across the cheeks and nose. When I say bright red, I am talking Rudolf here, it almost glows in the dark! Not an issue at all during summer, my tendency to Rosacea has come back with a vengeance. There are a few triggers I have worked out make the flare ups worse:

• red wine – yes in my case even one glass
• heating, particularly vented air
• high necked jumpers
• no air flow in a room
• hot drinks (weirdly coffee is ok but tea not so!)
• high stress

Even though it is annoying, I am not surprised by this recent flare up. I haven’t been looking after myself. Correction – I always look after my skin by using excellent quality organic skincare, so that’s not what I mean. Specifically I haven’t been looking after my internal and mental wellbeing.  There are things I know clear up my flushing and it is about time I gave myself a little TLC. So here is a list of things that I haven’t been doing but that I am going to do from now on:

• Go back on zinc, grapeseed and resveratrol supplements (Metagenics Oxidant Protection or Blackmore’s Grapeseed are good choices). These nutrients all support skin integrity and capillary health. I haven’t been taking any supplements recently and while my diet is good, during stressful times, it is good to boost up your nutrient levels. This is even more true with skin issues as the body channels nutrients go to the essential organs first (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brain) and lastly the skin.
• 

  Yoga reduces my stress & helps with circulation

  Start yoga classes again. I have poor circulation generally and so while my face is burning my hands are freezing. I think it helps to improve circulation generally. For me yoga and walking help. I haven’t been going to yoga and as well as having cold hands, I have been quite stressed. One session of yoga a week was enough to keep me calm (well more calm anyway!).

• Have shorter, warm showers instead of long, hot showers. Whoops!
• Use mineral make up instead of liquid. I had been using a liquid makeup which makes it harder for my skin to breathe. I notice that my skin is less likely to flush when I wear mineral makeup. Mineral makeup also provides better cover.
• Leave the windows open. My Dad lives in Auckland (where it is very cold) and he laughs and asks me if the windows are still open when I complain about the cold. I like to have a bit of air flow as I tend to overheat in stuffy rooms.
  

  Stress worsens my rosacea flare ups

• Use Centella Gel. Centella (Gotu kola) is a herb that when used topically helps to strengthen the blood vessels and reduce vascular hypersensitivity.
• Throw out all my skivvies!
• Take some B vitamins to help support my nervous system
• And finally, get back onto the Lemon Detox Drink. I admit that I find it hard to drink in winter so my solution is to mix in a touch of hot water just before I drink it to take the edge off.

That’s my plan. Well actually I started on Monday and so far this week, no bad flushing incidents so I think I am onto a good thing! If you are prone to flushed or rosacea flare ups, tell us what works for you. I know I would love to know and I am sure others will benefit from the tips as well!

When I buy a lovely new moisturizer, the first thing I do is get it home and take it out of the box and use some. The bottle goes onto my dresser and once I have reviewed the ingredients for the 3^rd or 4^th time (ingredients are my obsession and I get immense pleasure knowing what I am actually putting on my skin) the box goes in the recycling bin. I cannot bear to think how many boxes I have chucked in the recycling over the years and in my opinion there is too much packaging in the beauty industry. Apparently I am not alone in my opinion. Research conducted by Choice indicated that Beauty items are amongst the most frequently cited for excess packaging by consumers. What’s more most Australians don’t think enough is being done to get rid of unnecessary packaging.

In defense of beauty packaging, in many cases, the actual product bottle is too small to list the ingredients and so they are listed on the outer packaging. Add to this that many of us that buy organic and natural skin care do not want home-made looking bottles on our shelves, we want products that are good for us, good for the planet and that look good (Green Glamour!). Fortunately, given the growing eco consciousness, the beauty industry is responding with post-consumer recycled packaging, new packaging methods and materials such as bamboo products, bio plastics and use of soy ink instead of traditional petrochemical based products.

Post-consumer recycled content (PCR) is basically any material previously used by a consumer and generally includes paper, plastic, steel and rubber. A prime example of this is Eco Tools brushes which use PCR aluminium for the ferrule (the bit that joins the handle to the bristles) on their brushes. Eco Tools also use fast growing bamboo for the brush handles, replacing less sustainable slow growing timber or plastic. A new company on the market, Pure & Green Organics set out with the aim to not only produce an ACO certified organic range but also to minimise any environmental impact from the product packaging and as such was the first company in the world to use 100% PCR cardboard caps on their products. In a recent change to their product packaging, Devita have changed the exterior packaging to 100% PCR cardboard with recyclable glass bottles replacing plastic product packaging.

