Beautiful and Radiant Skin

Everyone likes to look their best and in todays culture that means looking young. The first sign of getting older tends to show up on our skin as wrinkles and sun spots. So today, I'd like to talk about the integumentary system and natural ways to keep our skin looking healthy and vibrant.

The IntegStructure of the Skin

The integumentary system consists of 3 main layers:

· The epidermis: the outermost portion of epithelial cells. This layer of skin has no blood vessels.

· The dermis: the connective tissue, and the accessory structures of the skin, such as blood vessels, nerve endings and sweat glands, hair and oil glands.

· The hypodermis: the innermost layer of the integumentary system. This subcutaneous layer consists of loose connective tissue and fat.

Because there are no blood vessels in the epidermis, skin epithelial cells reproduce in the layer closest to the dermis where they are well nourished by the blood supply of this deeper layer. As the cells reproduce, older cells are pushed farther away from the dermis and closer to the top layer of what we see as "skin". This journey to the top causes the cells to become malnourished and as they die they undergo a change. The cytoplasm inside the cell is replaced by keratin, causing the cell to become hard and flat. Once the cell reaches the surface of the skin it doesn't stay there for long before it is shed and replaced from below.

Functions of the Skin
There are many functions of the skin.

· The skin acts as a barrier. Keeping the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. The shedding of skin is also a means to mechanically remove pathogens from the surface of the body.

· The skin helps us to regulate body temperature. The skin is a large surface area that can release heat when the body is overheating. Blood vessels dilate bringing more blood to the surface of the body and allowing the heat to disperse. Sweat glands also release perspiration, cooling the surface of the body. When the body becomes cold, subcutaneous tissue acts as insulation and blood vessels in the dermis warm the skin.

· Receive and relay information about the environment via nerve endings in the skin to the brain. This includes information about pain, heat, cold, pressure, etc.  

· Assists in both elimination and respiration (the skin is known as the third lung).

· Form Vitamin D

Healthy Body, Healthy Skin
Now that we know a little bit about the structure and function of integumentary system, let’s talk about a few ways to keep your skin healthy.

First and foremost, it is important to remember that whatever you put on your skin, it is being absorbed into your blood stream. When it comes to skin products, if you don't know what an ingredient is or what it does then you should not smear it on your face and body. I also like to do the pronunciation test: if you can't pronounce the ingredient, it probably isn't good for you. Avoid products with preservatives, coloring agents, synthetic scents and synthetic chemicals.

Make sure you are properly cleaning the skin. Dirt and makeup can clog the pores leading to imbalances in the skin. Exfoliation, the shedding of skin cells, is a process that happens naturally, however for added assistance and pleasure, try dry skin brushing. This is the link to a previous blog post about dry brushing http://theverbalherbal.blogspot.com/2012/07/health-benefits-of-dry-brushing.html 

Nutrition
Proper nutrition is, perhaps, one of the most important contributions to healthy skin. The outside of the body reflects what is happening on the inside of the body and if the inside is not properly nourished then the outside of the body will show this. A low glycemic diet seems to be the most beneficial at providing a large array of vitamins and minerals while limiting foods that cause inflammation including: refined and processed foods, sugar, coffee, soda and white flour products. Make sure you are getting adequate amounts of high quality proteins including fresh fish, shellfish and organic, grass fed meats. A colorful array of organic fruits and veggies should be eaten every day, including lots of leafy green veggies (kale, chard, collard greens...). Healthy fats are a must have in every diet. For too long, fats have been demonized in American diets. Low fat diets show a lack of knowledge about the body and have lead to many problems including gall bladder stones and heart disease. Healthy fats can be obtained from fish, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and flax seeds. Other healthy supplements include probiotics and B vitamins.

Are You Pooping Enough?
Make sure your other elimination pathways (i.e. bowels, urinary tract and respiratory system) are working properly. When there is dysfunction in these systems, the skin, as another way to eliminate toxins, becomes overloaded. This can result in skin rashes, spots, pallor and puffiness. Bitter herbs are my favorite way to keep myself regular. For more information, check out: http://theverbalherbal.blogspot.com/2012/05/daily-herb-o-scope-feel-better-with.html

Other Tips
Lastly, make sure you are getting adequate sleep and drinking enough water. 8-10 glasses of water are recommended; however, you may need to drink more to depending on your level of activity. Adequate sleep is also necessary for healthy skin, not only because we tend to look like crap when we don't get enough sleep, but also because human growth hormone (HGH) is released during the deepest form of slow wave sleep and is responsible for growth and cell reproduction, an important part of healthy skin.  

