Nine Natural Ways to Love Your Skin
by Maria Rodale, CEO and Chairman of Rodale, Inc. and book author

This is such a wonderful excerpt that I have to blog it for you!
We really are what we eat!


Your skin is vulnerable. As the largest organ system, it performs numerous essential tasks and is the frontline of defense against bacteria, viruses, allergens, toxins, and more. You do your best to protect your skin, but it's out in the open, exposed to sun, wind and environmental pollutants. Skin structure is complex, and part of an intricate network involving other organs. To keep it healthy, you need to support this system. Healthy skin is a vital component to wellness and vice versa. Here are some recommended ways to love your skin and promote overall health.

Fight Inflammation Poor diet, stress, dehydration and environmental factors can all lead to chronic inflammation, which can damage fibers that keep skin elastic and supple. Inflammation can also increase toxins in the body. Several traditional Chinese herbs can reduce inflammation and underlying infection, by clearing "toxic heat", the Chinese medical term for reducing inflammation.  Most commonly used are Jin Yin Hua (Japanese Honeysuckle), Huan Lian (Coptis Rhizome) and Huang Qin (Baikal Skullcap), recommended by Traditional Chinese doctors for centuries to support skin health.


Rally the Circulatory and Immune Systems A strong circulatory system is vital to skin health. Foods like ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and citrus fruits increase circulation, help to bring nutrients to the skin, aid detoxification and help reduce inflammation. Balanced immune activity also supports skin health, particularly for inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema and acne. Foods that boost immunity include yogurt, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and sweet potatoes.


Aid Digestion Optimal digestion and a healthy gastrointestinal system also provide critical support for skin. Healthy digestion ensures that nutrients are properly absorbed and toxins eliminated efficiently. It increases nourishment to tissues, reduces inflammation, supports balanced hormone and immune responses and helps detoxify the body. Look for naturally fermented foods (like real pickles and sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha), ginger, licorice, cardamom, and pomegranate to improve digestion and bring balance to your gut flora.


Bolster Antioxidants Beta-carotene, lutein, vitamins C, E and A, selenium and lipoic acid are important antioxidants for skin health. Antioxidants are especially effective in combination, protecting against skin damage caused by toxins, inflammation and oxidative stress. You can find these and other antioxidants in blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, artichokes, black beans, prunes and pecans, to name a few. In addition to protecting skin cells from sun exposure, environmental toxins, processed foods and other dangers, antioxidants promote cell growth and repair, help prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve your skin's elasticity and tone and protect against further damage. These benefits increase when antioxidants are also used topically.


Stock Up on Nutrients Minerals zinc and selenium; amino acids proline and lysine and the hormone melatonin are critical for strengthening skin health and structure, and promote faster repair of skin damage. Foods high in zinc include oysters, venison, and beef. Three Brazil nuts a day will give you plenty of selenium. Chickens and eggs for lysine and proline (eaten with something high in vitamin C for optimal amino acid absorption). Consult with your physician before taking melatonin or any natural or synthetic hormone supplements.


Discover Medicinal Mushrooms Medicinal mushrooms help balance immune responses, decrease inflammation, prevent damage and nourish the skin. Tremella fuciformis (White Tree Ear), Cordyceps sinensis and Grifola frondosa (Matiake) are specific mushroom species that offer targeted skin support to help repair, hydrate and rejuvenate.


Don't Forget Your Healthy Fats Omega fatty acids, particularly Omega-3s, offer important health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular and immune support. Omega-3s nourish skin with critical protective nutrients, and help heal chronic skin conditions. Look for these healthy fats in fish, walnuts, flax seed, olive oil and other omega-rich foods and botanicals. Flaxseed oil, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and other omega-rich oils promote skin lubrication and hydration, rejuvenating the skin by decreasing wrinkles and preventing dehydration. Macadamia nuts contain high-quality oils that support skin repair and rejuvenation, and coconut oil has excellent skin-protecting qualities.


Hydrate Most of us are chronically dehydrated, so drinking plenty of herbal tea and pure, filtered water is essential for skin and overall health. Some experts recommend 3 liters (about 13 cups) daily for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) daily for women. Proper hydration helps clear the body of toxins that cause inflammation and blemishes. Water also helps transport nutrients and oxygen to skin cells, preventing dehydration and protecting against premature aging. Increased hydration can lead to noticeable improvements in skin appearance and energy levels in just a few days.


Detoxify Gentle whole body detoxification is a vital step in achieving optimal skin health. Research has demonstrated the positive effects of modified citrus pectin and alginates to remove heavy metals and environmental toxins from the body, without affecting essential mineral levels. In addition, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and Ginkgo biloba promote natural detoxification, reduce oxidative stress and support circulation and vital energy. When taken over time, these ingredients help to safely and gently remove toxins, contributing to brighter, clearer skin and improved elasticity. (For my next post, I'll explain more about safe detoxification.)



These suggestions can help keep your skin vibrant and maintain long-term wellness. In addition to providing greater energy, clarity and overall health, these healthy habits will help your skin glow as a direct reflection of your inner vitality. Learn more by visiting www.DrEliaz.org

Winter Skin Care

Much of this information is gleamed from Dr. Susan Taylor, Dermatologist and Clinical Researcher.

Now that the really cold weather has arrived and we are turning the heat up in our homes and offices, many of us are experiencing dry, itchy winter skin.  Five easy steps can help heal dry skin, renew it and leave soft, supple, beautiful skin.