Bioplastics are a growing market in the packaging and not just for beauty products. Organic materials such corn or sugar resins are being used as an alternative to petrochemical based plastics. Apart from not requiring non-reusable materials, plant resins require 33% less fossil fuel resources and emit 42% less greenhouse gases than bottles made from PET (petrochemical plastic) 1. Pure & Green Organics use BIOpack bottles from renewable plant sugar resources (PLA – short for Polylactic Acid). PLA is compostable and biodegradable in industrial composting conditions, but it will not degrade or disintegrate on shelves.

I would love to hear your thoughts on product packaging and any stories you have about the worst offenders, be they beauty products or others. Noodle packages come to mind. I buy noodles for my dogs sometimes and they are individually wrapped noodle blocks and then have an additional layer of plastic around the whole lot. What a waste! And individually wrapped tea bags, in cardboard boxes with more plastic on the outside! Enough – let’s hear from you!

Reference:

1.  Natureworks LCA Consultants Report

For a long time experts stated that there was no correlation between diet and acne however more and more research is popping up discounting this assumption. In this blog I look at the association between dairy, in particular milk and the incidence of acne.

The studies showing a correlation between milk consumption and acne cross a wide age group, from teenage boys and girls to adult women and while the dairy industry claim skewed data there is enough evidence to show a definite link.

Firstly though I want to be clear about what the research does and doesn’t show; milk consumption alone doesn’t cause acne but it seems that those that drink milk develop more severe acne than non-milk drinkers. Furthermore, the more milk consumed, the worse the acne tended to be.

While the link between the severity of acne and milk is strongest, other dairy products have shown similar effects including cottage cheese, chocolate milk and skim milk. From personal experience one of the worst offenders apart from milk is yoghurt. I had to cut out dairy completely for 3 months and until my breakouts cleared up completely, then I was able to reintroduce some dairy but only butter, occasionally hard cheese such as parmesan and very occasionally some icecream (just because I find it hard to resist). If I start back on dairy regularly, my system doesn’t like it and I start to break out.

One of the interesting things that emerged from the research is that skim milk induced more breakouts than whole fat milk indicating that fat is not the issue. Other research has shown that while high saturated and animal fat foods aren’t ideal from a health perspective, they do not necessary cause or worsen acne. High sugar foods on the other hand are another story completely and do show a strong correlation with breakouts.

So if not the fat, what is the culprit? While not conclusively proved, the hormones in milk may well be the driver. Milk contains androgen hormones, the most notably testosterone. The body converts some testosterone to di-hydrotestosterone (DHT) which has a simulating effect on the skin’s sebaceous glands promoting the production of sebum. The result is oilier skin, more pore congestion and therefore more pimples. The more milk consumed, the more hormones, which may explain the proportional effect of higher milk consumption and more severe acne. Genetics also play a role according to researchers with people who are genetically predisposed to acne breakouts having a stronger reaction to the hormones in milk.

It is common practice with the commercial production of milk for dairy farmers to give cows additional hormones as this stimulates a higher milk yield. One of the side effects of this is milk with a high IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) concentration and again the more consumed, the higher the blood concentration of IGF-1 found. Like DHT, IGF-1 drives sebum production which can trigger acne breakouts.

The other issue that may be linked to dairy, keep in mind there is no specific research about this, is the protein in dairy. Skim milk is believed to be worse than full cream milk due to the whey protein which is added to give a creamier taste. There are many different proteins in milk and IGF-1 is only one that may cause issues. If your digestive system is not performing as optimally as it could, the proteins in milk may eventually lead to internal inflammation of the gut and poor detoxification of waste. There is a strong link between poor digestive detoxification and acne. I will address this topic in more depth in another blog very soon.

So while milk and dairy are not a direct cause of acne, cutting it out of your diet can help to reduce acne severity. Reducing dairy may help but giving your body a rest from it all together is going to get a better initial result. One way to test your response to dairy is to start with 3 weeks complete removal and monitor your skin’s response. Look for a decrease in overall breakouts and well as less redness (inflammation). If you find that it doesn’t seem to make a difference at all reintroduce dairy slowly, again still monitoring the response to see if there are any worsening effects. If it does make a difference, it is best to stay off or only have limited quantities (and can I just say, a latte a day is a lot, not a little bit of milk).

