Natural Skin and Body Care

Many individuals have suffered from acne at one time or another in their lives.  It may lessen or worsen with the seasons, diet or with hormonal changes in the body.  While it is not a life-threatening condition, many who deal with acne may feel a loss of self-esteem, especially if the acne is severe or leaves behind scarring.  The acne may also be painfully inflamed or sore.  Certainly, the shelves are full of medications especially formulated for the elimination of acne, but these medications may cause dry, flaky skin and may also aggravate the condition.  Therefore, natural cures for acne may be the first line of defense because they can be less harsh on the skin.

Mix equal parts of fresh lime juice and milk and use a cloth or cotton ball to apply the resulting mixture to the inflamed areas.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes, then rinse clean.

Yogurt and oatmeal make a wonderful acne healing mask for the face.  The yogurt’s lactic acid content can serve to soothe the skin, reducing inflammation and cleansing pores.  Oatmeal can soothe irritation and reduce inflammation also.  Mix plain yogurt with enough finely ground oatmeal to make a paste.  Apply the mask to a clean, dry face and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Rinse gently with warm water and pat dry.  If necessary, apply a light oil such as olive or sunflower oil to moisturize your face.

Ripe tomatoes are a natural astringent for the face and are great for oily skin.  Simply cut a ripe tomato in half and apply to the acne areas.  Leave the juice for about 20 minutes, then rinse clean.  You may also use tomato paste for easier application.

Please remember to do a skin patch test before applying any of these recipes to your skin and/or face.  This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any condition.  Consult with your doctor or medical professional before undertaking any type of treatment.

There’s nothing worse than the itch of eczema, especially in children.  I have known many mothers who have children that suffer from this skin condition as well as reading many stories on the Internet about baby eczema issues. Both my daughter and my husband suffer from mild forms of eczema now.  However, my daughter suffered from bleeding eczema when she was an infant.  During my search for an eczema cream that would help both her and my husband, I discovered a whole world of not only people with the eczema skin condition,but also a wide array of skin creams that supposedly treated the condition.

In my search for that magic eczema cream that would ease my daughter’s itching, as she had it much worse than my husband, her pediatrician directed me towards Eucerin, Vaseline as well as  hydrocortisone cream.  Reading the ingredients on these items was enough to make my hair stand on end – I’m not a big fan of mineral oil mixtures or petrolatum jelly.  Mind you, these two oils do have their uses, but in my opinion, they are not for regular use on the skin.

After much research, I found my own magic eczema cream that worked for my daughter and my husband.  The base of the eczeam cream was unrefined shea butter to which I added other oils such as soybean oil.  After using this natural eczema cream on my daughter’s legs and my husband arms, there was a marked improvement in the appearance of their skin.  Of course, I used this shea cream on my two sons also and their skin improved, even though they had no marked skin conditions.

As it stands, I have not purchased commercial lotions or eczema creams since I discovered my recipe!  Please understand that I don’t claim that this cream will cure your eczema – I’m just relating my own experience.

However, if you would like to try out my homemade eczema cream, take a look at http://www.neosoulessentials.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=FortheBody and try a product today!