Healing Dry Sensitive Skin

Staying hydrated, a good diet, exercise, plenty of sleep, limiting sun exposure and an overall healthy lifestyle all help us stay young.  Having the right skin care routine and products will also make a huge difference and can make us look healthier and years younger.

It was the headline that got me. You can have beautiful skin whatever age you are. And the good news is, beautiful skin is simple. I agree with the author of the post that using the right products is crucial. Once you find the ones that work for you, it takes less time to have beautiful skin than it does to clean your teeth every day!

Apple cider vinegar has been used for its health giving properties since ancient times. It was used by Hippocrates in 400 B.C. The use of vinegar has also been mentioned in The Old Testament.

Good article here about the health and beauty benefits of apple cider vinegar and tips on how to use it. I find it ideal for toning the skin. It is an effective natural astringent that minimizes pores at the same time as it helps maintain the skin’s healthy pH balance.
Read more at the above link.

The bottom line in maintaining plump, firm, glowing skin comes from within.  If you are well rested, well hydrated, getting adequate exercise, and not eating junky food it will show up on your face.

The results of a recent study show a good night’s sleep gives a healthy, attractive look.  Not enough equals a visible difference in facial appearance.

Good article here about sleep’s beauty benefits. Stress is the enemy of our beauty. Among other things, it increases cortisol production which hastens collagen breakdown and the formation of wrinkles. Most anything we can do to lower our stress level will benefit our beauty. Sleep is totally foundational. Check out the article for tips on how to get the sleep you need. You might also try meditating for beauty – another great way to lower destructive stress levels.

Here is a post from one of my favorite web sites – Personal Care Truth. It is a site where you will find high-quality, fact-based articles about beauty products written by people devoted to sharing their knowledge. Some are cosmetic scientists, some organic advocates; all have a common interest in getting to the truth about beauty products and their ingredients. They are opposed to the Safe Cosmetics Act, not because they don’t want safe cosmetics, but because they see this bill as the product of ideology and zealotry, not science and a humble regard for the facts. I’m with them, and have signed the petition. I invite you to look at their site, and consider doing the same.

Toners are especially helpful during the summer months. They remove greasiness and dead skin cells or stubborn bits of dirt and makeup, which can clog pores. Many also have anti-bacterial properties, so they’re useful for those who are prone to acne. But even if you don’t have those skin problems, toners can improve circulation and restore skin PH balance.

Some good advice here about facial toners. Maintaining healthy skin pH is especially important as our skin becomes drier, and a good toner can help a lot with this. Additionally, mild natural astringents can help to refine the pores and keep the skin smoother.

These days apricots are in season and add to the variety of fruit available in the market — the two varieties — a soft golden yellow or pink and cream coloured, both making a tasty tit-bit for a quick snack. According to information on their properties, apricots are low fat, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C, and a good source of potassium and fibre.

Here’s an interesting article about apricots and the powerful healing chemicals that occur naturally in them. I use apricot kernel oil in my moisturizer. It’s a favorite in natural skin care products because it is so well-tolerated by all skin types, has such a mild scent, and absorbs so easily – plus it delivers significant healing benefits. Check out the above post to learn more.

“We spend all day leaning, kneeling, and bending, yet we often forget about our poor elbows and knees when it comes to skin care. Consequently, they fall victim to severe dry skin,” said Dr. Alan Fleischer, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Elbows and knees are candidates for exfoliation, for sure. My clients are often amazed by the dramatic and instant improvement they see and feel in the rough skin there, once they exfoliate it. The knees and elbows are places where you are most likely to have extra dry skin, and it responds really well to a little attention with a natural exfoliant.

You must have heard that establishing and sticking with a great skin care regimen is essential for good skin. Practicing great skin care habits can help you protect your skin from harmful environmental factors, slow the skin aging process and can keep blemishes and other unsightly skin problems at bay.

Cleansing, toning and moisturizing take less than 2 minutes a day. Add exfoliating twice a week or so, and you have a simple program that anyone can keep up with. It takes less time than cleaning your teeth! There is more information in the above post, and in my online booklet – Beautiful Skin Is Simple .

While facial toners might be a relatively new concept in the skin care industry, their capability to enhance the health of skin is mentioned in Ayurveda, which is a 3000+ year-old system of health and wellbeing that traces its origins to India. In Ayurveda, rosewater has been suggested repeatedly as a skin soothing and skin beautifying ingredient. Queens rinsed their skin with rosewater, and soaked in baths filled with fragrant rose petals. Rosewater is the nature’s most effective skin toner.

Here is a good primer on facial toners. I agree that the best bases for them are rose water and witch hazel, but you can add to their effect by infusing other other botanicals into them like calendula, elder flowers, cucumber and more. Here is a list of ideal ingredients for facial toners, with links to more information about them.

It’s hard to come across a product where you can actually pronounce (and understand) the ingredients, and, even when you find one, there’s usually some other things floating around in the formula that you aren’t exactly sure about.

Check out the post at Daily Beauty to find out the all-natural, all-organic ingredients they are excited about. You could also take a look at these natural skin care ingredients too. I encourage my clients to read closely the ingredient lists on their skin care products. There is no need for them to contain esoteric chemicals!