A note of caution, often when people give up cow’s milk, they move over to soy milk. While this may seem like a sensible substitute, soy contains phytoestrogens, which may also be problematic for acne sufferers. It is best just to see how you go without cow’s milk first before using a dairy substitute.

This is the first in a series of blogs I am going to do about acne, its underlying causes and triggers. Please let me know if there are any topics in particular you would like me to cover.

Yes its that time of year again – cool weather equals drier skin. The question that has been most asked is “what can I do about my dry skin?”. As always I like to give you a complete answer so I will outline below internal and lifestyle solutions as well as the topical products you can use to improve skin dryness and dehydration.

Firstly a short explaination about why your skin is feel dry and tight. Basically, with the cooler weather the humidity decreases and moisture evaporates out of your skin. This reduces the skin’s ability to protect from the external environment and so it reacts more readily to wind, cold weather and topical irritants. You may find that as well as feeling dry, your skin is also more sensitive during winter. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce moisture evaporation and increase skin protection and resiliance.

Environmental Factors 

Sun, wind, cold air and hot water all increase water loss. You can reduce evaporation by making a few changes to your routine:

• Have short showers – long hot showers and swimming in heated pools opens up the pores and increases water loss from your skin.
• If you are in airconditioning, make sure you keep hydrated. To increase the fluid uptake into your cells add a squeeze of lemon or orange juice to your water bottle. 
• When out in the wind or cold apply a lip balm to help minimise moisture loss from your lips.
• If you know you are going to be exposed to the elements, wear a richer moisturiser or a thicker sunscreen to help avoid sun and wind damage.

Editor's Pick for cream cleansers

Topical Solutions

• Synthetic foaming agents such as sodium or ammonium laurel sulphate are a significant cause of acid mantle disruption and coupled with cooler weather can lead to issues such as dehydration, roughness, infection, redness and irritation. Switch to a cream cleanser over winter. You can go back to a gel or foaming cleanser as soon as the weather starts to get warmer again. Our cream cleanser picks include:
  • For very dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin choose the Haven Scent Coconut Cream Cleanser. This is almost like using a cold cream to remove make up as it is very rich and creamy. You can use a moist flannel to wipe the cleanser off.
  • For combination skin, where congestion and dryness occur choose the AUM Brightening Cream Cleanser instead. This includes enzymes to help clear congestion but is gentle on skin at the same time.
  • For normal skin types, the La Mav Soothing Cream Cleanser (Ed note: I am using this at the moment and LOVE it) is ideal.
• Use an oil serum at night to help improve the moisture holding capacity of the skin cells. You can apply the serum under your moisturiser (only use half a pump) or instead of a night cream. Any serum you use should sink into the skin completely within 5 minutes. Our product picks are:
  • Remedica Regenerate Visage or VitaleVisage – either of these lovely serums will nourish the skin deeply and more than that, help improve the skin cell health. (Ed note: I love Vitale Visage and it is the key product that got me through the onset of the dry weather).
• Choose a richer moisturiser. This may seem like a simple solution but it is a very effective way of preventing moisture loss from the skin. You don’t have to jump from a light lotion up to a rich cream, just choose the next moisturiser up from your current one. eg. I have gone from Devita Solar Protect which is quite light up to Devita Rx Ultrahydrate. Alternatively, try using your night cream during the day. If it sinks in without a greasy feel, then it is suitable for day use. Our picks include:
  • Devita Rx Ultrahydrate - a rich cream with hyaluronic acid to increase skin moisture holding capacity
  • AUM Regenerating Night Cream – great for moisture depleted skin
  • Third Stone Botanicals Rosewood Moisture Lotion – a lighter lotion that has a lovely moisturising effect. 

Nutritional Help

• Drink enough water as adequate water intake is required to maintain cellular fluid.
• Essential fatty acids from good fats help maintain the fatty membrane surrounding the cell, holding in moisture and nutrition. Good fat sources include deep sea fish, olive oil, nuts & seeds, avocado and flax seeds.
• If your skin is really dry, try the Lemon Detox drink for 7 days. The difference this will make is truly astounding.

