the dynamic natural skin care: July 2010

Saturday, July 31

Homemade face moisturizer recipes

Skin care › Homemade moisturizers › Homemade face moisturizer recipes

Homemade face moisturizer recipes are less expensive and easy to make from the ingredients available at home. Skin, especially of face, naturally contains water for remaining soft, supple, healthy and glowing.

However many factors act on it continuously, disturbing its hydrated condition and making it to dry up and shrivel.

To protect the water content of skin and to replace and top up the loss we require to apply moisturizers which can be homemade following the recipe directions. For being effective, ingredients of homemade face moisturizers should penetrate the skin and show all emollient functions like providing protective oil layer on the skin surface, increase water retaining capacity of the epidermis and add glide across the face skin.

Application method for all face moisturizer recipes

Take specified quantities of ingredients.
Mix and blend the ingredients given below.
Always apply moisturizer after a bath or shower.
Apply on previously cleansed and slightly damp face.
Allow it to remain for 15 minutes and wash off the excess of moisturizer with tepid water.
Dab the skin and immediately apply a few drops of olive oil or vegetable oil to lock in moisture.
Applying twice daily gives good results.
As a rule apply face moisturizer before going to bed, giving skin sufficient time to take in moisture without stress.
Use freshly prepared cream.
Apply gently with circular motions into face skin.

Homemade face moisturizer recipe for normal skin

Olive oil recipe

Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Castor oil	¼ tablespoon
water	1 tablespoon

Olive oil and honey moisturizer

olive oil	1 tablespoon
Castor oil	¼ tablespoon
pure honey	¼ tablespoon

Honey, yogurt and egg albumen recipe

honey	1 tablespoon
yogurt	2 tablespoons
egg white (whipped)	1 tablespoon

Honey and glycerin homemade moisturizer

honey	2 tablespoons
glycerin	2 tablespoons
witch hazel	1 tablespoon

Cocoa butter and egg-yolk recipe

cocoa butter (heated)	2 tablespoons
egg-yolk	from one egg
lemon juice	2 tablespoons

Face moisturizer recipe for dry skin and combination skin

Olive oil and almonds

olive oil	2 tablespoons
Castor oil	¼ tablespoon
almond paste	2 tablespoons
water	2 tablespoons

Aloe Vera and coconut oil recipe

aloe Vera gel	2 tablespoons
coconut oil	2 tablespoons
water	2 tablespoons

Jojoba oil and coconut oil homemade moisturizer

jojoba oil	2 tablespoons
coconut oil	2 tablespoons
Castor oil	½ tablespoon
water	2 tablespoons

Beewax and Shea butter recipe

beeswax (melt)	2 tablespoons
Shea butter (melt)	2 tablespoons
coconut oil	1 tablespoon
water	1 tablespoon

Pineapple juice and olive oil

Pineapple raw juice	2 tablespoons
olive oil	2 tablespoons

Homemade face moisturizer recipe for oily skin

Honey and apple juice

honey	1 tablespoon
apple juice (fresh)	2 tablespoons
lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Honey and watermelon juice recipe

honey	2 tablespoons
watermelon juice	2 tablespoons
lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Honey and avocado homemade moisturizer

honey	2 tablespoons
avocado pulp	2 tablespoons
lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Papaya and lemon juice

Papaya paste	2 tablespoons
lemon juice	2 tablespoons

Aloe Vera and rose water homemade moisturizer

aloe Vera juice	2 tablespoons
rose water	2 tablespoons
glycerin	1 tablespoon

Beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, Castor oil, almond oil, Shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, raw fruit juices and pulps, distilled water, honey, aloe Vera gel and juice, milk and yogurt are some of the popular and useful ingredients used in homemade face moisturizer recipe.

Current topic: Recipes - Homemade face moisturizers.

Friday, July 30

Oily skin tips

Oily skin tips → Dry skin tips → Beauty tips

Oily skin condition is caused by a myriad of reasons (predominantly hereditary) and following these tips you can alleviate the problem.

Oily skin tips: Food and drinks

Eat balanced food containing all the required macro nutrients (proteins and essential fatty acids) and micro nutrients (minerals and vitamins).
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and fish.
Drink plenty of water to remove metabolic wastes and toxins. (very important tips)
Daily one litre of water per one kg of body weight is recommended.
Whatever food is bad for your health is also bad for your skin.
Avoid fat rich deep fried foods, fatty meat products and junk food.
Avoid alcohol as it interferes with absorption and utilisation of nutrients and induces excessive sebaceous gland activity.
Quit smoking, as smoking cuts down the optimal supply of oxygen to epidermis and induces sebum production.

