NaturalMedications

Application of fresh mint juice over face every night cures pimples and prevents dryness of the skin. Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water. Apply on face and keep for 1/2 hour. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also removes blemishes and scars. A couple of garlic cloves, crushed and rubbed on the face 1-2 times a day. Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning. For acne that hasn't seemed to respond to anything: Use 2-3 teaspoons dried basil leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes. Cool, and apply with cotton ball.

Acne is often worse when your body hormones are changing, for example, during menstruation or puberty. To help control hormonal excesses, you can take Chinese angelica, which is frequently used in Chinese herbal remedies.

A European style chamomile facial is used in many fine salons in the United States. Boil water and add it to chamomile flowers. Make an umbrella hood with a large towel. Cover your head with the hood, keeping your eyes closed. Allow the steam to open your pores. Be sure to cleanse your face immediately after the facial. Embedded dirt and blackheads will be easy to wash away.

Because stress plays an important part of aggravating psoriasis, relieving tension is important in treating it. The soothing and calming herbs (chamomile, hops, valerian root, skullcap, and passionflower) can be taken as teas. And, like eczema, the dry, itchy skin of psoriasis can be treated with essential oils.

For acne on oily skin, mix equal parts fresh lemon juice and rose water, elderflower water, or distilled witch hazel. Or try a facial steaming with lavender, chamomile. lady's mantle, or elderflowers.

Lemon juice is good for blackheads and acne. Take a slice of lemon and rub over affected area daily until condition improves. This treatment is especially effective around the nose, a common site for blackheads.

Oddly enough, some studies show that foods containing high amounts of iodine may be the real cause of acne. The following is a small sample of foods high in iodine:

Iodized salt Beef liver

Tortilla chips Kelp

Asparagus White onions

Butter Most shellfish, including shrimp

Broccoli Turkey (white meat)

And there are many more.

Oily skin or acne has been effectively treated by many dermatologists using the versatile aloe plant. The gel is usually mixed with some vitamin E or moisturizer.

Psoriatic skin contains high levels of cholesterol. Lecithin, made from soybeans, can clean the cholesterol out of the skin, helping to restore normal skin function. Soya and sunflower oils also contain lecithin.

Since Medieval times, Arabs, Chinese, and Indians all used soapwort as a skin treatment. Juice extracted from the leaves and roots of the plant apparently stops the itching and irritation that accompanies acne. Mix the juice with water to form a sudsy lather that can be used as a soap to cleanse the skin. Soapwort contains saponins, plant compounds that have hormone like effects and acne may be effected by hormones.

The Chinese treat psoriasis with the oil of the kochia bush. The oil is made from the crushed seeds of the bush and applied to the affected areas twice a day, or until irritation disappears.

The dry, itchy type of eczema can be treated with

essential oils (like lavender or chamomile) added to almond or olive oil and applied to the affected skin. Oatmeal soap and a poultice made from coltsfoot leaf or comfrey can also soothe the skin.

The Greeks, Romans, and Arabs were all very fond of the lemon balm plant, a member of the mint family. If you break the leaves between your fingers, you will smell lemon with a hint of mint. Lemon balm has a cleansing effect on the skin, which may help people with acne. It also has an antihistamine action that eases allergic skin conditions, such as eczema. And its antiviral action helps fight cold sores (Herpes simplex) and other viruses. A steamy lemon balm facial was, and still is, a treat.

The mineral zinc is just as important as vitamin A for your skin. Zinc allows stored vitamin A in the liver to be released into the bloodstream. To treat acne, you can either take a zinc supplement of 25 to 50 milligrams each day, or eat pumpkin seeds, which are rich in zinc.

To restore proper skin pH acidity, and to avoid acne problems, swab your face with a vinegar and water solution. Rinse with hot water.

To the Chinese, acne is a "hot" skin condition. So, they eat fresh, cool cucumber to treat it. The vegetable is sometimes preserved and eaten for its cooling action on the body's organs. And cucumber juice can be rubbed into the skin to treat inflammation, burns, and sores.

Vitamin A and zinc are said to be the best help for acne. The following list contains foods high in vitamin A and or zinc:

Vitamin A:

apricots, green beans, cantaloupe, carrots, peaches, spinach, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash,

Zinc:

lamb, lean pork, brown rice, lean beef, salmon, and potatoes.

Vitamin A is good for the skin, especially for acne. One good way to get the benefits of vitamin A is to drink fresh carrot juice. Carrot juice can be mixed with apple and beetroot juice, all of which are good for the skin.