Guest Post: Island Life No 7

November 24, 2009 by Brenda
Filed under Family, Featured Posts, Guest Posts, Lifestyle

ISLAND LIFE No7: 5 TIPS FOR WINTER SKIN

We have been having a wonderfully busy time at Live Native and are just now jumping into the car to drive to Glasgow for 4 days at the Country Living Christmas Fair. Before I go though I just wanted to send a little something for my blog spot, and as the seasons have definitely turned and the dogs and I have already spent mornings crunching through the frost then what better than a few tips for keeping your skin in the best shape for winter?

My 5 tips:

1. Probably most importantly – do not use ‘soap’. Soap is very drying and it strips the natural oil from the skin. This oil, or sebum, provides our primary protection from the elements as well as providing us with natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral benefits. Soap is also alkaline whilst our skin is acidic. Using soap destroys the naturally acidic pH of our skin, known as the acid mantle, making it more vulnerable to infection. There are many cleansers available which do not use soap. Companies such as Jurlique, Dr Hauschka or Live Native all make lovely, gentle and nourishing soap-free cleansers.

2. Tempting though it is try not to stand for too long under that deliciously hot shower… and the same goes for long hot baths! Hot water strips the natural oils from the skin, oils that are necessary to form a barrier against moisture loss, as well as having naturally anti-bacterial properties that protect your skin from infection. Cooler showers are better for you, but if the prospect of this is just too unpleasant on a chilly morning then protect you skin with a good moisturiser after. Moisturisers that contain coconut oil are particularly good as coconut oil contains fatty acids that mimic the skins sebum and have anti-microbial properties. There – warm, clean and protected!

3. Use a moisturizer that contains only plant derived emollients such as coconut oil, shea nut butter, argan oil etc. Moisturizers that contain petrochemicals such as paraffin and mineral oil will dry and irritate the skin with continued use. Mineral oils are composed of large molecules that do not absorb into the skin. Instead they coat the skin and block the pores, while all the oils soluble nutrients from the skin dissolve into the mineral oil, stripping your skin of vital nutrients. Over the course of the day the oils rub off your skin, leaving it feeling dry and parched, and indeed creating a vicious cycle when you reach for the ‘moisturiser’ once again.

4. Remember to continue to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Winter is a time when we like to indulge ourselves with warm, stodgy, comfort foods. Unfortunately foods such as this – high in fat and sugar, low in enzymes and water – are the worst for our complexion. Your skin reflects your internal environment, and if your liver and bowels are congested your skin has to work harder to remove excess toxins from your body.

5. Keep exercising. Exercise increases our oxygen intake; it stimulates our metabolism and encourages blood flow and lymph drainage. Blood carries food and oxygen to our skin, and waste products pass into our lymph nodes. Lymph has no pump of it own, but relies on muscle movement to drain. Brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming all reward us with glowing, toned skin. And if the weather really is too bead to get outside then how about investing in a ‘rebounder’, a mini-trampoline, to put in your lounge and bounce your way through your favorite TV show?

Vicky Ewbank, homoeopath, living foods coach and co-founder of Live Native.

Handmade on the Isle of Skye, Live Native is a new and truly unique collection of living skin care products inspired by the life-loving ideals shared by all who enjoy vegan, organic and raw-food led lifestyles. www.livenative.co.uk

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