If you have any additional winter skin tips, please write in and let me know. I would love to hear about them.

A recent landmark study has highlighted the fact that many women undergoing cosmetic surgery have very little idea about what to expect from their procedure nor the associated risks. Unlike plastic surgery, which is performed to repair damage, cosmetic surgery is not necessary, rather it is a voluntary choice by the patient the majority of which are women. In Australia, anyone with a medical degree can perform cosmetic surgery from injections such as Botox to quite invasive procedures and currently there is no requirement to be a for the doctor performing the procedure to be a qualified surgeon.

The Australian study by health sociologist Rhian Parker from The Australian National University, has written Women, Doctors and Cosmetic Surgery: Negotiating the ‘normal’ body. Dr Parker interviewed 32 Australian women

that had undergone a cosmetic procedure and 19 medical practitioners performing the procedures. From the interviews, it emerged that there are 3 reasons that women choose to undergo cosmetic surgery:

1. A body feature they have been bothered about for a long time e.g. small breast size or a large nose
2. Changes that have happened over time or due to an event e.g. a stretched stomach after childbirth
3. Aging – women perceiving they look older than they feel

When approaching Doctors about cosmetic surgery, the study revealed that women generally don’t know what the surgery entails and therefore they don’t know what questions to ask. Many women are also embarrassed by their choice to undergo surgery and so keep it a secret thereby missing out on emotional and practical support throughout the process. Ironically, the research has also shown that Doctors are not understanding why women are there. Dr Parker noted that previous research identified that men prefer larger breasts than women. In Australia we have a situation where most of the Doctors performing cosmetic procedures are men and most of the patients are women and so unfortunately the end result is that there are now lots of women with larger implants than they originally wanted, for example, a women goes in asking for a C-cup and comes out with a D-cup. And so now in their perception instead of standing out because they have small breasts, they stand out because their breast are large. In most cases, women don’t want to look like movie stars or like another person, they want to look like better versions of themselves.

Dr Parker says there are wide ranging implications from the study. The first issue is that we need to actually find out how many women are undergoing cosmetic procedures annually as currently there is no way of tracking this information. Secondly, she identified the need for industry-wide quality control measures to be put in place. Also, and very importantly, that there needs to be unbiased education and information available to women undergoing cosmetic surgery procedures so they know how to make good choices and what questions to ask before they have a procedure. Finally a comprehensive list of complaints needs to be gathered Australia-wide so that the magnitude of the issues associated with these kinds of procedures can be identified.

Anecdotally there is a strong rumor that one of the reasons for increased medical insurance premiums across the board is due to the high number of complaints from dissatisfied patients following cosmetic surgery. Essentially the lack of regulation, lack of education and secrecy surrounding this industry is costing the entire medical industry dearly from a financial perspective and costing the women involved from an emotional perspective.

See an interview with Dr Parker.

Editor’s note: I found this study fascinating and alarming. I would love to know what you think, both about the study and about cosmetic procedures in general.

I mentioned in a previous blog that I was going to do a review about the latest fad diet, Raw Food. I say fad diet because like many other diets I have seen over my 15 years as a naturopath, the Raw Food Diet will have a boom in popularity followed by a slump with only the “true-believers” continuing on. Do I sound cynical already? Well I don’t mean to – I am writing this article primarily to stimulate comment.  But first, just a little bit of cynicism, a list of the fad diets I have lived through, either via my own experience or vicariously through students and patients over the years:

1. The Pritikin Diet – eliminated all fats from the diet including good sources such as nuts & avocado. Can I just say that Pritikin himself had a severe essential fatty acid deficiency later in life and suffered depression as a result. Later
   

   No fish - no good fats!

   versions of this diet include good fats – thank goodness (fat tastes so delicious!)

