By Klaus Ferlow, HMH, HA
Our healthy skin is the largest organ of our body forming our natural, attractive and versatile cover.
It contains millions of nerve endings that perform a variety of important functions, including conducting signals from inside and outside – like heat, cold, touch, pain and pleasure.
Intact skin also forms a barrier against harmful light and other ultraviolet rays, chemical substances, viruses and bacteria and cushions against blows, pressure and friction.
It is a storage receptacle for fat, water and essential nutrients, and it maintains our constant body temperature through perspiration and the constriction and dilation of pores.
Obviously, skin is the mirror of human physical, emotional and spiritual balance and it openly displays an invidiviual’s state of health and lifestyle. There is no hiding, your skin reveals a lot about you to the world!
If skin is pale, loose, dry, spotty, or tired looking, a change in lifestyle is often the solution.
Such changes may need to include improving nutrition, staying away from fast junk and processed food and pop drinks, sugar, artificial sweetener, smoking, or excess alcohol and increasing whole foods in your diet.
Other changes are exercise, getting good sleep and reducing stress through yoga, meditation, pilates and massages..and laughter since laughing is still the best medicine!!
Our polluted environment overloads the detoxifying organs such as the liver and gallbladder, the skin has to pick-up the extra work to eliminate toxins from the body. The milk thistle as tincture and/or capsules and an infrared sauna helps to detoxify your body.
This overload can lead to dry skin conditions such as rashes, dermatitis, acne or eczema. To prevent chemical overload avoid dangerous toxic hazardous chemicals in cosmetics, personal care products, in household and garden goods.
The Layers of Human Skin
The Epidermis
The is the top layer of the skin which locks in moisture and blocks harmful substances from entering the body.
The Dermis
This is the second layer of the skin, where the stretch marks occur, is where collagen and elastin fibers are produced which gives the skin the ability to resume its shape after stretching.
More collagen means firmer and younger appearance. The dermis also contains sweat and oil glands that lubricate skin, excrete toxins and regulate body temperature.
The Hypodermis
This is the third layler of the skin which is composed of fat, connective tissue and blood vessels that carry off the waste and replenish skin cells.
We all want beautiful healthy skin especially women want young, radiant glowing silky looking skin of rosy complexion, soft to the touch, warm and of course wrinkle-free and ageless.
In women’s magazines and on television natural, organic, anti-aging, hypo-allergenic, ph-balanced and winkle-free skin products are promoted but is this not a myth?
Large corporations in the cosmetic and personal care industry are interested in the promotion and profit potential of their products, not in your health.
They are selling an image, not necessarily a safe and effective product. You have to ask yourself what “new improved” on the label really means?
Statistically most North American women are using daily up to twelve cosmetics, make-ups and personal care products. The majority are loaded with dangerous, hazardous toxic chemical ingredients that are harmful to your skin!
Up to 10,000 of these harmful ingredients are used even today by corporations. (the question needs to be asked “Where is Health Canada?”). It is therefore very important to read the ingredients of the labels!
Since 1995 I have authored eighty educational articles about health, healing, herbs, and nutrition including a variety of educational articles about this subject with the titles: Chemicals in Cosmetics, What is really in your beauty products?, Cosmetics to die for, Hidden Dangers lurking in your cosmetics and personal care products, Why buy chemical-free cosmetics and personal care products?
These have been published in health & women’s magazines nationally, internationally and online. Only an informed consumer can make decisions on what is good for your health and body.
Did you notice that the young models promoting beautiful healthy skin from well -known brand name manufacturers are aged between 18 years and maybe 25 years old and deceiving women?
Our natural cover, which we wear quite casually, is without doubt the largest organ on our body and possible the most versatile and important.
The three layered miracle holds in each square centimeters six millions cells, 5000 sensory nerve endings, 200 pain receptors, 100 sweat glands, 20 – 40 sebaceous glands, delicate blood vessels and 25% of our bodies total blood supply circulates in our skin, which acts as an outpost of our immune system.
There are three types of skin:
*normal, dry or oily skin. Since chlorinated city water is further drying your skin it has to be daily nourished and moisturized with preferably herbal personal care products with no harmful ingredients.
