The Nitrogen Family Elements at a Glance

Author: Danny Siegenthaler
Source: articleage.com

Sufferers of sensitive skin do not have to go without make-up or skin care products. On the contrary, a good quality natural skin care regime will help to reduce the sensitivity over time and will promote healthy, vibrant looking skin.

There are a number of symptoms which may help you to identify whether or not you have sensitive skin (should you be in any doubt):

Your skin reacts quickly to both heat and cold; Sensitive skin burns easily, when exposed to wind or sun
Skin is easily irritated by detergents, cosmetics and alcohol, leaving the skin red and blotchy, with visible surface veins.

The key to ‘normalise’ sensitive skin is to use a good quality, natural skin care system and follow a daily skin care regime. The following is a simple step-by-step process anyone with sensitive skin should follow:

Two or three times a week use a deep cleansing mask specifically formulated for oily skin. Wildcrafted’s Red Earth Medicine Facial Clay has been specifically formulated for dry and sensitive skin and includes ingredients such as Red Clay and Rose Hydrosol, which are beneficial in treating your sensitive skin.

Wash your face no more than twice a day using a natural pH balanced cleanser. Wildcrafted’s Hydrating Cleanser uses ingredients such as essential oils of Rose and Chamomile blended with Glycerine and Shea Nut Butter to cleanse, soothe and hydrate your sensitive skin.

Use a toner that is appropriate for oily skin. Wildcrafted’s Milk of Roses Toner makes use of Rose and Aloe Very to gently calm, hydrate and condition your sensitive skin prior to moisturising.

Use a moisturiser designed specifically for dry and sensitive skin. Wildcrafted’s Rose Day Cr?me contains wholesome oils like Almond, Olive and Jojoba oils in combination with essential oils of Sandalwood and Rose to revitalise the skin and soothes and softens irritated, sensitive skin.

Use your natural skin care regime every single day.

Ensure your diet is very high in nuts, grains and vegetables and very low in saturated fatty foods.

Drink plenty of water each and every day to help keep your skin hydrated.

The American Academy of Dermatology offers the following recommendations:

Choose powder when possible. Powder cosmetics are not only great at removing shine, they have very few preservatives and contain few ingredients that can cause skin irritation compared with liquid makeup.

Avoid waterproof cosmetics, which require a solvent to remove them. They also remove sebum, the oily substance made by the sebaceous glands in the skin. Without this oily barrier, sensitive skin is exposed to potential irritants that can cause a beauty breakout.

Throw out old cosmetics. “Women should keep track of cosmetic expiration dates and throw out any items that have passed their peak,” cautions Dr. Bergamo. “Old makeup products can spoil or become contaminated. This is especially true for eye products, which should also be discarded if you experience any type of eye infection.” Typical life spans for cosmetic products include 1 year for foundation and lipstick, 3 to 4 months for mascara, and 2 years for powder and shadows. It also is important to wash makeup brushes and sponges regularly to remove accumulated dirt and germs that can aggravate sensitive skin.

Use black-colored eyeliner and mascara products. Dermatologists feel that black is the least allergenic of all colorants used in eye products.

Use pencil eyeliner and eyebrow fillers. According to Dr. Bergamo, “Pencil eyeliner and eyebrow pencils are wax-based and contain pigment and minimal preservatives. They are much less likely to cause problems than liquid eyeliners that contain latex, which may cause a reaction in latex-sensitive individuals.

Stick to earth-toned eye shadows. Lighter earth tones, such as tan, cream, white, or beige, seem to cause less upper-eyelid irritation. “The higher concentration of pigments in darker colors, such as navy blue, can cause an adverse reaction in women with sensitive skin,” Dr. Bergamo speculates.

Check sunscreen ingredients. Dermatologists recommend daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor 15 or higher. For women with sensitive skin, sunscreen should contain only the physical sunscreen ingredients zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Unlike chemical sunscreens that absorb ultraviolet rays, physical sunscreen ingredients deflect the rays rather than absorb them.

Use products that contain no more than 10 ingredients. The fewer ingredients in a product, the less likely it is to cause a problem.

