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Citrus, for example, is high in vitamin C. Using lemon juice to clean your face is an excellent way to combat acne and oily skin problems, and the vitamin C is absorbed into your skin as well.

This extra vitamin C makes a great difference for people with older skin, not only gently cleansing, but also providing extra antioxidant protection, which can help the skin look smoother and younger.

Other types of natural face washes you'll want to try include: Aloe Vera – This helps remove dead skin cells and thus acts as a natural exfoliant.

Chickweed – This herb used in tea form is excellent as an acne wash, plus it helps soothe and heal damaged skin.

Kelp, Dandelion and Alfalfa – This herbal combination, taken internally, helps improve hair, nails and skin because it is so rich in the natural vitamins and essential minerals our bodies need.

As we age, extended years of sun damage takes their toll. Our bodies change a bit too, as the facial skin, in particular, stops producing as much oil as it used to, and it doesn't produce as many antioxidants as it used to either. Both of these are contributing factors to your skin looking older.

Combined with many years of stress, squinting at computer screens all day, or frowning in concentration all day while you're working, wrinkles start developing in those areas of your face where creases form when you make faces. A lot of this can be reduced and sometimes completely reversed.

There are many natural skin care treatments available to help keep your skin looking more youthful and healthy, and herbs and vitamins can play major roles in keeping your skin looking beautiful naturally.

The most important thing you need to help keep your skin looking beautiful and young, is water. Drinking lots of water each day is required to keep your body healthy in general, but many people don't realize it plays a major role in keeping your skin healthy too.

Drinking eight to ten glasses of water each day will provide your body with the water it needs, while also having enough to rehydrate your skin as well. When your skin is hydrated, it's much softer, smoother and younger looking.

The second most important thing you can do for your skin to stay younger looking naturally, is be sure you're getting proper nutrition. Nutrition can be controlled by the foods you eat, of course, and there are many vitamins, herbs and supplements which help as well.

Natural Skin Care: Part 2

Herbal Skin Care

Burdock seeds can be crushed and made into a tincture to treat ulcers and gout, rheumatism, arthritis, to purify the blood, and help clear up skin conditions like psoriasis and acne. Chapparal in tinctures and extracts is an effective topical treatment for skin conditions. Yellow dock root is known for it's laxative abilities, but it also has many other uses

It can help to stimulate bile production in the liver, which improves digestion. It is often used for treating jaundice, a fairly common liver condition. Because of the root's hepatoprotective activity (ability to help protect the liver), yellow dock is also used to treat chronic skin conditions and purify the blood. Taking it in large quantities is not recommended though.

Red Clover is used as an external application for chronic skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. Dandelion is an effective remedy for cleansing poisons from the body and purifying the blood. It helps to stimulate the kidneys and liver to gently remove toxins and waste from the body.

Dandelion's natural nutritive salts can help neutralize the acids in the blood, and it's leaves have powerful liver cleansing and blood purifying properties, that can help to clear up acne. If your liver is not functioning properly, it can cause your acne to worsen, because it can't breakdown and remove excess hormones in the body. Dandelion can be used externally for treating acne also.

When used as a topical application, lavender's essential oils act as a pain killer and antiseptic. It can be used to treat various skin conditions, stings, insect bites, and minor burns.

Tumeric is a powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, which contains the compound curcumin. Curcumin deactivates immune cells that can cause inflammation, without diminishing the immune system's ability to fight infection. Reducing inflammation is considered important, because it can aggravate acne. Tumeric is also excellent for use as an astringent for treating facial acne.

Remember to consult your doctor and/or professional herbalist about using herbal remedies to avoid negative interaction with any prescription medications you may be taking.

Of all of the herbs available on the market today, Aloe Vera is probably the most popular and widely recognized. While a lot of people believe it is a cactus, Aloe Vera is actually a member the succulent plant family. It is highly regarded for it's contact healing properties, and is widely used in various cosmetic products, like lotions, shampoos, and hair conditioning rinses.

In it's pure and natural form, Aloe Vera is a contact healer. It can start to relieve pain on contact, and it starts to promote healing on contact as well. It's a very effective treatment for scrapes, burns, cuts, and minor abrasions, and you will find it most often in over the counter sunburn remedies.

