Top 4 Winter Skin Care Tips

Once the weather gets colder, your skin begins getting tight, dry, dull, irritated and itchy. In summer humidity in air provides moisturizer to your skin but in winter cold winds suck the moisture from the air and lack of nourishing vitamins causes great skin related problems. Those who are living in colder places have to face harsh winter wind which forces them to imprison themselves into their houses for longer periods. The low humidity level in the air, essential to keep your skin healthy, shinny and fresh, sucks the natural oils which is resulted into dehydration.

When you go outside you have to face harsh weather and when you come inside your house, you have to stay near to the heating points and both of these conditions demand you to take extra care of your skin. If you follow these top 4 winter skin care tips, you can easily spend your winter days with no problems at all.

Winter Skin Care Tips # 1 - Use of Humidifier

If you use humidifier, it will help you increase the level of moisture into the air which will result in less drier skin. Use humidifier in your bedroom at night to reduce the dryness and heating effects. But before using humidifier, it is important for you to clearly understand the instructions given in the booklet.

Winter Skin Care Tips # 2 - Bath with Lukewarm Water

No doubt taking hot bath or shower in winter days seems to be quite romantic and relaxing but something that you should know about hot bath is that the one who prefers to stay in a bathtub full of hot water or take shower for more than the time he needs to wash and clean himself is more prone to develop skin dryness, irritation & other winter allergies. However, there is a natural remedy which can provide your skin with protection from hot bathing side effects. Mixing 1-2 cups of baking soda in the water will greatly help you in battling with skin dryness.

Winter Skin Care Tips # 3 - Sufficient Consumption of Water
You are having cold and breezy winter days and you don't often feel thirsty but it does not mean that you should reduce the amount of drinking water in your daily life. If you do so, you are going to dehydrate your body as well as skin. Water is imperative for your body and drinking sufficient amount of water every day will keep your skin healthy and shinny.
Winter Skin Care Tips # 4 - Taking Care of Hands & Feet
Hands and feet are the most ignoring body organs which are often left uncovered recklessly on mercy of winter winds and when you wash them with cold water during the day, it makes them even drier. You should know that they also need to be taken care as much as other parts of your body need. Whenever you wash your hands and feet during the day, cover them with gloves and socks after applying moisturizer or lotion on them.

By Sania M Marvis

Remedies for Dry and Peeling Skin

Dry, cracked, peeling, bleeding skin can be extremely painful. Every time you put your dry skin into water it can be an excruciating experience. Clothing chafes, cold air stings, sweat burns; it is just a miserable experience to have raw and peeling skin. In addition to this, cracked and peeling skin is very difficult to cure.
The number one cause of dry and peeling skin is sun damage. Other causes can include environmental factors such as extreme weather, harsh working conditions, and cold air. Your dry skin may even be caused by a medical condition such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, Hodgkin's disease, and numerous types of skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.
For the purpose of this article, we will assume that any underlying health conditions are being treated as part of the healing process. If you have not sought medical condition for a particularly troublesome dry skin issue, do so. Your skin condition could be caused by an underlying disease or disorder that needs medical treatment.
Remedies for Sunburned Dry Skin
The number one cause of aging and dry skin is the sun. Despite this grim fact, millions of people fail to protect their skin and suffer sunburn year after year. Sunburn not only causes dry and peeling skin, it also causes wrinkles, sun spots, and skin discolorations. This is why it is so important to protect your skin from the sun each an every time you go outdoors. If you forgot and are now fighting sunburn, here are some remedies for your plight:
* Cold compresses - At the first sign of discomfort, begin applying cold compresses to your burnt and dry skin. Apply cold therapy for 15 minute intervals taking 15 minute breaks in between.

* Vinegar - vinegar is a good home remedy for sunburns. Many people who use it claim that it takes the sting out of the burn.
* Cool shower - Be sure to take plenty of cool showers. Use an exfoliating sponge to remove dead skin cells. This will help prevent the appearance of peeling.
* Aloe Vera - Aloe Vera is great for healing sunburns. Apply Aloe Vera to clean dry skin frequently until all evidence of the burn is gone.
Remedies for Dry Skin Conditions
Many cases of dry cracked skin are caused by skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. In severe cases, these skin disorders require prescription medications, but there are some things that you can do to soothe your irritated skin:
* Avoid excess sweat - Excess sweat can irritate these skin disorders and make dry skin more prevalent. Strive to stay cool on hot days. If you are active, take plenty of showers to remove sweat from your skin.
* Wear light clothing - Wearing cool clothing made with light materials can help reduce eczema flare ups and the dry skin associated with them. You should also avoid wearing scratchy materials such as wool. The more you scratch your skin, the more irritated and cracked it will get.
Intense Treatments for Dry Skin
In especially tough cases of peeling and cracked skin, it may be necessary for you to apply several intense treatments to the affected area throughout the day. These treatments include emollients and salves that are specifically formulated to sooth and heal cracked and peeling skin. Here are a few more ideas to sooth your dry skin:
* Paraffin wax - Heated paraffin wax can do wonders for cracked dry skin on your hands and feet. The heat associated with the treatment is also ideal for people who suffer from arthritis and joint pain.
* Silicone creams - If your dry skin is caused from frequent hand washing or harsh work conditions, a cream that contains silicone might be your best bet. The silicone is water resistant and forms a barrier between your skin and the elements.
The key to curing cracked, dry skin is consistency. Be sure to use all treatments regularly and do all you can do to avoid conditions that will make your skin worse. Never tug and pull on loose skin as this can cause more irritation and damage to deeper skin tissues. Instead, allow your skin to peel naturally or use an exfoliating sponge.
Never apply scented lotions to the affected areas as these can cause burning and stinging. You should also keep all cracked skin clean to avoid infection. If you suspect that an infection has set in or your condition gets worse, see a doctor immediately. You may need a prescription to heal your dry peeling skin.

