The pH of Your Skin

I mean…who understands pH anyway?  Who wants to?  Despite the fact that it seems very chemistry-ish, you should pay attention to the pH of your skin.  Okay, okay, let me explain what pH is…

The pH of your skin (potential hydrogen), refers to the degree of acidity or alkalinity.  The pH scale goes anywhere from 0 to 14, with 7 being a neutral point.  Anything between a 0 and a 7 is considered acidic and anything 7 and above is considered alkaline.  Any healthy and normal skin lies between 4.5 and 6 on the pH scale.  Everyone’s skin maintain the proper pH level by forming an acid mantle on the surface of the skin from the combined secretions of sweat and oil glands.¹

So basically, you need to keep your skin’s pH between 4.5 and 6.

This does not mean you need to set up a lab and scientifically test your skin pH.

Just pay attention!  If you are starting to get a lot of pimples, that means your skin is a little too acidic!  Acidic skin allows more bacteria to penetrate into your pores.  If your skin starts drying out and getting flaky, that means its too alkaline!  So what can you do to keep your skin at a level pH?

1.  Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.  Feed your skin from within!

2.  Drink plenty of water.

3.  Find a toner that has a pH between 4.5 and 6.

4.  Research!  Research all of the products you use and try shifting towards products that are within the healthy pH range.  

Yes, pH can be tricky…but that’s all it comes down to!  A healthy balance is all that is required to maintain your skin!

Sources:

Tourles, S. (1994). The Herbal Body Book. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.

How Your Diet Affects Your Skin

You eat those potstickers and muse..."Hmmm, I probably shouldn't have eaten that.  That ruins my figure!"  When it comes to food, many people think about the consequences of what that food has on their body shape and fitness level.  Guess what?  Your diet actually affects your skin and how it looks too!

Surprise!

Here are twenty tips to improve your skin through proper nutrition:1

1.  Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!
2.  Avoid fied and process foods.  When you do use oils, try cold-pressed oils.
3.  Eat minimal sugar, chocolate and other junk foods, which have little nutritional value.
4.  Smoking increases wrinkles.  If you can't kick the habit, consume extra vitamin C.
5.  Watch your slat intake.  Too much salt can lead to temporary swelling and puffiness.
6.  Eat cooked egg whites...pure albumin protein.
7.  The sulfur foundin garlic, onions, and asparagus will aid in keeping the skin nice.
8.  Almonds provide vitamin E, which is good for the skin.
9.  Drink minimal amounts of alcohol.
10.  Drink minimal amounts of soft drinks.
11.  If you have a skin irritation and suspect a food allergy, eliminate suspected food and keep a food record to monitor your reaction.
12.  Increase intake of raw veggies.  Not only high in fiber, but naturally higher in vitamins, phytochemicals, and enzymes than those that have been cooked, processed, or canned.
13.  Thoroughly wash all food before it is eaten.
14.  Eat all parts of fruits and beggies.  The white part inside the skin of citrus has vitamin C and biofavinoids.
15.  Have a cup of warm water with lemon juice in the morning.
16.  When dining out, eat broiled fishes, steamed or backed veggies and starches.
17.  Eat little or no processed foods.
18.  Eat food at a moderate pace.  Food is energy, and if you eat food at a rapid pace, you'll have more stress on your body, creating a stressful energy coming from your body. Pace yourself.
19.  Get rid of your aluminum cooking tuensils.  Absolutely no benefit to the body.
20.  Eat a high-fiber diet to cleanse the digestive track.  Put a couple tablespoons of what brandon your morning cereal; it has the bonus of extra B vitamins.

Practicing proper nutrition is a key for taking care of your skin.  By taking care of your skin, eating organic and raw foods, drinking plenty of water and avoiding processed foods, you will be able to help take care of your skin naturally through proper nutrition.

Source:

Parentini, L. J. (1996). The Joy of Healthy Skin. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Pentice Hall, Inc.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation is an important technique that clears and brightens the skin by manually sloughing off the build up of dead skin cells. We hear of microdermabrasion, scrubs, and masks that promise to help exfoliate your skin, leaving you with a healthy, dewy glow. What we often fail to realize, is that there are many natural products that can be used for exfoliation as well. Below you will find a list with details on natural exfoliation products, and a short explanation of how to apply them.

Baking Soda

Option 1

1. Lightly moisten face
2. Pour about one tablespoon of baking soda into your hand
3. Rub hands together to evenly spread baking soda
4. Lightly scrub face in a circular motion for 2 – 3 minutes
5. Rinse face and apply light moisturizer

Frequency: 3 – 4 times a week, depending on the sensitivity of your skin

Result: Clearer pores, improved skin tone/color

Option 2¹

1. Mix a small amount of baking soda into your cleanser and use as normal

Frequency: Same as above

Result: Same as above

Lemon Juice and Brown Sugar (Product Pasha)²

1. Lightly moisten face
2. Apply a cotton pad with fresh squeezed lemon juice
3. Cover pad with a thin layer of brown sugar
4. Moisten the brown sugar thoroughly with lemon juice
5. Lightly rub face in circular motion for 1 – 2 minutes
6. Rinse face and apply light moisturizer

Frequency: 2 – 3 times a week

Result: Soft, glowing skin

Milk³

1. Soak a washcloth in whole milk, wring out, and drape over your face for 5 minutes. The lactic acid in milk helps the dead skin to slough off of your face.
2. Remove any remaining milk with the cloth

Frequency: 3 times a week

Result: Refreshed skin

Olive Oil and Sugar³

1. Lightly moisten face
2. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil to ½ cup sugar.
3. Scrub face for 1 – 2 minutes. This also works well on the rest of your body

Frequency: 2 – 3 times a week

Result: Soft, glowing skin

You can also visit the Herb Companion and review some exfoliating recipes here.

