While summer is the season most associated with skin damage, a bright winter day, accompanied by bitter winds can be just as harmful. Even though the temperature may be freezing, the winter sun's rays (though more discreet than summer's scorching sun) can still wreak havoc on the skin.
Despite the dangers winter presents to our skin, the body's largest organ, it is not the season to hibernate. In fact, winter is a great time to indulge in many outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, or just taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood. Whether you are a winter sports nut or just enjoy going outside to build a snowman, you'll need to defend your skin against the elements of nature - snow, wind, rain, sun, and environmental toxins. Use heavier, but not oilier, creams and moisturizers in the winter to protect your skin from the harsh elements and changing conditions between the indoors and outdoors.
Remember that your skin reveals your age at first glance, and abused skin can make you look older than your years. Unfortunately, most skin damage - an estimated 85 percent - actually takes place before the age of 20; however, the damage does not usually manifest until age 40 or beyond. While you can't undo the damage that's already been done, you can minimize some signs of aging and prevent further damage by taking better care of your skin all year long.
Here are a few winter skin-care tips for you to try:
Body Brushing: Body brushing is one treatment that should be part of every skin-care program. All you need is a special bath brush (which can be purchased at your natural products store) and 10 to 15 minutes each morning to give yourself an energizing and stimulating treatment to prepare for the day.
When brushing, use short brush strokes and brush skin toward the heart, Brush in a clockwise direction, starting on your right side. As the blood moves to the surface of the skin, your skin will begin to turn a pinkish color. Brush each area of the body seven to 10 times.
Follow this order of techniques, repeating steps as needed.
Start on the bottom of your left foot and work your way up the entire left side of your body. Then work the right side, starting at the right foot. Use circular movements on buttocks. Brush palms and arms, lightly brushing shoulders and chest toward the heart area.
Here are some precautions to follow:
Only use this procedure in the morning, since it is very stimulating and energizing.
Do not brush over open or damaged skin.
Do not brush directly over varicose veins,
Sunscreens: Yes, in the wintertime too! In fact, in some regions, the sun can actually be more damaging in the winter than it is in the summer. So apply sunscreen on your face and any other exposed parts of your body before heading outside.
Remember that water, concrete, and snow/ice reflect and intensify the sun's harmful rays. So use a broadspectrum sunscreen in your daily skin-care routine, under makeup or alone, and on all skin that is exposed. You may still receive ultraviolet rays in the shade, under umbrellas or through windows, especially in your car, so be cautious.
Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater for maximum protection. Use it liberally, apply it at least one-half hour before going outdoors, and reapply every two hours.
Select an all-natural sunscreeen that is PABA- and fragrance-free to avoid possible skin irritation.
And don't forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses. Studies have proven that if your eyes are exposed to the harmful rays of the sun for long periods of time, your risk of developing cataracts may increase.
At-Home Skin-Care Program
Successful skin care begins with an individual creasing, toning, and moisturizing plan designed for your particular skin type - normal, oily, or dry. See a professional cosmetologist if you need help establishing a regular skin-care routine.
Cleanse face, neck, and shoulders in the morning and evening. Use a protective day cream and a nourishing, moisturizing cream at night. For maximum all-over moisturizing, apply creams to your face and body immediately after cleansing and bathing. Leave skin a little damp so that you can lock in some moisture when you apply creams and lotions.
A good skin-care program should also include lip-care products. Lips get thinner with age and need conditioning, moisurizing, and sun protection. Some products now available at your local health food store offer all three of these benefits.
Diet Tips: Here we can apply the old adage of "you are what you eat." Your skin is a mirror to what is going on inside your body. A proper diet can assist in the skin's defenses against the harmful elements of nature. Yo-yo dieting may be one of the most detrimental influences on otherwise healthy skin.
A healthful diet should include plenty of great, fresh winter vegetables that are high in antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene. Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, oranges, and tomatoes are proven to be some of the foods important to the body's cell-protection system.
For more dietary assistance to supplement your skin-care program, you may want to include supplements of beta-carotene, 10,000-20,000 lUs daily along with your multivitamin supplement; the mineral, zinc, 50 mg; and the amino acid, L-lysine, 500 mg daily. Also, consider increasing your intake of unsaturated fatty acids in the form of wheat germ or wheat germ oil; sunflower and safflower oils are also high in unsaturated fatty acids.
Drink plenty of water, at least 96 ounces per day (12 eight-ounce glasses) up to 144 ounces per day (12 twelve-ounce glasses), to keep your skin and your system clean from the inside out. Water helps flush out the impurities in your system and gives your skin a healthy glow.
