In addition to helping monitor the internal environment of the body, the skin must also react to external forces that bear down on it. Changes in temperature, sunlight, humidity and allergens all have a direct effect on the clarity of the skin. Contemporary living really challenges the skin’s ability to adapt from overheated office buildings, to decompressed airplanes and urban air quality.

Do any of the following traits apply to your skin?
• Skin breaks out with change of seasons, temperature or humidity
• Episodes of red, rashy skin or flaky patches of dry skin especially on face, hands,

feet or elbows
• Hive-like skin rashes develop when you use certain fragranced skin and body care

products, or when exposed to household detergents or cleaning agents
• Body is prone to allergy attacks periodically
• produces moderate oil

Skincare Regimen:
Cleansing: use a soothing fragrance and sulfate-free gel cleanser once a day with anti-inflammatory herbs such as aloe, nettle or rose. Try Aloe Cleansing Gel

Exfoliation: avoid fruit enzymes or glycolics acids that can exasperate this skin personality. During dormant phases, exfoliate the skin with a gentle cleansing scrub fortified with calming oatmeal extracts. Try Cleansing Facial Scrub

Toning: calm irritated skin with a homeopathic floral water. Try Rose Hydrolat

Face Oil or Moisturizer: Use medium weight face oil with a base vegetal oil such as avocado, rich in nutrients and beneficial for cell regeneration, blended with soothing essential oils such as carrot seed, rose or German chamomile. Try Carrot Seed Protective Serum

Use a rich moisturizer containing skin calming ingredients such as oat beta glucan (derived from oatmeal), calendula, nettle and sea algae extract as well as antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E. Try Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream

Skin Fitness:
Eat beauty foods fortified with Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) containing Linoleic Acid found in wild salmon, mackeral or flaxseed. EFA’s help skin cells maintain water as well as build dermal ceramides, which are the binding agent between skin cells that give them firmness and tonicity.

Eat richly colored fruits and vegetables filled with anti-oxidant beta carotenes such as cantaloupe, grapefruit, mangoes, carrots, peppers and dark leafy greens to delay the signs of aging.

Limit foods that cause an inflammatory response in the body such as sugar and high glycemic foods such as pasta, bread and potatoes that you may be more attracted to during stressful periods. Avoid spicy foods as well as dairy products that may help to create heat in the skin thus aggravating skin imbalances.

Herbal Remedies:
Add skin healing herbs such as Burdock Root, Red Clover Blossom and Dandelion Root to juice or tea. Try Clarifying Skin Tonic
In acute conditions, to help calm over-stimulated nerves frayed from itching, try a sedative herb such as valerian to help sleep. Try Relax Sleepytime Tonic
Take Bach Flower Rescue Remedy as directed for stress

Skinceuticals:
Take a multi-vitamin daily. Try Naturopathica Multi-Vitamin Preventative

Take 500 milligrams of Black Currant Oil twice a day to calm down dry, aggravated skin. Black Currant Oil contains gamma linoleic aid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that promotes healthy skin growth. You should begin to notice positive changes in six to eight weeks.

Beauty & Balance:
Take a yoga class two or three times a week and practice deep cleansing breaths to help keep the body properly balanced. Place a few drops of a calming essential oil such as lavender into a room diffuser or on your pulse point to help rebalance the mind and body throughout the day. Try Relax & Renew Essence

Special Rx:
Clean out medicine cabinet: throw away all skin care products that contain potentially irritating ingredients (see list on Ingredients page)

Use a Nehti pot, also called a nasal irritation vessel, from the health food store. Fill with warm water and add one drop of Tea Tree oil or ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Irrigate sinuses once a day.

Make your home environmentally clean: buy organic cotton sheets for your bed, purchase an air purifier, change shower head to filtered attachment, use filtered water for your home and use environmentally friendly household detergents and cleaning products.

Buy a humidifier for your bedroom to let your skin recharge with eight hours of sufficient moisture every night. Be sure to clean the filter regularly and add a calming essential oil to the water to help you relax.

Skincare Express
Mist face with a soothing Lavender Hydrolat throughout the day (try keeping hydrolat in refrigerator for added cooling and calming action).
Moisten and refrigerate a chamomile tea bag. Apply to face to soothe irritated skin.
Schedule a holistic deep cleansing facial at least four times a year to keep skin extra hydrated and healthy and book a professional massage once a month during stressful periods.