1.  Limit your baths or showers to 5-minutes and only bathe once a day. Turn the temperature of the water down so that you are now using WARM (not hot) water. I know that it is difficult to give up those wonderful long, hot showers or baths, especially on cold mornings, but these changes will make a big difference in preventing natural oils from being stripped from your skin.

2. Use a mild soap or liquid cleanser during the winter months (you can use your deodorant soap next summer) and minimize the amount of soap that you apply to your skin. Unless you are a mud wrestler, you just need a small amount of soap. Many people put so much soap on their skin that they cannot see their normal skin tone (that's way too much).

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisture. First, apply your moisturizer to damp skin (slather it on within 2-3 minutes of getting out of the bath or shower). Plan to use your moisturizer at least two times a day (morning and night), or more. The moisturizer that you select does not need to be expensive to be effective. Look for thick and rich ointments and creams for the winter. For extra dry skin look for products that contain lactic acid or urea. Other effective ingredients include dimethicone and glycerin which help draw water to the skin and keep it there. Finally, lanolin, mineral oil, and petrolatum (also known as petroleum jelly) trap water in the skin. For many people, their skin quickly absorbs the moisturizer and they find that they must reapply it frequently throughout the day.

4. Invest in a humidifier or for an inexpensive solution, place plants around the room. A humidifier can add much needed moisture to dry air. Plants with large leaves can also effectively increase moisture in the air (after you water them, the water diffused up the stem and out into the air). Another solution is to place bowls of water in the room that you spend most of your time in. The water will evaporate and add moisture to the air.

5. Protect your skin from the cold and the wind with scarves, hats and gloves. Clothing can make a big difference but avoid wearing wool and other rough materials next to the skin. Clothing can help protect the skin from the cold, dry air, which can zap moisture from the skin.

Remember, we only have 3 or 4 more months of winter left so as soon as the spring comes, you can go back to your old habits including long, luxurious baths or showers, deodorant soaps and hot water.

New studies in SPF

SPF is not without it detractors; absolutely.
Some of the chemicals are harmful when ingested but deemed safe for external use.
And no chemical sunblock bests a physical one (a long sleeve gauze shirt and hat are the best protection ever). But being that we live in So Cal and enjoy the sun...we have to uncover sometime.  So this week at Consumer Reports, they unveiled the tests of 22 SPF sprays, creams, and lotions; finding nine that provided excellent protection against UVB radiation (which causes sunburn) even after immersion in water, along with very good protection against UVA radiation (which penetrates deeper than UVB, tanning and aging skin). 

No one type—spray, cream, or lotion—protected best. 

The three Best Buys: 

Up & Up Sport SPF 30 (Target), 

No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E SPF 45, and 

Equate Baby SPF 50. 

The Up & Up is a spray while the other two products are lotions.

 

The article was so good, I've included the main body of it here below. Hope it's helpful.

 

Although most products were excellent against UVB rays before water immersion, three were just OK, and some lost effectiveness after dunking. Most were very good against UVA rays, but Avon was merely fair. (It's a sunscreen and bug spray in one, not the best idea: In reapplying it for sun protection, you might overdo bug protection.)

Some sprays took more than 30 seconds to dry, but Coppertone SPF 30, a top pick, dried especially fast. Many products had the familiar scent associated with summer, but Soleo smelled a bit like plastic plus stale cooking oil. All of the more effective sunscreens tended to stain cloth.

What's inside

Almost every tested sunscreen contains some ingredients associated with adverse health risks in animal studies. Oxybenzone and other endocrine disruptors may interfere with hormones in the body, and nanoscale zinc and titanium oxides are linked to problems such as potential reproductive and developmental effects.

Retinyl palmitate (look for it among inactive ingredients), a type of topical vitamin A, is an antioxidant that animal studies have linked to an increased risk of skin cancers. In skin, it converts readily to retinoids, associated with a risk of birth defects in people using acne medications containing them. As a precaution, pregnant women may want to avoid sunscreens with retinyl palmitate.

More research is needed, but as of now, the proven benefits of sunscreen outweigh any potential risks.

Bottom line

Don't rely on sunscreen alone. Wear protective clothing and limit time in the sun. Your sunscreen should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, there's not much more protection. You need to reapply any sunscreen every 2 hours or so anyway and after swimming or sweating. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of a lotion on most of your body, or "spray as much as can be evenly rubbed in," says Jessica Krant, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, "then go back over every area and spray them all completely again." 

 

Don't pay too much. La Roche-Posay, $18.82 per ounce (yes, you read that right), scored lower overall than No-Ad, 59 cents.

Hydrating and Healing: The Oatmeal Mask

I've promised a recipe for a homemade version of our Oatmeal and Honey facial mask.
This mask is great for simple hydration and healing of dry, slightly irritated skin.
So for our very first blog...here it is:

1-2 cups Rolled Oats (Quaker or similar)
1 jar Honey
boiling water

Place the oats in a dry blender and pulse the oats until the consistency of flour.
Store the oat flour in an air-tight, Tupperware-type container.


When you're ready to make your mask, place 1 Tablespoon oats in a dessert or other small cup.
Add 1 teaspoon pure honey and approximately 1 teaspoon of boiling hot water.
Stir until the consistence of a thin paste then microwave for 20 seconds until smooth and hot.

Allow the oatmeal-honey mask to cool slightly; the mask should be applied while very-warm; be mindful not to burn the skin as the mask may be very hot from the microwave.

With a fan-brush or your fingers, apply the very warm mask to freshly washed skin and allow to set for 5+ minutes, then removed with and a wet, warm cloth. Follow this with your favorite moisturizer.