Spa Pampering: Spas provide a break from busy lifestyles and a fresh start for self-care. Spa programs and treatments are designed to educate participants and provide a routine for effective long-term self-care and well-being, not just quick results. And nothing can provide more relief for winter cabin fever than a spa.
Here are some popular spa treatments:
Aromatherapy:This involves the use of oils from the essences of plants and flowers to affect the nervous, circulatory, and lymph systems. Treatments may involve baths, massage, compresses, and inhalation.
Thalassotherapy: This involves the use of seaweed and seawater to mineralize the body, help circulation, and tone the skin. Seaweed body masks or seaweed herbal baths, which contain trace elements, vitamins, and minerals, are heated to stimulate blood circulation, eliminate toxins, and tones skin.
Exfoliating treatments: These usually include a loofah body scrub, body polish, dry skin body brushing, or a salt glow. All of these treatments remove dead skin and stimulate circulation.
Do-It-Yourself Spa Care: Of course, for those of us who don't have the resources or the time to visit a spa, we can give ourselves a pampered feeling by creating our own home spa.
Body brushing, as discussed previously, can be done at home with an all-natural bristle body brush.
Many aromatherapy-based treatments for the face and body are available at your local health food store and can usually be administered yourself.
Salt from the Dead Sea, which can be obtained in products at your favorite natural foods store, can be used at home to give yourself a body polish. Before a bath, rub the dry salt all over your body; this will exfoliate dead skin cells and give you a glow. (Do not use this salt on open wounds or damaged skin.)
Facials and masques can also be administered at home: A facial or masque is the best way to revive over-dry winter skin and uncover that radiant skin you enjoyed all summer.
Look for all-natural masques that contain clay (such as Dead Sea mud) and all-natural oils like olive, apricot, and almond (to help moisturize). Also look for masques that peel off once they are dry; these serve to really accelerate the exfoliation process.
Steer clear of pore-clogging petroleum jellies, mineral oils, and baby oils. They are all made with petroleum by-products. Contrary to what many might think, coldpressed vegetable oils used externally as moisturizers do not aggravate acne or clog pores; they are absorbed only slightly into the upper layer of the skin.
Be sure to start out with a clean face to avoid aggravating any conditions with dirt or makeup mixed with skin oils and perspiration. Cleanse after exercising as well.
Winter daily skin-care routine:
Mornings:
1. Splash face with warm water
Evenings:
1. Remove all makeup with light cold-pressed oil and moistened cotton pads
While wintertime poses a few challenges for maintaining healthy skin, it can also be a time to spend caring for your skin by developing a routine that you can follow all year.
2. Apply cold-pressed oil with upward and outward light massaging strokes
3. Cleanse with a light exfoliant (something containing oatmeal or ground almonds)
4. Rinse thoroughly with warm water
5. Tone with an all-natural, alcohol-free toner
6. Apply your day-cream, lotion, or moisturizer
2. Apply a little more oil and lightly massage face and neck using upward and outward strokes
3. Deep cleanse using a skin-peel masque (once a week)
4. Tone, as vou did in the morning, using 100-percent cotton pads
5. Apply night cream and light moisturizer under the eyes (only use a moisturizer especially formulated for under the eyes)
Smoke, rebellion, rumors of war, and seemingly unstoppable snow. It was during this forbiddingly-dark, icy winter of 1831-1832 that a cholera epidemic swept through Europe, from Russia to the Atlantic shores. Conventional medicine proved useless, and the disease eventually claimed several hundred thousand lives.
Meanwhile, in the Hungarian village of Raab, Samuel Hahnemann's homeopathic medicaments were used for one group of patients. Of 154 patients treated homeopathically, six died. On the other hand, 410 of 821 patients treated conventionally died. Among the homeopathic remedies given in succession was Bryonia alba, or White Bryony (abbreviated as Bry.), a treatment which is also given for less serious maladies, particularly for cold and flu symptoms with which most of us have more than a passing acquaintance.
Bryonia is a perennial, climbing vine which grows wild in European vineyards and which is cultivated in the United States, and was known to ancient healers. While Dioscorides cited it for use in dropsy, other older applications have included use as a cathartic, for rheumatic conditions, as a purgative, and for pleurisy, according to Michael Weiner's The Complete Book of Homeopathy.
In terms of cough, it's usually indicated when symptoms include (but are not limited to): nausea; splitting headache with lightheartedness on rising or bending; dryness of tongue, mouth, and throat; excessive thirst; and hoarseness combined with congestion. Fever symptoms would include the aforementioned, in addition to: bitter taste; large, dry, hard stools; and a sensitive abdomen. Flu symptoms would include the aforementioned, in addition to: dry constricted throat; cough; abnormal hunger; vomiting of bile and water immediately after eating; and constipation.
