Natural Facial Treatments 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

Changing the Skin Surface’s pH Balance

Cleansers interact with the skin’s moisture barrier as well as the skin’s pH to emulsify dirt and oil for easy removal. As dirt or debris is usually embedded in the barrier’s outer layer of oil, removing this dirt can disrupt this naturally protective surface.

The health of the skin’s moisture barrier is important as this barrier preserves water and natural oils to moisturize and maintain the smoothness and flexibility of the skin. It also serves as your skin’s protection against injury from chemicals or bacteria. Harsher cleansers can disrupt this barrier, as well as irritate the skin and affect the skin surface pH, which scientists believe plays a role in regulating how this barrier functions and protects us from bacteria. Studies show that the barrier’s regeneration and repair happens more slowly at a neutral pH than at the skin’s natural acidic pH. Changing the skin surface’s pH balance can increase the skin’s sensitivity to potential irritants.

Cleansing with water, soap or a liquid cleanser will affect the skin’s moisture barrier, although soap will have the most impact and will make the skin’s pH more alkaline. Liquid facial cleansers clean more gently, with less disruption of the barrier and have a smaller effect on the skin pH. Some of the new synthetic detergents will remove dirt and disrupt the outer layer of oil, but then work to ensure the skin barrier is left intact by restoring the oil.

Moisturizers For Different Skin Types

Oily Skin:

The moisturizers for patients with oily skin should be non-comedogenic or oil-free.

Dry Skin:

There are a small percentage of people who actually have dry skin on their face, these people will be dry on the cheeks and jawline. Many of these patients work outside in rough elements, and many of these people are over 50 years of age. For these patients a creamy moisturizer in a lotion or cream is very effective. If they do not have sensitive skin, they can wear whatever products feels good.

The reason for the paucity of dry skin on the face, is that there is an abundance of sebaceous glands on the face to prevent dryness. These are particularly active in young people, in men, and in many normal women. If a person is scaly in the center of the face central forehead, around the nose, and on the central chin, this may be seborrheic dermatitis. The use of a heavy moisturizer in people who have central facial dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis) could lead to acne.

Normal - Combination Skin:

Most people have oily skin on the forehead, nose, and chin (called the T-zone), and dryer skin on the cheeks and neck. When the humidity is low, it may be necessary to moisturize the face. The most prudent of patients ,male or female, will select a non-comedogenic moisturizer which contains a minimum SPF of 15 in it for daily use. There are legions of such products reasonably priced, which will prevent cancer and photoaging.

Moisturizers - Body Skin:

Because there are very few sebaceous (oil) glands on the arms and legs, moisturizers are very important. Winter, dry climates, and windy climates are very hard on the skin of the body. Many body lotions incorporate sunblocks for a daily routine. This is very important for sun exposed skin.

Often heavy moisturizers such as petrolatum, rich creams, and other Jar or tube moisturizers are needed for dry climates. What may be appropriate for facial skin may be too thin for the arms, legs, hands, and feet.