If you’re like most of us on the planet, you suffer from dry, itchy skin during winter months. Dry, itchy skin is caused by many things including cold, wind, smoke, chemicals in soaps and poor diet (deficiencies of vitamins A and B). It can also be caused by medical conditions such as diabetes, under active thyroid, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea.
So what do we do? The following is a list of great do-it-yourself options:
Avoid high alkaline laundry soap and body soap.
Use soap that is a neutral ph. A great choice would be a goatsmilk soap. Goats milk is closest to human ph than any other! *Avoid commercial soaps that are not natural or that contain detergents! They will deplete your natural oils!
When you wash your face, do not use a washcloth. It can be too abrasive on dry, chapped skin. Instead, wash by splashing MINERAL water (NOT tap… tap water will dry it even more) and then gently blotting dry with a clean soft towel. *You can also fill a clean misting or sprayer bottle with mineral water (add a drop of lavender if you wish!) and mist your face during the daytime. Lightly blot your face dry after wards.
Use a humidifier. If you don’t have one, put small bowls of water in front of heating vents.
When bathing or showing do not use very hot water. It will dry you out even more.
Do NOT use products that contain hydrogenated oils! Not only are they bad for your insides when you eat them they are bad for your skin. Use only products that contain pure oils such as olive, avocado, almond and sesame. And moisturize with natural shea butter or even cocoa butter. Goatsmilk and yogurt are also wonderful for our skin!
Stay OUT of the wind and sun.
Drink lots of water and eat foods rich in essential fatty acids!
Drink herbal teas such as chamomile, dandelion, peppermint or calendula. These are all wonderful for the skin!
Use facial steams! You can use any of the teas above as a facial steam! Steams are beautiful treats for your face and can be done right in your own home any time of the day.
For dry cracked hands/fingers try Calendula cream, vitamin E, and aloe vera. Mix into a paste and apply it to the hands at bedtime. Leave a thin-film if your hands are really cracked and dry and put gloves on over the mixture for when you are asleep.
Use a natural dry clay mask once weekly. You can mix some green or kaolin clay with honey to make your own. To make your own simple recipe without clay try mashing a banana with a little milk or mash-up a bit of avocado with a teaspoon of lime juice. (*Clay is beneficial because it contains nutrients for your skin. Clay will not dry you out, it will actually help pull out the bad stuff in your skin, while putting moisture in)
Take a milk bath! Ahhhh, these are wonderful treats for your skin! There is no limit to how often you can indulge yourself with one of these wondrous remedies! To make your own, you’ll need powdered milk (goats milk or coconut is best…but whole milk – powdered – will be okay.), a natural oil like olive or almond and a few drops of essential oils like chamomile or lavender. As you are running your warm bath water, just drop these ingredients in…get in the tub and relax for 15-20 minutes! (you might want to kill two birds with one stone and do your grains or clay mask at the same time!) *Instead of oils you can use dead sea salts which in and of themselves are packed with vitamins and minerals for your skin!
Eat foods high in sulfur like eggs, asparagus, garlic and onion! Garlic can also be taken in pill form to boost your immune system!
Eat your fruits and veggies! Especially the yellow and orange ones! These are high in beta-carotene. Make sure you include seeds and nuts into your diet too.
Avoid fried foods, alcohol, caffeine and hydrogenated oils in your diet.
Use a couple drops of one of these essential oils in your bath, spray bottle or one drop with some pure olive or almond oil on your skin:
Calendula
Chamomile
Geranium
Lavender
Patchouli
Rose
Sandalwood
Ylang-Ylang
And finally… get a good nights sleep! Your cells repair themselves while you are sleeping!
