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Inflammation: 1) Prepare
three cups of very strong chamomile tea and refrigerate the mixture. Use a
spritzer to spray the chilled tea over inflamed skin. 2) Soak
a gauze pad in whole milk and apply to affected area. Milk is full of
lactic acid, a natural alpha-hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates
dead skin.
Scars: Apply Neosporin, a topical antibiotic,
immediately to new scrapes to minimize scars. Rejuveness is an
over-the-counter, medical-grade silicone sheeting that can heal hypertrophic and keloid scars. You apply the sheet over a scar daily
as directed, and ReJuveness restores your skin to its typical
texture and color.
Paper cuts: Dab some petroleum jelly to ease
the sting.
Puffy eyes: 1) Take a metal spoon and run it under
cold water. Place the metal on puffy area for at least sixty
seconds. 2) Apply hemorrhoid cream (look for brands that include yeast
and shark’s liver oil) to the puffy area. 3) Use thin cucumber
slices as a compress over closed eyes. 4) Place a black tea bag soaked
in cold water on each eye for ten minutes to reduce swelling
caused by fluid retention. Gently press the tea bag from inner to outer
corners to drain the water before placing it on your closed
eye. 5) Avoid salty foods, which cause the under eye area (and the rest
of your body) to hold fluid. 6) Elevate your head when you sleep to
keep fluid from settling around your eyes.
Dark circles: 1) Use
the potassium in raw potato slices to minimize dark circles. Lie down and
apply the potato slices under the eye. Allow the juices to absorb
into the affected area. 2) Use inexpensive, not herbal, tea bags with
tannic acid to minimize dark circles. Briefly steep the teabag,
then let cool. Gently press the tea bag from inner to outer corners to
drain the water before placing it under your eye. Lie down and
apply the teabags under the eye. Be sure the teabag is cool; too
warm, and they’ll puff up the eye. Allow the tannic acid to be absorbed into the affected area. 3) Soak cotton pads in rose
water. Gently squeeze out the excess water from the pads. Lie down and apply the pads under the eye. Allow the rose water to absorb
into the affected area.
Burns: Soak the burn in
whole milk for fifteen minutes. The fattier the milk, the more effective
it will be because the fat forms a natural emollient covering on
the skin. For a large burn, soak a gauze bandage or small towel
in milk then apply to the burn. Milk works better than water because it pulls the excess moisture out of the skin, and treating a
burn with water requires the additional application of an
emollient.
Bruises: Speed the healing with vitamin K, found in
leafy green vegetables and known for its blood- clotting
abilities, or arnica, sometimes called leopard’s bane, which you will rub
into the bruise. Arnica works by stimulating white blood cells
that break up congealed blood. If you don’t like vegetables,
vitamin K and arnica are available in cream or tablet form at any Health Food store.
Sunburn: Add a bottle of vinegar to a
warm bath. It will soothe the burn and make your skin feel
soft.
Shaving rash: To soothe a shaving irritation, chill wet
chamomile tea bags and place them on the inflamed skin. Chamomile
has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and pain-relieving properties. For large areas of irritated skin, make a compress by
dipping a gauze pad into a very strong, cold cup of chamomile
tea.
Chafing: Apply corn starch directly from the box to the
friction points. Cornstarch is a moisture- absorbing
powder.
Post-workout breakouts: Moisturizer and makeup block
sweat glands and clog pores, so it’s important to exercise with a
clean face. Breakouts often occur on the chest or back, caused by a heat
rash. Don’t exercise in synthetic clothes that trap moisture and
promote breakouts. You need natural fibers like cotton that
allows the material to circulate drying air, and be sure to shower immediately with an antibacterial soap after your
workout.
Perspiration: Products containing zirconium aluminum
are more effective than those containing aluminum
chloride.
Crows feet: Break open a vitamin E capsule and add it
to about a dram of moisturizer. Gently pat it under the eye --
never pull or rub this skin because it’s much too delicate to respond well
to roughness.
Stretch marks: Rub flaxseed oil on the
skin that’s been stretched. Flaxseed is high in vitamin E, which promotes cell regeneration.
Acne / Pimple Scars: Sometimes,
pimples can leave scars. Some scars make your skin a slightly different
color than the surrounding skin, some scars look like large
pores, and some scars are lumps of hard skin.
To prevent
scars in the first place, never pick at a pimple; let it go through its
natural cycle. One way to make sure the scars don't get worse is
to cover your skin with a sunscreen whenever you go out. The sun
can make scars change color.
If you have scars that are a different
color, avoid making more of these spots by being very gentle with
your skin. Use a gentle soap when you wash, and use warm water -- do not
go with either hot or cold extremes. Do not use a scrub brush or
wash cloth/towel on your face – use your hands when you
wash.
Some large pores are really acne scars, called “ice pick”
scars. Ice pick scars are very deep and small, and you can
confuse them with large pores. They are difficult to treat, and only a dermatologist can help you.
More troubling are the scars made
of hardened skin. Apply Neosporin, a topical antibiotic, immediately to new scrapes to minimize scars. Rejuveness is an
over-the-counter, medical-grade silicone sheeting that can heal
hypertrophic and keloid scars. You apply the sheet over a scar
daily as directed, and ReJuveness restores your skin to its typical
texture and color.
If you have a really bad case of acne,
you could try Accutane but be very careful. This is a powerful
and expensive prescription drug that has serious side affects for
childbearing-age women. There are several lawsuits pending for
damages from this drug – just look up "Accutane" on any search
engine to read about its history. However, I took Accutane for a few months when I was 28 and I had no problems beyond dry lips, and
it cleared up my acne immediately. I was totally happy with the
experience
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