Oily skin tips: Bath and washing

Take bath at least once a day, but spend minimal time bathing.
Use tepid water for bathing and washing.
Do not use hot water as it can strip your skin of moisture and induce sebum production. (very important tips)
Very cold water will shock the epidermis and as a response, after sometime, it will start producing more sebum.
Water with high chlorine content must be avoided for bathing, as chlorine has drying effect on the skin and body's response will be by overproduction of sebum.

Oily skin tips: Soaps

Use mild soaps and test and select a brand most suitable to your skin.
Use only neutral or slightly acidic soaps after testing their suitability. (very important tips)
Avoid harsh, alkaline soaps as they interfere with normal pH (acidic condition) of the epidermis.

Oily skin tips: Scrubbing

Sebum collects dirt and dust on it and combining dead cell debris, grime is formed and make the epidermis unhygienic. Regular scrubbing is necessary to remove it.
Exfoliate at least twice a week in order to keep the pores open and healthy.

Oily skin tips: cleansing

Keep a schedule of cleansing your face twice daily.
Never miss to cleanse face before going to bed.
Use cleansers which are mild and made especially for oily skin.
Cleansers with oily base work better by dissolving the sebum; follow it up with a water based cleanser.
Harsh cleansers, especially those containing Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) tend to dry out the skin and damage the acid mantle and the body responds by producing more sebum.
It is always better to go in for organic and herbal cleansers.

Oily skin tips: moisturizing

Moisturizers are not normally required in this skin condition, especially for adolescents and young adults. They can think of moisturization before going to bed after cleansing the skin.
Aged persons and women nearing menopause tend to have patches of sebum areas along with dry skin. They can use mild moisturizers which are least oily.

>Oily skin tips: toners and astringents

Toners tighten the pores and reduce the chances of clogging of pores.
In oily skin condition pores tend to enlarge giving mottled appearance, which can be alleviated by use of toners.
Avoid harsh toners, especially astringents with alcohol base, as they can dry up the skin and induce further sebum production.

Oily skin tips: blotting

Now and then you can use blotting paper to remove excess sebum on the face.
Powder layered blotting papers are more efficient in absorbing sebum. However they may leave a powdery substance on the face.
Blot powder can also be used to mop up extra grease. However this has to be washed off at the earliest opportunity to protect pores from clogging.
Facial tissue papers can also be used and prefer those without fragrance to avoid possibility of allergies.

Oily skin tips: Vitamins

High doses of Pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅) have been found to reduce sebum production.
Vitamin B₅ in sufficient quantities regulates the production of androgen (cause of sebum production) by its effect on Coenzyme-A (CoA).
Vitamin B₅ decreases the build up of fatty acids and their excretion through sebaceous glands.
Use of up to 2 gms of vitamin B₅ is recommended. (very important tips)
However to offset possible stomach upset, it is better to start at 500 mg per day in 2-3 split doses and gradually increase it to 2 gms/day.

Oily skin tips: Medication

If you are taking any medicine, check up with your health care provider for its effects on the skin.
Retinoid chemicals reduce the production of sebum and can shrink the size of sebaceous glands.
Acne medications like, Isotretinoin can help in prevention of sebum production.
Use of retinoids or isotretinoin must be only under the advice of dermatologists as there can be side effects.

Oily skin tips: make-up

If you require to wear make-up, make it minimal and use grease free foundation make-up, preferably in the form of powder.
Make it a point to remove make-up before going to bed to avoid clogging of pores.
Apply toner and wait for five minutes before applying make-up.

Oily skin tips: sun exposure

Avoid exposure to sun and heat. Exposure to heat causes excess production of sweat and sebum. (very important tips)
Tanning bed UV ray exposure also can cause excess sebum production and enlargement of pores.
Use grease-free sunscreen (at least 15 SPF), if you are required to go out in the sunlight.

Oily skin tips: associated acne problems

If cleansing of oily skin is not done regularly, the pores may get clogged and result in acne and pimples.
Steaming (for about 15 minutes) the face daily helps in opening up pores and in removal of black heads.
After steaming, use cleanser and then apply cold water to close the pores.
Using cleanser containing salicylic acid, helps in cases of acne breakouts.

Following these oily skin tips you can turn this condition into a nature's gift as well maintained oily skin, ages slowly and develops wrinkles slowly.