Unfortunately, a lot of over the counter sunburn products also contain various, non herbal ingredients as well. In fact, some of them contain so little pure Aloe Vera, that they're often nearly useless for treating sunburns or other minor skin conditions.

Natural Aloe Vera, however, is extremely effective, due to its ability to penetrate all layers of the skin. This is one of the reasons it is considered to be such an effective contact healer and pain reliever. This ability, however, can also be dangerous, when Aloe Vera is mixed with some of the chemicals found in popular products today.

When hair treatments, sunburn lotions and other beauty or wellness products have perfumes, alcohol, and various chemical ingredients included, along with Aloe Vera, using them carries the risk of the Aloe Vera transporting these toxins beneath the skin. The skin is designed to help protect your body from harmful elements, but if the Aloe Vera enables these ingredients to fully penetrate, it can cause unexpected health problems and illnesses.

The safest method of using Aloe Vera to treat abrasions, burns, cuts and scrapes, is to only use pure Aloe Vera gels or juice. They can generally be purchased in bottles at any local herbal or health food store, and they'll last longer when kept in the refrigerator. You can also simply grow one or more live Aloe Vera plants in your home, then slice a leaf open as needed.

Aloe Vera gel or juice is an excellent remedy for nursing mothers to use for cracked or sore nipples. It helps to stimulate circulation around wounded areas, which speeds up the healing process. It's an excellent remedy for removing dead skin cells also, plus it helps to promote regrowth of new skin cells. This makes it not only useful for cuts and wounds, but it's a superb face wash for acne, or for simply maintaining youthful and healthy facial skin.

Your body organs need to be cleaned out on a regular basis, like your bowels, your liver and your kidneys. We really should be doing this naturally with lots of fruits, veggies, and water. But, in our modern day times of fast foods, we often neglect proper diet.

As a result, our bodies don’t get enough vitamins, minerals, or enzymes to allow it to maximize its functioning. Therefore, the most effective natural treatments for acne will involve your whole body, and possibly even lifestyle. They may involve taking several supplements and products together with a change in lifestyle habits.

This is just an example of what could work for you. But, you must remember two things. One is that acne is a very individual condition. What this means is that what works for others may not work for you. So you may have to try many different things until you find what works for you. The other thing to remember is that acne will not go away overnight.

Eat mainly fresh organic fruits and vegetables if possible, and with fruits and vegetables, the rawer you eat them the better. Drink dandelion, beet top tea, and watermelon juice. Drink lukewarm water with two tablespoons of honey, on an empty stomach every morning to improve your metabolism.

Soda needs to be eliminated from your diet forever. It has high amounts of acid, syrups and colored corn starches, which will only serve to make your face a battleground for pimples. Water needs to be the last thing you drink at night and the first thing you drink in the morning. Both your face and kidneys will thank you for it.

You can drink all other types of 100% fruit juice with no dye, though water is always better. Do not drink whole milk at all; this milk causes more problems than you can imagine.

Along with these dietary recommendations, there are also 4 topical remedies which use foods and ingredients. Apply low fat, plain organic yogurt on the affected area and wash after 20 minutes. Apply pure aloe vera. Blend a cucumber, apply for 20 minutes then wash off. Rub watermelon rind on the affected area.

The following vitamin and supplement recommendations may help acne. Important vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, extra vitamin B6 and vitamin E. Zinc gluconate supplements with a dose of 30-80 mg daily aid in tissue healing and helps to prevent scarring.

Vitamin A & E emulsion with 50,000 IU of vitamin A and 400 IU of vitamin E strengthens the protective epithelial (skin) tissue. This emulsion is better than taking the two vitamins alone since in this form it is easier for your body to assimilate.

More Nutritional Remedies for Acne

If you find it hard to eat enough fruits and vegetables throughout each day, though, all is not lost. Herbal supplements – when purchased properly – are the equivalent of having vegetables in a pill.

A true herbal supplement is actually just a dried and chopped up version of the real, whole plant which contains many of the vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy, and stay looking and feeling younger.