Avoid nail polishes. Wet nail polish can be transferred to a person’s eyes and face before it dries. This casual transfer can cause problems for women with sensitive skin or allergies to any of the components of the polish.

Use foundations with a silicone base. Although powder is preferred to protect sensitive skin, women choosing a liquid foundation should look for one with a silicone base. Liquid facial foundations based on silicone do not cause acne, and silicone has a low incidence of skin irritation.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

? Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 – 2005

Author: Danny Siegenthaler
Source: articleage.com

Wrinkles
Gravity is the skin’s worst enemy. Weakening of collagen and elastin fibres causes reduced firmness of the skin, gravity pulls at the skin and causes it to sag, this in combination with a reduction in the fatty padding of the skin inevitably causes wrinkling of the skin tissue.
Can Wrinkles Be Avoided?
Environmental factors such as over exposure to the sun, smog, cigarette smoke can all have an adverse effect on your skin. In addition, you may also have inherited weaknesses from your parents that can cause premature aging of the skin.
Despite these challenges, there are simple steps you can take to prevent wrinkles and remember – the earlier you start, the better!
? Wear Sunscreen,
? Always wear a hat with a wide brim when going outside – remember, just because there’s clouds does not mean there’s no UV,
? Don’t sunbathe, and
? Where possible, stay out of the sun between 10am to 3pm.
As we progress through our 30′s, 40′s, 50′s and beyond, our skin requires an appropriate skin care regime to maintain, as well as repair, the skin. The older you are when you start to protect and care for your skin, the less effective it will be, however, it is never too late to start.
Treatments for Aging Skin
There are a multitude of drugs, chemicals and procedures on the market these days, promising you that you can have the face of a baby in your 90′s. We all know where to put that? However, there are many natural and totally safe methods of treating aging skin and preventing premature signs of aging – and I’m not just referring to your facial skin, although this is the most visible and therefore the most important to many people.
Using a natural skin care regime should apply to your entire body and not just to your face. Regularly use a clay mask to nourish your skin and remove impurities, cleanse your skin, tone it and last but not least moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.
Do not use commercially available soaps unless absolutely necessary – these soaps remove the protective acid mantle of your skin and dry it out. Instead, use an exfoliant followed by a cleanser to clean your skin and leave it smooth, invigorated and with it’s protective acid mantel in tact.
Follow this by using a toner. Toners close open pores to prevent loss of moisture, resulting in firmer skin. The last step is to use a moisturiser. Moisturisers help to hydrate your skin, prevent loss of moisture and provide nourishment and nutrients for your skin to use in fulfilling its many functions.
‘Liver spots’ or ‘age spots’
Aging skin often develops unsightly blemishes, commonly called liver spots, which can appear on the face, neck and on the back of the hands. They are caused by the sun and accumulation of lipofuscin (pigments and/or wastes) that is derived from free radical damage of skin cells.
Liver spots, also known as lentigines or lentigos, are sharply defined, rounded, brown or black, flat patches of skin. The epidermis (top surface layer) is expanding with more pigment, developing what looks like a large freckle. They may appear as a single spot or in clusters.
Remember that your skin is an eliminatory organ and therefore it eliminates toxins from your body – one reason for liver spots is that the eliminatory organs (Kidneys, Liver and Bowels) are not working as well as they should and therefore the skin ‘takes up the slack’.
Removal of these impurities can be achieved using the above described skin care regime. In addition, when showering, use a Lufa or other type of skin brush on your body’s skin. This will not only remove dead skin cells, but promote blood circulation to the skin which in turn provides the skin with nutrients carried in the blood.
Green Tea is a fantastic anti-oxidant and should be consumed regularly. Leafy green vegetables, fish such as salmon and tuna, nuts and fruits contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to nourish your organs and help them perform their vital functions adequately.
It is vitally important that you not only have a good skin care regime, but you should also have a good health regime, which includes a good diet, 8 -10 glasses of water per day and a regular exercise programme. This is very important and cannot be underestimated in its positive results on keeping you looking and feeling younger for longer.