Healthy
Directions Magazine
"First Aid for the Face"
There’s so much to know
about face care: What's important about antioxidants? Free radicals are
bad? How can essential fatty acids help my skin? What do these words
even mean?
Let's start with free radicals. Free radicals are unstable compounds that are always looking for balance by stealing electrons from other molecules, like those in your skin. Free radicals can be stopped by antioxidants, which work by giving up one of their electrons, thereby protecting skin (and other) cells. Even by giving up an electron, these special molecules remain stable!
Factors which can accelerate skin damage include UV radiation, lack of hydration, inadequate diet and so on. If you nourish your skin inside and out with enough nutrition, rest and exercise, the results will show. Essential fatty acids cannot be made by our bodies but are, well, essential for rebuilding and creating new cells. In skin care, they help prevent moisture loss and protect against free radical attack. Essential fatty acids, like oleic acid, linoleic acid, etc. can be found in many foods, including flaxseed, cold water fish and avocados. Many of the properties of plants from other parts of the world are now being used in North America. Three 'new' oils are sea buckthorn, rosa mosqueta and pomegranate. Sea Buckthorn berries are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are high in essential fatty acids which nourish the skin. The oil from the berries is said to help reduce wrinkles, regenerating skin cells and promote healing injuries from burns, sunburns, wounds and eczema! Rosa Mosqueta, also known as rosehip oil is extremely high in essential fatty acids and vitamin C. It may help dry, irritated, weathered skin. It is also suitable for treating burns, scars and stretch marks. It has been used extensively in South America to reduce post surgery skin traumas.
Pomegranate is the new star of antioxidants. The oil from the seeds moisturizes and nourishes dry skin. It also balances pH. Evening primrose oil is another ingredient rich in essential fatty acid, notably gamma linolenic acid (GLA). When ingested, this ingredient helps relieve symptoms of PMS and eczema as well as assisting the skin to retain moisture and feel smoother. Borage seed oil also contains appreciable amounts of GLA. How can you incorporate any of these oils into your skin care regime? As well as insuring that you are ingesting proper amounts of GLAs and other essential fatty acids in the diet, you can apply the oils directly to affected areas. For example, scar tissue may be visibly reduced over time by applying rosa mosqueta oil to the area. This actually happened to me! A scar which I have had since the age of four gradually became less noticeable after daily application over a year. My mother, a registered nurse, always includes vitamin E as part of a healing regime for any scrapes, burns or other skin damage. The capsules are readily available and quite stable! Any of these oils would be also be a great addition to a skin lotion or cream, or added to a facial mask to add nourishment. With drier weather coming, it is important to take care of our skin, especially on the face we show to the world.
"Lemon Aid for your skin?"
Lemon-scented herbs are a delight.
Not only do they smell clean and refreshing, they have many therapeutic
uses as well. Bugs don’t like lemon. Nor do fevers. Most of the lemony essential
oils will help bring down a fever and soothe muscle aches and pains Among
the lemony essential oils, we use lemon-scented eucalyptus in our bug spray. It
is a nice addition and safe for use with children (in moderation). Its
analgesic and anti-inflammatory characteristics make it a nice addition
to a massage oil for muscle aches and pains. It is a good choice for calming
tempers and helps one to focus, among its other attributes.
Like the herb, lemon balm essential oil is an antiviral excellent for cold sores and herpes simplex. A fresh infusion of tea leaves is said to lift the spirits and a facial steam including lemon balm is a wonderful treat for the complection. An ointment or salve made with a lemon balm infusion can help soothe insect bites and sores.
Any number of the lemony herbs can be blended together for a nice tub treat, or for a quick fix me up, added to a foot bath. Lemon balm would be a nice addition for any athletes in the family.
Lemon grass has a wonderfully uplifting scent for sluggish mornings. It also
soothes sore muscles in a blend. Creating a spritzer with lemony herbs can help
cool and refresh, especially when applied to pressure points and face. Lemongrass
has astringent and tonic properties which make it a good choice for nails and
skin (if you can grow it in our climate) If you have
sensitive skin, you might want to try a patch test first .
Good old lemon soothes the stomach and the mind for sleeplessness. It is a good
oil for the circulatory system. I use it as a spray for the back of the throat
at the first sign of illness. Lemon juice is one of the most useful plants to
prevent scurvy because of its high vitamin C content. I’ve
heard that English ships are required by law to carry sufficient lemon or lime
juice for every sailor on board. The gentle bleaching action of lemon juice
is well documented for lightening hair colour and diminishing marks on the skin. Lemon
essential oil and balances sebum, the skin’s moisturizing oil and so is
good for acneic skin (as is lemon balm which is good for oily skin).
A word of caution about using citrus oils: if they are expressed, they
may make your skin extra sensitive to the sun’s rays, so don’t
apply them to exposed skin shortly before going outside!
"Spring Cleaning"
Spring is in the air- or will be shortly! This time of year people start to think about cleaning and refreshing their home or office environment. There are many easy ways to clean using natural ingredients you may already have in your house. Baking soda, vinegar and newspaper, borax and toothpaste all have varied uses in household clean-up and the best part is, kids can help too. You don’t have to worry about health hazards like ammonia, bleach and other caustic ingredients.
In the bathroom, try a combination of baking soda, a mild abrasive, vinegar (for its cleaning and antibacterial properties) and elbow grease to clean sinks, tubs and toilet bowls. If you have a source for essential oils, some have very strong antimicrobial properties. Thyme, lavender, eucalyptus globulus and camphor are excellent for disinfecting. Combine them with citrus oils like orange, bergamot or lemon for a wonderfully refreshing scent! For mirrors and windows, use vinegar and newspaper to clean streaks and splatters. Newspaper shouldn’t leave streaks or lint dust like paper towels do.
When cleaning floors, use an environmentally friendly cleanser or water with essential oil of orange emulsified in a bit of soap. The whole room will smell fresh and clean without the effects of synthetic fragrances. Clean carpets with baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda into carpet and leave for 20 minutes, then vacuum as usual. Baking soda will help eradicate lingering odours in the carpet. You can add some crushed dried herbs to the soda for added effect. Try peppermint for an invigorating cleaning experience. Adding essential oils to any natural cleaning product will make the experience that much more enjoyable. You can create a misting spray to help get rid of odours and bacteria very easily. Simply emulsify your essential oil(s) of choice in alcohol (try vodka if you have it around) and add to distilled water. The recipe I like to use is 5 drops each of lavender, clove, orange, thyme, lemon and pine emulsified in 1 teaspoon vodka. Add 125 mL of water and label accordingly. This blend is great throughout the house and brings inviting scents into your home.
Happy cleaning!