Wildcrafted's Natural Skin Care News

Yoga Classes Now Held at Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre

2011-06-22T09:38:00.003+10:00

Yoga Classes

Due to popular demand, we have instigated another Yoga Class on Wednesday mornings in addition to the Monday Class (please see details below).

As of the March 1, a new Yoga class has been scheduled for Monday Morning starting at 9:30am. This class is for beginners only. The classes are for anyone of any age and are aimed at increasing flexibility and strength. Nicola, a qualified Yoga instructor is leading the class. At this time the cost is $10 per session and each session goes for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes including a relaxation session at the end of the class.

Yoga is an ancient practice dating back more than 5000 years and is also part of ayurveda, which is an Indian traditional medical system, so it can hardly be called a trend. Its focus is on bringing balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the individual.

The benefits gained from the regular practice of Yoga include:

increased flexibility
increased strength
better posture and body awareness
improved Lung capacity
reduced stress and an increased feeling of calmness
better concentration and reduced mood swings, to mention a few.

The underlying premise of mind-body exercise modalities, like yoga, is that the physiological state of the body can affect the emotions, thoughts, and attitudes, and the mental state has an affect on the body. This promotes a increased feeling of wellbeing.

According to Cowen and Adams (2005) in their paper entitled: "Physical and perceptual benefits of yoga asana practice: results of a pilot study" research assessing a variety of outcomes and different aspects of yoga has indicated that yoga can promote positive physical changes. For exam- ple, research indicates that yoga asana can be effective in managing symptoms associated with musculoskeletal disorders including osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, hyperkyphosis, and low back pain.

Additionally, improvements in motor skills and physiological measures, including blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight have been noted. Research also suggests that cardiopulmonary benefits of yoga include improved cardiorespiratory fitness, improved forced expiratory volume, and increased vital capacity.

For more information or to secure your spot, please contact Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre

A Case of Infertility

2010-10-20T11:19:00.004+11:00

Case Study 2: A case of Infertility

by Danny T. Siegenthaler (Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre)

Introduction

According to Maciocia (1998, p. 691) infertility is defined as “…the inability to produce offspring in a woman who has been trying for two years, who has a normal sexual life and, of course, whose partner has normal reproductive function”. If a woman has never been pregnant and has been trying to fall pregnant for 2 or more years than this is considered primary infertility, if however a woman has previously been pregnant (even if she miscarried) and has been trying for 2 or more years than this is considered secondary infertility.

A woman’s optimal period of fertility is between 18 and 35 years of age, during this time there are between 1,000,000 (18 yr) and 100,000 (35 yr) follicles left in the woman’s ovaries (Annon., 2010). However, many factors can hinder or interfere with a woman’s ability to become pregnant, including endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, absence of ovulation, etc.

Both Western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) recognise infertility as a gynaecological disorder, however, the methods of diagnosis and treatment are considerably different. IVF and assisted reproduction therapy (ART) are preferred choices of treatment in WM while in TCM, Chinese herbal medicine and/or Acupuncture are the treatments of choice.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Biomedical Aetiology and Treatment of Infertility

TCM:

Causes of Infertility include: constitutional weakness, overwork, excessive physical work, excessive sexual activity at an early age, invasion of cold, dietary inadequacies, any of which can result in either an empty or full condition. According to Maciocia (1998, pp. 695-696) infertility is either an empty or full condition, but can manifest in an individual as a combination of both full and empty patterns (Table 1). For example, a woman may have an underlying Kidney deficiency as well as Liver Qi stagnation, which may lead to Blood becoming stagnant.

Empty	Full
Kidney-Yang deficiency	Cold in Uterus
Kidney-Yin deficiency	Dampness in the Lower Heater
Blood deficiency	Blood-Heat
	Stagnation of Qi
	Stagnation of Blood

Table 1 Lists the empty and full TCM patterns associated with female infertility as described by Maciocia (1998, pp. 695-696)

Lyttleton (2004, p. 88) takes a different perspective, viewing functional infertility according to menstrual cycle phases. She describes the main categories of infertility to include Kidney deficiency, Heart and Liver Qi stagnation, Blood stagnation, and Phlegm-Damp accumulation, which are also described by Zhou and Qu (2009).

Treatment in TCM is primarily herbal (Zhou & Qu, 2009). There is no single herb or formula that is considered as the formula of choice, rather some 100 herbs are suitable and dozens of formulae have been used (Zhou & Qu, 2009). This is also reflected in part by Maciocia (1998, pp. 697-734), who also lists many different herbal approaches and a range of different formulae, but in addition, he like Lyttleton, also suggest using acupuncture points for treating the various types of infertility. Similarly, in her book, Lyttleton (2004) describes several herbal formulae to treat the infertility, but unlike Zhou and Qu (2009), also provides formulae of acupuncture points to treat the various TCM patterns associated with infertility.

Biomedical:

According the Merck Manual (Rebar, 2008) Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse. The causes of infertility according to Western Medicine (WM) include: Fallopian tube blockage, polycystic ovarian disease, inadequate luteal syndrome, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc (Jane Lyttleton, 2004, p. 87). The majority of cases relate to the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and may be listed in decreasing order of occurrence as follows (Annon., 2010; Maciocia, 1998, p. 735):

• Hormonal factors of ovulation (41%)

• Fallopian tube abnormalities (32%)

• Uterine abnormalities/factors (eg: fibroids or abnormalities of shape) (16%)

• Cervical factors (4.7%)

• No apparent causes (5%)

Treatment of Infertility

Biomedical

Biomedical treatment of infertility primarily focuses on IVF and/or ART. According to Lim (2010) causes of infertility include: sperm defects or dysfunction, ovulation failure (amenorrhoea or oligomenorrhoea), tubal infective damage, unexplained infertility, endometriosis (causing damage), coital failure or infrequency, cervical mucous defects or dysfunction, uterine abnormalities (eg: fibroids or abnormalities of shape). Depending on the underlying cause(s), infertility may be treated with Clomiphene, Metformin 500 tds. Surgery – laparoscopic ovarian drilling, OI using FSH, or IVF (Lim, 2010).

TCM

Traditional Chinese medicine utilises herbal medicine and/or acupuncture to treat the underlying cause of infertility. Once male infertility has been ruled out as a contributing factor, focus is placed on the female reproductive cycle.

In the author’s experience, focus should first be on the menstrual cycle. Any problems associated with menstruation and ovulation needs to be addressed primarily. Once ovulation can be confirmed, the menstrual cycle is within the normal length and the pre-menstrual and menstrual phases are non-problematic, the woman normally falls pregnant within 3-4 months.

This case study clearly illustrates this; Pam presented with several conditions: Infertility, Premenstrual Syndrome and Migraines, which were related (in terms of TCM pathology) and required treatment.

Patient History, Diagnosis (both TCM & Biomedical), Treatment Principles (TCM) and Treatment (TCM)

Medical History & Presenting Symptomatology

Female, age 34 presented with:

1. Infertility

2. PMT

3. Migraine Headaches

First Consultation: May 2003

1) Infertility:

• Pam has been trying to fall pregnant for several years (Infertility); took a course of fertility drugs, but had no result. NB: Husband’s sperm was checked and found to be normal.

2) PMT (up to 2 weeks prior to period):

• Irritability

• Mood Swings

• Some Depression

• Bloating

• Some Fluid Retention

• Tender breast

3) Period (Currently day 7):

• Regular cycle

• Intermittent flow

• Small clots (about 10-20¢ in size)

• Mild aching in lower abdomen during the period

4) Migraine like Headaches: - (taking Mercindol to ease the Pain)

• Headaches every 2 days or so

o Mild version is behind the eyes, above & below the eye

o Severe version (Migraine) is 1-Sided (left or right), with Nausea; starting at back of Neck moves over top or side of head to forehead.

Other S+S:

• Lower back pain

• L/s. knee aches when walking

• Gets cold feet easily

• Postural dizziness

• Libido is up/down

• Occasional blurring of vision

• Good appetite

• Dreams frequently & vividly, but no nightmares

• Tinnitus

• Vertigo

• Epigastric distension & nausea relieved by eating

• T: Red body with Spots over Tip

• P: Rapid & Wiry

Biomedical Diagnosis and Aetiology

Functional infertility of unexplained cause. The patient was referred by her gynaecologist after no obvious cause could be established and the use of infertility drugs was unsuccessful.

Case Specific WM Diagnosis

1) Infertility of unknown cause.

TCM Treatment Principles

1) Kid Yang Xu

2) Liv. Qi Stagnation (Pre-mens) leading to Yang rising

3) Liv. Xue Stagnation (During mens)

4) Liv Xue Xu (Post-mens)

Thus, (i) tonify and warm Kidney Yang, warm & strengthen the Uterus and tonify Jing, and (ii) nourish liver Blood, disperse Liver Qi & Xue Stagnation and pacify the Liver.

TCM Herbal Prescription

Pam was treated over a seven-month period with a range of different formulae at different times of her menstrual cycle and in accordance to presenting symptomatology. To detail this on a treatment-by-treatment basis in this case study is not possible due to the restrictive word limit. Therefore, the case is summarised and illustrated in brief.

Key Formula Combination used to treat PMT and infertility include:

1) Shi Quan Da Bu Wan & Xiao Yao San (or Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, if Headache) - Leading up to period

2) Tao Hong Si Wu Wan & Xiao Yao San (or Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, if Headache) - From day 1 to end of period, or

3) Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang & Xiao Yao San (or Jia Wei Xiao Yao San if Headache) From day 1 to end of period

4) Ba Zhen Tang & Ba Ji Yin Yang Wan from end of period to ovulation

5) You Gui Wan & Ba Zhen Tang - From ovulation to start of PMS, if no PMS, up to day 1, if PMT use Xiao Yao San instead of Ba Zhen Tang.

Note: Pam was given both Jia Wei Xiao Yao San and Xiao Yao San and was instructed to use Jia Wei Xiao Yao San if she felt she was getting a headache, but if not, to use Xiao Yao San instead.

Pam was primarily treated using TCM herbs and did not receive any Acupuncture, however, she came to see me for Acupuncture, if she had a Migraine (or felt one coming on) and this was treated using CO.4 & Liv.3. The needles were retained until the Migraine had subsided.

Treatment Rationale

Chinese herbal formulae:

Shi Quan Da Bu Wan consists of Ba Zhen Tang (Blood and Qi tonic) and two additional herbs that tonify the Kidney Yang i.e.: Rou Gui and Huang Qi. It is a gentle, slightly warming formula that aims to primarily tonify Blood and Qi.

Xiao Yao San is one of the major formulae used to treat PMT due to Liver Qi Stagnation. In addition, it also nourishes Blood and tonifies the Spleen.

In combination these two formulae work well together premenstrually to disperse Liver Qi stagnation, warm the Yang Qi and nourish the Blood.

Tao Hong Si Wu Wan (consisting of Si Wu Tang plus Tao Ren and Hong Hua) is useful in tonifying and invigorating Blood and regulates menstruation (Bensky, 1990, p. 250). It is particularly effective where Blood deficiency and Stagnation of Blood coexist and lead to clots. When used together with Xiao Yao San these two formulae resolve Liver Qi & Blood stagnation and promote the circulation of Qi and Blood.

Similarly, Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang and Xiao Yao San promote the circulation of Blood and Qi, warm the menses and alleviate pain (Bensky, 1990, p. 316). I used Shao Fu in the early stages when the blood clots were between 10-20¢ pieces in size. Once the size of the clots had reduced to both fewer in number and smaller in size, I used Tao Hong Si Wu Wan.

Once there were no longer any clots, Tao Hong Si Wu Wan and Xiao Yao San were used during the period to make sure the endometrium was completely cleared from the uterus.

Ba Zhen Tang and Ba Ji Yin Yang Wan were used together in the final stages of Pam’s treatment to nourish the Blood and fill the Chong channel following her period up to ovulation. Post ovulation, I used You Gui Wan with Ba Zhen Tang.

Other Treatment Suggestions

1. Increase hydrating fluid intake to approximately 2 litres per day, as Pam was not drinking enough water (less than a litre per day).

2. An extensive dietary assessment was made and it was recommended she eat less processed foods and use fruits and vegetables that were in season. It was suggested to use seasonal vegetables in soups or steamed as the major part of the meal together with some good quality lean meat and/or fish.

3. Daily intake of 400mcg of folic acid to prevent the possibility of spina bifida in the foetus (De Wals, et al., 2008; Oakley Jr, 2009).

Ongoing Treatment of Patient

Progress:

After 1 month (June ’03):

No headache since last treatment (One week ago, was only mild)

No dizziness

No tinnitus

No blurring of vision

Sleeps well, Not Dreaming as vividly

Libido is not too bad (improving)

Tongue: Thin white coating with strawberry spots

After 2 months (July ’03):

Headaches have reduced dramatically in both frequency and severity, but do still occur

No more dizziness or tinnitus

No more blurred vision

Sleep has improved – still has some vivid dreams, but much less often.

Libido has improved further, but could still be better

PMT:

Tender breast (not as bad as in the past)

Mood swings (still quite bad)

Still gets quite irritable

Some twinges in lower abdomen

Period:

Started on Day 29 (day 1)

Few Clots 10¢ in size

Scant to start with, normal flow for about 2-3 days then peters out

Duration 5 days

Tongue: Normal colour with thin white coating

Pulse: Sl. rapid and slippery

After 4 months Sep. ‘03

PMS:

Virtually no symptoms, with the exception of a slight tenderness in the breasts (90% better then at start of treatment).

No mood swings and no irritability

Period:

27-day cycle

Intermittent flow, no pain, and no clots

Duration 6 days

Other s+s:

Feels good and has more energy.

Good level of libido

No headaches for over 6 weeks

Tongue: Sl. Red, no coating

Late October ‘03

Period overdue – feels as if she might be pregnant.

No PMT symptoms at all

Feels great

Has an increased appetite

Pulse: sl. slippery

Tongue: sl. red body, very thin coating

Tx: at this time Ba Zhen Tang was used exclusively until pregnancy was confirmed.

NB: Pregnancy confirmed in early November 2003

Prognosis and Treatment Response

The treatment goal was achieved after 7 months and the patient gave birth to a healthy baby boy 9 months later.

Integration between TCM and Western Medicine

Infertility is good example of how TCM and WM can be combined to safely and effectively treat infertility, even though in this particular situation this was not the case. On her website, Jane Lyttleton (2010) lists several studies that show the successful combination of TCM and WM in treating infertility: www.acupunctureivf.com.au/pages/research_and_reviews.php and how Acupuncture can increase the success rate achieved with IVF.

Concluding Remarks

This case study demonstrates the importance of considering all of the patient’s pathologies as a whole, rather than simply focusing on infertility, which would be, and indeed was, the approach used by WM. The stagnation of both Qi and Xue needed to be resolved in order for pregnancy to be possible. This is evident by the failed use of fertility drugs before TCM treatment was implemented. Pam was treated throughout her pregnancy and there were very few issues that developed. She had no morning sickness or any other medical issues and ultimately had an uncomplicated birth. Had the Liver Qi stagnation remained unresolved there would have been issues with morning sickness and probably several other health issues during her pregnancy. It is therefore the author’s opinion that despite the strong desire of couples to have a baby and the urgency ascribed to it, it is imperative that all underlying health issues are resolved as much as possible before the woman becomes pregnant.

References

Annon. (2010). Infertility (Lecture to TCM Masters Students ed.). Milperra: UWS.

Bensky, D., Barolet, R. (1990). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies. Seattle, Wasington: Eastland Press, Inc.

De Wals, P., Tairou, F., Van Allen, M. I., Lowry, R. B., Evans, J. A., Van Den Hof, M. C., et al. (2008). Spina bifida before and after folic acid fortification in Canada. Birth Defects Research Part A - Clinical and Molecular Teratology, 82(9), 622-626.

Lim, D. (2010). PCOS. UWS Milperra Campus.

Lyttleton, J. (2004). Treatment of Infertility with Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Lyttleton, J. (2010). Research and Reviews. 2010, from http://www.acupunctureivf.com.au/pages/research_and_reviews.php

Maciocia, G. (1998). Obstetircs and Gynecology in Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

Oakley Jr, G. P. (2009). The Scientific Basis for Eliminating Folic Acid-Preventable Spina Bifida: A Modern Miracle from Epidemiology. Annals of Epidemiology, 19(4), 226-230.

Rebar, R. W. (2008). Infertility. from http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec18/ch256/ch256a.html?qt=Infertility&alt=sh

Zhou, J., & Qu, F. (2009). Treating gynaecological disorders with traditional Chinese medicine: A review. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 6(4), 494-517.

Books on Herbal Medicine

2010-07-21T16:31:00.002+10:00

Herbal Medicine: Books on Herbal Medicine

If you are interested in Herbal Medicine, have a look at these Books on Herbal Medicine, they are set of carefully selected, authoritative books ranging from text books for students of herbal medicine to general information for the lay person interested in medicinal plants and their uses.

Treating Low Back Pain using Traditional Chinese Medicine

2010-06-20T18:06:00.002+10:00

Low back pain (LBP) is a major health problem with increasing costs to private health funds and government subsidised health care systems (Brinkhaus, et al., 2006; Chenot, et al., 2006; Kittang, Melvaer, & Baerheim, 2001; Leibing, et al., 2002). LBP and acute LBP are very common conditions seen by acupuncturists, and up to 80% of people (Haake, et al., 2007; Meng, et al., 2003) experience back pain at some point in their lives, for which they seek treatment (Brok, Thorlund, Gluud, & Wetterslev, 2008; Cherkin, et al., 2009).

Read the full article: Low Back Pain and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome and Traditional Chinese Medicine

2010-06-20T12:53:00.002+10:00

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) affects countless women every month, yet there are few real long-term treatment options available for them. However, traditional Chinese medicine has been shown to provide not only short-term relief, but is proving to be an effective treatment strategy with lasting results.

Read the full article: Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS): A Case Study using Traditional Chinese Medicine

Menopause and Traditional Chinese Medicine

2010-06-19T14:28:00.000+10:00

Menopause – TCM Tutorial Paper

by Danny T. Siegenthaler

This paper reviews menopause and describes how this condition is understood in both Western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It further identifies the key diagnostic indicators for menopause in both medical systems and explains how these indicators reflect the disease pathogenesis, (including my understanding of menstrual features for WM and TCM). Furthermore, it will compare WM and TCM treatment protocols and outcomes for the menopausal syndrome (MPS).

Read the full Article on Menopause and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Layman's Guide to Natural Therapies Course

2010-02-03T13:29:00.003+11:00

WILDCRAFTED HERBAL PRODUCTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH KURRAJONG NATURAL MEDICINE CENTRE

PRESENT

THE LAYMAN’S GUIDE TO NATURAL MEDICINE

Commences Wednesday 17th February 6:30 to 7:45pm

Venue: Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre

Shop 7/1147 Grose Vale Road, Kurrajong Village, NSW, Australia

This 6-week course is designed to answer questions you may have about Natural Therapies. It unravels the often confusing and misleading alternative health care information commonly available and aims to increase understanding and insight into the health benefits Natural Medicine has to offer.

The topics to be covered week by week will be focused on the core forms of natural medicine practiced in Australia today and an overview of the secondary modalities will be given.

Course participants will have an opportunity to ask questions during a ten-minute Question and Answer time at the end of each weekly session.

There is No Charge for attendance BUT BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL PLEASE!

Week 1:

Introduction to Natural Therapies – Just Placebo or Real Medicine?

The differences and similarities between Natural Medicine, Natural Therapies, Complementary Medicine and Alternative Therapies are examined; Training, Qualifications and Regulation of practitioners.

Weeks 2 & 3:

Traditional Chinese Medicine:

The philosophy behind this ancient system of medicine is outlined, including Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Moxibustion. The theoretical aspect of how these fit into contemporary health care is explored.

Weeks 4 & 5:

Western Herbal Medicine & Naturopathy:

The Western Herbal Medicine tradition is highly eclectic and has quite a different application to that of Chinese Herbal Medicine. The ways that herbs have been traditionally used are examined and their contemporary use discussed. Herbal Medicine is often used by some Naturopaths but can be considered to be too interventionist by others. The basic principles underlying the philosophy of ‘nature cure’ are explored are discussed in the context of modern lifestyles.

