Buff Up! Why Exfoliating is So Good for Your Skin...

Exfoliating your skin regularly is a great way to keep your face and body looking healthy, bright and clear.

Clogged pores can lead to blackheads and acne, and a build up of dead skin cells can make your skin appear dull.  Regular exfoliation removes the build up of dead cells and excess oil, and can transform your skin.  It also keeps your skin toned and can help reduce the appearance of fine lines.

FACE

It’s important to choose the right exfoliant for your face, as there are hundreds out there on the market.  Many of the cheap exfoliants from chemists and supermarkets are made from quite rough exfoliants such as ground apricot kernels or walnut shells.  These can be a bit too abrasive for the delicate skin on your face.  Gentle exfoliants such as oats, wattleseed, rice flour or sandalwood powder are much softer on the face but still do a great job.

You can buy face scrubs in powder form, which you mix with water, or as a cream scrub ready to apply.  Always avoid the eye area when you exfoliate, massage gently and concentrate on the nose and chin areas, as they are generally the oiliest areas of the face.  Even dry and sensitive skin can benefit from weekly exfoliation, as long as it is a really gentle exfoliant.  For oily or combination skin, every couple of days is fine.

BODY

There are all types of scrubs for the body – sugar or salt and oil scrubs, or cream based.   When mixed with essential oils they are a heavenly addition to the shower regime! 

A loofah or facecloth is also just fine in the shower as a gentle body exfoliant.

You can make your own body scrub by mixing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sea salt

Optional extras:

¼ cup freshly ground coffee

Grated  citrus rind

A few drops of essential oil (eg. grapefruit, peppermint, lavender)

FEET

There is nothing more relaxing than a foot massage.  Treat your feet with a scrub – any type is great.  It stimulates all the meridians (think acupuncture/acupressure points). Soak your feet first in warm water with Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender or peppermint oil.  This is a great way for toxins to exit your body too.  Adding tea tree or lavender oil is a good idea if you have any sort of fungal infections.  Herbs are wonderful thrown in too, for their therapeutic and fragrant benefits.

Once the skin has softened up it’s time to exfoliate – with a scrub, cream, pedi-paddle, loofah or pumice stone.  Finish off with another soak and some oil or moisturiser.  Heavenly!

Facial at Home

There is nothing more relaxing and indulgent than a facial, but for busy Mums with little kids a trip to the beautician is usually way down the priority list. So why not give yourself a facial?  Or even better, invite a friend over and you can take turns.  Set aside 30 mins, take the phone off the hook, put on some relaxing music, light the oil burner and you’re ready to go.  A day spa in your own living room.

What You Need

Deep bowl

Soft facecloths

Hand towels

Cream Cleansing Milk and/or Cleansing Gel

Exfoliating Cream or Powder

Rosewater or other mild toning mist

Face Mask (or plain yoghurt or avocado)

Face Oil (or use grapeseed, jojoba, rosehip or sweet almond oil)

Moisturising Cream and/or Serum

Eye Gel or Eye Cream

Pure essential oil (rose, chamomile, sandalwood or lavender)

Step One – Deep Cleanse

Fill the bowl with very warm water and add a tsp of oil with 2 drops of essential oil premixed in.  Soak a facecloth, squeeze out and gently press on your face to soften and open pores.  Then massage the cream cleanser in and rinse off with the face cloth and warm water.  Repeat this with a gel cleanser, or the cream cleanser again.

Step 2 – Exfoliate

Refill the bowl with warm water and get a clean facecloth.  Gently massage your exfoliating cream or powder/paste onto face, avoiding the eye area. Wash off with the facecloth and warm water.  Exfoliating removes dead skin calls and allows moisturiser to penetrate better. It’s amazing how fresh and smooth your skin feels afterwards!  

Step 3 – Treatment Mask

Spritz with the floral water or toner to prepare for the mask.  You can get all sorts of masks at chemists, health food stores or department store.  Clay masks or gel masks are great.  Alternatively you can use plain yoghurt or avocado.  Apply a thin layer, avoiding the eye area.  Leave for 5 minutes. If it’s a clay mask, don’t let it dry on your skin or it can leave the skin too dry.  Cold chamomile tea bags or cucumber slices are great to put over your eyes while the mask is on, to cool & tone the skin. Wash off with warm water & a face cloth.

Step 4 – Face Massage

This is the most relaxing part of a facial, and the skin soaks up the nutrients from the oil.  Use Face Oil or vegetable oil, for example sweet almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba or rosehip.  Massage slowly for a few minutes with light pressure from your fingertips.  Finish off by gently pressing the oil into your face with your palms.

