Best Organic and Skin Care Info, Recipes and Treatments

January 25, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment 

New Organic Skin Care Recipes To Treat Various Ailments Naturally

Whether it is a tired eyes, wrinkles, insect bites or burns, there are times that things can happen to your skin. With the following organic skin care recipes and tips, you can treat various ailments naturally, leaving behind many of the man made pollutants that are absorbed into our bodies through most over the counter aids.

Insect Bites

Recipe #1: Mix 1 drop of organic almond essential oil and 2 tablespoons baking soda and 4 tablespoons of distilled water to form a paste. Apply to bite and let sit for 20 minutes, rinse with warm water and pat dry

Recipe #2: Mix 8 ounces distilled water with 2 tablespoons Epsom Salt. Apply compress made of a wash cloth soaked this mixture.

Oily Skin/ Acne

Recipe #1: Make a mask of 1/4 organic apple (cored but unpeeled), 1 organic egg white, 1/2 organic lemon (peeled and all seeds removed), 30 organic Thompson seedless grapes, 4 tablespoons organic watercress (finely chopped). Blend all ingredients on medium for 3 minutes. Apply to face using cotton balls and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Recipe #2: Mix 1/4 cup organic yogurt (plain) with 1 tablespoon brewer’s yeast. The mixture should be runny; if not, add a bit more brewers yeast. Apply to oily zones and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Recipe #3: Mix 1/2 cup organic oat flour, juice from 1/2 organic orange, and 1 teaspoon organic honey. Apply to face and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Scrapes

Recipe #1: This remedy should be made in advance and kept for times when it is needed. First you will need to create 4 special oils. You will need organic extra virgin olive oil, three airtight, glass jars and 4 fresh organic herbs: calendula, plantain, red clover, and St. Johns Wort.

Let the herbs wilt for one day, then put each type in its own jar and cover the herbs with olive oil. Close the jars and leave in direct sunlight for two weeks. Strain oil to use. Once your oils are made, you will need 1/4 cup of each of your special oils and 1 cup organic beeswax.

Melt the oils and beeswax in a large, microwave safe bowl, pour into an airtight, glass jar and let cool. If the mixture is too runny after completely cooling, you need to add a bit more beeswax and melt again, if it is too thick, add a bit more oil and melt again. Apply to wounds when needed much like you would with ready made antibacterial ointments.

Recipe #2:Soak the area with Epsom Salt dissolved in warm water. This is easiest done by taking a warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom Salt in it.

Splinters

Recipe #1: Soak the area with Epsom Salt dissolved in warm water. This is easiest done by taking a warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom Salt in it. Because Epsom Salt draws toxins out of the skin and acts as an anti inflammatory, this bath will draw the splinter to the surface.

Recipe #2: Bandage a thin slice of organic potato over the splinter and let stay overnight. Potato draws things out of the skin and the splinter should be to the surface by morning.

Sunburn Relief

Recipe #1: Mix 5 organic cucumbers (pureed) and 2 1/2 cups powdered milk in a bowl. Pour mixture into tepid/warm bath and soak burned areas for 20 minutes. The mixture can be applied directly to the burned skin, if you prefer.

Recipe #2: Soak the burned area with Epsom Salt dissolved in warm water. This is easiest done by taking a tepid/warm bath with 2 cups of Epsom Salt in it.

Tired Eyes

Grate raw potato and wrap in cheesecloth. Apply to eyelids for 20 minutes, wiping the starchy residue away before applying makeup.

Wrinkles:

Recipe #1: Cut organic Thompson seedless grapes in half and crush on wrinkles, especially near eyes and mouth. Leave the juice on your face for 20 minutes then rinse with warm water, repeat daily.

Recipe #2: Mash a very ripe organic banana extremely well, apply to entire face and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water

Keep yourself looking great with these great free beauty tips and organic, natural skin care recipes.

By Louise Forrest

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Facials for Acne

April 21, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments 

The results you get from facial treatments depends on many factors, most importantly the severity of your acne, how often you have the procedure done, how consistent you are with your skin care regimen at home, and the skill of the esthetician performing the treatment.

People with blackheads and other non-inflammatory blemishes may indeed find regular facials help to reduce the amount of breakouts they experience. During a facial treatment, estheticians perform extractions by manually removing pore blockages, or comedones. By extracting these impactions, the pores are cleared of excess oil and cellular debris. Blemishes are less likely to form, improving some cases of non-inflammatory acne.

Mild inflammatory acne can also be treated at the salon, but a dermatologist should see anyone who has moderate to severe acne. A good esthetician will know when a case of acne is beyond her expertise and will refer you to a doctor.

