Cleanser & Toner for Dry Complexion
Cleanser & Toner for Oily Complexion
Blemish Remover
Aromatic Bath Salts
Natural Sunscreen
Honey Lip Balm
Antifungal Vinegar & Powder
Nail Soak Oil
Skiing, ice skating, snowboarding or simply
gazing at gently falling snow make winter the favorite season of
many. But winter has its pitfalls, particularly for the skin. Not only
does the natural climate change, but the interior environment does
too. We shut windows tight and turn up the thermostat. We wrap our
bodies in layers of cloth and encase our feet in wool socks and
winter-hardy shoes. When it’s really cold, we dash from heated cars
to heated buildings and homes, letting our faces take the brunt of
momentary exposure to icy air and freezing winds.
Fret not, though, because simple herbal protections can help your skin stay the course during the winter months. Here, herbalist Kathi Keville, director of the American Herb Association, offers some advice. Feel free to share her remedies with your friends—package them in pretty bottles, add a bow and offer them as special holiday gifts.
Dry skin
If you have a dry complexion, the skin on your face probably has
a fine texture with no visible pores. This type of skin tends to be
thin and sensitive and may often feel tight and dry, especially
after you wash it. It can eventually become sallow and develop a
coarse texture. Skin constantly loses water through sweat and evaporation, but
tiny glands secrete oil to coat skin and stop this loss. If your
skin is dry, chances are that it’s because of underactive oil
glands, which are a result of both heredity and low hormone
production. Lacking oil, dry skin is particularly vulnerable to
winter’s wind and chapping cold, which further suppress oil glands’
production.
Herbs can help dry skin moisturize itself. Cosmetics experts
and aromatherapists suggest that small amounts of rosemary and
peppermint increase the skin’s oil production and improve
circulation, while chamomile, lavender, jasmine, elderflowers, and
calendula soothe and heal the irritation that so easily develops as
outer layers of dry skin flake off. If you have dry skin, use as little soap as possible because
most soaps dry out the skin. Also avoid foaming cleansers, which
are far too drying. When you do wash with soap, choose one designed
for delicate skin. Otherwise, wash with a water-soluble cleansing
cream for dry skin such as the recipe below, which is designed to
maintain the skin’s natural oil. Then pat your face dry very
gently.
Remove makeup with a face cream instead of soap, and always use
makeup that contains moisturizers. Avoid facial toners that contain
alcohol, which will dry your skin. Instead, use an herbal toner
with a vinegar base—this will soften your skin, help
maintain its natural acidity, and relieve the itchiness and
flakiness that often accompany dryness. Dry skin is sometimes accompanied by blemishes. Scientific
studies on chamomile, lavender, rosemary, and St.-John’s-wort show
that these herbs reduce such inflammations. In the early 1990s, H.
W. Kreysel, M.D., director of the Dermatologic Clinic at the
University of Bonn in Germany, conducted three separate clinical
studies on chamomile with dozens of men and women. He found that a
chamomile cream restored a smooth, healthy appearance to rough and
red skin faster and more thoroughly than other creams. It also
improved “peak and valley” patterns, known more commonly as
wrinkles.
Oily skin
People with oily complexions tend to bemoan their genetic fate, at least through their early years. Only later do they start to feel fortunate. There is a positive side to oily skin—it protects and lubricates, so you can expect fewer wrinkles as your skin matures. An oily complexion tends to be shiny and have large pores and a thick, coarse texture. In the winter, oil buildup increases when we bundle up with scarves and hats. All that excess oil attracts dirt, which can breed bacteria, cause infection, and clog pores with dead cells.
Nothing you use on your skin should completely stop your skin from producing oil, but some herbs can slow the production. Basil, eucalyptus, cedarwood, cypress, lemon, sage, lemongrass, yarrow and ylang-ylang (sold only as essential oil) help normalize overactive oil glands. Clean your oily face at least twice a day with a neutral-pH (7.0) soap or cleanser. Wipe away excess oil with cotton pads soaked in witch hazel or a cleanser for oily skin. Avoid scrubbing because it stimulates oil production. A slight amount of grain alcohol in toner is okay, but don’t use it often. Alcohol is drying, but if you dry out oily skin too much, it will produce even more oil to compensate.
Other Problems
Sun damage
Enjoy a day of skiing or a
leisurely hike in the snow, but don’t forget that the sun can still
do you harm, even in winter. The sun’s ultraviolet rays, which are present all day long, are
particularly destructive and can cause premature aging and skin
cancer. Nicknamed “aging rays,” they penetrate into the skin’s
lower layers, harming collagen, elastin and DNA.