¹Forebrain. Is Baking Soda an Effective Natural Exfolliant. (Accessed August 16, 2011). http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/03/27/is-baking-soda-an-effective-natural-exfolliant/

²Rosenblath, Tracy. All Natural Exfoliation with Lemon Juice and Brown Sugar. (Accessed August 16, 2011). http://www.productpasha.com/2010/10/all-natural-exfoliation-with-lemon-juice-and-brown-sugar.html.

³EHow Style. Natural Ways to Exfoliate Skin. (Accessed August 16, 2011). http://www.ehow.com/how_4541239_natural-ways-exfoliate-skin.html

Sun Spots

As we age, our skin loses many of its defenses and reacts more strongly to damage. So, over time, we begin to notice what are called “sun spots” or “age spots.” Officially called solar lentigenis, these spots are flat, dark, discolored patches on the skin.¹  These patches are not painful and usually harmless, but probably disturbing because they are discoloring your skin.  If you have sun spots, be sure to have the doctor look at them during your annual check up to make sure they aren’t early stages of more serious skin conditions. Also, watch these spots closely, and if they begin to change over time, get back to the doctor for a check up.

For your run of the mill age spots, there are ways to combat this condition.  First of all, start wearing sun screen of at least SPF 15.  The nice sun tan you got today is actually an injury to your skin. And it will show up as wrinkles or sun spots in the next 10 or 20 years.

Stay out of the sun during peak hours. We get the most damage to our skin during 11:00 am and 4:00 pm when the sun is highest in the sky. If you can get out of the sun, or at least cover up with long sleeved shirts and pants, you will protect your skin from any damaging rays. Since not going out during peak hours of fun-time is probably not happening, be sure to carry that sun screen with you!

If you are looking to treat your age spots, try homemade recipes that use lemon juice, onion juice, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, fresh garlic, or vitamin E. All of these ingredients help in either smoothing out skin texture or correcting skin color. See some recipes from Home Remedies Web and Doc Shop.

Another remedy that Bess and I have found is Rosehip Seed Oil. Apply this oil directly to your age spots, or mix with your facial moisturizer for use on the whole face. I gave some to my mother for her to use, and within a few weeks her age spots were visibly lighter. Remember though, none of these are immediate fixes. It took years of sun damage for your skin to develop this condition, and it will take time to reduce the effects of this damage.

Photo Courtesty of africa at www.freedigitalphotos.net

Sources 

¹Ask Your Pharmacist. “What are Sun spots”. Accessed September 12, 2011. http://www.drugstore.com/ask/what-are-sunspots/qxa1157

Different Hair Types

We have all had that moment when we look in the mirror and think, “What am I going to do with this?” It may help to know that, beyond not being alone, there is hope! We think that one of the best ways to fix problems with skin and hair is to educate yourself about what the problem is.

Yes, your ends are split, but the main problem is conditioning. Yes, you have dull, greasy hair, but the issue is really an overproduction of sebum from your scalp. Sebum is something that we need on both our skin and hair. It keeps everything lubricated and looking lustrous. However, as with all things in life, if it becomes unbalanced, everything starts to look a little… crazy.

That being said, this blog is going to run a little differently. We are going to give you some tips on basic hair care, and have compiled a list for you below with sites that will help you figure out what your hair type is and how to keep it looking great!

Basic Tips

• Don’t use too much shampoo. If you use copious amounts of shampoo, it will only end up stripping your hair of sebum. This will make your hair ends dry and frizzy, because the sebum can’t reach the ends of your hair, and your scalp will become greasy, in a desperate attempt to reproduce what is lost.

• If you have curly hair that is very dry, don’t shampoo at all. Yea, I said it. Nix the shampoo. I haven’t shampooed my hair in four years and it smells great and looks great, too. Do not confuse shampoo with cleanliness. You simply don’t need it. If you don’t believe me, check out The Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey or www.naturallycurly.com.

• Try to use vegan and of course USDA Organic products if possible. The parabens (as we learned in previous posts) don’t do your hair any favors. Try to be as natural as possible

• If your hair is dry, try an olive oil or jojoba oil deep conditioning1.

• If it is oily hair you are fighting, try an all natural shampoo or rinse with ingredients like orris root, neem oil, sandalwood which will help absorb oil and impurities. Or try a rinse with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme to help balance your scalps pH level1.

• Take care when dyeing, blow drying or otherwise manipulating your hair. Doing any of these things to often will only result in damaged, unmanageable hair. There are several more gentle dyeing products on the market now, invest in something that won’t ruin your hair in the end.

Online Sites to Check Out:
Hair Type Quiz: http://www.albabotanica.com/?id=10
Hair Care for Curls: www.naturallycurly.com
Have the Courage to Go Natural: http://www.bvhairtalk.com/category/natural-hair/

The statements, information and/or products listed and discussed in this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any statements, information, and/or products listed and discussed in this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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1The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs, The Readers Digest Association, Inc., 2009