As a society, we have increasingly become dependent on medication for things like high blood pressure, tension headaches, and even depression. Skin care treatment for dryness may very well be necessary due to some side effect of your medication for a completely unrelated condition. For this reason, you always want to monitor any potential skin irritation immediately after starting any new medication. If you already have dry skin and can't remember whether or not it was a problem before starting your medication, you may need to consult with your physician and discuss an alternative medication in order to rule out side effects as the cause of your dry skin.

Skin care problems are often the result of poor nutrition. Our bodies require a delicate balance of nutrients in order to keep everything functioning properly, especially the skin. Vegetarians and vegans often run into dry skin issues as a result of not consuming enough animal fats in their diet. A vitamin B12 deficiency will cause your oil glands (sebaceous glands) to function improperly, generally leading to acne.

Basically, any attempt to address a skin care issue (be it oily, dry, or even itchy skin) should begin with a close look at diet. Dermatologists can best assess potential diet-related skin care problems and recommend corrective measures to naturally restore skin vitality.

• fried foods (chicken, French fries)

• processed sugars

• caffeine, coffee, tea, soft drinks

• high fat dairy products like milk or cheese (consuming low fat varieties of milk and cheese may not be great, but they are better for your skin!)

Now the best thing that you can ingest for improved skin care is water.

That's right, water. Water naturally removes toxins from your body-so the more you drink of it, the purer your body will be. Drinking lots of water is especially good for people with acne problems and it will also help reduce the onset of wrinkles.

If you have ever been to a dermatologist because of acne problems then you are probably very familiar with sebaceous glands. Because the skin needs to be lubricated, it is covered with oil secreting glands known as sebaceous glands. If these glands become clogged with dirt, then bacteria begin growing inside and a pimple is the result. However, sebaceous glands can either become clogged and dry skin is caused or they can produce too much and cause oily skin. More often than not, problems with the sebaceous glands are due to poor diet and can usually be corrected rather easily.

Believe it or not, even diabetes can cause you serious skin care problems. A person with diabetes has trouble regulating the blood sugar levels. When there is an excess of blood sugar in the body, the excess must be absorbed. To do this, the body uses a lot more water than normal and that can lead to dry skin.

While diet must always be part of any skin care treatment regimen, it is just a simple fact that our bodies will need more help as we age. For this reason, a moisturizer of some sort will ultimately be needed. To this end, it is HIGHLY recommended that you use a natural skin moisturizer.

Moisturizers using natural ingredients are far less likely to cause the irritating side effects mentioned earlier. Synthetic ingredients are often less expensive to use in moisturizers but they are not the best skin care option because the body is less receptive to them. Natural ingredients, on average, cause fewer side effects and are therefore better where skin moisturizers are concerned.

Wrinkles are probably the biggest cause of all skin care treatments in the United States. As a person ages, the skin naturally becomes less elastic. As a result, fine lines begin to form on the face which ultimately become the wrinkles we hate so much.

There are two main skin care strategies when it comes to wrinkles: affect the muscles that reveal the wrinkles or fill in the skin so the wrinkles are less noticeable. The first strategy involves Botox and the second Collagen injections.

A person is actually having a strain of Botulism injected in their face when they opt for Botox skin care treatment. Botox actually interrupts the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles that reveal our wrinkles. It may sound radical, but these injections do actually reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the face for a significant period of time. Now these injections can be costly and they must be repeated-but they are generally affective.

Many people have a serious misunderstanding of collagen injections. The perception is that collagen is a form of fat that is injected into your face to fill in the lines caused by wrinkles. Actually, collagen is an effective form of skin care treatment for wrinkles not because it is fat-but because it is protein. In fact, collagen is a special protein that helps cells and blood vessels connect to one another. When this happens, the wrinkles fade because the collagen helps the skin to "rebuild" in areas where wrinkles form and actually fill in the lines. Again, collagen treatments tend to work but they also are expensive and need to be repeated.

A cheaper, but slower, alternative to expensive skin care treatments for wrinkles is a simple cream. Anti-wrinkle creams work to rebuild the skin texture and helps with the elasticity over time. However, unlike Collagen or Botox injections, anti-wrinkle cream skin care treatment is only applied to the skin surface. This is why it takes so much longer. Still, an anti-wrinkle cream is a cost-effective and non-invasive treatment for wrinkles that does work if given enough time. Again, in order to reduce possible side effects, stick with creams that use natural ingredients as they will react better with your skin.