Week 6:

Body Work & ‘Natural Exercise’:

It is well-known that structure and function in the body are inter-linked and it is on this basis that ‘natural’ or ‘alternative’ forms of body work and exercise are based. This week we look at the roles of Remedial Therapies, Massage, Chiropractics and Osteopathy in health care and explore why exercise forms such as Tai Chi and Yoga are better for you.

To Book or Enquire Phone: (02) 4573 0784

Skin care: It's a cover up

2010-01-27T11:54:00.001+11:00

For many years now we have seen a move away from skin care products that contain chemicals which are potentially harmful to the skin. Consumers have begun to demand natural skin care products. That is, they demand products, that instead of containing potentially harmful, synthetic and/or artificial ingredients contain natural ones. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not the whole story.

Natural skin care is by definition the use of natural ingredients such as herbs, essential oils and various extracts and nutrients from fruits and/or vegetables that treat the skin. Skin care after all is not about plumping up of the skin or temporarily removing fine lines and wrinkles, skin care is far more than that.

Real skin care is about maintaining or regaining healthy skin by use of natural ingredients that facilitate and promote the normal functions of the skin. If the skin needs particular attention, because one of its functions is compromised, herbal extracts and other natural substances can be used to specifically target that issue. Herbs are healing substances that have been used for thousands of years to re-establish health and many of these herbs have specific therapeutic functions on the skin.

The Skin is an organ and just like any other organ in our body, and it too requires regular attention and maintenance. After all, we drink water to help our Kidneys function properly, we eat bran and other fibre containing foods to help maintain healthy bowl function and so on. However, when it comes to our skin we often use products that simply mask dis-function rather than addressing the underlying problem.

Natural skin care products, or if you prefer, herbal skin care products, that contain therapeutic doses of herbs, essential oils and other nutrients, are like eating bran and grains to maintain our digestive system, but they are formulated to work on maintaining the normal functions of the skin.

Unfortunately, this is not the attitude of the cosmetics industry. The fact that products are being made with one or two natural ingredients (together with all the other synthetic and artificial ones) and then are advertised to contain natural ingredients is merely a marketing ploy by these companies. They are not interested in healing the skin, far from it; they want you to continue using their products to cover up the symptoms of a stressed skin that is in need of actual treatment.

Think about it. What is more profitable, treating the underlying cause of a problem and thus fixing it, or treating the symptoms by continually applying products to cover the problem... I'm sure shareholders of large cosmetic companies don't want to see problems solved... But then again, I could be wrong...

Therapeutic herbal skin care is about one: addressing weaknesses or problems of the skin and addressing these in specific ways through the use of specific herbs and/or essential oils; and two: once normal skin function has been established, herbal skin care products can then be used to maintain optimal functioning of the skin. The aim of therapeutically formulated herbal skin care products is not to mask symptoms of skin problems, but to fix them.

For example, Lavender is well known for its wound healing, antiseptic and toning properties. It has the ability to remove redness and heat from the skin, making it an ideal choice for soothing and repairing an irritated or hypersensitive skin. Although it is not really an anti-inflammatory as such, Lavender is often useful where there is inflammation, hence its use in burns, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, boils, rheumatism, wounds, ulcers, and so on.

From a natural medicine point of view, treatment of any health problem needs to be viewed from the first principle, that is the cause of the problem, not the effect. Thus, therapeutic herbal skin care products are formulated to target the cause of the skin problem not the result of it. This approach may take longer for the person to see the effects, but these will be more permanent and ultimately easier to maintain.

When products merely aim to mask symptoms, they actually never address the underlying cause and therefore the problem gradually gets worse. At some point, the problem will be irreversible and the masking of the symptoms no longer possible. This is when the whole deck of cards falls in a heap and serious skin problems become apparent and almost impossible to treat.

Happy New Year from Wildcrafted Herbal Products & Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre

2010-01-13T10:13:00.005+11:00

It's a brand new year full of possibilities and hope, promises and probably some new year resolutions.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products and Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre are also looking forward to an exiting and fun-filled 2010.

Soon we will be launching our new Age-Defying range as well as our range for (very) Sensitive Skin Care Products. So keep an eye on our website and newsletter.

In addition, at the Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre we have started both Tai Chi and Pilates Classes which are very popular (for more details, contact our centre).

So, if you are in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia, come and pay us a visit and join in some of the great activities.

Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre to Run Courses on Natural Therapies

2009-11-20T12:12:00.001+11:00

Starting in November 2009, Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre will begin running a series of courses covering a range of Natural Therapies.

Courses include ‘the layman’s guide to natural therapies’, which has been a popular course for people who are interested in alternative medicine and it’s range of disciplines, but because they lack information, have not yet sought such treatments.

This course will look at the major natural medicine modalities and discuss:

What they are
How they work
How natural medicine and orthodox medicine can complement each other
How natural medicine can help maintain and regain good health
Find out which therapy is best for your particular health issue
How to find a qualified natural therapist
What natural therapies can and cannot do
And much more.

Not only has this course been of interest to the lay person, but many health professionals have also attended this course with a few to find out more and increase their level of understanding about natural medicine and it’s disciplines.

“We first conceived this course over 10 years ago, because we found that people from all walks of life were increasingly interested in what natural medicine could do for them”, said Susan.

“The aim was not to sell alternative medicine, but rather to provide information that is factual and provides a more complete picture of how an individual could use natural medicine to improve their health. What surprised us initially was the high level of interest expressed by orthodox medical practitioners and nurses”, said Susan Siegenthaler, who as formulated and taught this course now for many years.

Susan is a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist with over 25 years of experience in private practice and teaching. Together with her husband and business partner Danny, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, they’ve started their new clinic, Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre and are now offering this course free to anyone that wishes to find out more about natural medicine.

The course will be held over 4 weeks at: Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre. For more details please call (02) 5673 0784 or drop in at:
Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre
Shop 7/1147 Grose Vale Rd.,
Kurrajong Village, NSW 2758

Wildcrafted Cottage - Kurrajong Now Open

2009-10-28T14:06:00.002+11:00

Wildcrafted Herbal Products Pty Ltd. has opened its first retail store, in Kurrajong Village, NSW, where its full range of natural skin care products is now available and on display.

Wildcrafted Cottage – Kurrajong, is the brand new retail outlet for Wildcrafted’s full range of skin, body and personal care products. “We wanted to make all our products available in one place so customers could come into our shop, sample the products, and ask questions directly from the people who make them,” said Danny Siegenthaler.

“So far our brand, Wildcrafted Herbal Products, has been primarily available via our website and to patients that come to our Clinic, but there was no specialised outlet where people could go to experience, smell, touch and try the products. Now with the opening of Wildcrafted Cottage, not only can people come and test our natural skin care products, but they can also sample our full range of personal care, hair care, Aromatherapy spa-blends and Therapeutic creams,” said Susan Siegenthaler.

The formulations of all the products throughout the entire range of Wildcrafted Herbal Products are based on the principles of herbal medicine. Susan, a renowned medical herbalist, formulated each of the products to maximise their safety and effectiveness.

Wildcrafted’s range of natural skin care products, as well as all the other products, only contain 100% natural and certified organic ingredients to ensure the highest quality, effectiveness and purity of every product.

“Over the last 25 years we’ve fine-tuned our formulations to be as safe and effective as possible”, said Susan. “My aim has always been not to just make another range of natural skin care products, but a range of products that are of therapeutic potency and effectiveness”, she said.

Wildcrafted Cottage opened its doors in October 2009 and is located in Kurrajong Village, northwest of Sydney in the lower Blue Mountains. Kurrajong is surrounded by natural bush land and is a picturesque, small Village, making it an ideal choice for the first of Wildcrafted’s retail stores.

The whole range including the latest line of anti-ageing products are now on display at Wildcrafted Cottage - Kurrajong.

Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre & Wilcrafted Cottage Now Open

2009-10-12T09:41:00.001+11:00

Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre is now open and we invite you to come and take a look, or visit the Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre website to see what we do and where we're located.

The aim of Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre is to provide the local community in the Hawkesbury region with a one-stop natural medicine centre where we offer a wide range of alternative medicine.

In addition, our Wildcrafted Cottage (the retail shop attached to Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre) stocks all of the Wildcrafted Herbal Products currently available. These products are hand made by our medical herbalist and strictly adhere to herbal medicine and aromatherapy principles.

The range of products available include 100% natural & organic skin care products for both men and women, as well as a full range of personal care and spa products to endulge in.

Further, Wildcrafted Herbal Products full range of therapeutic creams and compounds are also available.

If you're in the lower Blue Mountain area of western Sydney it is a great time to come and visit us at Kurrajong, a lovely Village along the Bell's Line of Road.

See you there

Wildcrafted Herbal Products to open its first Retail outlet & Alternative Medicine Clinic

2009-08-06T12:58:00.003+10:00

Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre is now becoming a reality. After almost 2 years of planning, construction of Wildcrafted's first retail outlet is in its first phase.

Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre will however be far more than just an outlet for our products. It will also incorporate an Alternative Medicine Centre, offering Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Herbal Medicine, Remedial Massage Therapy and more.

In addition we will be holding Classes and Workshops on related, relevant topics for patients, the general public as well as our students. Yes, we will be running different courses as well. So stay tuned and all will be revealed over the next few weeks and months.

In the mean time you can follow the construction of Kurrajong Natural Medicine Centre on our blog.

Can Science Really Validate Alternative Medicine

2009-06-28T10:39:00.002+10:00

This is a really good and valid question. The short answer, in my opinion, is no. Scientists cannot test the effectiveness of alternative medicine adequately. Why? Because western science works within a strict paradigm that is at best difficult to apply to a range of aspects in alternative medicine.

Let’s start with what should easily be verifiable by western science. The effect of a specific herb should be readily testable and should provide consistent results. Problem is, the tests often get very different results and do not agree about a specific herbs’ effectiveness. Why? This is where it gets a bit more complicated.

Firstly, in order to test a particular herb for it’s medicinal properties and effectiveness, the scientists must use the correct species of herbs. This is simple to achieve, however, there are major differences in the same species, depending on how and where it is grown, the time of day and year it is harvested and the condition of the soil the herb was grown in, not to mention the different processing methods that can be used.

Let’s look at an example that is very typical. Echinacea is a herb that most people have heard of and where science provides at best confusing information and results.

Now, Echinacea has 2 major species that are commonly used by medical herbalists. The first is Echinacea purpurea, the second is E. angustifolia. Now, these two species of Echinacea have different actions, and depending on the parts of the plant that are included in the herbal extract, these functions will vary again.

Let’s just stick to Echinacea purpurea and look at the many different extracts that are used in the market place.

The single best quality of this herbal extract comes from Switzerland and is made by a company called Bioforce AG. No, I’m not in anyway affiliated with this company, nor are they paying me for including their product or company name in this article or elsewhere.

As a herbalist, I’ve used many different preparations of Echinacea purpurea from different companies and have found that the best results come from the herbal extract of Echinacea purpurea produced by this company.

But why is that, what makes their Echinacea extract so much more effective? The first reason is the way they grow the herb. Firstly, they grow it in organically prepared fields, which are surrounded by buffer zones that keep any leaching into the primary fields from occurring.

Secondly, their crops are grown in rich mountain soil above 1800 meters. This appears to have a major influence on the properties and their concentrations in this herb. Thirdly, once the herb is ready to be harvested, the herbs are processed in their fresh, living state within 24 hours of being harvested. That means the plants are still alive and viable, with all their active and non-active constituents still intact.

The product is a green plant extract full of the goodies that make up this herb.

Alternatively, you can purchase Echinacea purpurea that has not been grown in organically prepared soil, that has not been grown above 1800 meters and is grown on much poorer, non-organically prepared soil. The plant is not processed within 24 hours of harvesting but instead is processed as a dried herb. Despite these major differences, they are of course still the same species and therefore treated as if they were the same. While preparations from such plants are generally standardised to meet minimum therapeutic quantities of the active ingredients as set by the British Pharmacopoeia, these preparations widely vary in other, so called non-active ingredients.

Even blind Freddy can tell you that the extract resulting from the two differently grown plants is going to be different and will have difference in their therapeutic effectiveness.

Herein lies the first problem for scientists. They are not really testing the same herb and therefore will get confusing results. They may be testing the same species, Echinacea purpurea, but not the same quality of the herbal extract. Unfortunately, they are probably not even aware of the fact that there are differences in plant constituents depending on where the plants have been grown and the methods used to make the extract.

This, just by the way, is also a problem for the herbalists that use Echinacea purpurea to treat their patients. While it’s easy to establish whether an extract is a green plant extract or not, it is often difficult to find out where the plants used to make the extract have been grown, etc. In our clinic we have often found one brand to work much better than another, despite the standardised active ingredients.

Now, if the scientists are looking for the chemicals that make up the extract (plant) to identify which of the chemicals are responsible for the range of therapeutic applications, they will find widely different concentrations and different ratios of ingredients depending on the origin of the plant/s. If they are not aware that this is (a) possible, and (b) provides different therapeutic results, then of course their results will not agree with other studies that have used plants from a different region.

The second problem scientists face (possibly unknowingly) is that the strict paradigm of science is not designed to accommodate the paradigms of alternative medicine. For example, what western medical science refers to as the Liver is totally different to that of traditional Chinese medicine. For example you would be very hard pressed to find an orthodox medical doctor that would consider the Eyes to be part of the Liver, however, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine will very much consider the Eyes as part of the Liver.

These two differing paradigms are not easily merged. Let me give you an example. An individual that presents with consistently red eyes, a reddish face and short temper is highly likely to be diagnosed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as having heat in the Liver (no, not the eyes, the liver). Now an orthodox medical practitioner may diagnose this as an allergy or a range of other problems, but is unlikely to diagnose a Liver disease.

I’m not saying either of the two approaches is right or wrong, what I’m trying to point out here is that the two paradigms are vastly different and are therefore difficult to unite under a single, testable paradigm that easily accommodates both philosophies.

This then makes it very difficult for western scientists to adequately validate alternative medicine and its therapeutic methods, if the paradigm under which they operate is vastly different.

In conclusion, unless we are testing the same thing in the same way, there is a very strong chance of obtaining different, non-conclusive, results. This is one of the major reasons that orthodox medical science is more often than not critical of alternative medicine, herbs, and other aspects.

Unless we can unite the paradigms so that every time a particular plant species is tested for its therapeutic actions and effects and the extracts are identical in all aspects, there will never be any agreement over the effectiveness of herbs.

Similarly, if we can’t find a suitable common denominator that can adequately unite differing paradigms, then any resulting tests are unlikely to be conclusive or shed insight into the effectiveness of alternative medicine.

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Cellulite Kit - Product Release

2009-06-06T15:46:00.003+10:00

The first sign of cellulite is every woman’s nightmare. Cellulite is an irregular accumulation of fatty cells immediately underneath the skin, which leads to a dimpled appearance known as cellulite or ‘orange skin’. So, let’s take a closer look at cellulite, what it is, why mainly women get it and how you can get rid of it.

Cellulite occurs around the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Because of the close proximity of cellulite to the surface of the skin, it creates a dimpled appearance in those body regions.

It occurs mostly in women as well as in some men, and can affect most age groups. Even if you do not have a weight problem, eat healthy food, drink plenty of fluid and exercise on a regular basis, you can still have cellulite.

Factors that are attributed to the development of cellulite are: age, genetic predisposition, Hormonal changes, unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. However, even fit and healthy top athletes can and do get cellulite. Basically the reason women get cellulite is because women have to store fat to give them enough calories to get them through pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Medical herbalists at Wildcrafted Herbal Products Pty Ltd. have put together a select range of products formulated to give you the best chance at winning your fight against those bumpy regions and smooth out that dimpled skin.

Get Your Cellulite Kit Now and start fighting your cellulite today.

Moisturizers - What Do They Actually Do and How Do They Work?

2009-04-28T08:52:00.002+10:00

No matter where you look there are skin care products on offer that will make you supposedly 10 years younger in a millisecond. Yeh, right... Most of these products tend to be some type of moisturizing crème and they promise that regular use will make your skin look younger.

But sales pitch aside, what is it about moisturising crèmes that affects your skin? How do they actually work? Are all the moisturising crèmes the same?

Let’s take a basic look at the anatomy of a moisturizer.

The first thing to consider is the base that gives the moisturizing crème its over-all functionality. There are basically two types of moisturizing bases: Oil in Water and Water in Oil preparations. - Isn’t that the same thing, I hear you ask. No. They have quite different effects on the skin. Why? Because when the product is an emulsion of water in oil, the oil is more dominant and therefore it’s most effective for dry skin.

When the product is based on oil in water, however, products are less moisturizing and are formulated for slightly oily skin.

At this point however, it is also important to note that depending on the inclusion of other ingredients such as essential oils and herbal extracts, the overall effect of the base-cream can be modified.

The additional ingredients are chosen based on their therapeutic actions, as well as their vitamin, antioxidant, essential fatty acid, and fragrant content that ads to the functionality of the moisturizer. In other words, the formula of the moisturizer is targeted at a specific skin type or skin problem. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

A good quality moisturizing crème has two basic functions. Firstly, it prevents/reduces the loss of moisture from the skin; and secondly it acts to protect, nourish and hydrate the skin. How?

Okay, here we need to take a very quick, simplified look at how the skin works.

The skin is a living, breathing organ, that has a multitude of functions including protecting the inside of the body from our external environment. The skin is almost totally waterproof and it has a protective layer called the acid mantel, which prevents microbes from getting into our skin and cause problems. Because of its inherent structure, only very, very small molecules can freely pass through the skin to the inside of the body.

Other, larger molecules don’t get a free passage. They either remain on the surface of the skin or they get ‘carried’ across the skin-barrier. For example, some essential oils, certain drugs, etc., have molecules that are too big to pass through the skin, which means they need to be carried across the skin-barrier, by a ‘carrier agent’.

In a moisturizing cream this may be achieved by including a carrier oil such as Jojoba in the formula. Once carried across the skin-barrier, the essential oils or herbal extracts can then ‘do their job’ which may be to reduce inflammation or promote blood circulation, or what ever.

So, on the one hand a well formulated moisturizer has ingredients that stay on the skin’s surface and take on the functions of protection and moisture loss prevention, while on the other hand, it contains ingredients that do enter through the skin-barrier to act on the underlying skin layers.

Both these functions/actions of a moisturising crème are very important and the ingredients play a vital role in the effectiveness of a quality moisturising crème. This brings me back to the therapeutic actions, vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, etc., that ad to the functionality and effectiveness of the moisturizer.

As you are probably aware, there are two types of moisturizers – 100% natural ones and of course the non-natural ones. The difference is the type of ingredients that are used to make up the product and its functionality.

I don't think I need to go into why we should only consider using 100% natural skin care products, as I have covered this topic in considerable depth through many other articles, but it is important to reiterate, that many of the commercially available skin care products found in supermarkets and department stores do contain potentially harmful chemicals and for this reason alone we’d do well to stay away from them.

However, moisturizers that use exclusively natural ingredients such as herbal extracts, essential oils, natural carrier oils and shea nut butter and others, do help to prevent loss of moisture from the skin, benefit the underlying skin layers and can have significant therapeutic effects on the over-all health, look and feel of the skin.

It is for these reasons that a daily skin care regime should always include the use of a natural moisturizing crème.

Do we really need to use a moisturiser?

Now some people would argue that we do not need to use any moisturizers at all, as our skin is perfectly capable of moisturizing itself. After all, our skin contains literally millions of sebaceous glands that excrete sebum (the body’s natural moisturizer) onto the skin’s surface, which is sufficient to keep the acid mantel (protective layer) in tact.

Well, for some people, mind you very few of them, that may be right and indeed they may not need to use a moisturiser, especially if their skin is slightly on the oily side of normal and they are living in a moderate climate. But most of us know that if we do not use a moisturiser, our skin will have a tendency to become dry, rough and at times itchy and flaky.

The problem with today’s modern lifestyle is that we expose ourselves to heating and/or air-conditioning, are surrounded by polluted air, engage in regular physical exercise which makes us sticky and sweaty, and we are basically covered from neck to toe in clothing all day.