This isn’t to say that those with more advanced cases of acne can’t enjoy or benefit from regular facials. An esthetician can offer treatments complementary to a doctor’s care. Some dermatologists even employ estheticians to perform facials right in their office.

During a facial, the esthetician begins by thoroughly cleansing the skin. Various masks, steam baths, and facial massage may be incorporated into the treatment. The esthetician may use products to reduce surface oil, remove dead skin cells, soothe, or hydrate. Your esthetician can also recommend products for at-home use, like cleansers and moisturizers, that won’t aggravate your acne.

If the skin is at all inflamed, extractions should be held at a minimum if they are done at all. No one, not even an esthetician, should attempt to extract deep inflamed blemishes such as nodules and cysts.

If you decide to make facials a part of your skin care routine, remember you will get the best results if they are done regularly. Be sure to tell your esthetician about all topical and oral medications you are currently using to avoid unwanted reactions. For example, vigorous exfoliation should not be done on anyone taking Accutane (isotretinoin) or using topical retinoids like Differin or Retin A. If a dermatologist is treating your acne, it’s always a good idea to talk to him or her before having any facial treatment done.

Source:Gerson, Joel; Ph.D.. Standard Textbook for Professional Estheticians. 8th edition. Albany, NY: Milady Publishing, 1999.

SKIN HYDRATION: OILY VS. DRY

April 11, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments 

With oily skin, your face may often look shiny, and you naturally avoid products that feel oily. You’ll be more vulnerable to acne and breakouts than dry skin types. People with dry skin will notice that their skin feels dry and has a dull color and/or rough texture.

Oil Production

The skin has many oil (sebaceous) glands, which secrete oil that contains wax esters, triglycerides, and squalene. These fats (or lipids) form a film that helps keep moisture in the skin. While increased sebum production results in oily skin, the opposite is not always the case, as dry skin can also arise from an impaired skin barrier. Oil production can be affected by diet, stress, and hormones-as well as genetics. In a study of twenty pairs each of identical and nonidentical same-sex twins, identical twins had virtually identical amounts of oil production, while the nonidentical twins had significantly different amounts.

Dryness and oiliness depend primarily on the condition of the skin barrier, the outer layer of skin which helps the skin retain moisture, and the oil (sebum) production itself. The barrier is like a brick wall, with each brick (or cell) held in place by mortar (fats called lipids). Harmful ingredients, cold, and dry weather can wear down these fats, eroding the mortar so that the “bricks” are not secured in their proper place. A variety of outside agents, including detergents, acetone, chlorine and other chemicals, and even prolonged water immersion can harm the barrier, or the barrier may be deficient for genetic reasons.

The barrier’s main components are ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, all different kinds of lipids. These must be present in the right proportion to keep the skin watertight. An impaired barrier will tend toward both dryness and sensitivity. Dryness results when skin moisture evaporates. Sensitivity results when a deficient barrier permits the entry of outside irritants.

Repairing the skin barrier with the right skin care products will help treat a variety of skin conditions. Incorporating key dietary nutrients, such as essential fatty acids and cholesterol, provides the necessary building blocks. Nutrient deficiencies can weaken your skin’s ability to repair and rebuild, which is why people who take cholesterol-lowering drugs often have dry skin.

Oil Production in your Skin

January 15, 2009 by admin · 3 Comments 

The skin has many oil (sebaceous) glands, which secrete oil that contains wax esters, triglycerides, and squalene - a hydrocarbon that is an intermediate in the formation of cholesterol. These fats (or lipids) form a film that helps keep moisture in the skin. While increased sebum production results in oily skin, the opposite is not always the case, as dry skin can also arise from an impaired skin barrier. Oil production can be affected by diet, stress, and hormones-as well as genetics. In a study of twenty pairs each of identical and nonidentical same-sex twins, identical twins had virtually identical amounts of oil production, while the nonidentical twins had significantly different amounts.

No amount of blotting and scrubbing will “remove” the skin’s oil production, and many of us unknowingly destroy the natural beauty of the skin in pursuit of clarity. The skin’s own sebum mechanism is there to regulate own moisture. Drying your skin profusely with oil-stripping, foaming cleansers, detergents and de-greasers like soap and sulfates, or alcohol-based toners that leave the skin feeling tight (always a sign it’s been stripped), will only cause the skin to “rebound” with excess oiliness and destroy its protective and anti-bacterial “matrix,” leaving it sensitized. By stripping the natural acid mantle of the skin, these deep cleaning products actually make skin more vulnerable to bacteria and inflammation. Dabbing benzoyl peroxide often destroys the beauty of the skin by causing flaking, while more aggressive treatments, such as antibiotics or Accutane can cause a cascade of side-effects.