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Do you have problems with taking care of your skin? Do you feel like you have tried everything possible? You are not the only one. Many people are in the same position. That is why the following article was written-- to give people with skin care problems some valuable advice.

When finishing up your skin care routine find the perfect toner for your skin. It will help tighten your skin and get rid of any dirt or makeup that you may have missed during washing. In place of the toner once a week you should try using a face mask which will deep clean your pores.

If you're still looking for the perfect toner, consider using tea tree oil in your skin care routine. A little tea tree oil mixed with water in a water mist bottle makes for a lovely toner. Like any skin care item, take care to keep it out of your eyes.

If you need to use skin care products, use them on a consistent basis. Frequent use will give your favorite skin care products time to achieve the desired effect. If you need a reminder to perform your skin care regiment diligently, keep your products in plain sight. Keep these products near your nightstand for application before you go to bed.

To keep skin from becoming dry in the fall and winter, moisturize every single day after your bath or shower. This is the best time to take care of this part of your daily skin care routine because it takes advantage of the moisture that has been absorbed by the skin during bathing.

Don't use germicidal soaps, extremely hot water, or intense scrubs to avoid dry leg skin. Soaps of a germicidal nature tend to remove an abundance of the natural oil found in skin. If you scrub your skin with hot water, the protective outer layout will become damaged. Use beauty soap with warm water and gentle rubbing to avoid dry skin on your legs.

To keep your skin looking its best, reduce stress and anxiety as part of your skin care routine. Taking steps to reduce and control stress in your daily life can help your skin look alive instead of tired and grey. Uncontrolled stress short circuits your skin's natural ability to repair daily damage and often interferes with your ability to get the sleep you need for fresh looking skin.

Any skin care routine can be made more effective with the addition of adequate restful sleep every night. Your overall skin quality is adversely affected by the stress to your system caused by lack of sleep. Getting a good night's sleep is the one highly effective beauty treatment for your skin that is absolutely free.

Make sure that your skin care routine involves the application of a foot lotion. Particularly in the winter months, your feet need a strong glycerine based lotion that will keep them from getting too dry. Also exfoliate every once in a while to take off your dead skin; that will help the foot lotion work a little better.

To improve your skin care routine, give yourself a dry brush exfoliation with a natural bristle brush every morning or evening before you shower. This will get rid of dead skin cells and help your skin to detoxify, giving your skin a healthier, better appearance. It will also decrease puffiness, and increase blood circulation.

As was mentioned in the beginning of this article, many people feel like they have tried everything they can to improve and take care of their skin. The purpose of the above article is to help people in this exact situation. Take this advice, and you will be on the road to perfect skin in no time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7940456

A routine skincare habit is essential for a supple skin but you need to do it the right way. Removal of dead cells from the surface of your facial skin imparts a glow and breathes life into the skin but over-exfoliating it does more harm than good. From the 'holy grail' moisturizer to the cleanser you have tried out everything to get a blemish free skin and the task seems to be pretty tedious one. Here are some skincare habits you need to forgo for getting the flawless skin you have been dreaming about.

#1. Avoid Excessive Eye Cream: Some women believe using branded under eye creams would cure their problems of dark circles but an overdose of it should be avoided. An excessive amount of under eye cream causes puffiness around the eyes and block pores causing of trapping more dark pigments and dull looking eyes. It is advised to use a pea-size amount of eye cream. Apply 3 dots under your eye and scrub it in gently with circular movements around the eyes.

#2. Inadequate Sleep: You need sufficient amount of sleep for your skin to glow. While you are sleeping the growth hormones of your body stimulate cell regeneration and tissue repair. With an inadequate amount of rest, the repair process slows down causing age-related defects like sagging, dull skin etc. You should get at least eight hours of sleep every night for a healthy and glowing skin.

#3. Stop Over-exfoliating: Removal of the dead cells from the top layer of the skin is absolutely necessary but using facial scrubs too often can remove the natural oils from your skin. Moreover, the harsh chemicals in the facial scrubs cause an allergic reaction and make your skin more sensitive. Thus be careful while choosing your facial scrub. Pick one with round and smooth granules that is gentle on the skin. You should exfoliate your skin once every week with antioxidant exfoliants.