By Della Franklin 

Essential Oils - Lip Balm Recipes - Smacking Good For Healthy Lips

The easiest way to make a lip balm with your choice of essential oils, is simply to warm your favorite balm (with all those pure natural ingredients) and add a few drops of the therapeutic grade essential oil. For example, take about a Tablespoonful size of a beeswax type of lip balm, place the container in some warm water until it softens, and then add 2 drops of Melissa, 1 drop Tea Tree and 1 drop of Spearmint essential oils. Stir well with a toothpick. This formula is wonderful salve for healing cold sores. It tastes good, too.

Lip balms make great gifts. You can experiment around with different combinations. Check with your aromatherapist for specific essential oils specific to your special needs.

If you want to make your own, here is a wonderful recipe for cracked, dry or sore lips that I have used with success:

• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• 2 tablespoons of castor oil
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 Vitamin E capsule
• 2 drops of carrot seed essential oil
• 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil
• 2 drops of myrrh essential oil

Melt the beeswax in the top pan of a double boiler over low heat. Stir in the castor oil and honey until you have a thick liquid, then remove from heat. Cut the end off the vitamin E capsule, and add the gel from the capsule to the mixture. When cool, add the therapeutic grade essential oils. Blend well, and then put into small containers for storage. Be sure to make labels that contain the ingredients and directions for use. Directions are to smooth a small amount on lips as needed. Precaution: do not use myrrh during pregnancy. (Just leave it out if this is the case).

For lip balm, the proportions you need are 2:1 solids to liquids. The beeswax is a solid and all of the other ingredients are liquid. I like to use castor oil because if gives a nice gloss to the lips. Honey adds a bit of sweetener, and the vitamin E contains antioxidants and will extend the shelf life of your balm. The essential oils listed are all known for healing properties. In particular, myrrh is renown for mouth care.By Judy Lausch

Essential Oils - Use With Lotion to Moisturize and Soften Your Skin Naturally

Do you have to wash your hands often? As a nurse, I probably wash my hands at least 20 times a day. Does winter or dry weather leave you with rough, chapped hands? I find that my hands really need special attention in the winter. This article gives ways to use healing essential oils in simple recipes for lotion that will soften the skin and effectively replenish moisture to rough, dry hands. I have found the simplest way to use essential oils with lotion is to add my favorite oils to a quality, non-scented, non-perfumed, natural lotion base.

This recipe is for a great moisturizing lotion for the skin:

· 8 ounces of lotion base

· 15 drops of geranium

· 10 drops of myrrh

· 5 drops of ylang ylang.

Always use only pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Add the essential oils to the lotion base, gently mix the solution, and add a label with the ingredients to the container. Geranium and myrrh are classic essential oils for healing the skin. I add ylang ylang just because I love its aroma. A very important principle of aromatherapy is that the consumer likes the aroma. If they don't like it, they won't use it. There are many combinations that you can use.

For chapped hands, try adding 10 drops each of rosewood, patchouli and geranium to around 8 ounces of a quality unperfumed lotion base. Apply on location as needed.

For dry skin, try adding 10 drops each of rose, Roman chamomile, and sandalwood to 8 ounces of lotion base. Be certain that only pure, therapeutic grade essential oils are used.

If you are interested in making your own lotion to add the essential oils to, this very old recipe will help cool and soften the skin, as well as clean stains from hands:

· 1 ounce of rosewater (floral essential oil water)

· 1 ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice

· 1 ounce of glycerin

· 10 drops of your choice of therapeutic grade essential oils

Put all of these ingredients together in a clean container and shake gently. Label the bottle with the ingredients and instructions to shake well before using each time and store in the refrigerator. This needs to be used within 2-3 weeks, so it is wise to make small amounts at a time.

Here is another recipe for a winter lotion:

· 1/2 cup of distilled water or rosewater

· 1/2 cup of jojoba carrier oil

· 1 Tablespoon of lecithin

· 1 capsule of Vitamin E

· 10-20 drops of your choice of pure therapeutic grade essential oils

Put the water/rosewater, jojoba and lecithin in a blender and whip until it forms a nice lotion. You can add more water/rosewater if you desire a thinner lotion. Cut open the vitamin E capsule and add the Vitamin E and essential oils at the end. Lecithin is an emulsifier, or mixing agent, that helps oil and water stay together. Mix well. Store in clean container and label with the ingredients.

While a cream is a vegetable oil with water added, it is an ideal moisturizer for dry skin, Lotion contains more water than cream, so it is thinner and less oily. The consistency of lotion makes it ideal for normal to oily skin. It has the quality of spreading easily and doesn't leave an oily coat over the skin. Adding essential oils enhances its therapeutic value.By Judy Lausch