Dry skin Herbal Remedies

Don’t take your skin for granted; it’s not there merely to make you look good. It’s the largest organ you have and has more functions than you can count on both hands! If you really think about it, your skin is your “hide” that protects and regulates your inner being. When healthy, it’s flexible, elastic, moist, and dewy. When dry, it lacks natural oil and moisture, the basic requirements for comfortable skin with a healthy glow. It may appear flaky or scaly and feel rough-textured, tight, or dry throughout the day. If allowed to become too damaged, your skin may admit unwelcome bacteria that can wreak havoc inside your body. Dry skin is generally worse in cold weather, when dry heating robs the skin of moisture.

Dry skin is exacerbated by excess sun exposure, air travel, alcohol consumption, an extremely lowfat diet, working outdoors without protective clothing, some medications, and living in a naturally arid climate. To keep dry skin at bay, it’s paramount to preserve the moisture already contained within your skin and supplement with daily applications of nourishing body oil blends to seal in the moisture of your daily shower or bath.

Protect your skin from the elements and condition it from the inside out by boosting your dietary intake with ample amounts of omega-3-rich natural oils such as fish oils, unrefined cod liver oil, and flaxseed oil, and add walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds to your wholefoods diet. Many people find the addition of evening primrose oil or borage oil capsules to be of benefit, too. Be sure to drink plenty of water and herb teas. Avoid alcohol and keep dehydrating caffeinated beverages to a minimum.

Chicken Skin
“What is ‘chicken skin’ doing in a book like this?” you may ask. What I’m referring to is keratosis pilaris, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the area surrounding the hair follicle. It appears on the back of the upper arms and thighs and occasionally the buttocks (and outer cheeks of young children) and causes the skin to resemble that of a plucked chicken (or nutmeg grater, if that makes you feel better). The condition occurs when dead skin cells, which normally shed and fall away from the body, accumulate and form plugs at the follicle openings, leading to the formation of small, hard, pointed pimples. There is no known cause for this cosmetic affliction, but it often runs in families who have a tendency toward rough, dry skin. Keratosis pilaris occurs mainly in winter when the humidity is low, and generally it clears up on its own in the summer. The remedy is simple and doesn’t require an herbal preparation, just regular exfoliation. To remove the buildup of dead skin from the follicle openings, practice skin brushing: Use a good-quality, natural-bristle skin brush to gently brush the affected skin surfaces for approximately 15 seconds before getting into the shower or bath. Do this daily for as long as the condition persists. Alternatively, you could use a loofah sponge or a sugar or salt scrub on your skin while you’re in the shower or bath. Pat dry and apply a thin layer of moisturizing jojoba oil to affected areas. You should see significant improvement within a few weeks.

BUTTERY COCONUT BALM

Do you love the sweet, tropical aroma of coconuts and cocoa butter? If so, this luscious, skin-softening, deeply conditioning treat is for you. Its three edible, oil-rich ingredients have been used throughout the world for thousands of years to care for and nourish the skin. This simple formula is one of my favorites to use when I get “alligator skin,” and it’s wonderful for the thin, fragile skin of the elderly, keeping it soft and comfortable. 5 tablespoons extra-virgin, unrefined coconut base oil 2 tablespoons almond base oil 1 tablespoon cocoa butter

EQUIPMENT: Small saucepan or double boiler, stirring utensil, glass or plastic jar or a tin
PREP TIME: 20 minutes to make the balm, plus up to 24 hours for it to thicken
YIELD: ½ cup
STORAGE: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year

APPLICATION:
1 or 2 times per day Combine the coconut oil, almond oil, and cocoa butter in a small saucepan or double boiler, and warm over low heat until all the solids are just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Pour into a storage container. (Since coconut oil is solid below 76°F and liquid at higher temperatures, you may prefer to store the formula in a plastic squeeze bottle in warmer weather and in a jar or tin in cooler weather.) This formula is slow to thicken and may require up to 24 hours to reach its final creamy texture.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
After bathing or showering, massage this oilrich balm into your skin while it is still slightly damp. If your skin is very dry, you can apply it again later in the day to dry skin. Let the balm soak in for at least 5 minutes before getting dressed. Exfoliate at least twice per week to keep your skin free of the pore-clogging skincell buildup that inhibits moisture and oil penetration. Bonus This ultra-penetrating formula helps prevent diaper rash and stretch marks, and a pea-size amount will condition the ends of very dry hair.

SOOTHE-ME-SESAME BODY OIL I

love skin-pampering formulas that are ultra-simple to make, are relatively inexpensive, and leave my skin feeling velvety. Sesame oil, which is the predominant base oil in this formula, contains a generous complement of vitamin E, and is often used therapeutically in Ayurvedic body-care formulations as a warming, nourishing, grounding, and deeply calming lubricating oil. It’s especially recommended for individuals with extremely dry skin who have trouble relaxing and falling asleep and are mentally frazzled, burned out, scatterbrained, high-strung, and talkative. The avocado oil is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and lecithin, and the carrot seed essential oil serves as a tonic for regenerating and revitalizing mature or damaged skin.

