文章基本信息

标题：Face winter head-on
作者：Kathi Keville
期刊名称：Better Nutrition
出版年度：2002
卷号：Feb 2002
出版社：Active Interest Media

Face winter head-on

Kathi Keville

Your complexion deserves year-round attention, but this is especially true during the winter. While the rest of your body is bundled up and protected, your face -- and often your hands -- are left exposed to cold, wind, rain and snow resulting in dry, chapped skin. Here are some great skin-savvy tips to keep winter skin wonderfully healthy.

Skin thrives on moisture to keep it smooth and soft, and protect it from the elements. But winter's chill suppresses the skin's natural moisturizers -- underlying oil glands that keep the skin soft and supple. Dry indoor heat and air pollution also robs skin of vital moisture.

a great partnership

The best way to prevent winter skin from chafing is by using moisturizing creams and lotions. Moisturizers contain a combination of water and oil (or a non-oil substitute). Water keeps your skin hydrated so it stays soft, pliable and young looking. And oil forms a protective barrier over your skin to prevent the water from evaporating. It also "cements" down rough, scaly surfaces, so skin feels and looks smooth. Apply moisturizers right after taking a bath or shower or after washing your face. Also use it before venturing outdoors.

And don't forget to moisturize your hands, says herbalist Brigitte Mars, author of several books, including Herbs for Healthy Skin, Hair & Nails (Keats, 1998). Make it a habit to wear gloves or mittens. If your hands tend to be sensitive to winter weather, wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or cleaning. And keep a bottle of natural lotion next to all the sinks in your house, says Mars. She also suggests occasionally treating your trends to a warm herbal soak. To make one, simply create "a strong tea of chamomile, calendula, and/or fennel seeds, and add it to a small basin of warm water. Then add several drops of your favorite essential oils, for an aromatic treat." Two good choices are rosemary oil to increase blood circulation and help keep your hands from getting chilled, and lavender oil, which reduces inflammation. Follow up by coating your hands with an herbal hand lotion. If your hands do become dry and cracked, rub lotion on them before going to bed and wear soft, cotton gloves so the moisturizing action continues all night.

Avoid using facial sprays that contain mostly water unless you apply a cream or lotion immediately after. As water evaporates off your skin, it pulls water from surface layers of your skin. Also, avoid using astringents containing alcohol on anywhere but the most oily patches of skin. Alcohol dries the skin instead of moisturizing it.

the acid test

Maintaining the proper pH of your skin -- wheather it is acid or alkaline -- is an important part of a good skin care regimen. To keep skin acidic, try alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). They help maintain the skin's acidity and reduce pigmentation and fine lines. Vinegar also is full of AHAs. Other natural sources of AHAs are the lactic acid in sour milk and yogurt. Cleopatra is even said to have bathed in sour milk. Yogurt and fruit are still popular natural face care ingredients today.

To make your own simple cosmetic skin toner, dilute 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 3/4 distilled water. Add 15 drops of lavender essential oil. Shake well and apply it to skin with a cotton ball or soft cosmetic sponge. Don't worry about vinegar's distinctive smell; it disappears in several minutes.

without a blemish

If you find yourself dealing with winter-time blemishes, don't be surprised. When you wrap a scarf tightly around your face or pull a hat down over your forehead, it encourages oil to build up on your skin. Oil traps dirt, which breeds bacteria and infection, and clogs the pores with dead cells.

To clear up blemishes, dab an astringent facial toner on acne spots. You can purchase skin care products to treat acne that contain the essential oils of cedar-wood, cypress, ylang ylang, basil or lemon grass. Vinegar or aloe vera also make ideal, non-oily ingredients to treat acne. Or, make your own facial toner by adding 10 drops of one or more of these oils to one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with one teaspoon of aloe vera juice. Dab this solution right on the spot needed.

coming clean

Whenever you can, avoid using conventional soap to wash winter skin. Most soap is far too drying and alkaline. The alkalinity makes soap clean better, but it also encourages skin cells to become callous and rough as they try to protect themselves against further abuse. Some popular liquid soaps are pH balanced to make them more acidic. However, the synthetic chemicals they contain are not so good for skin. Instead, choose an all,natural variety at your health food store.

According to esthetician and aromatherapist Mindy Green, "Liquid soaps can be harsh, especially on sensitive skin. A better choice is to wash with an herbal cleansing cream, a mix, re of ground oils and water, or an herbal glycerin soap." In her book, Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Ad (Crossing Press, 1995), Green also suggests steaming it with herbs to cleanse your face. The heat of the steam relies facial tension, plus nothing feels better on a cold, wintry day than a warm facial steam.

The tendency to wash the face less often in winter can be a problem if you have acne. Light scrubbing with a soft washcloth or dry-brushing your skin with a bath brush or loofa stimulates oil production So do body scrubs designed to cleanse the skin and remove the very surface layers of flaking skin. Green recommends this process, which estheticians call exfoliation, as an excellent way to improve the look and texture of dry skin.

making scents of it all

Nature provides an assortment of herbs and essential oils that protect your complexion from winter harshness. They do so by seeping deep into skin to reach oil and sweat glands, nerve endings and lymph and blood vessels. When shopping in the winter for natural skin care products, look for herbs and essential oils that are recommended to heal dry, irritated or injured skin. Chamomile, calendula, rose, elder flowers and St. John's wort -- found in many natural cosmetics -- heal inflamed or sensitive skin, reduce puffiness and inflammation and strengthen delicate skin. They also improve skin tone and texture and smooth skin's surface layers, making it less susceptible to further chaffing. They treat enlarged capillaries or allergic skin reactions as well. Red clover flowers, strawberry leaves and comfrey leaves help to mend damaged cells, including chaffed or wind-blown skin.

The essential oils of palmarosa, jasmine, sandalwood, and orange blossom (neroli) hydrate the face to help hold in natural moisture. When skin is particularly rough, dry, mature or damaged, use the essential oils from jasmine, rose, frankin-cense, myrrh, and/or helichrysm, a curry-scented herb. Lavender and geranium also balance oil production and are wonderful on any type of skin. And small amounts of peppermint or rosemary stimulate the skin's oil production and increase blood circulation.

When purchasing skin care products, look for those that contain pure rather than synthetic essential oils. You can also make a simple complexion oil at home. Dilute two drops of any of these essential oils in a teaspoon of almond or other vegetable oil, and apply several times a day.

RELATED ARTICLE: Doing an aromatheraphy facial.

To do an aromatherapy facial, bring a pan containing about a quart of water to a simmer. Add five drops of an essential oil that benefits the complexion, such as lavender, geranium, or palmarosa. Adding just a drop of peppermint essential oil will act as an emotional pick-me-up to dispel winter blues. Place the pan of steaming water on a table and put a towel over the back of your head. Hold your head over the pan using the towel to hold in the fragrant steam so it can carry the healing properties of the essential oils to your skin.