Soothe, Moisten and Beautify
Your Summer Skin with Herbs
By Diane Kennedy Snyder

Summer is the time we all see the most skin. We want our skin to look
healthy, moist and beautiful. Look in the mirror are you getting a good
message from that face that's looking back at you? If not... it's a
message from your entire body!

The skin is the largest organ in our body and is defined in the
dictionary as the "outer covering of the body." Take a look at your "outer
covering." Your skin tells a lot about what it is going on in your body.
Healthy skin means you have a healthy body. I don't have enough time or
space in this article to discuss all the things needed to have a
healthy body. The best advice I can give in this short space for a healthy
body is something that has been repeated many times, but holds true...eat
healthy, drink at least 64 ounces of water a day and get enough rest
and exercise. Get a check up from your doctor and get started on the
right track to healthy skin.
The skin needs nurturing everyday to remain healthy. Make sure it
retains its moisture on the inside. It is vital that you drink enough water.
The experts say 64 ounces of water a day. That's eight glasses. Wow!
Who can drink eight glasses or 64 ounces of water? You can! Play a little
mind game and fill two 32 ounce bottles with water stick them in the
freezer. The next day you're set. Drink two bottles of water. How hard is
that? Your body will actually crave it after awhile.
How you cleanse your skin is very important. Be gentle. I'm a firm
believer in dry brushing and exfoliation. Both of these methods remove dull
dead surface skin. Again... be gentle. Remove the top layer only! Below
is a recipe for a gentle facial exfoliative. Exfoliate the entire body
with a natural loofah.
Gentle Exfoliative
1 cup of ground oats
4 tablespoons powdered milk or Cremora
2 teaspoons white corn meal
5 drops of pear essential oil
5 drops of vanilla essential oil
Make a paste using 1 tablespoon of the mixture and enough water to form
a spread able paste. Allow the mixture to thicken. Massage onto the
face and throat. Rinse. Store in the refrigerator.
(20 applications)
After bathing we must seal in the skins moisture. One of the best ways
to do this is to massage your body with almond oil scented with
lavender or rose essential oil immediately following a bath or shower. Don't
forget your elbows, knees and toes. You will see the difference in your
skin in no time.
Dry skin is a problem for many people. Bring moisture to dry skin-using
essential oils of palmarosa, rosewood or sandalwood. Soothe dry skin
irritations with chamomile, lavender, jasmine, elder flowers, red clover
and herbs such as Irish moss, calendula, comfrey, marshmallow root and
violets. Carrot seed oil soothes raw skin. Use vinegar-based toners not
alcohol based. Below is a dry skin cleanser recipe.
Dry Skin Cleanser
4 ounces aloe vera gel
2 teaspoons almond oil
2 teaspoons glycerin
1 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract
16 drops sandalwood
8 drops rosemary
Mix all ingredients and store in the refrigerator.
Oily complexions respond best to basil, eucalyptus, cedar-wood,
cypress, lemon, sage, lemongrass, yarrow and ylang-ylang. Below is a recipe
for an oily skin cleanser:
Oily Skin Cleanser
4 ounces witch hazel
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons glycerin
1 teaspoons grapefruit seed extract
12 drops lemon essential oil
Mix all ingredients and store in the refrigerator.
Another thing I must mention when I talk about skin and cleansing is
soap. If you have sensitive skin be careful of the soap you use. Many of
the soaps on the market today contain ingredients that are not natural.
Vegetable based soaps are the best. My skin is very sensitive and needs
special care. Using olive oil based soap has been a blessing for my
skin. Try our olive oil based Castile Silk Bars. Our customers have given
terrific testimonials about the results they have acquired using these
bars.
We can't go on without talking about the sun and your skin. I know your
probably tired of hearing about this thing called sunscreen, but it is
vital that we take it seriously. Everyone wants the glow of summer, but
we must be careful. The sun breaks down the elastin and collagen in our
skin. Always use a sunblock SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15.
If you have sensitive skin or if you're going to be out all day use at
a sunblock SPF of 30 - 45. Below is a recipe for a natural sunscreen.
Keep in mind this recipe will not provide total sun protection.
Natural Sunscreen
4 ounces Sesame oil
4 ounces aloe vera gel
2 teaspoons Vitamin E
1/2 teaspoon lavender essential oil
Another natural herb I love is aloe vera. If you haven't tried aloe
vera on your skin get some today and feel the touch of hydration. I use it
everyday to hydrate my skin. The mixture below of aloe vera and
lavender is a terrific sunburn reliever. Aloe vera contains letin an aspirin
like compound. Warning: when using aloe vera use caution. Some skin may
be irritated by aloe, others thrive on it.
Sunburn Reliever
4 ounces aloe vera gel
12 drops of lavender essential oil
Use these herbal skin approaches to help save your skin. It's our
bodies outer covering and if we want our skin to remain young and healthy
looking we must take special care of it.