50 drops carrot seed essential oil
¾ cup unrefined sesame base oil
¼ cup unrefined avocado base oil
1,000 IU vitamin E oil

EQUIPMENT: Dropper, glass bottle or plastic squeeze bottle
PREP TIME: 15 minutes, plus 24 hours to synergize
YIELD: Approximately 1 cup
STORAGE: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year
APPLICATION: Once per day Place the carrot seed essential oil drop by drop directly to the storage bottle. Add the sesame and avocado base oils, and the vitamin E oil. Screw on the top and shake vigorously for 2 minutes to blend. Label the bottle and place in a dark location that’s between 60° and 80°F for 24 hours, so that the oils can synergize.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Shake well before using. There are two methods of application that I recommend. Try both and see which one works best for your skin. Ayurvedic method. This method is rather stimulating, so perform it in the morning. Before your bath or shower, gently exfoliate your entire body, from head to toe, using a natural-bristle body brush or soft loofah sponge. Massage a generous portion of body oil into your dry skin, always massaging toward your heart. When you are completely covered in oil, don an old bathrobe and allow the oil to sink in for 10 to 15 minutes. Then jump into the shower or bathtub and just rinse (no need to use soap except to wash underarms and intimate areas, as you’ve already cleansed your skin by exfoliating). The steam or hot water from your bath relaxes your pores and helps the oil penetrate your skin. Pat dry. If your skin is severely dry, follow with an application of natural body lotion, as necessary. Cosmetology/aesthetician method. Twice a week, gently exfoliate your entire body, from head to toe, whether dry (before bathing) or while in the tub or shower in order to keep dead skin cell build-up at bay. Every day, after bathing or showering, massage this oil blend into your skin, from head to toe, while your skin is still slightly damp in order to seal in the moisture. Bonus Use this blend as an after-sun conditioning oil to help replenish suppleness to your baked and tanned hide.

Exfoliate to Eliminate Dry Skin
A once- or twice-daily application of a moisturizing balm, salve, or oil can work wonders in eliminating dry skin. However, dry skin tends to build up a layer of dead skin cells that inhibit oil penetration, so the balms, salves, and oils won’t work as well. To keep your skin free of deadskin- cell buildup and encourage deep penetration of moisturizers, exfoliate your entire body (or just the area where you want to apply this product) twice a week. You can use a naturalbristle body brush or soft loofah sponge on dry skin, or you can use a sugar or salt scrub, a soft loofah sponge, or an apricot kernel or jojoba wax bead scrub while in the tub or shower.

DEW-OF-THE-ROSE LUXURIOUS BODY OIL

This is an ever-so-gentle, light- to medium-textured oil that will be adored by all rose lovers. It’s perfect for pampering and softening dry skin. This simple infusion has a most delicate scent, but it can be enhanced or customized by adding essential oils. The ones listed below intensify the rose fragrance and add antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal, and skin-regenerative properties. I usually make this oil in midsummer using fresh, local, deep pink and white rugosa rose petals, but I also I like Rosa damascena and R. centifolia; in fact, you can use any wild or garden roses, but whatever variety you choose, make sure it is organic and has a strong fragrance. Note: I prefer to use the solar infusion method and freshly wilted flowers, as it yields a sweeter and fresher scent, but dried flowers work nicely, too.

3 cups dried or 4 cups freshly wilted rose petals
3–4 cups almond or soybean base oil (enough to completely cover the flowers)
2,000 IU vitamin E oil
60 drops essential oil(s) of choice (optional; I like 20 drops each of rose otto, palmarosa, and geranium)

EQUIPMENT: Widemouthed 1-quart canning jar, stirring utensil, plastic wrap, strainer, fine filter, funnel, glass or plastic storage containers
PREP TIME: 1 month
YIELD: Approximately 2½ cups
STORAGE: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year

APPLICATION:
Once per day Place the rose petals in a 1-quart canning jar. Drizzle the base oil over the plant matter until the oil comes to within 1 inch of the top of the jar. The flowers will settle with the weight of the oil, so don’t worry if it looks as though you don’t have enough plant matter in the jar. Gently stir to remove air bubbles and make sure that all the plant matter is submerged. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar (to prevent the metal lid from coming into contact with the petals) and tightly screw on the lid. Shake the jar several times to blend thoroughly. Place the jar in a warm, sunny location such as a south-facing windowsill, and allow the petals to infuse for 1 month. Shake the jar every day for 30 seconds or so. After 1 month, carefully strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a fine filter such as muslin or, preferably, a paper coffee filter, then strain again if necessary to remove all herb debris. Squeeze petals to extract as much of the precious oil as possible. Discard the marc. Add the vitamin E oil and the essential oil(s), if using, and stir to blend. The rose-petal-infused oil will be pale pinkish-gold in color. Pour the finished oil into storage containers, then cap, label, and store in a dark cabinet.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
After bathing or showering, massage this fragrant oil blend into your skin while still slightly damp (though it can be applied directly to dry skin as well). Let the oil soak in for at least 5 minutes before getting dressed. Exfoliate at least twice per week to keep your skin free of the pore-clogging skin-cell buildup that inhibits moisture and oil penetration. Bonus This oil is a wonderful skin conditioner for babies and young girls, as well as the sensitive, delicate skin of elderly women. Men may find the fragrance too feminine.