Obviously that requires a certain level of personal hygiene and most of us have a shower and use soap to wash our bodies – not the face maybe, but the rest of the body. As a result, this removes the natural oil that the body secretes thereby removing the moisturizing function of the skin.

Now for some people, the removal of the ‘acid mantel’ stimulates, or rather over-stimulates, sebum secretion and they end up with excessively oily skin... not exactly the aim of the exercise, is it. Others end up with dry skin because the body’s sebum production is not sufficient to rebuild the moisture/oil layer on the skin’s surface. In extreme cases this can lead to eczema and/or dermatitis, and who wants that...

So what becomes important now is the type of cleansing agent that is used - but that’s for another article. Suffice it to say that using most of the commercially available soaps is not a great idea, but rather we should use a mild, natural cleansing agent that is close to the skin’s natural pH (approx. 5.5-7.0) and use a good quality, natural, skin-type specific moisturiser to replenish the skin’s moisture and help it to rebuild the protective acid mantel.

I hope you’ve gained some insight into how moisturizing creams work and why they play an important role in the maintenance and health of our skin. Read more on natural skin care products.

Vitamin D and Sun-light: Essentials for a healthy Life

2009-03-28T11:33:00.001+11:00

For decades now, both Susan and I have been telling our patients, and anyone else who would listen, not to stay out of the sun, but to use the sun to help maintain their general health, avoid osteoporosis and auto-immune diseases. When used correctly there is little chance of causing skin cancer, but incorrect use of the Sun and therefore over-exposure to UV-rays can of course be dangerous. We've even published an article "Sunlight, Vitamin D and Your Skin" on this very topic.

Traditional naturopathic medicine has always used short-time, early morning (before 9am in Summer and 10am in Winter) exposure to the sun as part of any health regime to treat a range of diseases.

The following transcript, of a news story televised on Australia’s ABC, confirms what Natural therapists have been preaching for years; but now even the scientists confirm this – so, it must be right…(sorry about the sarcasm...)

Transcript from Catalyst: Vitamin D - ABC TV Science: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2514231.htm (12/03/2009)

Have we taken our fear of the sun too far? We’re told to keep out of the sun – so what are you to think when your doctor tells you that you’re not getting enough of it and as a result you now have a serious vitamin D deficiency? Dr Norman Swan soaks up some rays to find out what is really going on.

NARRATION:
The sun’s ultraviolet rays produce most of the vitamin D your body needs. But it’s a double edged sword – too much sun can cause skin cancer and too little can lead to vitamin D deficiency.

Sophie:
Our summers were spent basically down the beach but now of course life is different
because of John’s melanomas we’ve had to stay out of the sun and I guess that’s what’s led to the vitamin D deficiency.

Dr Norman Swan:
Sophie and John’s story isn’t unique there are lots of Australians with vitamin D levels that seem to be too low and that has enormous potential implications

NARRATION:
GP, Dr Larry Light, routinely tests his patients for their vitamin D levels.

Dr Larry Light:
Your vitamin D levels….

NARRATION:
And almost 80% of his patients over 60 are vitamin D deficient.

Dr Larry Light:
It's almost unusual to find someone over the age of 60 with normal Vitamin D levels.

Dr Norman Swan:
Dr Lights approach to people like Sophie and John could well be on the money low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increase risk of colon cancer schizophrenia diabetes multiple sclerosis falls and bone fractures not to mention heart disease. It all seems too amazing to be true but is it? And it’s all for something that’s not even a vitamin.

NARRATION:
It’s actually a chemical messenger – a hormone. Vitamin D is produced in your skin when it’s exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It then goes through a series of chemical processes in the liver and kidney where it’s converted to it’s active form – the hormone, calcitriol.

Prof. Rebecca Mason:
Now the most important thing that calcitriol does is help calcium and phosphate absorption from the environment into the body. Particularly important for strong bones and good muscle function. What we've found out though, that there are proteins that respond to Vitamin D in just about every cell in the body. And Vitamin D has effects in most tissues in the body.

NARRATION:
In recent years low vitamin D has been associated with the development of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes… but Dr Jenny Gunton and her colleagues have found a link with all types of diabetes.

Dr Jenny Gunton:
It looks like people with diabetes are more likely to be vitamin D deficient. It’s not clear why it covers all types of diabetes but we think that it plays an important role in the function of beta cells and they’re the cells that make all the insulin for your body. The beta cells don’t work as well if you don’t have enough vitamin D. We don't know whether or not you can use Vitamin D to treat diabetes but it's a question that we're starting to look at. We're certainly treating people who we find to be Vitamin D deficient and it looks like it's helping their diabetes.

NARRATION:
The real scientific test to see whether vitamin D is truly of benefit is to give it to people in a trial.. and a recent study is taking trials involving 57,000 people taking vitamin D supplements and what they showed was that supplementation was associated with a lower risk of dying of any cause.

Dr Jenny Gunton:
I think Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a public health issue. It's becoming incredibly common in people who are otherwise healthy.

Prof. Rebecca Mason:
The groups who are really at risk are the people who are older. People who have dark skin. The people who cover up. And anyone who's chronically ill.

Dr Jenny Gunton:
Normal levels for vitamin D are a controversial topic but its very clear if your levels are below 25 that it’s very bad for your bone density and increased risk of osteoporosis and breaking your bones; up to 50 which is the current cut off for normal you still have abnormalities in calcium handling in the body.

Dr Norman Swan:
So if you’ve got a low level of vitamin D what’s the best way to replace it? Sunlight’s pretty good, 90% of vitamin D is made by sunlight having an impact on your skin, but sunlight also causes skin cancer do we really need more sun?

NARRATION:
Rebecca Mason and her team have made some remarkable findings – getting your vitamin D levels from the sun can be safe and may also have a protective effect.

Prof. Rebecca Mason:
What we've shown is that Vitamin D compounds used topically both in human skin and in animals reduce UV induced DNA damage and in animals reduces the immuno suppression and the skin cancers. We think that this reflects a natural protection in the skin that Vitamin D is giving you.

NARRATION:
Some experts recommend exposing 15% of your body to the sun every day for six to eight minutes before 11am or after three pm; and double this time during winter, if you live in Tasmania, or if you have dark skin.

NARRATION:
How does this sit with the Cancer Council’s Slip Slop Slap campaign?

Professor Ian Olver:
It’s very important that the sun protection message during the summer remains and the vitamin D message can complement it for times when the sun is unlikely to burn you skin.

NARRATION:
But getting out into the sun at a particular hour of day for just the right length of time is not practical for everyone….

John Biggs:
I've had two melanomas and do my best to sort of keep out of the sun.

NARRATION:
So for people like John, supplements have their place. But what’s the recommended dose?

Prof. Rebecca Mason:
The only supplements that are generally available here are about a thousand international units and most of them are in the Vitamin D3 form. In the same form as we make in the skin. If you've actually got significant levels of Vitamin D deficiency. So most people now are recommending a loading dose of at least say five tablets a day for a couple of weeks and then going back onto the one thousand units a day.

Dr Light:
Your vitamin D levels have risen from the original 23 up to 82 nanomoles per litre. So taking those capsules, I think it was about four at night paid off.

NARRATION:
But what about diet? With only 10% of the vitamin D your body needs coming from food is it a realistic source?

Dr Jenny Gunton:
We don’t get enough vitamin D from the diet unless you take supplements in nearly all cases, because you only get it from oily fish or cod liver oil and I’ve never had cod liver oil but I’m told it tastes memorably awful.

NARRATION:
So if you just want the maintenance dose of vitamin D, you would have to eat the equivalent of one large fillet of oily fish, or one tablespoon of tasty cod liver oil every day.

Sophie:
I’ll be taking vitamin D now for the rest of my life one capsule a day just to make sure that my levels don’t drop and that I can get on with life

Dr Norman Swan:
So what are the main messages here - well a lot of us are low in vitamin D and we don’t even know it, you can have your levels checked but they’re expensive to do, for some of us just being out in the sun for a few extra minutes a day particularly if we’re exercising that’ll be good, 15% of your body uncovered, many people though are going to require supplements sometimes in quite significant doses so it’s probably a good idea to have a chat with your doctor first.

Story Contacts
Dr Jenny Gunton
j.gunton@garvan.org.au
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Prof Rebecca Mason
rebecca.mason@bosch.org.au
Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney

Boy, it's nice to be vindicated.

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Acne

2009-02-09T10:01:00.004+11:00

If you are looking for information on Natural Acne Remedies or any other information on Acne the following is a great place to start:

Natural & Herbal Acne Remedies
Natural Acne Skin Care
Home Made Acne Remedies
Acne News & Articles
Acne Library
Herbal Acne Products

Good quality, reliable information on acne can be difficult to find, however the above link provide a great place to start.

Dermatology, Skin Care, Skin Problems & a range of Hints & Tips

2009-02-04T12:17:00.001+11:00

This library contains a directory of articles written by Danny and Susan Siegenthaler who together have over 40 years of experience in the field on natural medicine. Danny is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and his wife Susan is a medical herbalist who has taught hundreds of student in medical aromatherapy and herbal medicine.

These articles draw on their years of clinical experience and provide the reader with high quality information about natural skin care and related topics.

In addition there are several Universities and medical references worth bookmaking. Many of them are great sources of authoritative information.

University of Maryland Medical Center.
UMM provides a great deal of quality information on dermatology. The information if well researched, backed by references from scientific sources and is written in mostly non-medical terminology. They also have a large authoritative section of information on herbal medicine.

Articles on Skin Care, Skin Problems and Solutions
Over 100 articles on all aspects of skin care, natural skin care products, natural approaches to treatment of skin disorders and much more.

Information on natural and organic skin care is very confusing to say the least. While we all know that we should avoid synthetic or artificial ingredients in our food and drinks, we are less well informed on the ingredients in our beauty and personal care products.

Merck Manual - Skin Disorders
The Merck Manual is a searchable, online reference text, that provides expert medical information.

Sun Damaged Skin: Avoiding skin damage from the Sun
The incidence of skin cancer is still rising even though there are warnings on TV and other media on a regular basis. Outdoor activities are great; They provide exercise and enjoyment, however, while outdoors we need to make sure we avoid risking sun damage to our skin.

Your Skin Care Regime for Spring
Spring is the time to rejuvenate your skin by following some basic steps: exfoliating, cleansing, nourishing, toning and moisturising. But there is much more to healthy, vibrant skin than a daily skin care regime. The following article provides some practical hints and tips on caring for your skin and preparing it for Summer.

Are You Finding Information on Natural and Organic Skin Care Confusing?
Information on natural organic skin care is very confusing to say the least. While we all know that we should avoid synthetic or artificial ingredients in our food and drinks, we are less well informed on the ingredients in our beauty and personal care products.

Oily Skin - Why You May Have Oily Skin & What To Do About It
Often, oily skin is associated with acne, however, here we will focus on the classic oily skin type and look at the causes and solutions for oily skin.

Skin Care Advice: The Good, Bad & The Ugly
There is a plethora of information about what to do and what not to do when it comes to taking care of our skin. The media is full of reports and the cosmetic/beauty companies run full-page advertisements in popular magazines telling you how you should take care of your skin and the various treatments you should impose on your skin.

Are Natural and Organic Skin Care Products Too Expensive?

2009-01-15T09:58:00.000+11:00

There is occasionally discussion among consumers about the retail prices of natural and organic products. Some people wonder if they are being charged a fair price for the goods they purchase or if they are just being ‘taken for a ride’ on what could be the latest fad for ‘natural and organic’ products. This article hopes to shed some light on some of the main factors that influence the retail prices of natural and organic products.

The Real Costs of Natural and Organic Skin Care Products - Too Expensive or Too Inexpensive?

We are asked daily in our business about the cost of our products: some people want to know, given that our products are based on organic and natural ingredients, why they are so inexpensive and others ask why our products cost so much. Two different questions asked from two different perspectives.

The first question is asked from the belief that organic and natural raw ingredients are frequently high in price and so it is expected that products based on these types of ingredients would be expensive. The other perspective is asked from the belief that the production of natural and organic ingredients (well, they do grown on trees don’t they?”) should cost less than the manufacture of synthetic or mass-produced ingredients and thus products based on these should be inexpensive.

The first question is probably closer to the truth than the second in its assumption about the cost of ingredients that are natural and organic.

The production of natural and organic goods, be they foods or raw materials used in further manufacturing, is labour intensive and the demand is currently relatively small compared to the mainstream. In addition, organic producers must go through a cost intensive process to achieve organic certification of their products. These three factors are primary contributors to the basic gross costs of natural and organic products.

Leaving aside global economic crises, the cost of essential oils can significantly influence the ultimate price of natural and organic skin care and personal care products that contain these ingredients. Growing, harvesting, oil extraction, quality testing, market demand and availability all play roles in this.

Essential oils are extracted from the leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and nuts of plants that may be grown as commercial crops or may be wild-harvested (although the latter occurs less and less frequently today due to conservation concerns). Extraction processes vary according to the part of the plant from which the oil is to be extracted and the quality of the oil required at the end of the process. In keeping with increasing demand for pure and high quality essential oils, extraction methods have become more sophisticated and technology-based on the one hand whilst growing and harvesting techniques have returned to more traditional, sustainable and labour-intensive methods.

For the most part, the amount of plant material required to produce a kilogram of essential oil can be huge. For example, it has been estimated that it takes about 500kg of rose petals to produce 1 litre of rose oil (and individual rose petals don’t weigh very much!).

Climatic conditions have a major influence on essential oil prices. For example, a bad season in which there is insufficient rainfall or the occurrence of natural disasters such as storms, hail, floods and fires, can affect the amount of plant material available for harvesting and therefore, the amount of essential oil that can be extracted. In this scenario, a limited amount of essential oil available to the market can cause a dramatic increase in price. Man–made disasters such as wars also have a detrimental effect on the availability of many of our much-loved essential oils.

Australia has a relatively small essential oil producing industry, with most of the essential oils sold in Australia imported from elsewhere. Included in the list of ‘elsewhere’ is Hungary, China, India, Egypt, West Indies, Thailand, Italy, USA, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, France, Somalia, Madagascar, Spain, Brazil, United Kingdom, Paraguay, Bulgaria and Tunisia. On average, of the most commonly sold essential oils available in Australia, only 16% are produced here.

We won’t even bother to factor in costs like import duties and other taxes on the imported essential oils.

Market forces also exert an influence on the cost of essential oils. One of the most useful and sought after essential oils in the perfumery and cosmetics industries is Rose Oil and this of course, increases its demand in the market place. The average cost of 1 kilogram of Certified Organic Rose Otto oil is AU$12,000!!! Amazingly, this is not the most expensive of the essential oils.

It is true that essential oils from plants that grow abundantly, easily and have a high essential oil content are less expensive. However, these are also often the essential oils that are less useful in skin care and body care formulations.

The average price of a 25ml bottle of pure certified organic essential oil is currently AU$72.00, so it can be seen that skin and body care products containing pure certified organic essential oils may have a good excuse to be more expensive than the average mass-produced, synthetic-based Brand X product.

Why then, you may well ask, do manufacturer’s put certified organic essential oils into their products? Why not leave the nice aromas out altogether?

The answer is simply that essential oils are not in the products solely for their wonderful aromas. Essential oils have amazing and often profound direct beneficial effects on the skin and hair as well as producing beneficial psychological and psychosomatic effects via their influence on the nervous and hormonal systems.

Natural and organic skin and body care products that contain essential oils are not just exerting a superficial or cosmetic effect on your skin but also have the potential to positively influence your health and well-being, with effects that are definitely more than skin deep.

Take a look at our 100% natural & organic skin care range

So, to return to the original question of whether the cost of organic and natural skin care products is too expensive or too inexpensive, it all depends on what’s in them and how much of the ingredients a product contains.

At Wildcrafted, our products contain therapeutic quantities of ingredients, this by necessity makes them expensive to manufacture. However, our costs are minimised, because we do not distribute them through traditional supply chains. That is we supply our products directly to our customers via our on-line store, which means they are not as expensive as they would be if customers where able to buy them at a local store.

If that were the case, the retail price of our products would be approximately double that of what our customers are currently paying.

Wildcrafted’s aim has always been to provide the highest possible product quality and effectiveness at an affordable price.

We hope that we have been able to shed a little bit of light on some of the contributing factors involved. We also hope that we have been able to show that the health benefits gained from using an organic and natural product go beyond cosmetic improvement to your skin and hair.

Nanotechnology in Sunscreens: Cancer Risk

2008-12-18T11:12:00.000+11:00

Nanotechnology in Sunscreens: Cancer Risk

In previous articles we looked at sunscreen factors (SPFs) and their possible health risks and we looked at the use of nanotechnology in the cosmetics industry. Today, scientists from the CSIRO have shown, under laboratory conditions, that nano particles of metal oxides (as used in sunscreen lotions) can penetrate cells and damage DNA.

Below is a transcript from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) reporting on the potential cancer risk resulting from the use of nanotechnology in sunscreen lotions.

Safety concerns over high-tech sunscreens

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Broadcast: 17/12/2008

Reporter: Kirstin Murray

Nanotechnology has been a revolutionary science utilised to improve water supplies, screen for viruses and increase durability in food among its other uses. Nanoscience has also been used to produce products such as stain resistant clothing and is often found in cosmetic products such as anti-ageing creams and sunscreen. With this technology being so widely used, questions are being raised as to how safe nanotechnology is in products that are rubbed directly onto human skin.

HEATHER EWART, PRESENTER: The revolutionary science of nanotechnology, which engineers tiny particles the size of an atom, has transformed the world we live in. And within two years, it's expected to be a $1 trillion industry. Scientists have used the technology to improve water supplies, increase the durability of food, screen for viruses and create new forms of drug delivery. It's not surprising the cosmetics industry has seen the appeal, with nano particles now common ingredients of many anti-ageing creams, hair products and sunscreen.

But how safe is nanotechnology in products that are rubbed directly onto human skin?

Read the full article "Nanotechnology in Sunscreens, Noisturisers and Anti-Ageing Creams - a Cancer Risk" and find out the potential risks of using products containing these modified molecules.

It's not worth the risk. Use natural skin care products that do not contain modified, synthesised or manipulated ingredients in them

Following Bad Skin Care Advice can be Harmful to Your Health

2008-11-15T16:34:00.003+11:00

Bad Skin Care Advice

There is a plethora of information about what to do and what not to do when it comes to taking care of our skin. The media is full of reports and the cosmetic/beauty companies run full-page advertisements in popular magazines telling you how you should take care of your skin and the various treatments you should impose on your skin.

Some of this skin care advice is good, useful information, however, there are things that we are being told is good for our skin that in reality is very bad.

For example, chemicals peels - these involve applying a chemical solution to the skin which causes it to “blister” and eventually peel off. The newly regenerated skin is usually, but not always, smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.

However, by intent, new skin will grow following a peel. This skin is very fragile and vulnerable to complications. The newly formed skin requires protection from overexposure to the sun and those with a history of cold sores may develop a severe outbreak for which they may require antibiotic or antiviral medication.

Why would anyone want to peel-off healthy skin tissue? Using a gentle exfoliant to remove excess dead skin cells is one thing, but using harsh chemicals that burn your skin to the point of blistering is quite another.

Another example of bad skin care advice is the use of Botox injections or Botox-alternatives. Botox is a substance derived from botulinum toxin (A potent neurotoxin from the microorganism Clostridium botulinum) that works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to be essentially paralyzed.

Think about this for just a moment… Remember the saying: “if you don’t use it you loose it”? Muscles if not used start to loose their tone within 24 hours – just look at the difference in muscle tone and strength after having a broken leg in plaster for 6 weeks or so, and you’ll see how much bulk, strength and tone the muscles of the broken leg have lost.

Logically then, by artificially paralyzing muscles, muscle tone, strength and volume will be lost and if Botox injections/creams continue to be used, ultimately the targeted muscle(s) will atrophy and eventually die. The long-term end results therefore, has to be more lines and wrinkles than before…what genius came up with that idea…

There are also the side effects to consider. The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), lists the following side-effects:

Droopy eyelids, which can last for a few weeks
Feeling like you have the flu
Headache and upset stomach
Risk of botulism (a life or death illness that makes it hard for a person to move the arms and legs or to breathe) is low with Botox™, if used the right way.