To comprehend the physiology of our body covering better and take care of it in an appropriate manner, it is important to recognize the enormous performance of our skin as it acts as:
*a highly sensitive antenna for signals from outside like pain, heat, cold, touch
*a filter for light, rays, and foreign substances
*a cushion against blows, pressure, and friction
*storage for fat, water, and various nutrients
*a mirror of physical spiritual balance or unhealthy living
*a protective shield against viruses and bacteria due to the natural layer of fat and acidity
*a thermostat maintaining a constant body temperature through perspiration and the contraction and dilation of pores
It is important that the skin needs to breathe and needs careful cleaning, especially if a person uses lots of make-up , need to be moisturized, fat, oxygen and thorough blood purification..
As skin ages it loses elasticity becoming thinner and drier and wrinkles appear. Most elderly don’t drink enough liquid daily since our body is 70% water. The layer of fat that gives the skin its soft appearance in youth, slowly begins to shrink und eventually does not regenerate.
Please remember that there are three ways people age:
Chronological Aging
This is impossible to stop and most anti-aging wrinkle-free creams do not work , but you can buy into the illusion! Actually it is a myth!
Environmental Aging
This happens at any age since you inherit your skin, so protecting the skin is recommended, especially from injuries, the sun and the wind.
Lifestyle Aging
You are what you eat…as the saying goes! Poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise will affect how you look and feel. Drinking enough water is important as it flushes out toxins.
Secrets to Keeping Healthy Skin
Moisturize:
To keep the skin’s natural protective barrier intact, use a non-irritating moisturizer like a neem cream and/or a rosa cream that has not harmful toxic ingredients.
Apply after your bath or shower when the skin is still damp, and reapply multiple times during he day as necessary, especially if using chlorinated water which will dry out your skin.
Avoid Irritants
Common chemical irritants such as harsh soaps and cosmetics, cleaning products and chemicals in households and the workplace can case itchiness and redness.
This can result in dermatitis or eczema. Ensure you are using preferably natural and safe herbal personal care and cleaning products. Also ensure that your home and work environment are non- toxic.
Showering & Bathing
Avoid excessive long bathing and/or showering in hot water with harsh soaps because it removes the protective oils from your skin and dries it.
Lukewarm water and a neem soap and neem shower gel would be ideal, or a mild chemical-free product that is pH-balanced.
Healthy Diet
Avoid fast junk food, pop drinks, refined sugar, smoking , excess alcohol and increase vitamin and antioxident rich foods such as vegetable, fruit and nuts.
Water & Sun
Stay hydrated with pure chlorine-free water. Detoxify your body with natural herbal remedies, for example milk thistle.
Use an infrared sauna and expose your skin to natural sunlight each day for vitamin D while avoiding damaging overexposure to the ultra violet rays of the sun and/or tanning salons.
Climate Control
Keeping humidity a constant 55% at home with a humidifier particularly in the fall and winter with the heating on, it helps to keep the skin moist.
This can be measured using a hydrometer, available at most hardware stores, best room temperature would be 22 degree C – 70 F, it helps to prevent premature aging. Also grow plants that purify the air.
There are a variety of quality cosmetics and herbal personal care products with no harmful ingredients available (dangerous, hazardous toxic chemical ingredients) on the market, you just have to do your own research.
Guest post by Klaus Ferlow, an Honorary Master Herbalist (HMH), Herbal Advocate, formulator, lecturer, researcher, writer and founder of Ferlow Botanicals and NEEM RESEARCH.
He is also core-founding member of the WNO -World Neem Organisation, Mumbai, India, member of former Health Action Network Society, Canadian Herbalist’s Association of B.C., National Health Federation, International Herb Asssociation, United Plant Savers, co-author of the book “7stepstodentalhealth” published 2010, author of the book “Neem: Nature’s Healing Gift to Humanity”, published 2015, third edition will be published 2023.
He founded Ferlow Botanicals in 1975 as Ferlow Brothers . The name was changed in 1993. It was one of the first 100% Canadian owned and operated family business manufacturing and distributing herbal medicinal personal care products to holistic practitioners/clinics and select stores across Canada and parts of the U.S. The products are made with no harmful ingredients. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary this fall.