Overall, I don't feel that beauty is only skin deep, but I do know that if I am healthy on the inside, my beauty will show through to the outside producing beautiful and radiant skin.

Sources:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy (2nd ed.). Brisbane:

International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Cohen, B. J., Taylor, J. J., & Memmler, R. L. (2009). Memmler's structure and function of the human body (9th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott William & Wilkins.

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar's family herbal: a guide to living life with

energy, health, and vitality. North Adams, Mass.: Storey Books.

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts

Press.

http://www.perriconemd.com/category/the+doctor/philosophy.do

http://www.peertrainer.com/diet/dr_perricone_diet.htm

http://1stholistic.com/Beauty/skin/skin_natural-skin-care.htm

http://www.hghtalk.com/hgh/hgh-and-sleep/

Natural Relief from Dandruff

Our skin cells are constantly renewing themselves. When new cell are formed, the dead skin cells are pushed to the surface of the skin where they are shed and flake away. On the scalp, an excessive flaking of skin cells is known as dandruff. Aside from it being itchy and a constant irritation, it can also be kind of embarrassing especially when you wear a black shirt. Medicated shampoos can be harsh on the scalp and although it may clear up the problem for a day or two, chances are the dandruff will return with a vengeance especially if you are allergic to any one of the many chemicals in the shampoo. So let’s talk about some alternatives.

When trying to treat an issue it is always important to identify the cause. Some of the simpler causes to dandruff include using harsh hair products (solution: stop using them), poor rinsing after shampooing (solution: rinse your hair more thoroughly) or poor scalp circulation (solution: massage your scalp or brush your hair more often).

There are also some more involved causes of dandruff. One symptom of food allergies can be dandruff. If you suspect you might have food allergies you may wish to do an elimination diet, excluding common allergens like dairy, wheat, corn, soy and processed foods.

Chronic dandruff may also be showing toxicity in the body. When other elimination pathways (bowels and urinary) are not working optimally, the body may excrete more toxics through the skin, including the scalp. The best way to remedy this problem is to detoxify the body by stimulating the liver, and assisting the body’s main elimination pathways (through the bowels and the urinary system). Many herbs can be helpful in this area including burdock, milk thistle, cleavers, nettles and dandelion to name a few. Bitters can also be beneficial http://theverbalherbal.blogspot.com/2012/05/daily-herb-o-scope-feel-better-with.html

Excessive dandruff may also be the result of a fungal infection. This can be treated internal or externally with herbs such as pau d’arco, burdock, Echinacea or garlic. Be sure to add some tea tree essential oil to your topical application. Tea tree helps to clean clogged pores of dead skin while balancing the pH of the scalp.

For general scalp health, I think that vinegar and oil applications are wonderful. So you don’t feel like your applying salad dressing to your head, the two applications are done separately. A vinegar rinse is helpful for oily hair and is done by mixing apple cider vinegar and water in equal parts and then the mixture is poured over the hair and scalp. Essential oils such as cedarwood, rosemary and tea tree can be added for extra benefit and help to tame the smell (making you feel less like a salad). With or without essential oils, the vinegar smell quickly fades, leaving your hair shiny and dandruff free.

An oil application can be beneficial to individuals with dry hair. Jojoba oil is the best to use because it’s similar to our own sebum. It can also balance out our skins pH and has no oily build up. Massage into the scalp and leave on for as little or as long as you’d like. Olive oil can be used as well and chamomile, geranium and lavender essential oils can be added to the oil.

I suggest using many different approaches to finding relief from dandruff. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are brushing your hair and massaging your scalp frequently. I hope this helps you to get rid of the flakes and allows you to wear black shirts again.

Sources:

Gladstar, R. (2001). Rosemary Gladstar's family herbal: a guide to living life with

energy, health, and vitality. North Adams, Mass.: Storey Books.

Holmes, P. (2007). The energetics of Western herbs: a materia medica integrating Western and Chinese herbal therapeutics (Rev & enl. 4th ed.). Cotati, Calif.: Snow Lotus Press.