#4. Inadequate Application of Sunscreen: Whenever you step outdoors make sure your skin is covered with an adequate amount of sunscreen lotion to protect it from the harmful effects of the sun. You should apply a pea-sized portion of the sunscreen on your face and two shot glass amounts on the exposed parts of your body.

#5. Avoid Skipping Meals: Not having meals on time or skipping altogether causes damage to your skin. For cell regeneration and tissue repair, your body requires an adequate amount of nutrients and it acquires that from the food you eat. Try and include brown rice, quinoa and rye bread in your diet for the required amount of carbohydrate. Incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates in our diet. Make sure you get an adequate amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B and Vitamin A from the food you consume. Have oranges, avocados, peanuts and sweet potatoes to help your skin acquire the required amount of vitamins. Make sure to keep your skin hydrated by drinking enough water as well.

You should choose the sunscreen carefully. Pick one with a high SPF factor such as the Very Emollient Mineral Protection Sunblock by Alba Botanica. This sunscreen has SP 30. It is infused with extracts of chamomile, green tea, and aloe vera, which protects the skin against damage from the free radicals, repairs and soothes the skin. It is mineral-based with a high SPF factor that protects the skin from the damaging effects of the UV rays.

With a good winter skincare routine and forgoing the bad habits, you can sail through winter with a glowing skin.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9821601

Lavender is an essential oil-endowed with an array of properties such as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, antiviral and cleansing that makes it one of the most sought-after healing balms for a host of skin problems such as eczema, sunburns, acne, wrinkles etc. Here is a compilation of the skincare recipes of Lavender you can use for treating various skin problems.

#1. Acne: For keeping your skin free from mild acne and other blemishes add lavender oil to the night oil you use on a daily basis. You can even try the beauty recipe of mixing 2 tablespoons of tree tea oil with 4 drops of lavender essential oil and apply on the affected areas of your face and leave the pack on your face overnight. The following morning wash it off and by using this face pack for a couple of weeks you will notice the difference.

#2. Bee Sting: Lavender essential oil reduces painful inflammation and itching caused by a bee sting. You can apply a diluted portion of the oil on the wound directly. If you are uncomfortable doing so, you can mix the oil with coconut oil for a soothing effect on your skin.

#3. Eczema: It is a skin problem characterized by inflamed, dry, itchy and patchy skin caused by yeast or bacteria buildup. For treating this problem, make a formulation with Shea butter, Vitamin E lotion and 10-15 drops of the essential Lavender oil.

#4. SunBurn: Get rid of the flaky, blotchy and dry skin caused by sunburn by applying a beauty formulation of 5 teaspoons of the aloe vera gel with 10 drops of the essential lavender oil. Continue this beauty treatment till your skin improves.

#5. Skin Wound: The lavender essential oil works wonders on cuts and wounds. It not only cleans wounds effectively but even reduces pain, inflammation, and bleeding. You can use the oil in diluted form as a disinfectant and for promoting healing with no scarring. Instead of using it in the concentrated form use it with an unrefined oil.

#6. Facial Mist: Prepare a facial mist by adding the lavender oil to pure distilled water. You can even use a lavender hydrosol. The recommended ratio is adding 20 drops of the essential oil to distilled water of about 2 ounces. Store the prepared mist in the spray tinted bottle.

#7. Skin Rash: For the anti-inflammatory property of lavender oil, it can be used ideally for treating itchy skin. Make a soothing lotion by adding a few drops of the oil to a carrier oil such as almond oil, jojoba oil or olive oil twice or thrice every day for best results.

#8. Toner: The lavender oil helps in boosting the blood circulation and promotes cell regeneration and tissue repair. You can prepare a homemade toner with water and lavender by boiling about 100 ml of water with lavender buds. After brewing the mixture for some time, drain and refrigerate. Apply this mixture on your skin as a toner with the help of a cotton pad.

#9. Bug Repellant: Keep bugs at bay with a homemade lavender bug repellant. Prepare the spray by adding 30 to 40 drops of the essential oil to 1.5 ounces of pure distilled water.

#10. Cuts: Apply a mixture of lavender essential oil and coconut oil in the ratio of 1:5 for soothing the cut and to promote healing.

Thus the importance of natural essential oil like Lavender oil cannot be undermined. It helps in treating an array of skin problems and keeps it supple and radiant.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9821613