Importance of Your Skin's pH

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

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.

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.

Copyright: Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006, all rights reserved

Body Skin versus Facial Skin

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

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.

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 Forum – it's fun, free and Informative.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2006

Join the Natural Skin Care Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.