Levy, J. d. (1997). Common herbs for natural health (Rev., expanded ed.). Woodstock,

N.Y.: Ash Tree Pub..

Wildwood, C. (1996). The encyclopedia of aromatherapy. Rochester, Vt.: Healing Arts

Press.

http://www.homeremediesfordandruff.org/natural-dandruff-cure/

http://www.himalayahomeremedies.com/homeremedies_dandruff.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152844.php

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Coffee!!!

      Coffee (Coffea arabica) is a beverage of mixed emotions. On the one hand Americans know that they overindulge when it comes to coffee drinks and this is no thanks to addiction pushing chains. On the other hand it is so satisfying to slowly sip on that warm morning pick-me-upper. Regardless of your stance on coffee drinking, the health benefits of coffee are overlooked. The typical American diet doesn't offer a whole lot of antioxidant or bitter foods and coffee offers both. The bitter flavor was discussed in the Daily Herb-o-Scope on Thursday May 24, 2012. So I'm not going to say much about it other than it helps to improve the flow of gastric juices and can reduce the risk of gall stones and colon cancer.

      Antioxidants help to protect the body from free radicals. Antioxidants and free radicals are buzz words in the health food industry right now, so I want to make sure everyone knows what they mean. A free radical is an atom or molecule that carries an unpaired electron in its outer ring. Because electrons work best in pairs, the free radicals steal electrons from cells in the body, causing damage by turning our own cell into free radicals. This process known as oxidation can lead to a chain event of destruction with molecules and cells trying to hijack electrons from other cells.

      Antioxidants help to remedy this by giving an electron to the free radical, making it stable. Even though the antioxidant now has a unpaired electron it does not become a free radical because it is stable with or without unpaired electrons. Some research suggests that a cup of coffee may offer more antioxidants than a serving of blueberries or raspberries. And coffee antioxidants can help to prevent degenerative diseases of the heart and nervous system and even protect against certain kinds of cancer. Dark roasting the beans produces even more antioxidants; however, adding milk to coffee has been shown to bind the antioxidants, making them less effective.

      A few other tips to keeping your cup of coffee as healthy as possible are to store your beans in the freezer and to grind them fresh. Coffee contains oils that can go bad. When the oils are rancid they make the coffee very bitter and can wreak havoc on your liver. Also opt for real sugar and organic cream. Decaf usually contains traces of the solvent used to extract the caffeine and still contains traces of caffeine. My advice is to stick with herbs in their natural form. Caffeine and all.

      Now don't go out and drink 5 cups of coffee. Too much can cause nausea, heart palpitations and irregular heartbeats, anxiety, restlessness, muscle tension and insomnia. It may also worsen ulcers and heart burn especially if you drink decaf. Long term excessive use can lead to adrenal fatigue and burnout. Anything in excess is discouraged, stick with moderation. So just as long as you aren't overdoing it enjoy your cup of coffee and the health benefits that go along with it.

Daily Herb-o-Scope - Feel Better with Bitters

      In my opinion the number one thing that you can do herbally to increase your health and vitality is to take a blend of bitter herbs before every meal. The bitter taste is the most lacking flavor in the typical American diet and as a result our digestion is suffering. The bitter taste elicits a very important response in the digestive tract: it stimulates the release of gastrin causing an increase in digestive juices. With this, all areas of digestion are improved including the breakdown, absorption and excretion of food. It also helps to eliminate heartburn and indigestion, bloating, gas and borborygmus (I love using this word! Its a fancy way of saying gurgling in the intestines). But the benefits go beyond the digestive tract into other areas of health. Because of the bitters effect on the liver, they help to detoxify the body and regulate hormones which extends into all body systems including mood enhancement and reproductive issues. Also with better absorption of nutrients, the increased nutrition helps to strengthen the entire body. 

      Less is more when it comes to the use of bitters. Only 1 ml of tincture should be taken 15 minutes before each meal. You can purchase a  bitters tincture at most health food stores or you can make your own tincture blend by including herbs such as artichoke leaf, milk thistle, dandelion root, turmeric, angelica, ginger and gentian to name a few. I will warn you that the taste is not very enjoyable but the health benefits far outweigh the nasty taste you have to experience. So get some bitters so you can feel better.