Both manufacturers Botox™ and Botox Cosmetic™ warn on their labels of the possibility of adverse reactions near the site of the injection for each product's approved uses, and of "the rare potential of distant side effects'' including severe difficulty swallowing and breathing when the products are used on patients with neuromuscular disorders.

Hello! Even the manufacturers warn of serious potential problems, so why on earth would anyone want to risk subjecting themselves to what are potentially serious side effects.

Now we all know that the normal process of aging and sun damage are the most common causes of lines and wrinkles. WebMD.com states that: “Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox, because it works only for wrinkles that are caused by the contraction of the underlying muscle”. So if most lines and wrinkles are due to natural aging and sun damage, what’s the point in using Botox?

What lies at the root of most lines and wrinkles is the loss of or damage to collagen and elastin fibres, which are the proteins responsible for the elasticity, tone and texture of the skin. Using natural skin care products that promote the production of collagen and elastin fibres will help your skin to retain a more youthful appearance for longer. Combine good quality skin care products with healthy food, at least two litres of water daily and some exercise, and your skin will be visibly healthier and look younger.

Don’t risk the health of your skin by taking bad skin care advice and using chemicals that have the potential to cause serious side effects or health problems. Use common sense when choosing what type of treatment you will subject your skin to and ask some probing questions.

You can access good skin care advice that is based on the philosophy of natural medicine and is written by qualified, experienced practitioners who have decades of experience in alternative medicine to inform yourself of the type of skin care that is safe and effective to use on your skin. Beauty is more than skin deep and there are many factors that contribute to healthy, beautiful skin.

Allergy: How and Why Do Allergies Develop?

2008-10-22T11:59:00.000+11:00

Ever Wondered How You Develop An Allergy?

Allergies are becoming more and more common. In fact about thirty percent of people suffer from one or more allergies. Why? What exactly is an allergy anyway? And how do allergies develop?

Before we go much further, we need to define what an allergy is. A simple definition is: An allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) is an inappropriate immune responses to a normally harmless substance.

This can be almost any substance natural or otherwise, for example pollens in the air may cause sneezing, runny eyes and/or nose and in severe cases an allergic response can actually result in a medical emergency and be potentially fatal.

So why do we get these allergies?

Normally, the immune system, which includes antibodies, white blood cells, mast cells, complement proteins, and other substances, defends the body against foreign substances known as antigens (substances that are antagonistic). However, in susceptible people, the immune system can overreact to certain antigens (called allergens), which are harmless in most people. The result is an allergic reaction (Merck, 2008).

Simply put, an allergic reaction is basically an over-reaction by your immune system to an otherwise benign substance.

Some people are allergic to only one substance, whilst others are allergic to many. So how do we become allergic to a substance that in the past we have not been allergic to?

To read the full article, view: Allergy: How & Why Do Allergies Develop?

Medical Science Confirms link between Acne and Diet

2008-10-12T09:07:00.000+11:00

A recent article published and distributed through MedScap confirms a link between Diet and Acne. This is not new to natural therapy practitioners who have been saying this for decades.

Our bodies will respond to the types of foods we feed it; Good quality food high in nutrients and low in 'junk value' will help to promote good health and wellbeing. Your skin will sooner or later reflect the quality of food we've been eating, as will the health of the other organs in our body.

Food itself does not cause Acne, however, the type of food you eat can contribute to the severity, frequency and duration of an acne outbreak. Conversely it can also reduce this and to some extent prevent the outbreak of acne.

Eating a diet of mostly unprocessed food, high in nutrients and low in saturated fats will make a difference. In addition, keeping the body well hydrated and being physically fit, all contributes to fighting acne successfully.

To read the full article go to "Does Diet Cause Acne", it is a little heavy on the scientific terminology, however, if you read past the jargon, you will get some insightful information

Skin Care – Finding Relevant Hints & Tips For Your Particular Skin.

2008-07-09T15:09:00.000+10:00

With the ever-increasing amount of information being added to the vast online information base on skin care, getting information that is specifically relevant to an individual is becoming increasingly difficult.

Even though search engines are getting more sophisticated and try to provide the most relevant results for your question, they cannot be anything other than reasonably close, but at the same time still remain quite general.

Everyone’s skin is different, we are after all individuals and no two people will have exactly the same skin. Sure, there are 3 basic skin types; oily, normal and dry, but within each of these, there are differences.

For example, some people also have sensitive skin, others have combination skin and in addition, age plays a factor as well. Heredity is another factor that will influence your skin. Depending on your cultural background, there will be additional differences affecting your skin, colour for example.

There are lots of hints and tips on how to care for your skin, but if you don’t know what your specific requirements are, then how do you know which of these hints and tips to follow?

One of the ways you can start to define the needs your skin has is to establish which skin type you have. Then, look at your cultural/genetic influences on your skin and finally consider your age.

So for example, you may have dry & sensitive skin, are from an English (Caucasian) background and are over 40 years young. In other words, you have fair skin that is sensitive and tends to dryness, and your skin is starting to mature.

Now, armed with this information it’s much easier to identify the relevant hints & tips on how to care for your particular skin.

Skin Care is a Necessity, not a Luxury.

2008-07-03T16:37:00.000+10:00

Taking Care of Your Skin is like Life Insurance

Menon (2002) says it best, when he states that: “…the human skin is not only the largest organ in the body, but also perhaps the most complex, with at least five different cell types contributing to its structure, and other cell types from circulatory and immune systems being transient residents of the skin. In terms of the number of functions performed, the skin simply outweighs any other organ: its primary function is of course protection, which covers physical, chemical, immune, pathogen, UV radiation and free radical defences. The skin is also a major participant in thermoregulation (regulates the body's temperature), it functions as a sensory organ, performs endocrine functions (Vitamin D synthesis, peripheral conversion of prohormones), is significant in reproduction (secondary sexual characteristics, pheromone production), and perpetuation of the species, human non-verbal communications (visual signalling, emotions expressed), as well as a factor in zenophobia and bias against fellow humans that has shaped the destiny of humanity”.

Okay, it's a little on the 'academic speak' side, but think about it - the skin effects areas of our lives ranging from reproduction to defending us from UV-rays, bacteria, viruses; keeps water both in and out of our bodies and reacts to touch, emotions, temperature, etc.

There are hundreds of skin conditions ranging from annoying to deadly

Whilst there is nothing wrong with our skin, we barely give it a second thought. It is only when something goes wrong that we suddenly start to pay attention and quickly realise that there are very few experts that can actually help us to overcome many of the problems our skin can develop. Most treatments of various skin problems target symptom control. The use of anti-inflammatory drugs, cortico-steroid creams, antibiotics, etc. None actually target the cause of a skin disorder such as dermatitis, eczema, and many other similarly common conditions.

Modern medicine is great at diagnosis what is wrong, but very poor at actually fixing the problem. In their defence, skin problems are notoriously difficult to treat and even natural medicine is not exactly great at it either, but at least it attempts to identify the underlying constitutional cause and its treatment does primarily target this cause rather then targeting the symptoms that result.

To illustrate the difficulty in treating skin conditions, it is useful to have a quick look at the many conditions that fall into the category of skin problems:

Below is an alphabetical list of skin problems as recognised by the National Skin Care Institute:

A-B	E-I	M-P
– Acne	– Echtima	– Malignant melanoma
– Alopecia (baldness):	– Eczema	– Melasma
alopecia areata		– Miliaria
alopecia totalis	– Epidermolysis bullosa	– Molluscum contagiosum
alopecia universalis	simplex	– Paget's disease of the nipple
traction alopecia	junctional	– Pediculosis
– Angioma	dystrophic	– Pemphigus
– Athlete's foot	hemidesmosomal	– Photoallergy
– Basal cell carcinoma		– Photosensitivity
– Bed sore	– Erythrasma	– Pityriasis rosea
– Behcet's Disease	– Erysipelas	– Pityriasis rubra pilaris
– Blepharitis	– Folliculitis	– Psoriasis
– Boil	– Friction blister
– Bowen's Disease		R-S
– Bullous pemphigoid	– Herpes:
	HHV1 - cold sores	– Raynaud's disease
C-D	HHV2 - genital herpes	– Ring worm
	HHV3 - chickenpox, shingles	– Rosacea
– Calluses and corns	HHV6, HHV7 - roseola infantum, sixth disease	– Saint Anthony's fire
– Canker sore	HHV8 - Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus	– Scabies
– Carbuncles		– Scleroderma
	– Hidradenitis suppurativa	– Sebaceous cyst
– Candidiasis:	– Hives	– Shingles
oral (oral thrush)	– Hyperhidrosis	– Skin cancer
vaginal (candidal vulvovaginitis)	– Ichthyosis	– Skin Tags
penile (candidal balanitis)	– Impetigo	– Spider veins (telangiectasia)
in the diaper area (diaper rash)		– Squamous cell carcinoma
in the skin folds (candidal intertrigo)	J-L
		T-W
– Cellulitis	– Jock itch
– Cold sores	– Kaposi's sarcoma	– Tick bite
– Creeping eruption	– Keloid
– Dandruff	– Keratoacanthoma	– Tinea:
		barbae
– Dermatitis (eczema):	– Keratosis:	capitis
atopic dermatitis	actinic (solar) keratosis	corporis
contact dermatitis	keratosis pilaris	cruris (Jock Itch)
seborrhoeic dermatitis	keratosis follicularis (Darrier's disease)	pedis
cradle cap	seborrheic	unguium
nummular dermatitis	hyperkeratosis	versicolor
stasis dermatitis
perioral dermatitis (muzzle rash)	– Lice infection	– Trichomycosis
dermatitis herpetiformis	– Lichen planus	– Varicose veins
	– Lichen simplex chronicus	– Vitiligo
– Dermatofibroma	– Lipoma
	– Lymphadenitis	– Warts

This list is not an exhaustive list of all known skin diseases or disorders, however it is quite comprehensive and illustrates the vast range of afflictions that may affect the health of our skin.

Bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes are often responsible for skin problems. In order to treat skin diseases caused by such microbes, it is necessary to target the offending bug with appropriate herbs, essential oils, drugs or a combination of these therapies.

However, skin diseases are not solely caused by microbial infection. Some skin disorders are due to deficiencies in nutrients. A classic example is Scurvy, which is a vitamin C deficiency and can easily be treated by taking supplements of vitamin C or eating foods high in vitamin C.

Then there are the other skin problems.... Read the rest of this article here...

References:

Menon, G. K. (2002) New insights into skin structure scratching the surface. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. Vol. 54, 1, Pages S3-S17.

Incey Wincey Spiders

2008-06-21T12:34:00.001+10:00

No, it's not the nursery rhyme. It is about three annoying skin blemishes that may reveal more than you think.

Spider nevi
Spider angioma, and
Thread veins

These little, annoying skin blemishes can tell you a lot more about what's going on with the health of your body than you might expect.

Spider nevi

Spider nevi are little skin flaws where small broken capillaries that look like a little red spider are visible on the skin's surface, usually on the face or abdomen. Often they occur on the cheeks, but can develop anywhere.

The way to tell if the blemish you may have on your skin is a Spider nevi, is to press lightly in the centre of it and if the 'legs' disappear, you have spider nevi (or spider angioma). These usually occur in people over 40 or folk with liver disease, but in themselves they are harmless. However, they can point to a health imbalance of some kind.

Spider nevi may also be due to a vitamin C deficiency, high blood pressure, and may also occur during pregnancy. The best way to treat them is to a) make sure you have no underlying problems that may be the cause of them, such as the problems listed above. If you do, then these health issues must be addressed first.

Natural Skin Care Systems for Your Skin Type

Wildcrafted's Rose Day Cream is ideal for dry, mature and blemished skin.

...more information

b) Use natural skin care products that contain Rose oil, which has incredible healing properties.

For example combine the Hydrating Cleanser, Milk of Roses Toner, Rose Day Cream and Age-Defying Essence to provide your skin with the perfect combination of ingredients to help heal the tiny blood vessels and restore proper circulation to the affected area.

Remember to implement a daily skin care regime of cleansing, toning and moisturising to obtain best results and finally, use a good exfoliant twice a week to keep stimmulating the skin's blood circulation and remove the dead skin cells.

Spider angioma

Spider nevi differ slightly to Spider angiomas (all though often considered the same in many medical reference books). Spider angiomas are an abnormal collection of blood vessels near the skin's surface and look very similar to spider nevi, except that spider angiomas have a raised red central dot with reddish 'legs' radiating out. Pressure on the central spot will cause the 'spider legs' to disappear. They are a type of benign tumour associated with pregnancy and in patients with liver disease.

Rapid development of numerous prominent spider angiomas may point to cirrhosis of the liver, malignant liver disease, and other liver dysfunctions. A common characteristic is an elevated blood estrogen level.

Thread veins

Spider nevi are not to be confused with Thread veins, which are a venous problem rather than a problem of broken capillaries. Okay, it's getting a bit medical... Veins transport deoxygenated blood via the liver to the heart and then to the lungs where the blood is oxygenated again.

Capillaries are where the arterial blood, through loss of oxygen, becomes venous blood and enters the veins. The veins that become visible at the surface of the skin are the thread veins and these thread veins point to underlying diseases such as cardiovascular disease or liver disease. They are often precursors to varicose veins.

Now just because you have a single spider nevus or a spider angioma, doesn't mean you have a liver disease or that there is something wrong with your cardiovascular system, but if you have several of them or they are increasing in numbers, it might not be a bad idea to go and consult you health care professional - just in case.

The skin really is an incredible organ and is able to reflect many health problems to the trained eye. Taking good care of it is not a luxury - it's a necessity.

Information on Natural & Organic Skin and Personal Care

2008-06-17T10:12:00.000+10:00

We Are In The Information Age

Information is becoming one of the most important aspects in our lives. Computers, mobile phones, email, internet and what ever else is featuring heavily in day to day life and allows us to stay in touch with news, friends and family instantly.

As regular visitors to this blog know, I've published many articles on a range of topics covering skin care and associated topics. The issue though is that some articles have been published in ezines, others on our primary website, still other here in this blog and basically they are all over the place.

In order to bring together all the different sources and provide one place where you can access almost all of the articles I've written I have constructed a new website that is intended to provide information on skin & health care.

Information on Natural and Organic Skin and Personal Care

This is an extensive library of information on natural and organic skin care products, skin problems, plus hints and tips on how to take care of your skin naturally.

While I will still publish information on skin and health issues here, you will be able to access all the information on our new site. So have a brows and I hope you'll enjoy the information.

Herbal Medicine

2008-06-02T10:56:00.000+10:00

Herbal Medicine - What is it, how does it actually work and what can it treat?

These are some of the most often asked questions we get from people who have never been exposed to this system of medicine and form of treatment. They hear good things, but don't know if they can believe their information sources and are interested, but not sure about it...

Well, that is understandable, after all we are told that the only 'doctor' you can trust is your family doctor and he/she alone is able to diagnose and treat your ailments. Everything else is non-sense and does not work. It has no basis in science and therefore can't be any good.

Strange then, that pharmaceutical-based medicine still uses morphine (comes from the poppy plant); Digoxin, which increases the strength and vigor of the heart muscle contractions, and is useful in the treatment of heart failure (from digitalis plant); Aspirin, which comes from the bark of the White Willow tree... Need I go on?

The point is herbal medicine employs herbs and other medicinal plants to treat illness holistically. It is effective, in fact very effective as the pharmaceutical industry still employs hundreds of herbal preparations in their medications. In fact about 70% of pharmaceutical products contain substantial amounts of herb-based ingredients.

You can access my recently written article "Herbal Medicine Explained" to read more detailed explanations on just how effective herbal medicine is, how it is applied and what it can be used for.

How These Chemicals Affect Your Skin

2008-05-23T16:51:00.002+10:00

According to a recent interview with Stacy Malkan, the co-founder of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, young women use around 12 or more products a day and in doing so, are exposing themselves to hundreds of potentially toxic chemicals.

Depending on the products you use, you are exposing yourself to several carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and irritants. According to a study published by the Mayo Clinic, these chemicals are one of the most common causes of dermatitis and similar skin problems.

Here are some of the well known problem chemicals commonly use in skin and personal care products:

Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and/or Ethyl Paraben

Used as preservatives to extend the shelf life of skin and personal care products. Parabens have been reported to have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. Studies have shown that they are weakly estrogenic and can be absorbed by the body through the skin. Widely used even though they are potentially toxic.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde, used as a preservative, is a known carcinogen (causes cancer). Causes allergic, irritant and contact dermatitis, headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapor is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat (mucous membranes).

Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA)

DEA and TEA are often used in cosmetics and shampoos as emulsifiers and/or foaming agents. They can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation and dryness of hair and skin. DEA and TEA are "amines" (ammonia compounds) and can form cancer-causing nitrosamines when they come in contact with nitrates. They are toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time.

Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea

These are widely used preservatives. The American Academy of Dermatology has found them to be a primary cause of contact dermatitis. Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Neither of the Germall chemicals contains a good antifungal agent, and they must be combined with other preservatives. Both these chemicals release formaldehyde, which can be toxic.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate

A cheap, harsh detergent used in shampoos, bubble baths, hand and body wash products for its cleansing and foam-building properties. Often derived from petroleum, it is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the phrase "comes from coconuts." It causes eye irritation, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, skin rashes and other allergic reactions. Avoid at all cost.

Methylisothiazoline (MIT)

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is a biocide widely used in industrial and cosmetic products and has been shown to pose a potential risk to unborn babies. It is widely used in shampoos and there very well could be neuro-developmental consequences from Mit. It is of particularly concerned to women with occupational exposure to MIT during pregnancy as there is a possibility of risk to the foetus. Avoid at all cost.

Petrolatum

Also known as petroleum jelly, this mineral oil derivative is used for its emollient properties in cosmetics. It has no nutrient value for the skin and can interfere with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dryness and chapping. It often creates the very conditions it claims to alleviate. Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is unbelievably cheap. Most Petro-chemicals are carcinogens and are to be avoided.

Propylene Glycol

Ideally this is a vegetable glycerin mixed with grain alcohol, both of which are natural. Usually it is a synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant. It has been known to cause allergic reactions, hives and eczema. When you see PEG (polyethylene glycol) or PPG (polypropylene glycol) on labels, beware—these are related synthetics. The natural versions are fine and perfectly safe, not so their synthetic counter parts.

PVP/VA Copolymer

A petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, styling aids and other cosmetics. It can be considered toxic, since inhaled particles can damage the lungs of sensitive persons. Most Petro-chemicals are carcinogens.

Stearalkonium Chloride

A plant-derived ingredient, it reduces static electricity by neutralizing electrical charges on hair, and is a good conditioning agent. It is a quaternary ammonium compound also used in hair conditioners and creams. Developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, it is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which are beneficial to the hair. Causes allergic reactions. Potentially toxic.

Synthetic Colors

Used to make cosmetics "pretty," synthetic colors, along with synthetic hair dyes, should be avoided at all costs. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 3 / D&C Green No. 6. Many synthetic colors can be carcinogenic. If a cosmetic contains them, don't use it.

Synthetic Fragrances

The synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as 200 ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply read "fragrance." Some problems caused by these chemicals include headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation—the list goes on. Synthetic fragrances should be avoided. Be careful when looking at these because often the lable may say "fragrance of Lavender", or fragrance of "Rose" or similarly popular essential oils. Fragrance of = Synthetic, NOT the real essential oil.

You can check this for yourself by simply doing a search using the terms in bold in the list and adding the following MSDS. MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet, which are tests done on chemicals to establish their ‘safety’.

How do you avoid these dangerous chemicals?

Simple, switch to 100% pure natural skin care products and you will eliminate the risk of being exposed to these chemicals through your skin and personal care products.

The benefits are not just that you eliminate these dangerous chemicals, but using truly natural products that contain herbs, essential oils and other natural ingredients will benefit your overall health as well.

There are also other benefits. Formaldehyde, for example, is very harmful to our natural environment. By eliminating products that contain this, and other toxic chemical, you are indeed not just benefiting your own health but that of the environment as well.

