When winter strikes or anytime for that matter, it's time to give our skin extra care to keep it from drying up like a bad prune. I always have so many problems, largely with my hands; My skin gets very sensitive to everything especially when the season changes, so here are a few helpful tips to consider.

HANDS:

1. Use gloves when washing dishes and using chemical cleaners. Even if you're just loading the dishwasher, the less your hands are exposed to a lot of water, the better. Try applying some Lotion right before the gloves go on for some added help. The heat from the water will open up pores allowing the moisture to soak in better.

2. Stay away from Anti-bacterial soap! This is murder to your skin no matter the season, but especially in winter. It strips everything from you skin, good and bad.

3. Moisturize often. The best for your skin would be homemade lotion without any preservatives, fragrances, colorings and chemical ingredients. Choose a lotion that has few ingredients with ones that you can pronounce and recognize-if at all possible.

4. Cover up skin when going outside!

BODY:

1. Exfoliate once a week with a natural homemade recipe.

2. Moisturize after every shower. Again, use a homemade lotion if possible. It's easy to make and really does a good job. Just make sure to really massage it in.

3. When showering, if your skin is in really bad shape use water that is mildly warm. Resist taking a hot shower! Hot water robs your skin of its natural oil, and during the winter especially you want to work hard at keeping oil production stable. This doesn't mean staying away from showering though! =) Just keep the extremes to a minimum.

4. Cover up skin when going outside! Harsh winds, sun and dry air can rob your skin of oils.

FACE:

1. Use a natural face wash, like powdered milk or yogurt. Try to keep face washing to a minimum. Once a day is plenty.

2. Wash with very mild temperature water. This is important for anytime of the year, but especially during really dry seasons.

3. Moisturize once a day. I like using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, believe it or not. It works really nicely and is very nourishing. Also try using 100% Cocoa Butter. This is a wonderful facial moisturizer and completely natural!

4. Use a mask no more than twice a week. There are some great ones for moisturizing.

LIPS:

1. Don't lick them!

2. Hydrate often with a natural product. Chapstick tends to make things worse and make your lips more dependent on needing coverage.

3. I love using Cocoa Butter, again 100%, in the morning after washing my face and at night right before I go to bed. Leaves my lips very silky smooth and soft.

4. I've also used honey dabbed straight onto my lips. Honey has antibacterial properties to help kill germs and also it smooths and softens. Let it really sink into your lips.

FEET:

1. If your feet get dry and need a boost, apply Extra Virgin Olive Oil generously then cover with socks. You can do this anytime and I've found it very successful.

2. Use a foot soak like one found on my website and treat your feet if they're really bad, applying lotion or oil and socks afterward.

HAIR:

1. Try a natural recipe for a hair mask. I have one on my site now and am hunting and trying to find more that work well.

2. A warm oil treatment can be great for dry hair. Take a little olive oil, heat it up (not too hot, you don't want to burn your scalp!), then use your fingers and a comb to work it through your hair. Use a shower cap (you can get 3 at Wal Mart for a couple bucks) and let the oil sit for 30 minutes to a couple hours, you choose. Shampoo and condition as usual.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas using homemade natural skin care for dry skin issues!

For more recipes, tips and information be sure and visit Simply Natural Skin website! Take the hassle out of skin care and enjoy using homemade natural ingredients for all your beauty needs.

http://www.simplynaturalskin.com/

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Wart symptoms depend on the type you are suffering from. There are many types of warts, including common ones that show up in clusters or alone on different body parts. These are usually very rough, have a dome shape and are grayish brown. Plantar warts are also very common and they attack your feet and can eventually form a cluster called a mosaic wart. When put under pressure, a planter lump can trigger formation of foot calluses. Periungual form beneath the toenails and fingernails and are hard and irregular lumps. If not treated they can derail growth of nails.

Filiforms are flat and they often develop around the chin, nose or mouth. A filiform is characterized by finger-like protrusions that appear fresh. Genital warts are STD in nature and they grow on the private body parts. Last but not least is a flat wart that develops on the legs, arms and face. It attacks a larger area, is very small, can be pink, yellow or brown and forms as a result of shaving. Among all these, genital warts are given much preference because they are very common. They are caused by Human Papilloma Virus and are very difficult to detect.

