Hydrating Dry Hair and Skin

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Hydrating Dry Hair and Skin - Three Remedies More Skin Care Solutions

Adapted from New Choices in Natural Healing, edited by Bill Gottlieb.

Water makes up 60 percent of the average adult's body weight and more

than 70 percent of non-fat tissue such as skin.

 

 

 

Simple Solution:

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Radiator heat, blow-dryers, deodorant soap and dehumidifiers can all

rob you of the moisture you desperately need. That can leave your hair

brittle and strawlike and your skin flaky and dry, especially in the

winter.

 

The natural remedies here, used with your doctor's approval, may help

relieve dry hair and skin, according to some health professionals.

 

See your medical doctor when you have redness, oozing, crusting or

other signs of irritation.

 

AROMATHERAPY

To help chronically dry skin retain more of its natural moisture, Fair

Oaks, California, aromatherapist Victoria Edwards recommends this

fragrant face and body oil: Add ten drops each of the essential oils

lavender, Roman chamomile, neroli, rosemary and carrot seed to two

ounces of a carrier oil such as almond, olive or sesame. (Carrier oils

are available in most health food stores.) Apply the oil once a day

after your bath or shower, while your skin is still slightly damp,

says Edwards.

 

To make dry hair silky and manageable, add six drops each of lavender,

bay and sandalwood essential oils to six ounces of warm sesame or soy

oil, suggest Greenwich, Connecticut, aromatherapist Judith Jackson. To

apply the oil, says Jackson, part your hair into one-inch sections and

apply the mixture to the scalp with a wad of cotton. Wrap your head in

a towel and let the oils penetrate for about 15 minutes, then shampoo

twice, she says.

 

FOOD THERAPY

" Eat fish at least twice a week, " suggests author Earl Mindell, R.Ph.,

Ph.D. The oil in salmon, herring and other cold water fish is rich in

omega-3 fatty acids, which help replenish lost moisture in dry skin

and hair, according to Dr. Mindell.

 

Up to two tablespoons of flaxseed oil a day can also help replenish

hair and skin oils, says Julian Whitaker, M.D. It has a nutty-buttery

taste, so you can use it as a topping on popcorn, potatoes or other

foods you might otherwise flavor with butter, he says. Flaxseed oil is

available in most health food stores.

 

REFLEXOLOGY

To deal with dry skin, pay special attention to the thyroid and

adrenal gland reflexes on your hands and feet, says reflexologist and

author Dwight Byers. To help you locate these points, consult hand and

foot reflex charts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

Diana Gonzalez

 

 

 

 

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is

carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a

life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

-Unknown