Is your dry skin itchy and flaky or cracking and peeling?
While dry skin may indicate any of several skin disorders such as psoriasis or eczema, you may simply have skin that is badly in need of hydration. The epidermis, or outer layer of skin, is easily dehydrated, particularly in cold, windy weather or after extensive unprotected sun exposure. Flaky, itchy skin, itchy scalp, or scaling can result. Painful chaffing can appear on the skin.

These problems can be very annoying and uncomfortable, not to mention
unattractive. Severely dehydrated skin can result in dermatitis, a common skin
irritation. Dermatitis can be easily treated by your physician, but it is
certainly unattractive and uncomfortable during an attack of dermatitis.

To cure your serious itchy, scaly skin problems, you must
avoid cleaning the skin with hot water. Always cleanse itchy, flaky or cracked
skin with lukewarm water. Using water that is too hot simply removes more of
the important natural protective oils produced by the skin, resulting in more
itching, cracking and flaking. While skin is still damp from cleansing,
liberally apply a good quality moisturizing
lotion or oil to the affected areas. There are lotions specifically
formulated for itchy, cracking skin problems and are available at very
affordable prices. If you believe your skin problem may be psoriasis, eczema,
dermatitis or another of the many skin problems, you should consult with your
doctor. But for every day, common dehydrated skin, regular use of moisturizing
products applied twice per day should remedy the problems quickly.

If scaly, itchy scalp is your problem, cleanse hair
thoroughly with moisturizing shampoo,
rinsed well with tepid water. Follow this with a good quality moisturizing
conditioner. If itchy, flaky scalp problems continue, you may need to seek the
advice of your doctor to obtain a prescription formula shampoo to control the
flaking.

Yoav Cohen is an author for AHAVA Dead Sea products site.

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What is Acne? Acne is a skin disease that is caused by the changing structures of the skin and the oils secreted by glands which when mixed with dead skin cells and an excess of oil plug the pores of the skin which become inflamed and results in the creation of pustules also known as “pimples” which are filled with pus. When ruptured with the pressure of fingers or other instruments, scars can occur depending on the damages that resulting from the extraction process if not done properly. This condition is often treated with a variety of Acne skin care products which can be successful in certain cases and not in others.

What are the causes of Acne?

There are several factors that may be responsible for causing Acne such as:

- Certain types of steroids

- Certain medication

- The presence of bacteria in the pores

- Hormone levels

- Excess of natural oils produced by glands

- Being exposed to high levels of chlorine based compounds

- Irritation of the skin

- Scratching a lot

- Dead cells accumulation

- Stress

Myths about Acne

Several myths exist about Acne which may even mislead the person affected by Acne to use the wrong skin care products or treatments which could cause damages in some cases or basically does not solve the problem.

Contrary to current beliefs, chocolate, chips and sugar have not been proven to cause Acne while milk and seafood contain ingredients that may be responsible for Acne in some people.

Acne is not caused by a poor hygiene of the skin. In fact, rough cleansing of the skin may make matters worse or dry your skin. Soap should be avoid, especially highly perfumed ones. Ask your pharmacist for the best skin care products available and suiting your type of skin. Always remove makeup before going to sleep as your skin needs a break too, just like the rest of your body.

Celibacy or masturbation is not responsible for Acne. The only correlation between sex and Acne is the fact that it produces higher levels of natural oils.

Treatments that are currently available

For smaller cases of Acne, you can ask a pharmacist for some suggestions but it is always a good idea to see a dermatologist so you can have personal advice that is specific to your skin condition. Among the treatments that may be recommended to you are:

Antibiotics that will kill the bacteria that may affect your skin.

Reduce the production of oils by swallowing some vitamin A derivates on a daily basis which can have side effects and should be monitored by your dermatologist.

Medication to regulate the lifecycle of follicle cells.

Using over the counter exfoliating skin care products which will rid the skin of dead cells but their use should be done according to the directions or your dermatologist’s advice as otherwise it may cause other problems.