Tuesday, July 13

Dry skin moisturizers

Skin care › Homemade moisturizers › Dry skin moisturizers

Dry skin moisturizers must be used for alleviating and preventing xerosis problems.

Dry skin condition (also known as xerosis or xeroderma) is caused by many factors and some of them are environment, poor quality moisturizers and cosmetics, mental and physical stress, unbalanced diet, bad eating habits and dermal diseases.

These situations cause damages to acidic protective layer on the epidermis and there is loss of moisture from it. The reduction in the protein-carbohydrate-lipid complex of the epidermis (which helps in retaining water) also causes this condition. In the winter months and also in air-conditioned environment, the problem worsens as more water is lost from the epidermis due cold dry conditions, requiring application of good products.

Types of dry skin moisturizers

Many brands of these products are available in the beauty stores. They come in many forms like ointments, oils like massage oil, bath oil and vegetable oils, creams, lotions, gels, facial packs etc. Moisturizers in the form of ointment are very effective. However they may leave a greasy feeling. By using small quantities and by rubbing them into the epidermis, this greasy feeling can be minimised.

Oil moisturizers are also quite effective and leave a less greasy feeling. Creams, lotions and gels are to be individually evaluated for efficacy as the ingredients in them vary widely. Homemade creams can be prepared by properly blending natural oils with natural emollients having occlusion (providing oil layer), humectant (increasing water holding capacity) and lubrication properties.

Ideal dry skin moisturizers

Good products must be effective and provide moisture to the upper layer of epidermis and prevent loss of water from it. They should be good emollients, making skin soft, supple and smooth. They should build up/restore the sebum barrier of epidermis, locking up its water content. They must penetrate the epidermis rapidly and hydrate the dry epidermis.

In xeroderma, skin is likely to be sensitive and good moisturizers should not contain any possible allergens (substances that tends to cause allergies), sensitizing agents and comodogens (substances that tend to produce acne). Good products normally should contain antioxidants and collagen and elastin building ingredients, helping the repair process.

Natural and organic ingredients are the best solution as there is less likelihood of harm to the skin. Products containing olive oil, rosehip oil, castor oil, shea butter, almond oil, squalene, squalane (more stable), Proteoglycans, Glycosaminoglycans and other vegetable oils are to be preferred.

Ingredients to be avoided in dry skin moisturizers

Products containing chemicals and strong mineral oil products may turn out to be harmful in the long run, as they can disturb the sebum secretion. A product with a long list of chemical ingredients may contain one or two chemicals unsuitable to you and can harm you. Lotions are usually oil and chemicals suspended in water and alcohol. The alcohol present in them may actually dehydrate skin when used repeatedly.

How to use dry skin moisturizers?

The best time to apply is immediately after a bath/shower.

After dabbing the body dry, immediately apply the product to trap the water held by the epidermis.

It is also a best practice to apply it before going to bed.

When you are going out and are likely to be exposed to sun or cold winds do not forget to apply dry skin moisturizers and sunscreen.

Apply the product two to three times a day on the very dry parts like elbows, knees, hands, feet and also on the itching and flaking areas.

Whether one has xerosis or not, application on a regular basis helps in preventing the development of this problem.

Xeroderma in knuckles
If your xeroderma condition is accompanied by dermatitis ( inflammation) consult a dermatologist immediately.
The problem of dry skin is surmountable and can be controlled, treated and prevented with regular application of ideal dry skin moisturizers.

Interesting topics:
Olive oil moisturizer.
Rhinophyma Treatment.
Skin sensitivity.
Homemade face moisturizer.
Epidermal keratinocytes.
Malassezia furfur fungus.
Oily skin treatment.
Tactile defensiveness.
Milia treatment.
Skin whitening tips.

Current topic: Moisturizers for dry skin.
Image courtesy: Ser Amantio di Nicolao | en.wikipedia | CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Dry skin tips

Home › What is dry skin › Dry skin in winter › Tips for dry skin.

Dry skin tips
Following the tips for dry skin can help you to prevent xeroderma from occurring and if xeroderma condition is already existing, these tips can show you how to treat, cure and manage it.

Tips for dry skin (xeroderma or xerosis)

Following the basic skin care routine, giving attention to our food habits and taking certain precautions regarding sun exposure and winter, can go a long way in preventing and relieving dry skin conditions. However in conditions due to diseases, treatment of the disease is the first priority.