So make the switch. Change over to using natural skin and personal care productsand you’ll not just benefit your health but help the environment as well.

What is it that Women really want from their skin care products?

2008-04-27T13:19:00.000+10:00

Why is it often difficult to find the right skin care products?

So just why is it so hard to find good quality, safe, and effective skin care products? The answer is quite simple, it’s called marketing. Marketing is the problem here. Why, I hear you ask? What does Marketing have to do with the quality of skin care products?

Well, it’s because most highly visible skincare companies are trying to out-do each other by adding obscure ingredients to their products and then marketing them as if they were the latest and best ingredient to have in your skin care products.

We, the consumers, looking to find something that actually works, ‘fall’ for the slogans and are thus quickly parted with our money, only to find that the products we thought were going to be good quality, safe and effective do not live up to the promises and are probably not that safe either.

So how can you tell what’s good and what’s not?

There are basically two types of products on the market. One group is safe, the other is not. What do I mean by safe?

Safe skin care products are products that do not contain any potentially harmful ingredients what so ever. They do contain natural ingredients and these too are safe. Remember that not every thing that's natural is necessarily safe.

Not safe are many of the products that do contain highly manipulated chemicals that are synthetic or artificial and have been shown to cause potential health problems. Now, just because a chemical is not natural also does not mean it is therefore potentially toxic. There are man-made chemicals that are indeed safe to consume or use in personal care products, however, these are few and far between.

More often than not, highly processed plant material or synthetically made chemicals do have a tendency to cause problems. (If you want to read more about this topic, please see: These Articles)

Now just because a products is Safe, does not mean it is effective either. Many natural skin care products have safe ingredients, but are almost useless and at best not very effective. But they are a good place to start looking.

Natural Skin Care Products can be a Good Solution

Natural skin care products manufactured by small companies are a good place to start looking for good quality, safe and effective products. Why? Because companies like Wildcrafted Herbal Products, Elysian Dream, Clare Le Dor and others pride themselves on only using the purest, safest and most effective ingredients in their range of products.

Small boutique skin care companies do not have the marketing budgets of large companies and as a result, their products have to live up to their claims if these companies hope to be able to sell their products repeatedly to the same customers. You see, finding new customers all the time is much more expensive than providing the same satisfied customers with products over and over again.

Let’s face it; if you know a product works for you, you’re not likely to change the brand and try something different, are you? No, once you are happy with the results you are getting from a range of skincare products, you’re not very likely to change. In fact, you’ll probably go out of your way to locate the brand’s product you’ve become to like and trust, and are even happy to spend a little more money to get it.

Another reason why natural skin care products are preferable and more likely to give you the results you want, is because some of the companies that make these products are run by medical herbalists and Aromatherapist that have a sound knowledge and understanding of what ingredients are safe and effective. They make their batches in small numbers and this means you get a much fresher product when you buy it because it has not been sitting on shelves in warehouses and in containers on the wharfs. That in it self has to be a bonus.

Also take a close look at the ingredients list on the product label or the Product’s web site.
Check each of the ingredients and Google them, or you can have a look at this list of potentially toxic chemical ingredients commonly used in skin care products and their side-effects.
So when next you look at your skin care products, think about what the ingredients are. Are they safe? Are they actually doing what the manufacturer’s advertisement said they were going to do? Do they actually make your skin feel good?

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself and if the answer is no, than it’s time to start looking for some good quality, safe and effective natural skin care products.

Echinacea, your Immune System and Skin Infections

2008-01-28T17:21:00.000+11:00

The Role of Echinacea in Supporting The Immune System To Fight Skin Infections

Medicinal herbs have a long history in fighting infections and have thus been associated with having beneficial effects on the immune system. Herbs such as Echinacea have become very popular herbal remedies for the treatment and prevention of the common cold and other similar conditions.

This article reviews some aspects of Echinacea's ability to aid in fighting of infections and in particular its benefit on aiding the immune system in combating skin infections.

The Skin and The Immune System

The skin of the body is one of the first lines of defence against pathogens, employing both mechanical and chemical barriers that block the initial attempts of microbes and foreign substances to penetrate the body and cause disease.

With many layers of closely packed, keratinised cells, the outer epithelial layer of the skin, the epidermis, provides a formidable physical barrier to the entrance of microbes. In addition, periodic shedding of epidermal cells helps remove microbes at the skin surface.

When the skin is intact, bacteria rarely penetrate the surface of healthy epidermis. However, when the epithelial surface is broken, by cuts, burns, wounds, and so on, an infection often develops. The bacteria most likely to cause such an infection are staphylococci, which normally inhabit the hair follicles and sweat glands of the skin. Furthermore, when the skin is moist, as in hot, humid climates, infections are quite common, especially fungus infections such as athlete's foot.

Certain chemicals also contribute to the high degree of resistance of the skin to microbial invasion. Oil glands (Sebaceous glands) of the skin secrete an oily substance called sebum that forms a protective film over the surface of the skin, known as the 'Acid Mantel'.

Sebum contains unsaturated fatty acids that inhibit the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The low pH of the skin, between pH 3 and 5, is caused in part by the secretion of fatty acids and lactic acid. The skin's acidity discourages the growth of many other micro-organisms.

Echinacea To Aid The Immune System In Fighting Infections

One of the most popular herbs in America today is the Native American medicinal plant known as Echinacea. The herb is named for the prickly scales in its large conical seed head, which resemble the spines of an angry hedgehog (echinos is Greek for hedgehog).

Results of archaeological digs indicate that Native Americans may have used Echinacea for over 400 years to treat infections and wounds and as a general "cure-all." Echinacea has also been used throughout history to treat scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria.

Although this herb was popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, its use began to decline in the United States after the introduction of antibiotics. Echinacea preparations became increasingly popular in Germany throughout the 20th century, where almost all of the scientific research on this herb has been conducted.

Today, Echinacea is primarily used to reduce the symptoms and duration of the common cold and flu and to alleviate the symptoms associated with them, such as sore throat (pharyngitis), cough, and fever. Many herbalists also recommend Echinacea to help boost the activity of the immune system, treat skin disorders and to help the body fight infections.

Clinical Trials Testing Echinacea purpurea

There is a large amount of research which has been done to test the effectiveness of Echinacea species on the immune system. It is important to remember that there are several species of Echinacea and that this article is only focused on Echinacea purpurea.

Studies show that Echinacea and its active components affect the phagocytic immune system, but not the specifically acquired immune system.

The Phagocytic immune system is a part of the immune system that comprises the lymphatic system (lymph nodes, lymph vessels and lymph fluid) the phagocytic immune system responds to inflammation due to microbes, physical agents or chemical agents that injure the skin. The lymph nodes are activated to produce special cells called phagocytes that engulf and clean up pathogens and dead cells. They are usually the first immune cells to arrive at a site of injury or infection.

Beneficial Effects of Echinacea purpurea in Fighting Skin Infections

From the above discussion and the research findings, it follows that using Echinacea as a key ingredient in herbal products to treat skin infections makes good sense. Echinacea's beneficial effect on the phagocytic immune system has been well demonstrated and thus it's effects on wound healing and treating of various skin infections is unquestionable.

Skin Infections and Echinacea purpurea

Over 500 scientific studies have documented the chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of echinacea. The most consistently proven effect of echinacea is in stimulating phagocytosis, that is encouraging white blood cells and lymphocytes to attack invading organisms. Specific actions:

increases the number and activity of immune system cells, including anti-tumor cells:
promotes T-cell activation;
stimulates new tissue growth for wound healing;
reduces inflammation in arthritis and inflammatory skin conditions;
Mild antibiotic action: bacteriostatic, anti-viral, anti-fungal.
Inhibits the bacterial enzyme hyaluronidase, to help prevent bacterial access to healthy cells.

Therefore, Echinacea purpurea should be considered in the treatment of:

Cuts, grazes, skin ulcers and wounds;
Acne, Inflammatory Skin Conditions, and Fungal infections of the skin such as Tinea;
Burns
Other possible uses include: Dermatitis, including Contact dermatitis, Psoriasis, etc.

Skin Care: Fitness Program for Your Skin (Part 2)

2007-11-04T08:46:00.000+11:00

Fitness Program for Your Skin (Part II)

In Part 1 of Skin Care: Fitness Program for Your Skin, we took a close look at how to implement a fitness program for your skin and the benefits this will provide for your skin. We focused on the direct approach by making the best use of skin care products and utilising a step-by-step program to care for our skin.

Part 2 we will look at additional things you can do to promote your skin’s fitness and over all health.

Water & Foods

Water

We all know that if we do not drink enough water, our body will dehydrate and that by the time we get thirsty, we are actually already dehydrated and have a bit of catching up to do. The trick to a well hydrated body and skin is not to get to the point of where you actually start to feel thirsty.

If you’re already drinking at least 2.5 litres of water a day, you can skip this section, but if you are finding it difficult, you just might find some helpful tips on how you can get enough water each and every day in the following few paragraphs.

At the risk of repeating myself, our body will use 2-2.5 litters of water to perform its normal bodily functions (metabolism). It will do this whether we like it or not and if we do not provide our body with the necessary water to perform its vital functions, it will just take it from within the body tissues resulting in dehydration. Because the skin holds a high percentage of water, it is easy for the body to take it from our skin and use it else where, resulting in dry, dehydrated skin.

As the weather warms up, we perspire more and as a result need more water than usual. Also, if we exercise, the metabolism is increased and the consumption of water rises accordingly.

So, before we know it, our body will use up 2-3 litters of water without us even being aware of it. To compensate for this loss we need to consume at least the equivalent amount of water as our body is using and a little extra wouldn’t do astray. But how do we do this?

Well, one way is to start every day with drinking 500ml of water. Yes, I know, that sounds a lot to kick off the day with, but if you’re not used to drinking this amount of water in one hit, start with 300mls and work your way up. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will get used to drinking 500mls and even more. Now, you’ve only got 2000mls to go.

The next thing to do is to carry a drink bottle with you. If you travel to work by car, just sit the drink bottle in the centre console and at every red light (there are bound to be a few) take a sip or two.

If your drink bottle holds 500mls, your aim should be to have it empty by the time you get to work. Then do the same on the way home.

Now, you’ve consumed 1.5 litres and only have about 1-2 litres to go. So, while at the office, have your drink bottle standing next to you on your desk. Your aim now is to drink the first during the morning and a second one during the afternoon of your working day. Again if your bottle contains 500mls, you’ll have consumed another 1000mls during the day and are getting to your minimum amount of water required.

To get the extra, starting about 30min. after finishing your evening meal, have a final 500ml bottle sitting next to you and have a sip during the ad breaks, you’ll finish it in know time unless you’re watching the ABC or another non-commercial station.

After doing this for a while, you will actually feel the difference between the times when your body is getting enough water and when it’s not. You will start to automatically look for your water bottle and be amazed just how much more water you are dirking.

For some of you this will manifest itself in surprising improvements to your health - niggling pains, aches and other minor complaints will suddenly start to disappear. Your digestive system will actually work better and you may even feel a lift in energy levels.

What not to do

One thing you need to remember is that tea, coffee and alcohol will drive water from your body. So, for example if you have 500mls of water either shortly before or after you’ve been drinking coffee or tea, it won’t be long before you’ll need to make a pit-stop. So, be mindful of the power of tea and coffee...

Another factor you’ll need to keep in mind is that instead of water, you may choose to drink isotonic drinks such as Poweraide or a similar. These things contain quite a lot of sugar and therefore calories you may not wish to ad to your body. One or two over the course of a day is probably ok, but if you also add fruit juices and similar hydrating drinks instead of water, you could run the risk of increasing your weight. So, keep in mind that water is the best type of drink to have.

If you work at it a little, you will find that it is not as difficult as one might think to get plenty of water and not get dehydrated.

Foods to increase your skin’s fitness

No I am not going to suggest a diet. I am going to suggest a few simple things you can do to increase the nutrients in your food that will be of benefit to your skin.
So first what are the nutrients that your skin needs?

Beta-carotene (provitamin A)
It is an anti-oxidants, neutralise free radicals.
It is found in foods such as: Sweet Potato, Carrot, Kale, Mango, Turnip, Greens Spinach, raw; Papaya, Red Bell Pepper, Apricot, Cantaloupe, Fat Free Milk, Romaine, Eggs, Whole Milk, Raw Tomato, Broccoli, Green Bell Pepper, Orange, Parsley.

Vitamin A
Is another anti-oxidant. It is essential for healthy hair and eyes, and is also important in the prevention and clearing of infections of the skin. Vitamin A counteracts dry skin, dandruff and wrinkle formation. It is needed for healthy blood circulation which gives a glow to the skin. Helps maintain smooth, soft disease-free skin; helps protect the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat lungs, which helps reduce our susceptibility to infections; protects against air pollutants and contaminants; helps improve eye sight and counteracts night-blindness; aids in bone and teeth formation; improves skin elasticity, moisture content and suppleness; and helps reverse the signs of photo-aging. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to eruptions or dry, coarse, wrinkled skin; dull and dry hair or dandruff; ridging or peeling fingernails; pimples or acne and visual fatigue.

Preformed Vitamin A and/or Carotene is found in: Meat, Chicken Liver, Cod Liver Oil, Cheese, certain green leafy vegetables, such as beet greens, spinach, and broccoli.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is also an anti-oxidant; Vitamin E helps form muscles and tissues to prevent wrinkles and premature aging of the skin due to oxidation. It helps prevent dry, dull skin, age spots, falling hair and dandruff. It improves circulation and healing of scars. Research has shown that large doses of vitamin E double healthy cell reproduction to slow the aging process and forestall premature wrinkling.

Vitamin E supplies oxygen to the blood, which is then carried to the heart and other organs, thus alleviating fatigue. It aids in bringing nourishment to cells; strengthens the capillary walls preventing the red blood cells from destructive poisons (free radicals); prevents and dissolves blood clots.

You will get Vitamin E from foods such as: Avocados, Carrots. Cheese: especially Parmesan, and Cheddar. Chickpeas, egg yolk, green leafy vegetables, legumes, margarine, meats/poultry/fish, nuts and nut oils, oatmeal, olives, parsnips, red peppers, seeds, soy products and soybeans, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watercress, wheat germ, all contain Vitamin E so you should have little difficulty in obtaining enough from your diet.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a very powerful anti-oxidant; Vitamin C, in conjunction with protein, is necessary for the production of collagen - the glue that holds us and our skin together and circumvents sags or wrinkles. It regulates sebaceous glands to keep skin from drying out; helps prevent facial lines, wrinkles and spider veins.

Vitamin C is essential for the health of the hair, eyes and teeth, resistance to infection, healing of wounds and firm skin tissues. Vitamin C is believed to aid skin cells in repairing and reproducing themselves. It is also thought to stimulate production of collagen, enhancing skin smoothness and elasticity. This vitamin is excellent for skin showing signs of aging.

Vitamin C is found in: Acerola cherry, Kiwifruit, green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnips, green and other leafy vegetables, sweet and white potatoes, and Cantaloupe. Other excellent sources include papaya, mango, watermelon, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples.

Vitamin B-complex
B-vitamins are vital for clear, luminous skin, youthful looks and for delaying greying of hair. They are essential for healthy skin, hair, and eyes. Studies show that 40 percent of dermatitis sufferers lack B vitamins. B vitamins also counteract stress, which has adverse effects on one's appearance.

Vit. B-complex is a complex of several important vitamins including B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin). Vitamin B1 is needed for nerve signal transmission. Vitamin B2 is needed for the metabolism of amino acids. Vitamin B6 is necessary for the production of many enzymes and chemical messengers (eg, neurotransmitters). Vitamin B12 is needed for red blood cell production and DNA synthesis.

You’ll find B-vitamins in: Whole grain cereals, wheat, Pulses, Nuts, Green leafy vegetables, Molasses, Meat, Liver, and Brewer's yeast.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for healthy teeth, bones and nails as well as for the assimilation of calcium and phosphorus. It promotes healthy eyes, skin and teeth.

It is a vitamin found in foods such as fish, oysters, and dairy products. Also, there are enzymes in our skin that make vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. A little bit of sunshine is very good for you - more on that later.

Vitamin D is found in: Milk, Beef liver, Salmon, Tuna, Butter, Sprouted seeds.

Protein
Proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body's cells, tissues, and organs, and each protein has unique functions.

You’ll find proteins in: Avocados, Brewer's yeast, dried legumes, nuts, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, whole grain cereals.

Other Protein foods include: Fish, meats, poultry, eggs, dairy products, pulses, and wheat germ.

Calcium
Calcium and Phosphorus work together for healthy teeth, hair, nails and bones. Calcium helps clear blemished skin and revitalizes lifeless, tired-looking skin.

Calcium is essential for a variety of bodily functions, such as neurotransmission, muscle contraction, and proper heart function.

Calcium is found in: Milk products, whole wheat, leafy vegetables, Salmon, Sardines, shellfish, Soybeans, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts, Oranges, and Lemons.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a mineral vital to energy production. It helps build bone and form cell membranes and genetic material.

Phosphorus is found in: Dairy products, egg yolks, fish, poultry, meats, grains, cereals, nuts, fruit juices, and milk.

Chromium
Chromium improves circulation for healthy skin and hair. It plays a role in glucose metabolism and is considered essential in trace amounts in nutrition.

Chromium is found in: Brewer's yeast, cheese, corn oil, liver, clams, meat, and whole grains.

Iodine
Iodine promotes healthy hair, nails, skin, and teeth. It is an element that is necessary for the body to make thyroid hormone. It is found in shellfish and iodised salt.

Iodine is contained in: Iodised salt, Kelp, Onions, Seafood, Vegetable oils.

Iron
Iron is essential for healthy nails, skin colour, and hair growth.
Iron is found in: Egg yolks, blackstrap molasses, dark leafy greens, dried fruits and legumes, lean meat, liver, and whole wheat.

Magnesium
Magnesium is required to prevent skin disorders. A mineral used by the body to help maintain muscles, nerves, and bones. It is also used in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Magnesium is found in: Almonds, apples, apricots, bananas, bran, corn, dairy products, figs, grapefruit and lemons, meats, raw leafy greens, Soybeans.

Manganese
Manganese helps to maintain healthy hair. This micronutrient activates one or more enzymes in fatty acid synthesis; it also activates the enzymes responsible for DNA and RNA production. Closely associated with copper and zinc.

Manganese is found in: bananas, beets, bran, coffee, egg yolks, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, pineapple, whole grains and tea.

Selenium
Selenium maintains skin elasticity. It helps prevent and correct dandruff. Selenium is an essential trace mineral. Selenium activates an antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, which may help protect the body from cancer.

Selenium is a nutrient found in: Asparagus, bran, broccoli, chicken, egg yolks, milk, onions, red meat, seafood, tomatoes, and whole grains.

Sulphur
Sulphur helps maintain healthy hair, nails, and skin. It also prevents dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.

An important mineral component of vitamin B1 and of several essential amino acids. Sulphur is particularly necessary for the body's production of collagen, which helps to form connective tissue. Sulphur is also a component of keratin, the chief ingredient in hair, skin, and nails. By controlling bacteria and exfoliating the skin, sulphur is a popular acne treatment. Sulphur is thought to dissolve the top layer of dry, dead cells and slow down oil-gland activity.

Sulphur is found in: Bran, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cheese, clams, eggs, fish, mushrooms, nuts, peas and beans, and wheat germ.

Zinc
Zinc aids in the formation of collagen. It helps prevent wrinkles, dry skin and stretch marks, and promotes blemish healing. Zinc prevents hair loss, and brittle or spotted nails. Without enough zinc a deficiency of Vitamin A can occur even though the intake of that vitamin appears adequate.

It is a mineral that is vital to many biological functions such as immune resistance, wound healing, digestion, reproduction, physical growth, diabetes control, taste and smell. More than 300 enzymes in the human body require zinc for proper functioning.

Zinc is found in: Brewer's yeast, eggs, lean red meat, seafood, legumes, mushrooms, non-fat dry milk, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, shellfish (oysters), spinach, and whole grains.

Omega 3
Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid. It may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction (severe form of heart attacks) by lowering triglyceride levels and blood pressure and preventing the formation of life-threatening thrombi.