They commonly attack persons of ages seventeen to thirty three years. In addition, these genital lumps are highly communicable sexually transmitted diseases. The wart symptoms of these kinds include itching, painless bumps, and discharge. In ladies, they can develop inside the reproductive organ. Common warts cause slightly different signs including fresh tan, white or pink lumps that are tiny, plump, and course. Sometimes they form in groups and other times singly. If pinched or broken, these bumps can breed easily. In addition, they contain tiny black spots regularly referred to as seeds, but in reality are coagulated capillaries.

The above mentioned plantar warts are light brown and have tiny black spots inside. The spots are clotted blood capillaries. Other rare types of warts in grownups include molluscum. They are round bumps that occupy a space of about one to five millimeters. They often attack children and their main sign is the dimple at the top and the hard coating. Although they can disappear on their own, the last molluscum will disappear after 1 year and 18 months or extend up to five years. When treated they can cause pain and scarring and if left to heal naturally they can only cause temporary fading on the skin.

Which type of wart are you suffering from? Have you seen your doctor for diagnosis? This is actually the right spot to start. A doctor can help you understand the symptoms you have on the skin and prescribe drugs or any other form of treatment. All the same, most warty bumps do not require a doctor's appointment. They can be cured at home using over the counter methods such as freezing with liquid nitrogen. If you are not very bothered by their ugly appearance, you can sit back and watch the wart symptoms disappear naturally. However, if yours are spreading fast and shockingly, you can pay your dermatologist a visit.

For more information, please read this article on warts, and on wart symptoms

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While facial toners might be a relatively new concept in the skin care industry, their capability to enhance the health of skin is mentioned in Ayurveda, which is a 3000+ year-old system of health and well being that traces its origins to India. In Ayurveda, rosewater has been suggested repeatedly as a skin soothing and skin beautifying ingredient. Queens rinsed their skin with rosewater, and soaked in baths filled with fragrant rose petals. Rosewater is the nature's most effective skin toner.

Facial toners are generally liquids. When applied on the skin they tighten the open pores, thus improving its tone and texture. Open pores are especially visible in the t-zone, or the area of the face including the nose and the forehead. Open pores are mostly associated with oily and acne-prone skin types, and can take away from the healthy appearance of skin.

Facial toners are generally astringent in nature and in addition to closing open pores they are also very useful in tightening the skin and making the appearance of the skin uniform and calm. Thus skin does not prematurely age and the natural sagging of the skin can be delayed and minimized.

Unfortunately, most facial toners available in the market contain many harmful chemicals that over a period of time can create some serious skin issues like allergies and chronic dryness. Of the harmful ingredients in facial toners, the most notorious is alcohol. Due to its astringent properties, commercially available toners use alcohol in very high percentage. The skin tightening effect achieved by using alcohol is accompanied by dehydration and loss of natural moisture, which can cause the skin to look lifeless. When used regularly, alcohol will eventually cause the skin to age prematurely and make it susceptible to conditions like eczema. Therefore it becomes very important to choose a safe toner that can enhance the health of your skin, and with long-term use can even correct any imbalances.

Choose a toner based on 100% natural rosewater. Witch hazel is also a good base for a facial toner. Both of these base ingredients have natural astringent properties without the harmful side effects of alcohol. They are effective yet very safe and gentle to your skin. In addition to closing open pores, improving tone and texture, delaying aging, both rosewater and witch hazel also reduce the redness of skin. An ideal facial toner should also have some additional active ingredients that are suitable for your individual skin type. Eg. Vegetable glycerin is a great ingredient to look for if your skin is dry. It attracts moisture from the atmosphere and thus increases the natural hydration levels of dry skin. Geranium, due to its oil balancing properties, could be an ingredient to look for if your skin is oily or acne-prone.

Toning your skin everyday after cleansing AM and PM is a skin care habit that can have long-lasting and very beneficial effects on your skin. With regular use your skin will look calm, tight, youthful, and open pores will be a problem of the past! However, it is important to choose a toner that is natural and free of alcohol.

For more information about Facial Toner Please visit: http://www.apsaraskincare.com/

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If you have a wart and want to know how to get rid of it, what are your options? Can you do it yourself, or do you need to seek medical attention? Is wart removal permanent, or will it come back? First of all, what is a wart and how did you get it in the first place?

A wart is a small growth, rough in texture, and usually on the hands or feet, but can grow elsewhere on the body. It is similar to a blister, but a wart is solid and shaped somewhat like a cauliflower. Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus 2 and 7, which are viruses that create infections in the layered cell structure of the skin or mucous membranes. The virus enters the body through open wounds of the skin, and they are contagious via direct contact. Although they can last for years, they usually disappear after a few months. In some instances they can also reappear.