 Step 5 –Moisturise

Now apply a small amount of moisturiser, either a serum or cream or both (serum first).  If you have eye gel or cream you can apply a small amount around the eye bone area by lightly tapping on with your index finger.

Step 6 – Relax

Finish off with a spritz of hydrating toner or mist, then sit back and have a cup of tea before you get on with your day…

Combating Dehydrated Winter Skin

Most people notice a distinct change in their skin come the cooler months of the year.  The skin produces sebum which keeps it ‘oiled’ and supple.  In winter it can be hard for the skin to keep up it’s sebum production. Hands are the part of the body that produce the least sebum and dry out fastest.  The face is next on the dry skin list, as it’s more exposed than the rest of the body to the elements and the dry air created by indoor heating.

What can you do to keep your skin supple and hydrated?

      Cleansing:  

          Use a cleansing milk rather than a foaming cleanser.  If you do use foaming cleanser, make sure it does not contain Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulphate (SLS) as these chemicals dry out the skin. Alternatively, you can use oil such as macadamia, almond or jojoba as a cleanser and wash it off with warm water. Avoid commercial soap as it strips the natural oils in the skin and upsets the skins natural pH balance.  Pure vegetable/glycerine soap is a good alternative, or goats milk soap, as it has a pH similar to the skin, and is not drying.  When you have a bath, always add a bit of vegetable oil or coconut oil and you won't need moisturiser afterwards.  A soothing skin saver is a handful of oats in the bath, just put them in a muslin bag, or a sock or stocking.   And keep showers short and not too hot - althought that is very hard to do when you're freezing!

Exfoliating:

      This removes the dead and dry skin cells and allows moisturiser to penetrate and work more effectively.  For the face, use cream or powder scrubs.  For the body, salt & oil scrubs are wonderful -  exfoliating, removing rough patches of skin and moisturising at the same time. You can make your own using 1 cup of oil to 1 cup of fine sea salt then add a few drops of essential oil.   Epsom salts help soften the skin – add one cup to a bath.  And you can always try a milk bath –the lactic acid in fresh or powdered milk works as a gentle exfoliant.

      Toning: 

          Have a face mist such as rosewater or other floral water spray on hand during the day.  Alcohol based toners are very drying and best avoided. 

          Moisturising:

          Creams and lotions are mostly water, and not usually enough to protect the skin all day.  In order to create a protective barrier yet still allow the skin to breathe, facial serums and oils really help.  You can use these alone or under your face cream, morning and night.   Hyaluronic Acid is naturally produced by the skin and helps the cells keep their moisture balance, but we make less as we get older. Keep an eye out for that ingredient next time you buy face products!   Try a Facial Steam (unless you have broken capillaries).  Put 3 Tbsps Face Oil, or just plain sweet almond or grapeseed oil, a few drops of essential oil (eg. rose, lavender, chamomile, rosewood, neroli, sandalwood, frankincense) in a large bowl of hot water and put your face over the bowl for a few seconds at a time. 
For the body, rich body butters, anything containing cocoa butter or shea nut butter, and body oils - especially coconut oil - are the way to go.

Keeping the environment moist:

Placing a water bowl near the heater/fire provides humidity, you really notice the difference.  You can also add essential oils to this to make the room smell great, and kill winter bugs (try lemon, eucalyptus & lavender).

Diet:

Diet plays a major role in keeping the skin moist.  Essential fatty acids regulate cellular hydration and keep the skin smooth.  Oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines & mackerel) a couple of times a week is a good way to boost your levels, along with a daily fish oil supplement.  Evening primrose oil (externally or as a supplement) is especially good for dry skin. Boost your Vitamin E levels with avocado, seeds & nuts. Silica from oats (porridge, muesli, Anzac bikkies). helps maintain the skins integrity and surface strength.

And lastly, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and herb tea!

The Healthy Skin Diet

What you put into your body is even more important than what you put on the outside when it comes to beautiful, healthy skin.

Making sure you get the right vitamins, minerals, essential fats and enough water is the key to good nutrition for your skin.  A diet based on whole, fresh, unprocessed food slows the pace of skin degeneration, and increases the skins resilience to sun exposure and environmental toxins.  

Good Fats One of THE most important factors if you want your skin to glow.  Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, found in fish, linseed & walnuts are converted into prostaglandins.  These regulate cellular hydration, and effect circulation, skin smoothness and reduce skin inflammation (important if you suffer from eczema) and roughness.  Evening primrose oil is especially good for extremely dry skin.