You can find natural sources of Omega 3 in Oily Fish eg: Salmon, Tuna and some others. Omega 3 is also contained in Flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil.

Omega 6
Omega 6 is another essential fatty acid (should be combined in equal portions with Omega 3's).

It is contained in: Cereals, eggs, poultry, most vegetable oils, whole-grain breads, and margarine.

There is one final consideration when it comes to the food you eat, make sure the foods are processed as little as possible. That means the fresher the better, raw rather than cooked, steamed rather than fried, etc. Just remember the KISS formula - Keeping It Simple Succeeds...

Putting it all together

Topical Skin Care

In Part I we took a step-by-step look at implementing a fitness program for your skin using natural skin care products. We discussed the importance of each of these steps and how they will benefit your skin.

Internal Skin Care

Part II of this article series looked several other factors, including the need for water, and the types of foods that are beneficial to the skin.

To achieve the best possible level of healthy, vibrant and youthful looking skin, you need to implement all of the program aspects, from using the skin care products to drinking sufficient amounts of water and eating the right foods.

You can read Part II - Skin Care: Fitness Program for Your Skin (Part I) here.

What Do You Put on Your Hair?

2007-09-03T15:10:00.000+10:00

Consider What Goes On Your Hair May Enter Your Bloodstream...

Shampoos are a classic example of potentially toxic cocktails we seem to be oblivious to. Below is an example of ingredients used by a well-known manufacturer of personal care products who distributes their products worldwide. It is a typical example of the type of ingredients you would find by looking at the ingredients of shampoos on sale in your local shopping centre or at your hairdresser.

The ingredients below are from a 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner. Where possible I provided some comment after the ingredient that provides some insight into the safety of the particular ingredient for human use.

It must be said, however, that the toxicity of some of the ingredients is related to the consumption of the ingredient and while a shampoo is not consumed as such, chemicals can nevertheless be absorbed through the skin and enter the blood stream, essentially being the same as if you had eaten them.

Example of ingredients found in a 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner

Preservatives

Diethanolamine - Suspected: Carcinogen (causes cancer), Cardiovascular or Blood toxin, Gastrointestinal or Liver toxin, Kidney toxin, Neurotoxin (toxic to your nervous system), Respiratory toxin, Skin or Sense Organ toxin.

Surfactants

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate - no scientific evidence of toxic effects on humans.
Ammonium Xylenesulfonate - no evidence of toxic effects on humans. Some minor irritation in rabbits to skin and eyes have been reported.

Emulsifiers

Cetyl Alcohol - this one is find and dandy,
Cocamide MEA - derived in part from coconut oil, potentially toxic (International Journal of Toxicology; 18 (Suppl. 2). 1999. 9-16).

Conditioning Agents

Cetyl Alcohol - not a problem (J Am Coll Toxicol Vol:7, 3 (1988) pp 359-413.)
Dimethicone - please see: DMDM Hydantoin below,
Glycol Distearate - no scientific evidence of toxic effects on humans,
Trimethyl Tricaprylate/Tricaprate - Recognized Carcinogen, Suspected: Neuro- and Reproductive toxin,
Panthenol - Dexpanthenol is the alcohol corresponding to pantothenic acid (the water-soluble vitamin B5)
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether - May cause contact dermatitis.

Buffering Agent:

DMDM Hydantoin - contains Formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen (causes cancer). Causes allergic, irritant and contact dermatitis; headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapour is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat (mucous membranes).
Methylchloroisothiazolinone - causes cosmetic allergies and potential dangerous neuro-toxic effects.
Methylisothiazolinone - causes cosmetic allergies and potential dangerous neuro-toxic effects.
Sodium Benzoate - Suspected: Cardio-vascular or Blood toxin, Gastrointestinal or Liver toxin, Kidney toxin, Neurotoxin, Skin or Sense Organ toxin.

Chelator:

EDTA - known carcinogen (causes cancer)

I think you get the idea.

Chemicals such as these are not what you would want to put on your body, hair or in fact anywhere near you, I’m sure. Problem is that no one warns us of the potential dangers posed by some of these ingredients and so we use them thinking that regulations and government controls would not permit potentially toxic chemicals to be put into products we use everyday...

Do yourself and your health a big favor - choose Natural Hair Care Products and be safe.

100% Natural Skin Care Products - Are you being mislead?

2007-07-20T13:56:00.000+10:00

When you see the phrase Natural skin care products, what do you think is being promoted? Products containing natural ingredients perhaps? Skin care that is based on natural rather than synthetic ingredients? Of course - natural skin care products are products that are made exclusively from natural ingredients and nothing else. Or are they?

Are Your Natural Skin Care Products Natural? Or Something Else?

You are concerned with the amount of toxins your body is subjected to, right? Of course, that’s why you look for and purchase products that do not contain artificial colours, synthetic fragrances or substances that are not intrinsically natural.

So when you see a product or a range of products being promoted as Natural, you rightly believe that if you purchase one of these products you are getting a product which does not contain anything that is either non-natural or is potentially harmful to your health. Right?

You’re even willing to pay more for such products because you are under the impression that paying a little more will ensure you don’t subject your body to anything that may harm it...

Unfortunately you could be seriously mistaken. The fact is that while many manufacturers of skin care products have been marketing their range of goods as being Natural, the truth is that only a very small percentage of the ingredients contained in these products are in fact natural. But...

It doesn’t stop there.

Even worse, most of these so called natural skin care products contain several potentially toxic ingredients such as EDTA, Formaldehyde, and many, many more, which scientists tell us, could result in serious health issues.

Fancy that, and you are not told, but expected to know what all the names and numbers on the label mean - sure...

You need a University degree in Chemistry!

Unless you’re a cosmetic chemist, chances are you have no idea and just belief that because the product is called natural those numbers and almost impossible to read names, are just codes for natural substances... Well, why wouldn’t you? After all surely a product can’t be called natural if it’s not? Can it?

Yes, it can.

There are currently no registrations that stop a manufacturer from calling a skin care product natural or even organic as long as the product contains at least one natural, active ingredient and considering that organic actually refers to carbon, as long as one of the ingredients contains carbon atoms (eg: crud oil) they can even call it an organic skin care product. (They cannot call it certified organic however. That’s entirely different and we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of that in a later article.)

So what are you going to do?

To get back to natural skin care products and their level of ‘naturalness’; imagine you are standing at the counter of a department store looking at the offers of different creams, lotions and are wondering how on earth you are going to choose your next moisturiser.

You ask the 18 year old sales assistant behind the counter about the ingredients in the moisturiser you're considering, but she doesn’t know and also does not have a degree in chemistry - so you look at the label, you try to read the names, think of whether you have heard or read something, anything, good or bad about any of these ingredients, and finally you give up, open the sample jar, have a smell, rub some onto your skin and after considering whether or not this feels and smells good you buy it.

Is that not how it usually goes?

You come home and that night there’s a current affair program on TV and guess what? The topic is toxic ingredients used in skin care products.

You prick up your ears and pay close attention to what these ingredients are - you get you’re new moisturiser out and with a magnifying glass you look to see if any of those ingredients are in your ‘natural’ skin care product ...

Yep, they’re all there, the EDTA, the parabens, the formaldehyde, and all the others that where listed - you feel ripped off.

How are you going to prevent this from happening again? How can you avoid those ingredients?

Well, you can become a cosmetic chemist... No, maybe not; You can make your own truly natural skin care products - no, too messy, don’t have the knowledge or the time; or you can think outside the box...

What do I mean by that?
Well, since most of the products at the beautician's or the department store obviously contain ingredients you don’t want to put any where near your skin, you need to look for different types of outlets.

What type of outlet will have what you want?

Natural therapy clinics, herbalists, people who practice alternative medicine and hold the belief that natural ingredients are superior and safer to use than synthetic or modified ones. Look for companies that are run by Herbalists, Naturopaths, Medical Aromatherapists, because chances are good that they would produce natural products that hold true to their philosophy and training.

Who are these companies?

Good questions, most are almost invisible, and the reasons for this are quite simple - firstly, these 'companies' are primarily run by only a hand full of people who are not high-powered business executives with degrees in business. Secondly, they usually do not make the products for the mass market but for their patients, friends and relatives - word of mouth is usually their best and only form of marketing.

Take Wildcrafted Herbal Products for example, up until recently Wildcrafted did not do any advertising, actually, we still don't, and we have no formal marketing campaign. All we do to promote our business is send out Newsletters to those of you who have requested them, and keep upgrading and expanding our web site.

But I digress...

The key part to all this is that there are a few companies, usually small, not well-known companies that do make great 100% natural skin care products. You need to go looking for them, because like Wildcrafted Herbal Products™, most do not have the big advertising and marketing budgets of the department store brands. But thinking outside the box and looking around is well worth your time and effort if you really want to keep toxic substances in your life to a minimum and are looking to use pure 100% natural skin care products.

Remedial Massage Therapy: An introduction to Remedial Massage

2007-06-25T09:55:00.000+10:00

An Introduction to Remedial Massage Therapy

Definition of Massage: Massage is the systematic and scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, and is performed directly upon the skin in a methodical manner for therapeutic purposes (Tappan, 1994).

Massage is

Systematic
Scientific
Methodical
Therapeutic

Skilfully used, Remedial Massage Therapy can assist the body in its own healing processes, where disease or injury has occurred in muscles, connective tissues, bones, joints and internal organs. Massage can also assist healing through its effect on the psychological condition of the patient, increasing a sense of confidence, well-being and relaxation.

When Do We Use Massage?

There are many situations which cause a metabolic imbalance within the soft tissues of the body. Most of these can be treated with Massage.

The PURPOSE of Massage is to bring about any of the PHYSIOLOGICAL, MECHANICAL, REFLEX or PSYCHOLOGICAL effects attributed to Remedial Massage Therapy. Relaxation, pain relief and increased range of movement can be achieved through the application of remedial massage techniques.

In addition to the treatment of ill and injured people, massage can be used in Athletics and Sport where it aids in the preparation of muscles, joints and associated structures for strenuous activity, or to assist these same tissues in recovery from strenuous activity. This reduces the incidence of injuries and improves the Athlete’s performance.

Massage is a useful and integral part of the healing process.

While giving a Massage, encourage the patient to understand the potential source of healing which lies within their own consciousness. The patient can be encouraged to not be a helpless party, but to become part of their healing defence mechanisms. Massage can help the patient to develop an increased awareness of their body, and the levels of relaxation and stress that they may experience.

Types of Massage Techniques

There are many types of Massage in use today, for example:

Essalon Massage is a technique in which both sides of the body are massaged simultaneously. It is a symmetrical Massage technique, very gentle, and designed to enhance maximum relaxation in the patent.

Deep Tissue Massage is a technique which is designed to manipulate the deep fascia layers and deep muscle layers of the body. It is based on the theory that stress can be stored deep within the body, and is arranged in “layers”, trauma after trauma, each layer relating to a different level of consciousness. It can be quite a painful experience for the patient, and is said to evoke emotional responses as each layer of stress and trauma is “unlocked” and released.

Shiatsu / Chinese Massage are techniques with similar philosophical approaches. Each technique works with the concept of body energies. The techniques employed are designed to ”unblock” energy meridians and restore health by balancing the patient’s energy (Qi).

Zone Therapy / Reflexology are techniques which are localised to specific body regions, e.g.: Hands, feet, ears. The various regions are said to have reflex relationships to all parts of the body, and various techniques are used to bring about specific reactions in a chosen body area.

Swedish and Remedial Massage are the techniques with which this Course of study is primarily concerned. The techniques which have been developed and called Remedial Massage are a composite of many other forms of Massage.

Many individuals have contributed to the development of Massage as we know it today. “Swedish” Massage concentrates on working on one side of the body at a time. It is more intense than Essalon Massage, and unlike Deep Tissue Massage, it works within the pain / comfort threshold of the patient. encouraging the gentle release of tension and stress.

Remedial Massage makes use of Passive Movements and Joint Mobilising Techniques, working towards a specific goal in the treatment of the patient, and often working on a specific and limited body region until that goal is accomplished.

Local Versus General Massage

When faced with a patient, the massage therapist must decide what approach needs to be taken in order to best help the patient with their specific health problem.

Many people, who do not know much about massage, erroneously think that every massage is a “Full Body” Massage and the longer it takes the better - but this is far from the truth of the matter.

When treating a patient with a specific problem e.g.: Sciatica, Osteoarthritis in the cervical spine, and the like, and Massage is the choice to help with the symptoms of pain or loss of mobility, the treatment approach must be primarily aimed at the treatment of the specific problem area in order to obtain the best results.

On the other hand, if a patient presents with problems of stress, tension and anxiety, a “Full Body” Massage would be the prescription most likely given. Full Body Massage is mostly employed for relaxation therapy, and it is recommended that a Full Body Massage should never exceed 45-60 minutes duration, as after this time the positive effects of the Massage treatment are reversed.

This is based upon the concept of “The Principle of Sensory Adaptation”. Sensory receptors in the body have a characteristic function called adaptation, that is, a change in sensitivity (usually a decrease) to a prolonged stimulus. Receptors associated with touch and pressure in the skin rapidly adapt and can lead to further adaptation in the central nervous system as incoming signals are processed. Excessive stimulii can also produce undesirable Reflex Responses.

The level of general health of the patient must also be considered. Debilitated and very ill persons do not tolerate long duration massage well. Once a patient has had a course of several Massage Treatments and is in reasonably good health, long duration Massage can be given.

Remedial massage therapy has many applications and benefits. It can be use in conjunction with other therapies or as a stand-alone therapyl.

Read the entires article on Remedial Massage Therapy

Skin Care: Going Back-to-Basics

2007-06-01T11:53:00.000+10:00

What We Are Told

Almost daily we are bombarded with a new skin care product and are told that if we use this product, our skin will look younger, smoother, more attractive and so on. We are presented with pictures of young, attractive women who have probably never used the products their faces are associated with and probably never will.

We are lead to believe that 'the active ingredient' in these products are a new discovery (usually they also get some sort of pseuo-scientific name) and if we use the product that has this 'magical' ingredient we will end up with 20 year young skin - Sure !

The Truth About Skin Care

Skin care is just that - taking care of one’s skin, nothing more, nothing less. How you do this can depend on many things. The health of your skin, money, time, knowledge and probably a number of other factors will determine how much care you give to your skin.

Let’s review what your skin does for a moment. Firstly, it protects the inside of you body from the outside. That is, the skin forms a barrier between our external environment and our body’s insides. It is water proof and at the same time acts as a defence from pollution, microbes and other potentially harmful factors. In addition, it is partly responsible for eliminating toxins from our body in the form of perspiration, and your skin assists the body in temperature regulation. These and other functions are preformed by our skin on a continuous basis.

So how do we take care of our skin, to ensure that it can continue to perform at its optimal level?

Back-to-Basics of Skin Care

There are 3 basic principles that come together in good skin care.

Drinking enough water on a daily basis to keep the skin well hydrated. This involves drinking at least 2 litres of water each and every day, because the body’s metabolism will require this amount of water to function properly. More water is required if we engage in strenuous physical activity or work in a physically demanding environment. You can use the most expensive moisturisers you like, if you don’t drink enough water, your skin will become dehydrated and no moisturiser or beauty treatment will stop this in the long term.

Eating good quality, unprocessed foods such as fruits, grains, vegetables, some dairy and lean meat, will help you to provide the skin with the nutrients it requires to keep performing its vital functions. Your skin needs vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, etc., to function properly and while some natural skin care products do provide many of these nutrients, there is no substitute for nutrients gained from high quality food.

A daily skin care regime that will unclog pores, remove dirt and dead skin cells, as well as provide nourishment to the underlying, living skin cells, is an essential step to good skin care. Now this regime can be quite simple or more involved.

At its most basic, skin care can involve as little as using a loofah on a daily basis when showering or bathing, to remove the dead cells from your body’s outermost layer of skin. Using a loofah not only removes the dead skin cells, but also promotes blood circulation to the outer layers of your skin, providing it with nutrients and oxygen.

In addition, use a mild, natural, pH-balanced (slightly acidic) soap to keep your skin clean and you’re done.

Let’s face it, many people don’t even use a loofah, and couldn’t care less about what sort of soap they use to wash their face and body with. However, more concerned folk, who have an interest in maintaining the health and look of their skin for as long as possible, may be prepared to go a few steps further than that by implementing a good, daily skin care regime utilising natural skin care products.

Implementing a Good Skin Care Regime

A sound, basic skin care regime is more than enough for most people. Using a loofah for their body’s skin, a cleanser, toner and moisturiser for the face, plus an all-over body moisturiser is all that’s required most of the time. In addition, using a clay mask once or twice a week will help to remove dead skin cells and deeply imbedded dirt from the facial skin and pores. An exfoliant can also be used, probably 2-3 times a week, if you’re not using a loofah.

Increasingly, consumers are becoming aware of the potential health risks presented by artificial and other non-natural ingredients in beauty products. We all, well most of us, avoid foods and beverages which contain artificial preservatives, flavours, emulsifiers, etc., for sound health reasons. These days, we’ve extended this concern to other areas of products we use on our body and in our home.

Making use of natural skin care products that contain as many organically grown ingredients such as essential oils, herbal extracts, cosmetic butters and the like, are a preferred option for discerning customers. There are positive health benefits associated with using holistic natural ingredients rather than isolated active compounds, because the body is able to better utilise natural substances and the chance of negative side-effects is reduced.

Choosing the right skin care system for your skin type is the final aspect to good skin care. Most people have two different facial skin types, for example, the forehead, nose and sometimes chin may be slightly oily, while the remaining areas of the face and neck may be slightly dry. It is important to identify your skin type before buying your skin care products, because the ingredients in the products should benefit the skin type you are trying to normalise. You may need to purchase two different skin care systems to accommodate your different skin types, however, more often than not, especially if the skin types differ only marginally from ‘normal’, you may be able to just aim between the two skin types for your choice of toner, and buy a second cleanser and moisturiser to accommodate the two skin types.

Let me give you an example. Let’s stick to the example above, where you may have an oily T-zone with otherwise dry facial skin.

If you have a close look at Wildcrafted’s systems for oily and normal skin types, you’ll discover, that the two systems only differ in one product - that is, the facial clay mask for the oily system is our Green Earth Medicine Facial Clay, while the Yellow Clay Mask is used in the system for Normal skin. Now, the system for dry skin, is somewhat different and there are actually two systems - one for primarily dry skin, the other for dry and sensitive skin.

The key here is to identify whether the oily or dry facial skin is the primary problem. That is, which is giving you more trouble? If it’s the oily part of your skin, than use the system for oily skin and use the Papaya day cream on the dry areas of the face rather than the Avocado cream, although, the Avocado Day Crème is okay to use even on slightly dry skin. If on the other hand the dry facial skin is more problematic and there are areas where your facial skin is not just dry but also sensitive, use the Hydrating Cleanser and Rose Day Cream to cleanse and moisturise instead of the Lemon Cleanser and Avocado Day Crème. Choose the Green Clay mask for the T-Zone and the Red Clay mask for the dry and sensitive areas of your skin.

By mixing and matching the different products you can ‘make’ a system that will suit your skin types and you do not have to purchase two entirely different systems, which of course is another option and you don’t have to think about it too much.

Back-to-Basics of skin care is really about applying common sense, a little knowledge and making the right choice of products. By providing your body with sufficient amounts of water, quality, unprocessed food, and using natural skin care products you can’t go wrong and the health of your skin is likely to stay with you a lot longer.

Cellulite: What is it and How can you get rid of it?

2007-03-17T08:43:00.000+11:00

What is Cellulite?
In addition to the secretory portions of sweat glands, the hypodermis (subcutaneous connective tissue which lies just below your skin) contains lobules of adipose tissue (tissue containing fat-cells), which are separated by strands of collagenous fibers, called septae. When these septae become excessively filled with well-nourished adipocytes (fatty cells), the surface of the skin becomes dimpled and the appearance is known as cellulite.

Cellulite occurs around the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Because of the close proximity of cellulite is to the surface of the skin, it creates a dimpled appearance in those body regions.

