Jun
30
Bye-Bye, Dry! (Bath Remedies For Flakey Skin)
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Those living in a cold and cruel clime would have to agree with me that, no matter how many months of winter one can get used to all their lives, dry skin is still something one would want to scratch out of the list for a Winter Wonderland experience. With Jack Frost nipping at your nose and elsewhere, frost bite is just the tip of the iceberg (pun unintended) for skin-conscious folks. So, short of moving to Florida or elsewhere with a friendlier tropical weather, what can one do to keep dry skin at bay? Read on for DIY tips while taking a bath.
First, you should disabuse yourself of the notion that baths in the winter time ought to involve hot water. Lukewarm water is better, and soaking yourself for about fifteen minutes ought to do it nicely. Immerse yourself longer, and you’ll end up looking like a real prune–all wrinkly and with a not so nice blotchy colored skin. Afterwards, moisturize yourself to retain the water from the bath. Here’s a tip to lock in the moisture faster: towel dry but keep skin damp, and then apply moisturizer or body lotion. This ensures water entrapment better than if you totally dry yourself off.
While we’re on the subject of bathing, remember that a lot of soaps contain lye. It’s what makes soaps cleansing ingredients, and in humid weather, what makes your skin feel refreshed. But this very ingredient can be the bane to already dry, flakey skin. The best bet for winter bathing would be liquid soaps, or those with superfatty substances like cocoa butter, cream, lanolin, or coconut oil. Nix the super-clean, shower-fresh feeling for the meantime. Your skin will thank you for it come the chilliest nights of the year.
And those things that you eat that are proven nutritious for you inside will also prove the same on your outer covering…try oats in the bath. Oatmeal has been around for thousands of years, and no, they weren’t packaged in tins before, either. It was used primarily to soothe skin almost 4,000 years ago, and the wonderful thing is, you can still get the same benefits today in your own tub. Simply pour 2 cups of colloidal (meaning ground to fine powder) oatmeal in your tub of lukewarm water, and then immerse yourself in it. This would be the wet equivalent of cornstarch powder soothing summer rashes. Plus, you can use oatmeal as a loofah substitute. Just tie some colloidal oatmeal in a small hanky, dip it in water, squeeze out the excess, and then use as a washcloth all over your body. Aaaaaah!
Jun
27
Glow Up! (Healthy Food For Great Skin)
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Here’s excellent news for those who just can’t do without their breakfast cereal in the morning—you’re going the right route to ensure that your skin is getting the best nutrition! At least 3 ounces of cereal, along with rice, crackers, pasta, or wholewheat bread, are part of the food pyramid approved by the USDA Food Guide for a balanced diet. You’ll be getting your recommended vitamins and minerals, plus all the antioxidants that come with them, to protect your skin from things like sun damage and free radicals.
Said antioxidants can also be found in many fruits and vegetables, specifically the dark green and orange ones. Biotin, a well-known B vitamin, is actually what helps form the basis of skin, hair, and nail cells; and Vitamin A, which helps maintain and repair skin tissues, are both found in fruits and vegetables. If you don’t consume these on a regular basis, you might notice lacklustre hair or brittle nails or even bad skin. So make sure your fridge is stocked up on the freshest produce to keep you looking and feeling young. Nix the fizzy drinks and the high-fat snacks and the lard-smeared meals. Not only can they worsen certain skin problems, but they can also wreak havoc on your weight-loss plan!
Another sure-fire way to keep aging at bay is to drink, drink, drink.
Not alcohol, but water!
Water keeps the skin hydrated, while alcoholic beverages dehydrate you big time (anyone who’s ever had a hangover and felt that their brain was as dry as a fossilized sponge would agree with me).