When buying herbal supplements, though, it is important to be sure you're buying actual dried herbs. Because these are the true sources of all the rich vitamins and minerals which will help us stay looking and feeling younger throughout our lives.

True herbal supplements are simply dried plants which are crushed into bits, or ground into a powder form, then placed inside a gelatin capsule. They are not hard, caked pills that take time to dissolve, and they do not have a lot of fillers and misc chemicals added to them. They are 100% herbal content which can be used as they are, in tea form, or mixed into salves and ointments.

Many herbs are best used for specific purposes. There are also many others, however, that can be used for a wide variety of things – including general nutrition. Once you start giving your body the nutrition it really needs to operate at peak capacity, you'll notice your energy levels are increasing, your skin looks clearer and healthier, and you'll be in a much better mood throughout each day. All of this combines to make you look, act, and feel younger on a daily basis.

Some of the best herbs to use for general health and nutrition include Kelp, Parsley and Alfalfa. All of these herbs are packed with some of the most essential nutrients our bodies need on a daily basis.

Kelp is full of B vitamins, and these are particularly useful for keeping your body looking and feeling young. Kelp is also a natural source of iodine, and this helps your thyroid to function properly. When your thyroid is functioning properly, your metabolism increases, and your energy levels do too.

Parsley and Alfalfa have more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than we can list here, but these include Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and much, much more.

There are some basic, common things you can do to naturally care for your skin, and the most important one of those is to drink extra water. Water helps hydrate your entire body, and it's used by every cell in your body as well. If you're not drinking enough water, your skin is one of the first places this will show. When you drink plenty of water, though, your skin usually becomes plumper and fuller, healthier and younger looking, and acne or other blemishes clear up naturally.

There are several herbal skin care options available. Chickweed, for instance, is an edible plant which can be used as either a vegetable or tea. It's high in Vitmain C, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Chickweed is considered one of the best herbs to use for skin related problems, and as a bonus, this herb has a large variety of other uses too. It can be taken internally to help reduce your appetite and help with weight loss, plus it can help relieve constipation. This herb is also a good blood purifier as well. It can help carry toxins from the blood, dissolve plaque in the blood vessels, and dissolve fatty substances inside the body.

Chickweed is also one of the best contact healing herbs, which means it starts soothing and healing on contact – inside and out.

This herb is frequently used for poultices, salves, and ointments externally. It helps decrease pain and swelling, and is quite helpful for a variety of skin rashes, sores, and disorders. Soaking in a Chickweed bath can help with boils and burns, and using it as an acne wash will help reduce acne flare ups too.

Dandelion is another excellent herb used to treat skin conditions or problems. This herb is usually taken as an internal supplement instead of being applied externally or used as a bath or soak.

The same wild yellow dandelion weed that grows out in your yard is the herb we're talking about here. It also is quite high in vitamins and minerals, and can be used as a food or drink. In fact, many people pick dandelions and add them to their salads regularly. Dandelions actually contain more iron and calcium than spinach does.

Dandelions are excellent herbs to use for anemia problems, low blood pressure, and to help with weight loss too. It's used to treat various skin disorders, such as scurvy and eczema, and probably works so well at this because it is also a powerful liver cleansing herb.

This herb also does an excellent job of supporting the female organs, and opening the urinary passages too.

We also need healthy oils, which contain more than essential fatty acids. Eating good-quality oils helps keep your skin lubricated, and keeps it looking and feeling healthier overall. Look for oils that are cold pressed, such as olive or extra virgin oil. You only need about two tablespoons a day of healthy oils, so use wisely.

Selenium also plays an important role in the health of skin cells. Foods like whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and brazil nuts conyain this important nutrient. Recent studies show that if selenium levels are high, even skin damaged by the sun may only suffer minimal, if any, damage.

Choosing the whole grain versions of complex carbohydrates can have a significant effect on insulin levels. Processed and refined sugars can cause inflammation that may ultimately be linked to skin break outs.
Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, and it protects the membrane of the cell. It may even help prevent or reduce the risks of skin cancer.

Water plays an extremely important role in your overall health, and it has a profound effect on your skin’s health as well. Well-hydrated skin is healthy and young-looking. It also helps move the toxins out of your system so they have less chance to do damage.