2. Anti-Candida Diet – do you remember when EVERYONE had candida, when every symptom of tiredness was due to an overgrowth of yeast in your body? So out the window went all foods that could feed this yeast overgrowth – all sugars, fruit, vinegar, yeast, bread, biscuits etc. Yes this is one I suffered through in the 90′s for many months only to come out the other side still tired (sleep may have helped) and with a dislike of fruit juice (I still hate it) and fruit (I only eat in limited amounts). Scarred? Yes I am!
3. The Zone Diet – I didn’t try this one mainly because just reading the book made me tired and overwhelmed. It was so militant and my attitude to food is that, yes it should be healthy but also enjoyable. Nonetheless, I did learn some great tips from this diet one of which is the palm measurement for protein portions: eat only the size and thickness of the palm of your hand (chicken, tofu, fish or red meat) at any one sitting. This does exclude 500g T-bone steaks but that was no loss for me.
4. High Protein Diets (including Atkins) – yes I did try this one as well including the chocolate coated peanut butter protein bars that looked so good and tasted sooooooo much like dried cardboard. I also had problems going to the toilet
   

   They may look delicious but they taste like cardboard!

   for the entire 3 weeks of the diet (I know, too much information). The problem with this diet is that it is too open to interpretation e.g. a friend of mine interpreted a high protein diet as follows: breakfast – scrambled cheesy eggs, lunch – 2 x lamb chops, dinner – cheese platter….and so on. With such a lack of anything resembling a vegetable, I am not surprised it didn’t work for him. While this diet may be useful for short term weight loss, it may not be so good for bowel health in the long term.

5. Sally Fallon’s Whole Food Diet – I actually LOVED this one. It is based on eating a wide variety of whole (ie food that hasn’t been processed) and fermented foods. It also included butter (organic & unsalted but still butter) – in moderation of course! The whole food trend is growing along with Slow Food and so I don’t think we have seen the last of this type of diet. This trend is certainly aligned with my way of thinking so I will state my bias up-front!

And so this leads me to the dietary fad of the 2010′s – Raw Food. Firstly I want to say that there are many positive aspects about this diet. For a start, the diet is based on fruit, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, seaweed, and dried fruit – foods that most Australian’s don’t eat enough of and certainly not over 75% of the diet as advocated by raw foodies. If you ate 2 serves of fruit and 5 of vegetables yesterday, which is considered the minimum daily intake, I bet you feel fabulous today. However, most of us didn’t. Raw Foodies also believe that heating above 116 degrees F. destroys the naturally occurring enzymes that assist with digestion and absorption of nutrients. In addition that cooking food can reduce certain vitamins such as vitamin C and B group.

The raw food diet is highly alkaline and very cleansing and so the health benefits can be extensive and include weight loss, detoxification and bowel cleansing. While this all sounds good, and don’t get me wrong, I think most of us could do with a good clean out, in the long term a raw food diet is not a good choice for all.

I see the biggest issue with a primarily raw food diet is the issue of absorption. Many nutrients need to be cooked to be absorbed effectively. One example is lycopene from tomatoes which is released when in the presence of oil and heat. More importantly is the strength or effectiveness of most people’s digestive systems. This varies from person to person however, many people do not have the necessary digestive enzymes to break down the nutrients in raw food.

To illustrate this point, if you imagine the gut is like a small campfire, burning (processing) firewood easily and generating heat as a result. If you pour petrol on the fire, it will turn into a raging inferno (petrol in food terms equates to

excessive consumption of foods such as alcohol, coffee, fats and hot, spices). If you feed the fire leaves, it will burn quickly and then go out (leaves = processed, sugary foods which are full of energy but empty in nutrition). If you put green wood on the fire it will also eventually dampen down and die out (green leaves = cold foods such as those straight from the fridge, cold drinks, too many raw foods.). The gut is rich with capillaries that bring a supply of warm blood to the stomach so it can produce digestive enzymes. Too many cold and raw foods will constrict the blood supply and reduce the body’s own supply of digestive enzymes. And no matter how raw the food is, the enzymes supplied will never match the body’s own ability to produce its own enzymes.

So for those who have weak or poor digestion in any way (loose stools, IBS, bloating, indigestion etc), a raw food diet may be actually harder on the digestion that fresh, warm, cooked foods. You can consume the same types of foods that the raw food diet focuses on, veges, nuts, seeds etc but prepare them differently. Have a veg stir-fry, soups, stews, steamed veg or fresh fruit & veg juice instead. Warm foods are particularly important in Winter when our body is using a lot of energy to stay warm. Eating a raw salad mid-Winter means our body has to warm up the food to digest it properly as well as keeping our body warm. Summer is definitely the season for more raw foods and indeed the thought of eating hot vege soup on a hot day is not appealing.

Genetics play a role in how we digest and process food as well. If you come from a culture where cooked foods is the norm then it may be a shock to the system to suddenly change over to a raw food diet. Our body’s adapt to the food we eat and the way it is cooked so in this case, gradual inclusion of more raw foods is a good way to proceed.