Anti-Oxidants Cellular oxidation is a bit like metal corrosion rusting away your system and speeding up the ageing process.  Anti-oxidants are essential to counteract this.  Vitamins A,C,E and Selenium are found in vegies, olive oil, fish, fruit, beans, lentils, seeds & nuts (muesli is a good way to get a daily dose), tomato (lycopene) & carrots (beta-carotene).  

Protein Lack of protein can lead to sallow looking skin and a lack of tone.  Collagen and elastin are responsible for the elasticity of the skin, and when these deteriorate the skin visibly ages.  Collagen is largely made up of amino acids from protein, so high quality protein foods are essential to combat skin-ageing.  Oily fish (eg salmon, trout, sardines), free range eggs, legumes, chicken, seeds & nuts are great sources of protein.  

Vitamin C & Zinc are also needed for collagen formation. Yellow, orange & red fruit & veg are high in vitamin C, and to boost your zinc eat oysters and lean red meat.

Minerals Such as selenium ensure your skin, hair and nails remain strong and healthy.  Organic vegies & nuts (esp. brazil nuts) are higher in minerals as the soil is less depleted than with conventional farming methods.  Seaweed is another great source of minerals.  Sushi anyone?

Probiotics Healthy gut = healthy skin. Poor digestive health means you won’t be absorbing vitamins & minerals properly from your food. This is especially important if you suffer from acne.  Eat organic, full-cream natural yoghurt or take a probiotic supplement, especially if you’ve recently had antibiotics.  

Calcium Calcium balance is important because if your body does not process it properly the excess can get dumped in skin tissue – like chalk – causing dry skin.  Vitamin D from safe sun exposure (15 minutes of direct sun early or late in the day without sunscreen on) is essential for your body to regulate it’s calcium balance.

Alkalinity Acidity in the body can cause poor blood supply and lack of oxygen to the skin, making the cells become ‘sticky’ and clump together.  This can leave the skin looking dull and dry.  Good ways to alkalise your system are to eat plenty of green leafy vegies, and by adding a tsp of chlorophyll liquid (get it at health food stores) to a glass of water each day

Hydration Vital to keep your cells plump and supple.  At least 1.5 litres of filtered tap water & herbal tea a day are a great way to combat dry skin.

Skin enemies!  Anything that depletes the skin of oxygen is going to have a detrimental effect of the appearance of your skin eg smoking, lack of exercise (or excessive exercise!), excessive caffeine & alcohol consumption, and eating deep fried or burnt foods.  These all cause cell & DNA damage, also known as free-radical damage. Studies have shown that people whose diets are high in sugar, saturated fats, margarine, processed meat and refined foods have more wrinkles and visibly age faster.   

In a nutshell (pardon the pun) – a daily dose of muesli, natural yoghurt, different coloured fruit & vegies, wholegrains, lean red meat and lots of fish – and your skin should be glowing! 

Caring for Your Child’s Skin Naturally

We are lead to believe that our children require all sorts of products to keep their skin and hair clean, when in actual fact a couple of basic items are all you need.  Using gentle, natural products is an ideal way to avoid the harsh chemicals and synthetic perfumes found in the majority of products intended for children.  

Babies do not really need any soap or detergents (body wash, bubble bath) to clean their delicate skin.  These products can easily upset the skins natural pH balance, and cause dryness, itching, skin rashes and allergies. Nor do they need moisturisers.  Commercial Baby Oil is a mineral oil made from crude petrol (!).  It forms a layer over the skin which actually stops the skin breathing, and inhibits natural cell growth.  It is also dangerous when accidentally ingested as it contains hydrocarbons which can stop the heart and lungs working.  In the US Baby Oil is now required to have a child-proof lid. When you think of how little kids suck their hands and swallow bath water, this is a really good reason to use a safe vegetable oil instead.

Vegetable oils such as sweet almond oil, coconut oil or grapeseed oil are fantastic natural cleansers.  Use a few drops in the bath with a facecloth or sea sponge (available at chemists and health food stores) to gently cleanse and protect baby’s skin.  As the kids get older, goats milk soap is great as it doesn’t dry the skin out like regular soaps. If you really want to use a body wash or bubble bath, make sure it is free from SLS (Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulphate) and Paraben preservatives.