Hormonal treatments can also be used to balance the level of hormones, especially the level of androgen which can be responsible for Acne.

Phototherapy is also another option but besides the high level of UV rays which can cause damage by itself, the cost of this type of therapeutic approach can be expensive as well.

Other treatments include the use of azelaic acid, zinc or alternative treatments such as the ones introduced in Nicholas Perricone’s book: “The Acne Prescription”.

Ways of the future!

Among the treatments that will more than likely be available in the near future as they are currently being studied and tested now, you may eventually be able to use the following skin care treatments:

- Laser treatments

- Gene therapy

As you can see, there are quite a variety of treatments, therapies and Acne skin care products that are available on the market. With some professional advice from either a dermatologist or pharmacist, being a teenager with an Acne problem is not as scary or without solutions. Depending on the severity of the Acne, there is a solution available to suit your needs or the ones of your teenager.

For years I taught to teenagers and I have noticed their struggle with Acne and Acne skin care products. If you wish to learn more about Acne skin care products that are both available on the market and effective, I invite you to visit our site which is at: http://skin-care.findoutnow.org

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The world is a big place and there are many different cultures, Europeans, Scandinavians, Asians, Africans, Hispanics and many, many more. Each of these cultures tends to have certain characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, etc,. Inherent with cultural backgrounds is a difference in skin types. For example, western cultures such as the central and northern Europeans have a tendency to fair complexions, hair and eye colour, while southern Europeans dent to have darker hair, brown eyes and darker, olive skin tones.

Africans and African Americans, have very dark or almost black skin, usually dark or black hair and brown eyes. Genetically, this skin type is less susceptible to the UV rays, although their skin can still get burned.

Asians on the other hand have a yellowish skin tone and can have brown or blue eyes but have mostly dark or black hair. Yes, genetics does have its opinion on how we look. The cultural differences are reflected in the skin and the genetic factors play an important role in how well our skin looks, how ‘tough’ it is and how vulnerable it is to certain skin problems.

For example, cultures that have a tendency to body hair, also have a tendency to oily skin and therefore have a potential problem with blocked secretory glands resulting in pimples and other skin problems. On the other hand, the Irish, who have a tendency to red hair and very fair skin, have less of a problem with oily skin, but they do tend to get burned easily and thus stand a greater risk to skin cancers. Similarly the Scandinavians and other central and northern Europeans and Americans.

Below are some generalised characteristics of various skin types from different cultural backgrounds:

Skin Characteristics of people with Anglo-Saxon origins

• Fair, dry thin-skinned
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear earlier
• Burn easily in the sun
• Bruising more obvious
• Increased chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern Mediterranean origins

• Oily, olive dark complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Cartilage tends to droop
• Darker, thicker scars more common
• Wrinkles appear later and in more localized areas
• Skin cancer is rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European origins / German and Scandinavian

• Fair, blue-eyed, blonde
• Thin skin
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear early
• Bruising more obvious
• Greater chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with African/African-American origins

• Signs of aging appear very late
• Very little fine wrinkling
• Formation of keloids is possible
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Thicker cartilage hard to change
• Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European/Irish and northern England

• Ruddy freckled complexion
• Red hair
• Scars usually thin
• Signs of aging appear later
• Bruises easily
• Pigmentation problems
• Skin cancers are most common in this type

Skin Characteristics of people with Asian origins

• Signs of aging appear late
• Fine wrinkling does not usually occur
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern European origins

• Dark, oily brunette complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Fine wrinkling less common
• Bruising lasts longer
• Scars may be thicker and darker
• Skin cancers are less common

Identifying the correct, natural skin care system for your skin’s characteristics is essential and may need to be adjusted depending on your specific genetic influences, as within each of these groups, there is a wide range in skin tones, which tend to overlap from group to group.

Each of the different categories of skin characteristics has various advantages and disadvantages specific to that group. However, the overall structures and functions of our skin are very similar and are therefore cared for in very similar ways. Knowing your skin’s particular strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor your skin care approach to your particular skin-characteristics.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter - it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006

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