Over time, a strict raw food diet may also lead to nutritional deficiencies such as protein, calcium, iron, B12 and zinc. These nutrients are commonly found in animal products and can be hard for the body to process from vegetable sources. While not impossible impossible to maintain good levels of these nutrients by any means it does require planning and deliberate inclusion of raw food sources that contain these nutrients.

My philosophy about food is one of moderation: good quality food, a majority whole foods – both raw & cooked, enjoyment of that food and the occasional treat. Maybe why I think the raw food diet will be another fad is that it is at the extreme end of the dietary spectrum. However, as with any diet, there will be some that absolutely thrive eating raw foods. I also stress that most people need to eat more fresh fruit & veg in general and if the raw food message is the way for this to occur then I for one will jump on the bandwagon. And I can’t stress enough how much people need to move away from processed, empty calorie foods, however, I suspect that like the other fad diets around, the raw food diet will have its day and I for one will stick to more moderate eating habits.

I would love to know what you think about raw food and if you have gone down this path, what your experience is.

The beauty of many natural skin care remedies is that far from being exclusive, they can be found in your kitchen cupboard, growing in your back yard or even in the supermarket isles. Generally they are inexpensive, costing as much as a teaspoon of honey or a tea bag. In some cases such as aloe vera, you can grow it in your own back yard. Made with ordinary ingredients, these remedies are easily available, simple but highly effective and can have powerful healing benefits.

Aloe Vera

Aloe is one of the best remedies for soothing irritated skin and healing burns including sunburn. Aloe contains constituents that have a demulcent (soothing)

effect and so can be used on grazed, red or inflamed skin; as well as a vulnerary (wound-healing) effect. Aloe inhibits the formation of tissue-injuring compounds that gather at the site of a skin injury and so can be applied to the wound site to promote healing. When applying fresh aloe from the leaves of the plant, use only the clear inner pulp of the leaf. This component has soothing and healing properties. The yellow/green sap that is exuded by leaf surface can be irritating to skin and so is best avoided. If you don’t have an aloe plant growing in your back yard, you can still harness the benefits of this plant by choosing products that are made with Aloe vera.

Antibacterial honey

Raw, unprocessed honey is one of the most useful natural remedies we have available for wound healing. Medical grade antibacterial honey, particularly for chronic and poorly healing wounds such as ulcers has even proven its worth in clinical trials. Not all types of honey are effective for wound healing and the

differences related to the floral source. Manuka honey from New Zealand along with honey from the Leptospermum tree found in Australia, are considered the most effective medical honeys. Antibacterial honey is beneficial for wound healing because it has such a broad range of therapeutic effects. It offers wound protection by proving a physical barrier to antibiotic resistant strains of microorganisms thereby preventing cross infection. It promotes clean wounds by removing necrotic (dead) tissue and debris. Finally it promotes wound healing by maintaining a moist wound environment and encouraging tissue granulation.  Medical honeys are available in typical honey form, which is ideal for oral use or incorporated into creams or lotions and even bandages for easier application to external wounds. Raw honey is also available in products such as Live Live Bee Yummy Skin Food and Eko Organica Calm Magic Balm (UMF16).

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has two qualities that make it one of the most effective essential oils as

a natural skin remedy. Firstly it is a powerful antimicrobial and antiseptic, active against all infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi. Secondly, it is a very effective immune stimulant, increasing the body’s ability to respond when in contact with any of the above micro-organisms. Tea tree oil is useful in the management of infection in minor wounds and even acne. In the case of mild infection, liberally apply 100% tea tree oil to the affected area. Further application of tea tree to any bandage may also be applied and then changed every 24 hours.

Lavender Oil

Apart from its soothing and relaxing aromatherapy benefits, 100% pure lavender essential oil can be used as an effective first aid remedy. When applied to minor

burns and bites or stings, the undiluted essential oil has an antiseptic and pain relieving effect. The sooner the oil is applied, the faster the pain relieving and healing effects of lavender will occur. Apply undiluted oil for burns or skin irritation or combine a few drops with a carrier oil such as jojoba for use as a relaxing massage oil.

Related Articles:

• Raw Skin Food – Bee Yummy
• A knock on the head – wound healing