It is estimated that about 85% of women have some cellulite. Cellulite can begin developing in teenagers, but more commonly begins to show itself in the late 20’s, early 30’s. Factors that are attributed to the development of cellulite are: age, genetic predisposition, Hormonal changes, unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. However, even fit and healthy top athletes can and do get cellulite. Basically the reason women get cellulite is because women have to store fat to give them enough calories to get them through pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What Can You Do and What Works To Rid Yourself of Cellulite?

For starters, be patient. Anything you are going to do that will ultimately bring results will take time.

Massage

Lymphatic drainage massage, and specific massage strokes such as effleurage, frictions, tapotement, and kneading will help to remove the build up of fat deposition. You will need to have regular massages, at least once per week for 6-12 months, depending on the amount of cellulite needing to be removed. As the months pass, however, you will start to see a difference, very slow at first, but if you continue this form of treatment, you will see a difference.

Lotions/Creams

The use of essential oils in lotions and creams can indeed help to break down cellulite. Essential oil of Mandarin, which is a citrus oil, will help to break down fat. The way to get the best effect is to use a product like Wildcrafted’s Mandarin Toning Lotion, applied to your thighs and buttocks, or where ever you have cellulite, rap this area with Glad wrap, and allow the lotion to work for about 20 minutes. Repeat this at least 3 times per week.

The best results are obtained by applying the lotion to the affected area, wrapping Glad wrap around these areas followed by 15-20min of gentle exercise, such as going for a walk, riding a bike (exercise bike) or using a treadmill.

In addition, combine this regime with a healthy diet, ample intake of water and some exercise, and you will start to see a difference over time. Again, be patient. This will not work in a day or two.

Aromatherapy Oil Bend to help reduce cellulite
Using the same essential oils as are contained in Wildcrafted's Mandarin Toning Lotion, namely, Mandarin, Lemon, Cypress, Juniper Berry, Lemon grass and Peppermint you can make an oil blend using 6 drops each into 50ml of Almond or Apricot oil. After a bath, shower or exercise gently massage a few drops of the oil into the affected areas of your body. Do this twice a day.

Various Machines

There are a couple of machines that seem to provide results. One of these is called the Tri-Active and the other the Velasmooth and both of these machines do improve the problem, however, they are expensive, and only the Velasmooth is available in Australia at a cost of $150.- per session! Results are starting to be noticed after 4-6 months of weekly sessions.

Your best bet is to combine the massage with a lotion such as the Mandarin Toning Lotion, a regular exercise regime and a good, healthy, well-balanced diet.

Assault Your Cellulite

Usually doing one thing on its own will not produce long-term effects. For example if you decide you will exercise every day for 20 minutes, focusing on your thighs, you will get trim muscles and you will loose some of the cellulite, but even athletes have cellulite, so what chance have we, non-athletes, got?

On the other hand if you go on a diet, the same sort of thing happens. You will loose weight, probably, and you will start to feel healthier and more energetic, but the cellulite will likely only reduce and not disappear.

Similarly, you can buy a variety of products, all of which claim to work, and many of them probably could, but in the long-term, it is not likely that you will be able to get rid of the cellulite totally.

The only way that you can get rid of cellulite is to combine the three. Eat fresh, wholesome foods, do not eat processed food; stay away from coffee, alcohol and sweet soft drinks. Instead drink diluted fruit juice/vegetable juice, at least 2 litres of water every day and keep all other drinks to a minimum.

In addition, exercise at least 3 times every week. Find an exercise you enjoy, because if you don't, you won't do it long-term. The exercise you choose needs to become a hobby, that way you look forward to doing it rather then a have to do.

Finally to specifically target the areas of cellulite deposition, use a cream or lotion that contains a range of essential oils that include Lemon, Mandarin and others.

Citrus oils break down fat. They also are readily absorbed through the skin and thus directly affect the fat cells stored just below the superficial layers of the skin. One such product is Wildcrafted's Mandarin Toning Lotion. It contains the mix of citrus oils that are known to target fat cells in the skin.

The best results are achieved if after you apply the Mandarin Toning Lotion, you wrap the body-parts in Glad wrap and do some gentle exercise such as going for a walk or a gentle bike ride. After this exercise, have a shower, reapply the toning lotion and rest for 15 minutes.

If you do this and follow the suggestions above with respect to diet and fluid intake, you will see significant result, but only if you stick to it and continue the process over several months (6 months plus).

Another form of cellulite treatment is getting regular massages. Yes, they certainly can help in reducing the cellulite, but again it will take many months before you start to see the results.

Treating cellulite is a long-term multi-facetted approach and there is no such thing as a quick fix here.

I hope this little article will help some of you begin to get a grasp on how to go about getting rid of your cellulite. Be persistent, patient and make it fun.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's): Do they belong in Natural Skin Care Products?

2007-03-07T09:24:00.001+11:00

What exactly are Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's) and What do AHA's do?

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) are Fruit acids, which are weak organic acids derived from various sources such as, grapes, apples, sugar cane, maple, pineapple, papaya, willow bark, lemon, lime, sour milk, blackberries, yoghurt and cider, and play an important role in skin care.

Fruit acids are natural exfoliants that perform a number of functions at the level of the stratum corneum on the skin's surface. They loosen and dissolve dead cells from the skin's surface and help to regenerate new skin cells, aid in the control of acne, smooth rough dry skin, improve the texture of sun-damaged and aging skin and retain moisture which leaves your skin healthy and vibrant.

Using an exfoliant is one of the most important steps in skin care - I would go as far as saying it is the most important. If you think about it, what is the point of using a good moisturiser on your dead skin cells? None, right? So, using a facial clay once or twice a week and / or using a mild natural exfoliating gel is a great investment in your skin and your skin's health.

Useful links to product information:

Skin Renewal Gel - gentle exfoliating gel

Earth Medicine Facial Clay - come in either Mask or Gel types

That is basically a good thing, but as usual, many companies are using concentrated extracts, or worse still, synthetically manufactured AHA’s or BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids), and that is not a good thing. Excessive concentration, or rather out-of-balance ingredients in skin care is definately to be avoided and I would not consider this type of products to be 'natural'. Yes, they may be natural extracts and added to a cream or lotion in concentrated form, thus arguably they are natural, but that is not what 'natural' skin care is about.

When scientists, pharmacists or chemists comes across a ‘new substance’, so to speak, they have a tendency to want to make it better than nature’s version… more concentrated for quicker, immediate results… and so on. Unfortunately, this usually brings with it side effects and sometimes actual physical damage.

A natural ingredient – just what exactly does that mean? Does it mean it is a substance that nature created and it has been added to a product in order to make that product natural? No, a natural ingredient is an ingredient that is, where ever possible, present in it’s natural, preferably wholistic form, for example AHA’s can be extracted and then added to a product, thereby the maker of that product can claim it contains ‘Natural ingredients’. Or the AHA’s can be used in a product in the form of an extract of Papaya with all the other ingredients present in Papaya fruit. This is a more balanced set of ingredients which work together to achieve a desired effect, thus it is a truly natural ingredient.

Many people do not react well to AHA's in skin care, and this is usually due to the fact that these women use skin care that have concentrates of AHA's in them, not the fruit extract in it's wholistic form. Many Woman come to us with irritated skin, saying '...but I use this natural skin care product...', when looking at it more closely we generally find that either a synthetic or natural extract/concentrate was used - the result: Irritated skin.

One of the best sources of AHA's is found in papaya fruit. When used in a cream such as the Papaya Day Creme, you will soon see the old layers (not dead yet) peal off - this is what is supposed to happen and there is no need for alarm. On the contrary, this is what you want to happen and shows you that the products is working on renewing your skin!!!

Papaya Day Creme is used by individuals with dry & mature Skin type.

If you have dry and sensitive Skin, then use the Rose Day Creme

For an oily skin types Avocado Day Creme is your product of choice.

Useful links to product information

Natural Skin Care Systems - for a complete skin care approach for your specific skin types

Let me illustrate: Aspirin (a very commonly used pain killer) is derived from the bark of the White Willow Tree. The substance or the active ingredient is called Salicylic acid, a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA). This is the stuff that reduces pain. It is also the stuff that can cause Stomach ulcers….

Now, the herbal extract of the White Willow Bark does not (or is much less likely to) cause Stomach ulcers. Why? because the herbal extract contains many other ingredients that are contained in the bark, which the extraction process brings out. Some of these substances are mucilaginous (Porridge is mucilaginous, or 'slimy') which means they are slippery and when taken internally, they cover the membrane of the Stomach (the lining) and prevent the salicylic acid from causing ulceration – clever, isn’t she, that Mother Nature woman?

Sometimes you will hear these additional ingredients referred to as “phyto-chemicals”. This is a very current topic today with respect to Vitamins and other ‘natural’ supplements. The term 'phyto' refers to plant, so what they are actually saying is plant chemicals.

Should AHA's be in your natural skin care products?

What does all this have to do with natural skin care? Well, as I have written before. Natural skin care is not necessarily natural and one could debate back and forth what ‘natural’ is, or what it should be. One thing is certain, natural skin care products should not contain any ‘un-natural’ ingredients, be they synthetically produced or in ‘purified / isolated / concentrated form’. Natural should be as close as possible to the way it is found in nature.

That is not to say one should not use Vitamin E as a principal ingredient in a cream, but it should not be of a synthetically derived form. Wheat germ oil, for example, is very high in Vitamin E and contains many other phyto-chemicals, which are nourishing to the skin.

At Wildcrafted Herbal Products we choose to define natural as ‘the way nature created it’, so we prefer not to use isolated natural ingredients. Instead, we choose to use traditional plant extracts, essential oils, carrier oils, hydrosols and other natural ingredients according to Naturopathic and herbal medicine principles, which preserve the integrity of the plant or relevant plant parts.

AHA's are a good ingredient to be included in natural skin care products, as long as the AHA's are still in their original content, ie: as part of a fruit hydrosol for example. That way, the ingredients in the fruit (other than the AHA's) will buffer the acidic effect of the AHA's and thus your skin is far less likely to be irritated or have an adverse reaction to the product.

We hope this clarifies some of the confusion which is propagated in the media and provides you with information you can use when next looking at ingredients on natural skin care products.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2007

Hair Dyes Cause Cancer

2007-01-22T12:37:00.000+11:00

Research into the toxicity of hair dyes by Japanese researchers has demonstrated that certain hair dyes are carcinogenic and present a serious threat to users of permanent hair colouring products. Their findings list several chemicals which were responsible in causing a number of different cancers in rats, including ovarian, bladder and other cancers (Read Abstract).

They warn hair dressers in particular and women who frequently use permanent hair dyes about unwittingly increasing their risk of developing cancer through frequent, long term use.A natural hair dye is henna, which was found to be safe for use as a hair dye and poses no genotoxic risk to consumers (Read Abstract).

These and similar finding is why we at Wildcrafted Herbal Products, an Australian, manufacturer of natural skin and personal care products, continuously scan the scientific literature for new findings related to ingredients used by the beauty, cosmetics, skin care and personal care industries.

There is an ever increasing demand by customers for products that are totally natural and are safe to use. "Our aim is to identify potentially harmful substances in order to keep our products as pure as nature intended", said Susan Siegenthaler, director of R & D at Wildcrafted Herbal Products."As scientific investigation techniques are becoming more sophisticated, more chemicals both natural and synthetic are receiving increased scrutiny by the scientific community as to their safety and effectiveness", said Susan."

At Wildcrafted we look for scientifically validated information on a wide range of ingredients, in terms of their actions, effectiveness and safety, as a pro-active measure to avoid using any questionable ingredients in our products. We just want our customers to know they are not slowly poisoning themselves when using any of our range of products", states Susan."

I think consumers have the right to know what is in the products they are using and whether or not these ingredients have the potential to cause them harm," insists Susan. "I am very surprised that the finding from the Japanese research team has not made major headlines in news and current affair programs, and I have to wonder, Why?", asks Susan.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2007

Natural Face-Lift using Acupuncture

2006-11-30T15:14:00.000+11:00

More and more, women and men too, are looking for a natural face-lift, that is, a way to maintain their youthful looking facial skin, naturally. Face-lifts using surgery, or cosmetic face-lifts using products such as Botox injections, are being replaced at least in part, by natural methods.

cupuncture has been used for millennia to treat disease and lines and wrinkles on faces have been part of that. After all, if Acupuncture can treat diseases of the body, why would it not work on the aging facial skin.

Face-lifts are common place these days, but not everyone wants to spend tens-of-thousands of dollars for a plastic surgeon, or have potentially toxic chemicals injected into their skin. More and more people are looking toward natural skin care solutions such as natural and organic skin care products and now Acupuncture for maintaining their youthful looks.

Acupuncture uses acupuncture points, located all over the body to stimulate the body’s own energy. Each point has specific actions, but can also have complex interactions when used together with other acupuncture points.

Typically a face-lift using acupuncture would involve a selection from points such as:

CO. 20 (Yang Xiang)
S.I. 18 (Quan Liao)
TH. 23 (Si Zhu Kong)
GB. 1 (Tong Zi Liao), GB. 14 (Yang Bai)
ST. 2 (Si Bai), ST. 3 (Ju Liao), ST. 4 (Di Cang)
Yin Tang, Yu Yao

In addition, other points on the body would be selected to treat any underlying health problems, which would also have an effect on the healthy look of an individual. Let's face it, if you are feeling a million dollars, you'll probably look better than if you're feeling low in energy and lack basic health.

In Australia an Acupuncture session would cost you around $100.- and you would need at least 6-8 treatment over 4-8 weeks to get results. Yes, you would need to repeat this once or twice a year, depending on your age and general health. Compare that to Botox injections or surgery, and you will save yourself a lot of money and pain, not to mension avoiding nasty side effects.

Natural face-lifts are simply a better option. You don't need to use potentially toxic chemicals, nor do you run any risk associated with even the most minor of surgical procedures and you do not need to worry about side effects. Acupuncture will not cause any lasting side effects. At worst, you may get a small bruise where a needle was inserted, but it will clear up in a matter of a day or two and the Acupuncture itself is not painful. In fact Acupuncture is usually very relaxing and energising.

Natural face-lifts are increasingly more sought after and Acupuncture is a very simple, effective way to get results. Make sure the person you choose is well qualified and is a member of a national association.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006

Importance of Your Skin's pH

2006-10-10T18:08:00.000+10:00

One of the most important roles of our skin is to protect our ‘insides’ from the external environment, acting both as a barrier and a filter between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’. In addition, the skin is involved in regulating our body’s temperature, like when we have a fever or we’re physically working hard, we tend to sweat, which is the body’s way to attempt to lower the temperature.

Another important role of our skin is to protect us from harmful substances entering our body, and in eliminating toxins. This takes workload off our Liver and Kidneys to filter out by-products from our body’s metabolism. The skin also breathes!

Hormones, Sweat glands and pH

The pores of our skin are made up of a combination of oil and sweat glands (sebaceous and sudoriferous glands) helping to keep our skin healthy and elastic. An excessive sebum secretion is often associated with oily skin and acne. This is particularly common in adolescents as the increased levels of sex hormones stimulate sebum production and secretion. When in balance, the combined excretion of oil and sweat from the skin’s pores has a pH of about 5.5.

The Acid Mantle, Age and the importance of the skin's pH

This slightly acidic layer, also referred to as the “Acid Mantle”, is our body’s first defence mechanism against bacteria invading it and is not a favourable environment bacterial growth to occur. This defence layer develops at puberty, which is why children are more susceptible to disease, viruses and fungal infections such are ringworm. The pH of children’s skin is closer to neutral (pH 7).

At puberty, however, we start to produce more hair on our bodies. Hair follicles have an associated sebaceous gland or glands which become active as hair growth increases, causing changes in the skin’s pH. The hormones that control sweat also become active and the whole surface of a teenager’s skin is totally different to that of a young child. This is our body’s way to increase our defence system.

The pH of normal, healthy human skin is somewhere between 4.5 and 6. However, this varies with age. Typically, newborns have a pH closer to neutral (pH 7) that quickly turns acidic in order to protect young children’s skin.

In the late teens to early 20’s, our Acid Mantle is well developed and provides good protection against potentially harmful, external environmental factors. Our skin usually looks healthy, heals quickly when injured and seems to take care of itself.

With increasing age however, the skin’s pH becomes more and more neutral, and thus more susceptible to bacterial growth. This reduced acidity kills fewer bacteria than before, leaving the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and infections. The skin weakens as a result and begins developing problems with increasing age. (Interestingly, the pH value rises beyond 6 when a person actually suffers from a skin problem or skin disease.)

The aging process of the skin causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues underlying the skin, which give the skin its firmness (collagen) and elasticity (elastin). The rates of loss of skin firmness and elasticity differs from individual to individual, depending on their genetic makeup, general health, over exposure to the sun, skin care regime, or lack there of, and other factors.

As the skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier; the underlying fatty tissue begins to disappear resulting in the skin beginning to sag. Our skin is less supple, and wrinkles begin to form. At this stage, our skin is more easily injured, heals more slowly and tends to dry out more quickly.

The role of pH in Acne

As outlined above, the skin’s pH is important and maintaining a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5 is critical.

The skin’s pH value is one of the major contributors to acne and other skin problems. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacteria that normally lives on the skin and is a normal bacteria found in all persons regardless of the presence or absence of acne.

However, in individuals prone to acne, the number of P. acnes is greatly increased. It has been found that the growth of this bacteria is very much dependent on the pH value of the skin and its growth is at its minimum at the normal skin pH of 5.5. A slight shift towards the alkaline pH would provide a better environment in which it can thrive.

Importance of the skin's pH: Do's & Don'ts

One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Ordinary, commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skin’s pH to be much more alkaline. This can be adjusted by using products such as Wildcrafted Herbal Products' Wild Herb Toner or Milk of Roses Toner, depending on your skin type. These toners restore normal pH of the skin and thus provide an environment not conducive to the growth of bacteria. In addition, soap dries out the skin, because of its high alkalinity.

Thus if you choose to use a commercially available soap, you must restore the pH of your skin to prevent loss of moisture and the excessive growth of bacteria. It is important to remember that this applies to the entire surface of your skin, not just the face.

Instead of using ordinary soap, you need to use products such as the Skin Renewal Gel from Wildcrafted Herbal Products, which cleanses your skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin’s pH as it is meant to be. Following this with the use of a Toner will close the open pores, preventing blackheads and loss of moisture from the skin.

Other factors influencing your skin's pH

Another factor that helps in regulating your skin’s pH is the presents of microflora on your skin. Staphylococcus epidermis is involved in the breakdown of fatty acids, and is therefore partly responsible for the acidic pH of skin. The use of ordinary soap, not only changes the pH of the skin to be more alkaline, effectively removing the protective acid mantle, but also kills the bacteria responsible for creating, at least in part, the acidic pH of your skin – a double whammy.

It is therefore of great importance to have a good skin care regime in which high
quality, natural skin care products are employed. There are a couple of simple steps to take before buying a particular brand of natural skin care products.

Identify the skin type(s) on the face. There are usually two or more. One skin type is usually isolated to the T-Zone (forehead and nose), the other applies to the rest of the facial skin.

Carefully select your natural skin care products. It is not good enough to choose products, which add natural ingredients to an otherwise non-natural base crème or lotion, as is the case in many supermarket brands. READ the label carefully, ask questions and if you are buying the products on-line, make sure there is a guarantee that allows you some time to evaluate the products before they need to be returned for a refund.

Look for manufacturers that have qualified herbalists or naturopaths on staff. These people generally do not support the use of artificial ingredients because it goes against everything they teach their patients, friends and family. – For the most part, it’s a pretty good indication that the products are pure, when natural therapists are in charge of the formulation of the products.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products' natural skin care range is suitable for men and women and contains only pure, natural ingredients, formulated according to Naturopathic and Aromatherapy principles.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Copyright: Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006

Natural Skin Care Regime for Ethnic Differences in Skin Characteristics

2006-09-30T18:13:00.000+10:00

The world is a big place and there are many different cultures, Europeans, Scandinavians, Asians, Africans, Hispanics and many, many more. Each of these cultures tends to have certain characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, etc,. Inherent with cultural backgrounds is a difference in skin types. For example, western cultures such as the central and northern Europeans have a tendency to fair complexions, hair and eye colour, while southern Europeans dent to have darker hair, brown eyes and darker, olive skin tones.