Another excellent cold and flu remedy is Aconitum Napellus, or Common Aconite (abbreviated as Acon. or Acon. Nap.) It is said that Aconite is more closely associated with the rise and progress of homeopathy than any other member of the materia medica. More than any other remedy, the successful use of Aconite led to the abolishment of bloodletting from general medical practice.
Aconitum napellus, also known as monkshood or wolf's-bane, grows in damp, shady places in Central and Southern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, and Central Asia. Chiefly used for colds and cough, symptoms usually include (but are not limited to): sudden symptoms with fever; sneezing; a throbbing sensation in the nostrils; constricted, and inflamed, throat; hoarse, dry cough; swollen and dry tonsils; and a pounding, burning headache. Fever symptoms usually include the aforementioned, in addition to: physical and mental restlessness and profuse watering of the eyes. Head cold symptoms include the above, in addition to earache. Flu symptoms include most of the aforementioned, in addition to: flushed face; vomiting (with heat, profuse sweating, and increased urination).
Belladonna, Atropa Belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade (abbreviated Bell.), is often regarded as a headache medicine, beyond compare. It is typically included in sore-throat, cough, fever, and flu remedies and combination formulations.
In relation to fever, it's normally used in response to such symptoms as: hot, throbbing headache; red skin; glaring eyes; flushed skin; excited mental state; increased sensitivity of all senses (sometimes over sensitivity); delirium; suddenly appearing (and disappearing) neuralgic pains. For a sore throat, symptoms include: a dry, inflamed throat and difficulty swallowing. In terms of headache pain, Belladonna is used with several of the afore-discussed symptom sets.
Gelsemium, Gelsemium sempervirens (abbreviated Gels. or Gels. Semp.), or False Jasmine, is typically used in conjunction with symptom sets of flus, chest-colds, and fevers.
Fever symptoms include (but are not limited to): violent headache; heavy eyelids; neck and shoulder soreness; fever; hot, heavy, flushed face; chills running up and down the spine; slow pulse; and nervous chills. Chest cold symptoms include: slow breathing; heavy feeling in the chest; dry cough (with sore chest); acute bronchitis; and accelerated breathing.
Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Eupatorium perfoliatum (abbreviated Eup. Per. or Eup. Perf.), is often used for winter colds associated with sneezing and a splitting headache.
Chest cold symptoms include (but are not limited to): throbbing; pain and soreness of eyeballs; hoarse cough, with chest soreness; distressing fever; acute mucous inflammation in the nose, larynx and bronchi; and muscle soreness.
The above five remedies have been extensively proven, and are very popular ingredients in homeopathic combination cold and flu remedies.
Success rating of standard medical treatment: very poor. The common cold has baffled doctors for years. Treatment is purely symptomatic and can usually be administered with over-the-counter or herbal preparations at home. Very often, people with upper respiratory tract infections do not believe they can recover without an antibiotic, which some doctors will prescribe for a cold or flu. Antibiotics have no effect against the viruses that cause colds and flu.
Medical Update:
+ The two most promising possibilities for curing the cold are the drug interferon and the use of synthetic antigens. To date, both of these alternatives are still in the experimental stage.
+ A new drug called rimantadine HCL (Flumadine) has recently been approved for preventing and treating illness caused by various strains of influenza A virus in adults.
Home Self-Care:
* Drink lots of liquid. While this remedy seems overemphasized, it has real merit. Fluids help to keep mucus secretions more liquid, which can prevent secondary infections.
* Use a cold mist vaporizer to keep the nose and bronchiole tubes from drying out, which can aggravate coughs associated with colds.
* Get plenty of rest.
* The healing properties of chicken soup are considered valid in the scientific world. For one thing, the salt content of the soup can help alleviate dizziness associated with colds and flu. Sip hot soup slowly over a period of time.
* Make a eucalyptus oil inhalant by putting some oil or tincture in 2 cups of boiling water and inhale. This can also be used in a hot bath to alleviate congestion.
* Take a hot shower or use a sauna to help clear congestion.
* Avoid nasal sprays that shrink swollen membranes. They can actually aggravate congestion and can become habit-forming. To open the nose naturally, eat some food flavored with hot pepper sauce, horseradish or hot mustard. These are virtually guaranteed to make your nose run.
* Saline preparations available in sprays can help soothe sore noses.
* Use a dab of mentholatum or petroleum jelly around the sore part of the nostrils.
