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HEALTHY SKIN AND HOW TO
MAINTAIN IT
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
Skin care is one of the
largest areas of the health and beauty industry. Many folks
have shared concerns with me about the quality of the
products that are being promoted. Cost is not necessarily
the mark of a good product.
This article will discuss
our skin and how we can make choices to keep it healthy and
maintain its integrity in a vastly polluted world.
First let's look at
the function of the skin, and then we can look
at how to improve and maintain it. The skin is the largest
organ of the human body, covering approximately 20 square
feet. It is responsible for an array of essential
body functions including breathing oxygen,
eliminating carbon dioxide and other forms of waste, acting
as a shield against toxins from outside the body, and
helping to maintain body temperature.
In Chinese medicine
it is called the
wei chi, or surface immunity,
because it is a defense system to outside bacteria and
germs.
There are two main
layers of the skin – the epidermis (or outer
layer) and the dermis (the lower layer). The epidermis is
covered with a thin sheath of dead cells, mainly what we
see, called the stratum corneum.
As dead cells are constantly flaked off, new cells are
being pushed outward. The stratum
corneum is comprised of keratin,
a tough protein that helps to protect the cellular
integrity of the skin.
Fingernails are
made of the same substance. At the surface is a
thin layer of slightly acidic oil called the acid
mantle. This is what protects
the skin against bacteria. The living layer of the
epidermis is in direct contact with the dermis that feeds
and supports it. This layer is called the
Malpighian layer. The next
layer is the dermis that contains the sweat and oil glands,
hair follicles, blood vessels, nerves, and muscle tissues.
These are held
together with a proteinous
connective tissue called collagen.
Collagen is the
cement that holds us together. It needs the
nutrients of vitamins C, E, B complex, manganese, copper
and sulfur to maintain its integrity. This is where with
aging we see wrinkles
due to lack of these nutrients or not enough
antioxidants to protect the skin.
Many natural skin care
companies place an abundance of these nutrients in there
lotions and creams which would include cleansers, toners
and moisturizers, shampoos, conditioners, hand lotions,
toothpastes and perfumes. It is important to do some
research on your own. Just because a label says it has aloe
vera, or vitamins E or C, you need to do some checking on
what are the other ingredients and are they harmful to you.
Most natural products companies will provide you with a
detailed list of ingredients and their source. If you are
concerned about animal substances in a product, you need to
find out from the source.
You might also want to know
the amount of a particular ingredient. Is the quantity of a
particular ingredient enough to do anything or is it just a
marketing ploy?
The label has to
list the substance by its chemical name, so
don't be alarmed when an all-natural product states a lot
of names you don't recognize. Good companies will list
after the chemical name, the source. An example would be
retinyl
palmitate, which is a natural source for vitamin A.
I am very particular about chemicals in body care products
because the skin is permeable. It lets substance in, and it
sends other substances out. Anything that enters
the blood stream will have to be processed by the liver.
When we think of skin care,
most marketing is directed towards women; and,
yes, women spend a lot of money on skin care. I appreciate
beauty, too, and I am leaning that skin care is also
important for men. We need to learn the basics when it
comes to healthy skin.
The three basics
are cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. One
way to begin is with dry brush massage. It is simple; you
take a dry natural bristle bath brush and brush your skin
before showering. This is a great way to exfoliate
(remove dead skin) from your body. Cleansing and
moisturizing becomes the next important step. Oil is not
the best moisturizer as you might think.
Water is better at
moisturizing than anything. Many products work
to hydrate the skin, and then it is an important to keep it
in the tissues. As stated, I am no expert in this field,
but I am learning.
There are other
treatments that will work for problem skin types
and many of the substances listed below fall into that
category. When it comes to natural products, many
substances have been found to help. Look for some of these
in the products you may be using:
·
Gingko
Biloba
improves the flow of fluids to cell membranes
·
Chamomile
calms and softens the skin and fights bacteria
·
Comfrey
Root
provides allantoin that regenerates cells
·
Jojoba
Oil
helps to maintain moisture in the cells
·
Ester C,
the soluble form of Vitamin C, helps support collagen
·
Citrus
Seed Extract
acts as a natural preservative and toner
·
Urea
is a botanically derived moisture retainer
·
Aloe
Vera
is known for healing damage to skin and has antibacterial
properties
·
Essential Oils,
used for fragrance and specific therapeutic properties
·
Vitamin
E
used for cellular repair and moisturizing
·
Green
Tea
used as an antioxidant
These are only a small
portion of the natural substances used in body and skin
care products. There are numerous resources for you to find
out more. Many manufacturers will provide this information.
I must make mention of diet in this article,
because in my training, the skin is fed by the blood and
the nutrition is in the blood. The typical American diet
contains numerous toxins that need to leave the body. If
they cannot leave by the normal channels, the skin becomes
overburdened and many skin conditions develop. Thus, it is
important to maintain a real whole food diet.
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