I chose to chat about skin in this next series because of how vital it is to take care of it, inside and out. Everything we eat, drink, and put on our skin affects the quality of its appearance and your confidence. Our skin is the largest organ of the body. It serves many purposes such as protecting our anatomy and protects us from Earth’s natural elements, like microbes. Another very important function it has is, it regulates out body temperature and allows us to feel sensations such as touch, heat, and cold. Here is a link I would suggest to further your knowledge about skin and in-depth details of its functions. I just wanted to share a small amount of knowledge. https://www.britannica.com/science/human-skin

Our skin has three layers, all which serve as a function of the body. These layers all have names: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous.

• Epidermis layer – is the outermost layer, which provides protection for the entire body, is waterproof, and carries our skin tone.

• Dermis layer – is the second layer of the skin, which sits beneath the epidermis. This layer contains tough connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands.

• Subcutaneous layer – this layer is the deepest layer of our skin. This layer of the skin is a tissue (hypodermis), made of fat and connective tissue.

As I mentioned above about how vital it is to be mindful of how we care for our skin, I will add details, or examples, of what to keep mindful of. This also means you can research the ingredients of cosmetics and other products that I will list below. Everything we ingest, and apply topically, is absorbed into our bloodstream. Find a product that has the fewest ingredients on their label.

• Foundations, blush, eyeshadow, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara
• Lotions (hands, feet, body), sunscreen, body sprays, bed misting sprays
• Soaps, body wash, shampoos, conditioners, body scrubs
• Medical and Rx topical cream, moisturizers (face), deodorants

I know this is a lot, but all the products that I have listed, about 90% has harmful chemicals in them. Now, I can’t say that I don’t use any of them, but I do use them only when necessary. Like makeup, I only wear it when I go to work, and as soon as I get home that mess comes off. I do not like cheap cosmetics, but that’s just what is in my current budget. The products that I do use make my face feel suffocated and yucky. But who’s to say that even the expensive ones will be any better. This will have to be a search for more natural or better ingredients for the cosmetics that we use.

So now for the lotions, I don’t use lotion much since I use certain oils as a moisturizer. However, every now and then I will use scented body lotions, just for the scent. What I use does contain not so good ingredients, but like I said, I don’t apply them often at all. What I suggest for daily use for dry, chapped, and cracked skin is Coconut oil. I have used coconut oil for cracked skin, but it didn’t work as fast as I wanted it to, but I love it for its nutritional properties. What I did use for cracked skin is Eucalyptus and Lavendar oil and a hand glove. Another very good natural product to use is vegetable glycerin. There are many oils that can be used for whatever skin condition you need to address.

Moving on to the sunscreens, I personally do not use any. I could count on both hands how many times I have used a sunscreen anywhere on my body. My reason for not using it is because I never felt comfortable with it. Then about 10 years ago is when it started with the rumors of some of them causing cancer, mainly of the skin. There has been recent research about sunscreens that I have found saying that there is a chemical that is indeed cancer causing. I have provided the link of the site that I felt trustworthy of the most recent research about this product. If it is a concern for you, please take a read of this article from Yale University. /www.yalemedicine.org/news/is-sunscreen-safe

Soaps, bodywashes, scrubs (exfoliants), and shampoo & conditioners are not good for your body, or hair, because all the chemicals are absorbed through your scalp. Making your own can be costly, compared to the ones in the Supermarket, but it is much better. You will know exactly what is in the products that you create for yourself/family. I still say, less ingredients are best. Scrubs/exfoliants from the store are not good for your skin. It may appear that your skin looks good, but just keep in mind what chemicals your skin is absorbing. Face, foot, and body scrubs can be made at home and work much better than the ones you buy at the store. However, with those, you have a shorter time span to use but I’ll talk about how to make natural beauty products in a future post. I understand that not everyone has the time to create their own formula for yourself, so my suggestion is that you find someone who does this as a small business and give them the support, if you choose this route of skin care.

In conclusion, I hope that I have provided enough information to have you intrigued enough to research for yourself and find what works best for you and your family. Everything we put on our body, and in it, has an impact to our well-being, whether we know it or not. No, we are not perfect, and will many times go to products in stores because of the convenience that is readily available for us.

***DISCLAIMERS***

• I AM NOT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL AND CANNOT DIAGNOSE ANY CONDITIONS
• I AM A PROFESSIONAL COSMETOLOGIST AND CAN ONLY ASSIST IN BEAUTY KNOWLEDGE AND GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
• THIS INFORMATION IS FROM MY EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH