Natural Beauty Care Products

One of the most widely accepted natural treatments for hair loss and promoting healthy scalp circulation is lavender. A study reported in the Archives of Dermatology indicated that 3 drops of lavender (along with 2 drops each of thyme and cedarwood and 3 drops of rosemary in a carrier-oil blend of 1/2 teaspoon of jojoba oil and 4 teaspoons of grapeseed oil) promoted hair growth and healthy scalp circulation! In fact, 44 percent of the treatment group enjoyed new hair growth, as compared to 15 percent of the control group. And there were none of the adverse side effects frequently found with conventional treatments for hair loss.

If you would like to try this treatment option, you can use lavender three ways:

1. Use a diffuser to disperse micro-particles of the essential oil in the air. 

2. Apply through your skin by bath, compresses, massage, or simple topical application. 

3. Spray infused waters in the air or onto your skin. (Lavender also is a component of some wonderful natural beauty care products.) 

Essential oils can be purchased in health food and beauty stores, but keep in mind that the quality of the oil may vary. For the highest quality, look for oils packaged in small dark blue or brown vials. Also, prices within a particular brand line will vary, as some essential oils are far more expensive than others. A product line with similar pricing throughout may be offering oils of inferior quality. 

• Protect against ultraviolet radiation and avoid the sun-induced skin inflammation that triggers hyperpigmentation in the first place. No skin lightener will work if sun-induced inflammation isn’t avoided. Use a top-quality sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Also make sure it does not contain any inflammatory ingredients such as PABA.
• Cleanse gently and always moisturize. For the treatment of age spots, try using a mild facial cleanser once a week unless your face needs a thorough washing—for instance, if you have a lot of makeup on. On the other days, cleanse twice a day with oil instead of soap. Using about 1/4 teaspoon of a high quality, perfume-free oil such as organic jojoba, olive, grapeseed, or macadamia oil, gently massage your face. Then, wet a clean washcloth with warm (not hot) water, and remove the oil by scrubbing gently in a downward direction to clean and close your skin’s pores. Follow by massaging in about 1/4 as much of the same oil, preferably while your face is still damp. If your skin feels too oily afterward, gently dab away the excess with a clean cloth.
• Twice a week, exfoliate with 10 percent glycolic acid. For most women, 10 percent is gentle enough even for everyday use without causing inflammation. I recommend Mango Madness SkinCare’s Exfoliate Me Glycolic Acid Cleanser.

Best Natural Skin Care for Dry Hands--Step 2
To keep your hands smooth and soft during harsh winter conditions, you should exfoliate weekly.

Exfoliating the skin on your hands helps to remove dead skin cells and can encourage the formation of undamaged new ones. There are plenty of exfoliating products on the market, but if you want to make a natural skin care recipe at home, try this:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1–2 teaspoons coconut, jojoba, avocado, or olive oil
1–2 teaspoons honey

Mix all these ingredients together and massage into your dry hands for about one minute (or less). Then add a little water and continue massaging for a minute (or less). Wash your hands, then moisturize (see below).

Best Natural Skin Care for Dry Hands--Step 3
During the wintertime, you simply need to moisturize frequently. However, I am not a fan of the chemical-laden drugstore brand moisturizers. Most of them contain petrolatum. Also known as petroleum and paraffin jelly, petrolatum is a type of mineral oil used to seal in moisture. This is the ironic part, because petrolatum actually interferes with your skin’s own moisturizing ability, leading to even more dry skin and chapping.

When you use a skin care product that contains petrolatum, you will usually find it to be very waxy. This is a sign that your skin is not absorbing the product. Instead, it just sits on top of your skin, suffocating and clogging your pores.

Fortunately, there are plenty of moisturizers that do not contain petrolatum and other questionable chemicals. Some of the best natural skin care contains shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe, and other soothing and easily absorbed ingredients from nature. Just look in your local health food store or at any of the countless online retailers that sell products with natural skin care ingredients. Some of my favorite natural beauty care products Aubrey Organics Collagen & Almond Enriching Moisturizing Lotion, Devita Tahitian Shea Butter Brulée, and 100% Pure Lemon Shea Body Butter.

Be sure to use your moisturizer after washing your hands, before and after going outside, and any other time you feel you need it.



 

In the October issue of my newsletter, Women's Wellness Today, I wrote about a nutrient that is just being recognized for its anti-breast cancer properties. It's called bitter melon. 

Tropical bitter melon is already known as a nutritional powerhouse and regulator of blood sugar and insulin levels. But recently, researchers discovered that supplemental bitter melon extract also helps inhibit breast cancer development and growth.

For breast cancer prevention: If you are in premenopause/perimenopause or beyond, I recommend taking 500–1,000 mg of bitter melon extract with each meal. You can find it online and in health food stores.

To learn more about breast cancer prevention, as well as menopause symptom relief, natural beauty care products, and so much more in women's health, visit my Web site.

Marvelous Manicure

4 tablespoons cocoa butter
4 tablespoons jojoba oil
1 tablespoon lanolin
5-10 drops tea tree oil
2 vitamin E capsules, 400 IU each

Heat the cocoa butter. When melted, remove from heat and let mixture cool for a few minutes. Add the oils, lanolin, and the contents of two vitamin E capsules. Stir well and apply to nails and cuticles. Store the remainder in a jar and refrigerate.

For more about the natural beauty care products I recommend, visit my Web site.
 

1. Thin, brittle, weak nails: protein deficiency, iron deficiency, calcium deficiency, biotin deficiency, silicon deficiency, or thyroid disease.
2. Hangnails: zinc deficiency or dehydrated cuticles.
3. Brown areas at the tips of your nails: diabetes, liver disease, or congestive heart failure.
4. One vertical brown or black streak near your cuticles: Hutchinson’s disease.
5. Yellow- or green-colored nails: lung disease or poor circulation.
6. Yellowish nails: lymphodema.
7. Yellowish nails with slight pink color at the base: diabetes.
8. Thickened, yellowish nails: fungal infection.
9. Half pink or brown, half white nails: kidney disease.
10. Red nails beds: heart problems.
11. Pale nail beds: anemia.
12. White nails: liver disease.
13. Ridged nails: vertical ridges are often inherited and normal; horizontal ridges indicate past illness or stress.
14. Horizontal “speed bumps” at the edges of your nails: vitamin A deficiency.
15. White spots: not a cause for concern; they will eventually grow out.

The media today are reporting on new research that says that girls are starting puberty earlier than ever--some as early as age 7. Researchers speculate that rising obesity plays a role, since fat increases estrogen levels in the body. Environmental toxins, such as BPA and pthalates, and even common ingredients found in beauty and personal care products, like parabens, also cause changes in estrogen levels in the body.

According to researchers, not only does early puberty have negative emotional and mental affects on girls, but it can also increase their risk of breast and endometrial cancers when they get older, due to the fact that they have a longer lifetime exposure to estrogen.

This study is quite disturbing, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and your daughters and granddaughters. First, choose the most natural beauty care products you can because these are the ones that tend to be free of estrogen-like chemicals. Second, choose organic (and, if possible, locally-grown) produce. It may be a bit more expensive than conventionally-grown food, but the peace of mind you get knowing you and your loved ones are eating more nutritious, cleaner, purer food is worth those extra few cents.  And finally, make exercise fun! Go to the park and kick a ball around, play on the monkey bars, or go for a walk to your local store or library. Anything that gets you and your kids or grandkids moving will help prevent obesity.

For more information on estrogen levels and natural weightloss, visit my Web site. 

• Eat organic as often as possible, especially when it comes to animal-based products such as meat, eggs, dairy, etc.
• Limit (if not avoid) caffeine and alcohol consumption. Aim for no more one or two caffeinated or alcoholic beverage per week.
• Use natural beauty care products.
• Choose natural, chemical-free household products as often as possible.

The media have been reporting more and more about the potential dangers of plastics. Years ago, who would have thought that drinking out of a plastic water bottle could affect your female hormones so much? But today, we know that it is critical to decrease your exposure to such pollutants, which can really affect your estrogen levels.

If you have estrogen dominance, do what you can to avoid "xenoestrogens," which are powerfully estrogenic chemical compounds found in plastics, pesticides, detergents, and cosmetics. In particular, avoid beauty products that contain the preservative called "parabens," which are potent xenoestrogens. There are many paraben-free natural beauty care products available at Whole Foods and other health food stores, and also on my Web site. In addition, avoid using and storing your food in plastic containers.

I just came across a short article that reported on the effects of menopause on skin. The article didn't say anything new...it just reiterated the fact that dryness is yet another frustrating effect of menopause that women have to deal with.

When it comes to alleviating dryness, I recommend using the best natural skin care possible. One of my top recommendations is an all natural beauty care product called Trilane, which is made with 100 percent olive-sourced squalane with jojoba esters. I also write about many other natural anti aging skin care and beauty products throughout my blog (just use the search box and you'll find many, many entries for other natural skin care solutions). Remember, dry skin may be an effect of menopause, but it by no means has to be a permanent issue!

1. Cut a sweet potato into “disks.”
2. Spray a cookie sheet with canola oil and place potato disks in single layer on the cookie sheet.
3. Spray the potatoes with the canola oil.
4. Sprinkle potatoes with cinnamon, then bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
5. Goes great with a veggie or turkey burger and side salad.

1. Peel and cut two sweet potatoes into large pieces.
2. Steam until tender.
3. Place in blender with two ounces apple juice.
4. Add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and purée until smooth.
5. Great side dish to any free-range chicken meal.