* The value of antihistamines, which unnaturally dry up mucous membranes, is debated. Histamine, which is a problem in allergic reactions is not associated with colds or flu. Overly dry membranes can become even more irritated. There is some evidence that suppressing the symptoms of a cold can prolong it. Runny noses, coughs, etc., help to move infected secretions out of the body. Antihistamines can also cause significant depression in some individuals.
* Over-the-counter cough syrups which contain dexthromethorphan can be as strong as some prescription medications.
* For headaches, ibuprofen is recommended. Do not give aspirin to children. Reye's syndrome is associated with the ingestion of aspirin by children with viral infections.
* Acetaminophen and aspirin are believed to increase nasal blockage in some people and may actually inhibit antibodies that fight viruses.
* An old home remedy for colds and flu is the footbath, which is made by dissolving 1 tablespoon of mustard powder in a quart of hot water. Soak both feet in this solution for up to 10 minutes.
* Walking every day for 20 to 30 minutes can help to increase circulation, which may lessen the duration of a cold by boosting the body's defense mechanisms. Very strenuous exercise is not recommended.
Nutritional Approach:
The idea of feeding a cold is not advised by everyone. It is believed that by not eating, the body is able to fight infection and rid itself of toxins more efficiently. For this reason, going off of solid food is suggested by some who believe that a liquid diet has more merit. Drink plenty of citrus fruit juices such as orange, pineapple, grapefruit or tomato juice. Hot soups are also wonderful and can provide both nutrients and liquid. Sipping pure water all day is also recommended. One of the best ways to quiet a coughing spell is to drink a glass of water.
* Avoid sugar consumption: Some studies show that vitamin C and sugar compete for transport into white blood cells.
* Acidophilus: Helps to replenish friendly bacteria that help fight infection, which can be destroyed by antibiotics.
* Vitamin A and beta carotene: Help to lessen inflammation of mucous membranes and are immune system boosters.
* Vitamin C: Some studies suggest that vitamin C destroys the cold virus. Check with your doctor to approve a large dose. Drink at least 5 to 6 glasses of citrus juice per day. Taking 500 milligrams of vitamin C four times per day seems to dramatically eliminate common cold and flu symptoms.
* Zinc gluconate lozenges: Can be dissolved under the tongue and should be taken at the first sign of a cold or flu. Zinc has been found to cut down, not only on cold and flu symptoms, but also on the duration of these infections. Do not take more than the recommended dose, as zinc can be toxic in large amounts.
* Monolaurian: A fatty acid which is believed to have an antiviral effect. It can be taken in capsule form.
* Potassium, selenium, calcium and magnesium: Boost the body's ability to fight infection. If a fever is present, these can be lost through excessive sweating.
* Aloe vera juice and liquid chlorophyll: Help to eliminate toxins from the blood.
* Barley water: Can be made by steeping barley in water and adding lemon peel and honey.
Herbal Remedies
The advantage of using herbal remedies over antibiotics is that herbs generally do not destroy the body's friendly bacteria, which are essential for good health. Herbs will not compromise the immune system, and if used prudently can be of great value in treating both bacterial and viral infections.
* Boneset: Promotes sweating and can help to reduce fever. Is also a good expectorant and helps alleviate muscle pain.
* Catnip: Helps to bring down a fever and break up mucus congestion.
* Chamomile tea: An old traditional comforting treatment for colds.
* Comfrey and fenugreek: Helpscontrol coughs and hoarseness.
* Garlic: An antimicrobial which is good for a variety of infections. Garlic can be purchased in odorless capsules.
* Hops or valarian tea: Both of these herbs have a natural tranquilizing effect and can help promote restful sleeping.
* White horehound: A natural expectorant that eases congestion.
* Licorice cough drops or tea: Helps to soothe irritated throats and helps to relieve coughs.
* Echinacea: Helps to fight any viral infection and can be purchased as an extract.
* Slippery elm tea: Excellent for sore throats.
* Ginger tea: A good remedy for the treatment of chills.
* Jade screen powder available at Chinese pharmacies is used for anyone plagued with frequent colds.
* Astragalus membranaceous: Used by the Chinese to reduce the incidence and length of a cold.
* The following herbs taken in combination may be useful: Bayberry, cloves, willow, and white pine.
Prevention:
* Don't smoke
* Taking a massive dose of vitamin C upon the first symptom of a cold or flu is believed by some professionals to prevent the onset of either ailment.
* Daily doses of vitamin C are also thought to help prevent colds and flu.
* Don't eat a diet high in sugar.
* Taking garlic capsules may lower one's chances of catching a cold.
23) Information on Dandruff