There are many methods of removing warts, such as topical treatments containing salicylic acid, laser treatment, an injection of Candida, mumps, or Trichophyton antigens at the site of the wart, which stimulates the body's immune system, and even a method known as duct tape occlusion therapy. However, one method seems to be more common, and most preferred, than the others: Cryotherapy, which is the application of extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue.

Wart freezing is generally done with Freon refrigerants, or liquid nitrogen, being applied from an aerosol spray can with a sponge tip. The extreme cold from this application deadens the small blood vessels that the wart feeds on and creates a blister under and around the wart, and between the wart and outer layer of skin. During this period, be careful not to damage or bust the blistered skin. This could invite more infections in through the wound and prolong the wart removal process.

For warts on the fingers, three to four treatments would be required to effectively kill the wart. Warts on the thicker skin of the feet could require a dozen or so treatments. Once the wart is dead, the wart and the dead skin surrounding it should fall off by itself.

Over-the-counter products can be bought for home use. Well known brands would include Compound W Freeze Off and Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away. These products are relatively inexpensive and pretty effective. Be sure to read and follow all directions on the container.

For more information please read this article on How to Get Rid of Warts and Wart Freezing.

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So you want to get rid of stretch marks fast. What are your options? These unsightly scars wreck the self confidence of millions, making them self conscious about their bodies, and causing them to cover up when they don't really want to.

They are caused when your skin is stretched too quickly, normally as a result of rapid weight gain as in pregnancy, muscle building, or a growth spurt. Basically, this sudden change results in a tear in the dermis, which is the middle layer of your skin. The collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis rupture leaving you with scars that look like stripes on the affected areas. Area affected tend to be locations where fat is deposited - thighs, bottom, abdomen, breasts and shoulders.

We're going to provide you with a few pointers that will help you. Of course prevention is better than cure, so if you're thinking of becoming pregnant, or considering body building, a daily massage with a good anti stretch mark cream will certainly go a long way towards this.

But this article assumes that you already have or are getting them, so you need to get rid of stretch marks fast. As soon as you notice them first appearing - act fast! When stretch marks first appear, they are a deep red or purple color, and this fades over time to a silvery white color. It's important for you to act when they are at the red/ purple color stage, as it's much more difficult to reduce them after they have turned silvery white.

Massage the affected area(s) 2 or 3 times a day with a good cream. But if your budget won't stretch to a proprietary topical treatment, then use a moisturizer which contains cocoa butter as the main ingredient. This helps in two ways - it hydrates the skin keeping it supple and the massaging action improves skin tone.

You could also disguise the appearance of stretch marks by applying a self tanner. It's a good idea to exfoliate beforehand to achieve better results.

Educate yourself about what treatment options are available to remove them. These include topical solutions, endermologie, various laser treatments and surgery. Budgetary constraints may also have a bearing on your decision.

Try to be realistic in your expectations. Stretch marks are scars, and scars are notoriously difficult to remove. Although most treatments are effective in reducing and minimizing their appearance, almost to the point of invisibility in some cases, it is unlikely you will ever remove them completely.
Whatever method you opt for to get rid of stretch marks fast, the most important thing is to take action sooner, rather than later.

What if you just cannot eliminate all those stretch marks? I realize it can be very hard to shift those little critters, but if your are focused on eliminating them and reclaiming your body and self-confidence then you really should take a look at our report on how to get rid of stretch marks.

You should not give up hope, it certainly is not impossible. Discover the best stretch mark cream by clicking on the link.

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We have been urged by dermatologists and doctors for years to use sunscreen, but what do we know about the sunscreen ingredients themselves? Do these ingredients protect us from the sun's harmful rays, or do the ingredients themselves put us at further risk for health issues. Here are some key points about sunscreen chemicals and their relation to estrogen.

Free Radical Generating Chemicals

What is a free radical and why is this important in chemical sunscreens? Basically, a free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron, creating instability. This is important because free radicals can damage cells and potentially accelerate cancer progression.

Toxic Chemical Sunscreens

The estrogenic chemicals in essence imitate hormonal (produced by the body) estrogen, which is the key female sex hormone. In sunscreen, free radicals produce estrogen-like effects. What this means is the rise of free radicals can increase cancers, cause birth defects in children, and much more.

