A Beautiful Skin for a Beautiful You

Looking After Your Skin with Herbs

Wrinkles, age spots, blemishes and those puffy eyes give the game away. Miss-spent youth! Hours of languishing in the sun without skin protection, smoking, excess alcohol, along with a disregard for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. That was the past, but if we wish to make amends and rejuvenate our skin to a healthy radiant texture, then a few changes have to be put in place. Just before you men run for it, thinking this is girls talk – think again. Men with glowing blemish-free skin have a desirable asset, not only in attracting the opposite sex, but also in business. Each and every one of us is judged on our appearance within fifteen seconds of meeting someone. As my aunt recently advised me “how you look, says who you are” and whether we like it or not, that is part and parcel of the human psyche, so play the game to your advantage!

Repairing and rejuvenation of the skin needn’t be a major expense; we are surrounded by all the natural ingredients from a bountiful supplier called Mother Nature. Our hedgerows and gardens along with the local vegetable and fruit counters are brimming over with all that we need to help nourish our skin.

Our natural pharmacy starts from the inside-out and not surprisingly, as with all living things, water is fundamental. Yes, just simple water. Nothing added, no ‘twist of this’ or ‘sprinkle of that’. Six to eight tumbler-sized glasses per day of natural mineral water will hydrate the dermal cells of even the most parched skin. As Dr Nicholas Perricone, author of “The Wrinkle Cure” reminds us, most of us walk around in a state of dehydration – even chronic dehydration, so make drinking water part of your daily routine. And you know what the added benefit will be? Your energy levels will rocket.

So what’s next on the shelf of our natural pharmacy? Out of the five top foods that have skin-hugging actions, my favourite has to be avocados. A simple fruit – yes it’s a fruit with so many fantastic vitamins and minerals in it, and containing one of the most absorbent natural oils known. A misunderstood fruit, as most people think that the high oil content is fattening and lacks essential vitamins. Not at all – in fact, quite the contrary. This unassuming fruit contains high levels of vitamin B6, with additional nutrients such as potassium, copper, and anti-oxidants. As part of a skin restorative programme, try including avocados in your salads topped with a cider vinegar French dressing or make an avocado dip. Just mash the pulp with a touch of lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper and a big splash of extra virgin olive oil. This is a great family favourite and is simply delicious.

The other top foods also have anti-inflammatory actions; skin that has been damaged through free radicals such as excess sun, cigarettes, pollution and chemical toxins, has been subjected to inflammatory pollutants. So, eating fish like wild salmon which is full of omega 3, organic chicken and turkey, fruit and vegetables will help to counteract this ongoing inflammatory process. Try a skin soothing smoothy with pineapple, kiwi, cranberries and raspberries topped off with a wedge of lime. Unbelievably refreshing, and jam packed with vitamin C and anti-oxidants.

So far in our skin rejuvenation programme we are now drinking the correct amount of water along with adjustments to our diet to eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Is there anything else that could be of benefit to us? Yes – we just have to add our herbal teas. No – don’t walk away. The taste is not bad at all. Think of them as a huge benefit to the body and to the eventual improvement of skin texture. Two teas instantly spring to mind. One is green tea and the other is Chamomile. Both containing lovely anti-oxidants with skin calming properties and in the case of Chamomile a gentle digestive restorative. If your digestive tract is in balance, therefore in good health, so is everything else within the body, advocates Dr Bernard Jenson the king of iridology and a master of nutrition.

But what about the real fun part? The part where perhaps the boys lose interest and the girls revel in the experience. The time where we get to put creams and lotions on our skin. The pharmacy cupboard is brimming over with natural remedies and none so revered as the natural anti-ageing mask; banana with honey and oats. Think of all the lovely nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin A and E that are contained in this mask. Simply mix a banana with 2 tablespoons of organic natural yoguart, a tablespoon of organic honey and oat flour together with a drop of water. Mix to a paste until it forms a thick cream and apply it to the face (avoiding the eyes) and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off and pat dry. Then apply your moisturiser within three minutes of rinsing your face. According to leading dermatologists this is the optimum period for a moisturiser to be absorbed by the skin. Moisturisers can be as simple as oils such as jojoba oil, organic sunflower oil or, if you are like me, you might like to relish in a lovely creamy organic moisturiser. You could make your own, or if time is of the essence, look for natural skin creams that contain wonderful essential oils such as geranium, neroli and roman chamomile, enhanced with carrot-seed oil and lavender. These essential oils are just heaven. After a long day of toil you could add just a few drops of lavender essential oil to your bath water and soak in it amongst ambient music and candle-light.

A few weeks ago I gave a talk about caring for your skin, and the audience were amazed at the number of medical conditions that are associated with inflammation within the body. The extensive list ranged from acne to rheumatoid arthritis including inflammatory bowel disease and heart conditions. Psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis were also high up on the list. Understanding that our precious skin and our bodies thrive on anti-inflammatory foods is imperative in achieving good health. Too often the deterioration of our body including our skin is put down to genetics. Agreed it is a factor, but the next time you see someone with glowing soft skin that has defied time, just ask them to give you the secret of their daily diet.

If you have decided to tap into Mother Nature’s store cupboard to improve your skin you need to remember this mnemonic – Positive Humans Enjoy Marvellous Skin – PHEMS – Protection, Hydration, Exfoliation, Moisturisation and Sustenance, – and you won’t go far wrong.

Sabina Jennings is a registered medical herbalist and iridologist with a specialist interest in skin conditions: Tel; 023 8842873 for an appointment

A Beautiful Skin for a Beautiful You

Looking After Your Skin with Herbs

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