Tips about food and drinks

The first and foremost of tips about preventing and healing dry skin condition is fulfilling our body's water requirement.
Depending upon the weight, a normal adult under normal conditions require up to four litres of water per day (very important tip).
People consuming insufficient water tend to be in a chronic state of dehydration are most likely to get dry skin.
As sufficient water is not supplied to epidermal cells from the blood, they get dehydrated.
Aerated soft drinks and coffee tend to dehydrate the body and their consumption must be reduced.
Alcoholic beverages also increase the water requirement and their consumption must be controlled to get relief from dry skin.
Our diet must contain sufficient essential fatty acids so that sebum secretion is normal. Add fish, flax oil, fish oil, eggs and omega fatty acid rich vegetable oils in your diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids help in hydration of the skin (very important tips).
Our food must be balanced containing sufficient proteins, vitamins and minerals. Insufficient proteins and vitamin C makes the skin to develop wrinkles and become dry.

Dry skin tips about cleaning and bathing

If your water supply is from local facility check the water for chlorine content.
Chlorine in the water strips the skin of its protective cover.
If this is the only source try removing chlorine by allowing it stand in a container for a day and if chloramine is being added use some dechlorinating agent.
Better solution will be to use chlorine free packaged water.
One of the important tips is reducing the amount of time spent on bathing. Even ten minutes is too long.
Long exposure to water makes the epidermis to be more permeable and the protective sebum barrier gets damaged.
Do not take bath more than once in a day. Frequent wetting damages the protective oil layer.
Use very mild soap with pH at 7 or less. Never use alkaline soaps. Alkaline soaps react with acidic protective layer and destroy it (very important tip).
Use warm water for bathing and avoid hot water. Hot water removes the oily protective layer.
After bath dab the skin and immediately apply moisturizer to lock in the moisture.

Dry skin tips about moisturizers and cosmetics

Clean your skin with alcohol free cosmetic milk, cleaning lotion, cleansers or toners to remove grime, epidermis debris and remnants of makeup, to open up and clean pores and make it ready for application of moisturizers.
When using commercial products take care to evaluate their suitability. Many commercial products contain harsh chemicals.
Products containing natural ingredients and oils are the best. Alternatively you can make your own homemade moisturizer (very important tips).
If you are over thirty years, use a gentle scrub to exfoliate and remove skin debris, at least once in a week.
The clinging dirt and grime make the moisturizers ineffective.
Use all other make-up cosmetics only after the application of moisturizer.
As lips also get dry skin, moisturize them often with lip balm. Please note that licking lips makes them drier.
When you shave use shave cream or gel and shave in the direction of hair growth. After shave apply moisturizer.

Dry skin tips about protection from sun and weather elements

Take care to protect yourself from sunlight. The sunlight between 10 am and 4 pm is intense and much of the skin damage happens during this period (very important tips).
Wear sun protective clothing and wide brimmed hat to avoid the UV rays and keep you cool. Use sunscreen on the exposed areas of the skin.
If the exposure is going to be for a longer time, apply sunscreen every two hours.
Cold dry winds dehydrate the epidermis and take away its moisture. Avoid exposure to cold winds.
Similarly getting exposed to rains for a long time also removes the protective coating on the skin. Use rain coat/umbrella to protect yourself.
Air travel can also dehydrate your skin.
On long flights the humidity inside the aircraft can be very low. So prepare yourself with ample application of moisturizers.
Do not forget to moisturize after the flight.

Tips for winter care

Winter weather usually tends to worsen the condition, as dry skin is usually sensitive.
In winter, as the humidity tends to be low, epidermis layers dry up fast. If you are using room heaters, the warm dry air also can be devastating for the skin.
One of the tips for maintaining the moisture in the room air is using humidifier.

General dry skin tips

Do not scratch the itchy dry skin. Apply moisturizer to soothe it. If it is cracked and inflamed consult a dermatologist as it might have got infected (very important tip).
Cut down on alcohol as it is a drying agent. Further alcohol prevents proper absorption and utilization of vitamins, so vital for a healthy body.
Smoking also dehydrates the body and the epidermis. It also interferes with absorption and utilisation of nutrients.
It is found that mental and physical stress has effect over the skin secretions leading to xerosis.

By following these tips, much relief and cure can be achieved and dry skin condition may become a thing of past.

Interesting topics in natural skin care tips:
Cosmetic Laser.
Types of urticaria.
What is a hemangioma.
Hemangioma treatment.
Nevus simplex.
Blisters on hands and feet.
Hypodermis function.
Reticular layer.
Papillary layer.
Layers of dermis.

Current topic: Tips for dry skin - How to protect yourselves from xeroderma