Africans and African Americans, have very dark or almost black skin, usually dark or black hair and brown eyes. Genetically, this skin type is less susceptible to the UV rays, although their skin can still get burned.

Asians on the other hand have a yellowish skin tone and can have brown or blue eyes but have mostly dark or black hair. Yes, genetics does have its opinion on how we look. The cultural differences are reflected in the skin and the genetic factors play an important role in how well our skin looks, how ‘tough’ it is and how vulnerable it is to certain skin problems.

For example, cultures that have a tendency to body hair, also have a tendency to oily skin and therefore have a potential problem with blocked secretory glands resulting in pimples and other skin problems. On the other hand, the Irish, who have a tendency to red hair and very fair skin, have less of a problem with oily skin, but they do tend to get burned easily and thus stand a greater risk to skin cancers. Similarly the Scandinavians and other central and northern Europeans and Americans.

Below are some generalised characteristics of various skin types from different cultural backgrounds:

Skin Characteristics of people with Anglo-Saxon origins

Fair, dry thin-skinned
Scars heal well
Signs of aging appear earlier
Burn easily in the sun
Bruising more obvious
Increased chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern Mediterranean origins

Oily, olive dark complexion
Signs of aging appear later
Cartilage tends to droop
Darker, thicker scars more common
Wrinkles appear later and in more localized areas
Skin cancer is rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European origins / German and Scandinavian

Fair, blue-eyed, blonde
Thin skin
Scars heal well
Signs of aging appear early
Bruising more obvious
Greater chance of skin cancer

Skin Characteristics of people with African/African-American origins

Signs of aging appear very late
Very little fine wrinkling
Formation of keloids is possible
Pigmentation changes may occur
Thicker cartilage hard to change
Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European/Irish and northern England

Ruddy freckled complexion
Red hair
Scars usually thin
Signs of aging appear later
Bruises easily
Pigmentation problems
Skin cancers are most common in this type

Skin Characteristics of people with Asian origins

Signs of aging appear late
Fine wrinkling does not usually occur
Pigmentation changes may occur
Skin cancers are very rare

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern European origins

Dark, oily brunette complexion
Signs of aging appear later
Fine wrinkling less common
Bruising lasts longer
Scars may be thicker and darker
Skin cancers are less common

Identifying the correct, natural skin care system for your skin's characteristics is essential and may need to be adjusted depending on your specific genetic influences, as within each of these groups, there is a wide range in skin tones, which tend to overlap from group to group.

Each of the different categories of skin characteristics has various advantages and disadvantages specific to that group. However, the overall structures and functions of our skin are very similar and are therefore cared for in very similar ways. Knowing your skin’s particular strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor your skin care approach to your particular skin-characteristics.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

Body Skin versus Facial Skin

2006-09-28T16:37:00.000+10:00

How does the Skin of your Face Differ from the Skin on the Rest of you

Most of us look after our facial skin on a daily basis. Why? Because it is on display to the world, however, the rest of our skin should receive just as much attention and the use of a good quality, natural skin care range that includes products for the hands, feet and the rest of your body's skin is essential for healthy, vibrant looking skin that will be able to perform all of it's very important functions.

Your facial skin is exposed to the surrounding environment 24 hours a day. UV radiation, pollution, etc., is in direct contact with your facial skin. Unlike your face, the rest of the body's skin is usually covered by clothing, which ads an additional layer of protection between your skin and its surrounding environment.

Its functions of the skin include:

Providing a barrier that prevents toxic substances from damaging the body's vulnerable interior;
Providing a first line of defence that prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal organisms from causing disease;
Providing a thermostat that regulates body temperature, allowing humans to live in various environments;
Sensory perception such as sensing stimuli through touch and temperature.
The skin also contains sweat glands, oil glands, and hair follicles. Its extreme versatility enables tremendous growth from childhood to adulthood and efficient repair following injury.

The functions and roles of the skin are the same irrespective of where on the body the skin is located, however, the thickness and sensitivity does vary. For example, the heels of your feet are covered by thicker skin then are the tops of your feet. Similarly the skin of the inside of your upper arm is very sensitive and rarely exposed to full sunlight, where as the back of your hands are exposed, just like your face, directly to the surrounding environment.

As a result, the different areas of your skin need a slightly different skin care regime. That is, the face is not the only skin that needs to be considered when purchasing skin care products. A good quality, natural hand cream should also be part of your range of skin care products, as should a general, natural body moisturising lotion.

In addition, you may also wish to include a skin care range specifically for your feet, because your feet are a primary heat exchange site where your body does loose a lot of water. Unfortunately, most people pay very little attention to the skin of their feet until there are problems.

As outlined above, your skin performs many important functions and requires just as much care and attention as your Heart, Kidneys and other organs. If the skin is unable to perform its functions, problems can ensue and these may be difficult to treat. Remember, prevention is better than cure as cure can be difficult to achieve. Thus using a good quality, natural body moisturising lotion is a great first step to ensure the health and viability of your body's skin.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006

Chemical Warning for Cosmetics

2006-09-10T08:40:00.000+10:00

Below is a transcript from a report screened on A Current Affaire (Australian Television Channel 9) on Tue 05/09/06, as reported by Ros Thomas

Many women will spend a small fortune on toiletries and cosmetics over their lifetime, using them morning and night. However, very few women actually have a clue what is in the products they use.
A British lobby group has issued a warning that the average woman applies more than 175 chemical compounds to her face and body every day.

Dr Ernest Tan, a Perth dermatologist, says the cosmetics industry sells science to women as though it's nature. Chief amongst their favoured ingredients are the following:

Formaldehyde — the same compound used to embalm bodies.
Sodium laurel sulphate — used to create bubbles in shampoos and soaps.
Parabens — often used in moisturisers, mostly as preservatives.

All of the above ingredients can cause reactions, from simple irritations if the skin is slightly damaged, to full allergic reactions.

Comment: This is a very conservative list. There are literally hundreds of chemicals (synthetic and natural), which are used in skin care and cosmetics, which have been band in countries such as the US and Canada - but not here in Australia...

However, beauty editors such as Cleo magazine's Rachel Mannell say if those chemicals weren't in makeup, no one would buy them because they'd look, smell and feel terrible.

Comment: After speaking with Rachel personally, she pointed out, that a focus on more natural ingredients is to be encouraged and that more and more companies are moving in that direction.
Editors of magazines such as Cleo, have an enormous influence on readers and are in an ideal position to bring awareness and education to the public.
You have to ask: Might it not be better to have a non-foaming cleanser or shampoo, which are widely available by the way, and avoid the possibility of slowly poisoning oneself?
Might not the thinking consumer prefer a product that may not look quite as pretty but performs the intended functions equally well in a natural way, rather than consume potentially dangerous chemicals?

"It's a catch-22 because sulphates are used in shampoos and cleansers for the foaming effect and if the products don't have sulphates in them, they don't foam and consumers are unhappy," Mannell says.

Comment: Again, this is not the case. More and more consumers are looking for natural skin and personal care products and are educating themselves on the potential dangers of these chemicals.
I run a web site that focuses on natural skin care and it provides many articles on the dangers and potentially harmful ingredients in commercially available beauty products.

But no longer fooled by the glitz and glamour of the beauty business, many women are now asking questions about what's in their cosmetics and why you need to be a scientist to understand the labels.

Comment: This is certainly a growing trend. We receive many emails wanting to know if our products include chemicals that have been discussed widely in the media, such as the three mentioned above. This points out to us, that consumers are increasingly less willing to put chemicals on their skin, which may pose a danger to their health, and this is why we do not use them in our products.

Certainly dermatologists say we're being bombarded with all kinds of products none of us need.
"I think a lot of females are using too many products and I think all they need to use is a soap-free wash, a moisturiser and some sun protection. I think the rest, in terms of cosmetics, are over-used and over-marketed," Dr Tan says.

Comment: Dr Tan makes a very valid point, however, I think even he would agree that a daily skin care regime which includes cleansing, toning and moisturising is a sound approach to skin care, and using products that utilise natural ingredients, which are just as effective, if not more so then their synthetic counterparts, are to be preferred.

Join the Natural Skin Care Newsletter

2006-07-24T10:42:00.001+10:00

Hi Folks,

We have just started our new Natual Skin Care Forum. The idea is so that people have an opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions about the skin.
Over time we will add new topics to include Aromatherapy, Herbal Medicine and other aspects of health care.

We'd like to invite you to come and have a look and join our members if you like

Hope to see you all there

Cheers
Danny & Susan

Natural skin care regime

2006-05-30T14:24:00.000+10:00

We have published a small website dedicated to specific skin types. Natural skin care regimes for oily, dry, mature and sensitive skin provides basic information on how to manage different skin types and how to identify them.

There are also links to our primary website which will provide you with more information and articles as well as products suitable for each of the various skin types.

Scientific Articles on Skin care, Alternative Medicine and Aromatherapy

2006-05-22T15:12:00.000+10:00

Hi Folks,

We have recently launched a new articles directory section.

This section contains scientific publications related to skin care, medicinal herbs, Aromatheray and related topics.

These articles are not written by either Susan or myself. They have been published in leading, scientific journals.

We hope you will find them interesting and eye-opening to say the least. Alternative medicine is certainly getting a lot of attention from the scientific community

The Virtual Skin Doctor

2006-04-11T14:55:00.000+10:00

The Virtual Skin Doctor is a free service provided by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to help you understand and manage your skin problems.

The Virtual Skin Doctor is designed for your convenience. By filling in the form on the site you are providing The Virtual Skin Doctor with information about you and your skin's health. The more detailed the information is, the better The Virtual Skin Doctor can assess your condition and make subsequent recommendations.

The Virtual Skin Doctor is actually a fully qualified, certified and very experienced Medical Herbalist who specialises in skin conditions and problems and is a valued staff member of Wildcrafted Herbal Products, so your information will not be assessed by some computer program, but rather a physician with extensive knowledge and over 25 years of clinical experience.

Once you've completed the form, submit the form to us by clicking on the 'submit' button at the end of the form. Our medical herbalist will assess your case and if necessary make contact with you to clarify any uncertainties or to ask you some more relevant questions which will help in the assessment of your skin condition.

This service is a first of its kind and is intended to help visitors get quality, expert advice on their specific skin problem. The Virtual Skin Doctor will make recommendations that you can be certain of being based on in-depth knowledge and understanding of skin disorders.

Go ahead give it a try - it's a great service and you will get quality information.

Take me to the Virtual Skin Doctor now

Shaving and the adolescent male

2005-07-23T10:26:00.000+10:00

Shaving and the adolescent male

Shaving is a male thing, well for the most part any way. Around the age of 14 is usually the time when beards start to grow and the ‘knife’ comes out. These days it’s a Gillette razor or some other brand. At the same time however, acne spots start to appear and shaving becomes a real problem. How do you shave around all those pimples?

The most obvious way around it is to use a good quality electric shaver. Usually this resolves the problem of cutting pimples and causing unnecessary pain and injury. However, you will need to follow a good skin care regime to remove the dead skin cells which build up on you skin, in order to promote healthy growth of new skin cells. We’ll discuss exfoliation later.

Make sure you use skin care products for sensitive skin when acne pimples are many and inflamed. It’s important to get the skin type right too. Dry, normal or oily skin, requires different approaches and in many cases there will be a couple of different skin types in any one individual.

For example, you may have a combination of dry and oily skin, or normal and oily skin. Usually with acne there is a component of oily skin – the nose, forehead are often oily, while the cheeks and chin areas are either normal or dry. You will need to keep this in mind in order to effectively treat your acne and shave without causing additional problems.

There are some basic principles that all you men should know about their skin and how to best conquer the shaving process.

It sounds easy enough, hey just put some shaving gel on your face and using a razor, take it off again, simple, how hard could it be?

The problem is not that the act of shaving is in itself difficult, it’s not, but unfortunately the skin can very much be a problem. If shaving is not done correctly, you could end up looking a bloody mess and have blotchy irritated skin and that is not a good look with which to impress the girls.

To start with, young men, and for that matter even mature men don’t realise that the beard hairs grow in different directions… The key is not to shave against the direction of the growth. In order to get a close shave, it is very important that the preparation stage for shaving is done correctly if a close shave is desired.

Shaving against the growth of the hair will give you a closer shave, but you increase the risk of nicks and cuts many fold and if you have acne, this can get rather bloody.

So, here’s how to get it right from the start.

Before we start, shave in the shower. The warm water will open the facial pores soften both the stubbles and the skin and this promotes a better, closer shave. Also, there is less risk of nicks and cuts if your skin is warmed by the hot water in the shower.

Ok, let’s get stated:

Step 1 – Use an exfoliant; this gets rid of dead skin cells, which lifts your stubble and gives a closer shave, leafing your skin smooth and looking well groomed.
Wildcrafted’s Skin Renewal Gel is perfect for this job, because the herbs and essential oils contained in this product help not only to remove dead skin cells, but also nourishes the skin and provides nutrients the skin can utilise.

Step 2 – Prepare the canvas; use the Vitalising Shaving Gel. This product combines pre-shave oiling of the skin and a shaving crème. Not only do you provide lubrication so the razor glides easily over the skin, but the essential oils in this product have antiseptic properties, so you reduce the risk of infections in the event of nicks or cuts from shaving. This helps you to get a smooth shave and the lubricating oils prevent nicks and cuts. Once you have applied the Vitalising Shaving Gel to your face, work it into lather and then start shaving.

Step 3 – Shaving; the best razor is one that lets you use a light stroke and you don’t need to push down too hard. Gillette’s M3 fits the bill, but there are other’s of similar quality. Using a brush to apply the Vitalising Shaving Gel will help lift the bristles and allow you to shave even closer, but your hands will do the job just fine.

If you use an electric shaver, it is still to your advantage to shave after you’ve had a shower, because the skin is warm, softer and the stubble are easier to shave off. Some of the newer electric shavers you can now use under the shower too – so take advantage of that and use the benefits of the ‘hot water’.

Step 4 – Nicks and cuts? The Vitalising Shaving Gel, which leaves a residue on your skin even after you have finished shaving, contains essential oils which disinfect and help repair the skin. Just leave it on your face while you finish having a shower and then rinse it off.

Step 5 – Moisturise. This is a must. After you have finished your shower, apply the Ginseng Hydrator specific for your skin type – remember you may need to use more than one if you have two different skin types. If you have a shiny skin, use the Ginseng Hydrator for Oily skin, if it looks dry and or dull, use the Ginseng Hydrator for Dry skin, else use the one for Normal skin.

Step 6 – Restore; once or twice a week, use a natural clay mask to help your skin heal from the taxing process of shaving. The Earth Medicine Facial Clay range contains soothing minerals and oils to calm shaving irritation. It also helps to remove toxins that build up in the skin, especially if you suffer from acne.

If you are using an electric razor, all the steps except for Step 3 still apply. Using an electric razor can cause your skin to be quite itchy and using a moisturiser that sooths the irritated skin is very important.

So there you have it. Shaving can be easy and painless, as long as you follow the steps above, you should not have any trouble getting your stubbles under control. Remember, use the shower to shave, it really does help immensely as well as save you time, and it helps you to do a better job.

About The Author
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapists, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter – it’s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

Welcome to Wildcrafted Herbal Products - Natural Skin Care News Blog

2005-03-12T14:36:00.000+11:00

Welcome,

My name is Danny Siegenhaler and my wife Susan and I own Wildcrafted Herbal Products. We would like to invite you to join discussions in our Blog (weird word isn't it?) and post comments and ideas. This blog is free to all who would like to participate in constructive, fun, friendly discussions - raise topics, ask questions or simply look in from time to time to see what others have to contribute.

Please do not use this to vent your anger or publish topics other than on natural skin care, alternative medicine or similarly related subjects.

-----

Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products
All Natural Skin Care Products, Personal Care, Herbal and Anti-aging Products, using herbal extracts and essential oils are handmade according to Aromatherapy principles by Wildcrafted Herbal Products.

Do you know what your skin does for you?

2004-06-09T16:47:00.000+10:00

THE NEED FOR SKIN CARE

Most people take their skin very much for granted and yet it is the largest organ in the body, providing protection through its functions as both a barrier and a filter between the body’s internal environment, and the external environment in which we live. Skin care is therefore vital not just for your outer beauty, but for maintaining your inner health.

The skin sends sensory information to the brain about our external environment thus enabling our internal environment to adjust as needed, protecting us from potential harm. Like any other organ in the body, the skin should be maintained in the best possible health so it can perform its functions correctly.

Your skin dependent upon:
* good nutrition,
* adequate rest and relaxation,
* sufficient water intake, and
* fresh air and sunshine.

It is now known that the rate of skin aging is dependent not only on genetic factors (i.e. what you inherit from your parents and grand parents) but also upon internal stress factors such as diet, exercise and mental attitude.

External stress factors, such as excessive exposure to the sun, extreme climatic conditions, air and water borne pollution and chemicals have also been shown to play a part in skin ageing and the incidence of skin problems.

Skin disorders and premature skin aging occur as a result of a decline in optimal skin function due to any one or all of the above factors. Regular skin care routines, involving cleansing, toning and moisturising, have been shown to be beneficial in slowing the rate of skin aging and in controlling or preventing skin problems.

Essential oils and herbal extracts contain thousands of naturally occurring chemical compounds that act synergistically to produce a variety of helpful properties. For example, Geranium Oil contains several active compounds, geraniol, citronellol and linalool that have antiseptic and toning properties. These compounds act together (synergistically) to produce the desired effect. Some essential oils and herbs may contain only one or two major compounds, for example, Chamomile oil contains a high proportion of Chamazulene, a well known anti-inflammatory substance. This constituent makes Chamomile the oil of choice for red, irritated and cracked skin, which is why it is included in several of our natural skin care products.

Doesn’t the skin take care of itself and repair itself well enough without any intervention?

Although the skin has its own innate ability to protect itself and repair itself, a good skin care regime can assist this process and protect the skin against unnecessary damage.

Whilst we are all different in the way our skins are affected by our external and internal environments, there are nevertheless, many factors that affect the health of the skin, some of which can be controlled and others that cannot. Uncontrollable factors can be modified by the implementation of a simple skin care regime.

Uncontrollable factors include:

1) Natural ageing. Over time, natural changes occur in the body’s chemistry and these changes effect the function and appearance of the skin.

2) Sun. Potentially one of the most damaging influences on the skin, ultraviolet light from the sun can dry and damage the skin and cause premature aging.

3) Humidity. Lack of moisture in the air (low humidity) can cause the skin to dry out, whilst high humidity creates excessive oiliness. Both extremes interfere with the natural balance of the skin’s functions.

4) Temperature extremes. Excessively cold or hot temperatures together with low humidity remove moisture from the skin surface.

5) Wind: Wind can also have a drying effect on the skin in addition to carrying wind borne dust and dirt that stick to the skin and potentially clog the pores.

6) Pollution: Air borne pollutants can also clog the pores and have the potential to irritate the skin.

Controllable factors include:

1) Sleep: An adequate and restful amount of sleep is a major contributor to regeneration of all body tissues including the skin.

2) Water: Water helps to flush impurities from the system, improve circulation and re-hydrate the skin.

3) Nutrition: Good nutrition, comprising an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, provides the vitamins and minerals necessary for the production and maintenance of healthy skin.

4) Exercise: Exercise stimulates the circulation and aids in the removal of impurities and toxins and as well as increasing energy and strength and toning the body.

5) Stress: Physical and psychological stress have long been known to alter body chemistry, especially the type and mix of hormones that are circulated in the blood stream. Too much negative stress causes the body to produce stress hormones that can result in a tendency to skin allergies, blemishes, poor skin tone, dark circles under the eyes and wrinkles!

6) Toxic substances: smoking, caffeine, alcohol and some types of medications can adversely affect the skin resulting in a dull complexion, broken surface capillaries and dry, dehydrated skin.

A simple skin care regime involves three basic steps: cleansing , toning and moisturising.
Visit our website at: http://www.wildcrafted.com.au to find out your skin type and the type of Natural Skin Care Products that suite you.