For women, the chemicals that are in sunscreen to block the harmful sun's rays also can cause endometriosis, migraines, severe PMS, uterine cysts, increased breast and uterine cancer, and even behavioral changes. Scientists have noted in tests that cancer cells grow more rapidly. Further, the combination of estrogenic chemicals and other chemical ingredients in sunscreen may in fact intensify and make the chemicals more toxic. The chemicals also can suppress the hormones in the thyroid, causing fatigue and muscle and joint pain.

Estrogenic chemicals can also produce harmful effects in men, such as lowered sperm counts, feminization (gender identity confusion), testicular cancer, undescended testicles, breast enlargement, and more. Estrogenic chemicals can block testosterone function, leading to a decrease in sexual arousal and loss of libido.

Octinoxate in Sunscreen

Octinoxate is the most widely used sunscreen ingredient, but in laboratory testing, octinoxate also has estrogenic effects. Women who are pregnant should not use products with this ingredient, not only sunscreen, but lipsticks, foundations, moisturizers, and lip balms. Octinoxate use can result in reproductive and developmental toxicity. What happens when a woman uses sunscreen with this ingredient is that the chemical is quickly absorbed into the skin and then into the body's tissues.

Final Thoughts

There are many more reasons to be extremely wary about using chemical sunscreens. The list of harmful ingredients is staggering, and what those ingredients can do to the human body is also quite alarming. But there are safe alternatives in the form of organic sunscreens. It is time to protect yourself and your family and friends by making an informed decision about chemical sunscreen use. Take the time to get educated and make a change.

If you enjoyed this article and would like several more information about chemical sunscreens, and FREE sunscreen tips, go to http://safesunscreenforkids.com/ for more detailed information.

Renee Pawlish offers advice and tips on safe sunscreen and organic living. She extensively researches these topics and shares the information so anyone can live a better, healthier life. Her online resources are a valuable educational experience!

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A skin tag, or skin polyp, is an abnormality that results in a small dangling piece of flesh. They are harmless most of the time. However, on rare occasion they are associated with diseases like poly cystic ovaries. Many people consider them to be very unattractive. This is the reason they will actively look for solutions or skin tag removal help.

Animals can also get polyps, but it is humans that get them more frequently. They are overweight or sometimes pregnant. Other cases are associated with disorders of the metabolism, like diabetes. In a few cases heredity is the cause. However, sometimes the cause can be unknown. Roughly half of the entire world population gets them with men and women divided equally.

Unlike warts, polyps can be easily removed without worrying about them coming back. Warts will usually grow back after they have been removed if the seed is not completely eliminated. In addition, nothing suggests they can be spread from one person to another like warts. Warts originate from a virus, which makes them contagious. Furthermore, the polyps can often go unnoticed until something like clothing begins to irritate them.

There are dozens of home remedy and ancient ways to rid the body of them. One older method is to use string or thread and tie them at the bottom. Eventually they will fall off by themselves because the blood supply is gone. They simply shrivel up and die. This technique can even be performed on animals and children successfully. A few people say dental floss is successful. However, there are some more ways to remove them if the person has the strength to do them.

The tag can be cut off using a sharp pair of scissors. Having anesthetics is optional. This is not something for the weak or the squeamish to perform. The smaller sizes do not have nerve endings therefore cutting them will not hurt. The larger ones may have developed sensation. It is best to use a local anesthetic when cutting them. Depending on location, it becomes wide to let someone else do the cut.

Another method is to freeze them off by using nitrogen. This method is similar to wart removal. Nitrogen is naturally a very cold substance, which causes the polyp to shrivel up and die. However, this method is not always reliable and has some drawbacks. For instance, there is sometimes a temporary discoloration at the site or the polyp can return.

Some of the best methods are natural products. They can easily be found on the Internet. These methods are both safe and effective because they were developed by doctors. Purchasing them is simple and the products are easy to use. Simply fill out the form and then get the stuff sent directly to the address.

Anytime polyps are discovered around the mouth, the eyelids, the ears, or the nose, it is best to seek the help of a physician. That have the training and the necessary tools to safely and effectively remove them.

In conclusion, natural skin tag removal techniques are safe and easy to use. They can be ordered from the Internet is a few simple steps. When the polyp's location is in question, be sure to check with a doctor.

If you want to find out even more regarding skin tags. Go to http://www.removeskintags.com/

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