Calendula Baby Oil is an alternative to plain vegetable oil (available online or at health food stores).  Calendula has the added benefit of being anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and calming to the skin.  It is wonderful for preventing and healing any skin rashes, nappy rash, dry skin and eczema.  You can use it to help lift and prevent cradle cap by massaging gently onto the scalp.

Nappy Change time is an easy place to introduce natural options to your routine.  When my kids were babies I bought cheap chux-style wipes (from Aldi) and used them in in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of calendula oil to make my own disposable wipes. Not only is it much cheaper, it prevents nappy rash, and you avoid the chemicals that some nappy wipes contain.

Talcum powder is a product that is best avoided.  It has been linked in a number of studies with ovarian cancer (when used in the genital area of girls) and respiratory disorders. A great alternative is cornflour.  Just fill a large salt shaker and away you go!

Essential Oils can be used in very dilute amounts for children to assist with a variety of skin complaints.  They should never be used internally, or undiluted. Oils which are safe to use on babies and small children are mandarin, lavender and chamomile.  A maximum of 5 drops of essential oil mixed into 50ml vegetable carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil) is a safe guide.

This is a great blend to use as a massage oil, or in the bath (add 1 tsp of prepared mix to the bath):

50ml sweet almond oil

2 drops lavender essential oil*

2 drops roman chamomile essential oil*

*It is important to use pure essential oils, never fragrant oils which are synthetic

This will assist with encouraging sleep, and help to calm children down. It relieves dry and itchy skin and rashes, and is a good way to prevent nappy rash, as the oils are not only soothing but naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. For colic, mix a tsp of the above mix in a bowl of warm water, soak a facecloth and use as a compress around baby’s tummy.  

A lovely bath routine is to make up a pot of chamomile tea and add it to your child’s bathwater (before they get in of course!).  This is a very calming herbal bath, and will benefit babies skin, mood and digestion.

What’s In Your Skincare Products?

With the rapidly escalating rates of cancer and allergies in the western world, a big question mark is being raised about the safety of some of the products most people use on a daily basis, from shampoo to deodorant to moisturisers.

Unlike the food industry, the cosmetic industry is not regulated by a body such as the American FDA (Food & Drug Administration).  The justification for this being ‘the skin is a protective barrier that doesn’t absorb anything into the body’.  This is now proven to be wrong - think of how many medicines are applied via skin patches, not to mention allergy testing which is mostly done via skin prick testing.

With this knowledge, it is a good idea to be aware of what you are putting on your skin.  Pharmaceutical companies use a lot of potentially harmful ingredients in their products for the simple reason that they are cheap.  If you are wondering why the latest research into the health risks of these ingredients is not reported in the mainstream media – just think about who is paying for the ads in the glossy magazines!

Here is a list of just a few common ingredients that have potential health risks, and are best avoided:

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or Sodium Laureth Sulphate) is a foaming agent found in shampoo, soap, detergent, liquid cleansers, body washes and toothpaste. SLS can cause skin inflammation and drying, hair loss, dermatitis and eczema. It has been linked to immune system damage, and is a potential carcinogen. SLS can be stored in the liver, heart, lungs and brain.

Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in skincare products. They are a common cause of allergic reactions and rashes, especially in children and anyone prone eczema. They have been found to mimic oestrogen, which is a major breast cancer risk, and are linked with reduced fertility in men.  They may also affect a developing foetus when absorbed though a pregnant woman’s skin.

Mineral Oils are made from crude petrol and form the base of most baby oils and Sorbelene creams. They suffocate the skin by creating an oil film that stops the skin taking in oxygen. They are thought to be carcinogenic. (Pure Almond Oil or Grapeseed Oil are great alternatives)

Talc is used in talcum & baby powders and many cosmetics. Latest medical research has linked talc with ovarian cancer and lung disease. (Cornflour is a safe & effective alternative)

Propylene Glycol is an antifreeze solvent, found in brake and hydraulic fluid, paint, floor wax, and tobacco. It is also a common ingredient in almost every mainstream moisturiser, deodorant, shaving gel, conditioner, shampoo, toothpaste and is even in baby wipes. Propylene glycol causes dermatitis, kidney and liver damage and inhibits skin cell growth. It can be absorbed by the skin and is stored throughout the body.

It does seem scary that there are so many harmful chemicals out there, but natural alternatives are thankfully becoming much cheaper and easier to find.  All the major supermarkets and chemists now stock affordable, organic skincare and baby ranges, or you can find products online.  Just check the label first and you can rest easy!

For more information on skincare ingredients, check out  Campaign For Safe Cosmetics or find them on Facebook.