Oil based skincare is all the rage! This after being told oil is bad for skin. What gives?

Oil based skincare is all the rage! This after years of being told oil is bad for your skin. What gives?

Oil is back and there’s no denying oil based skin care is flying off the shelves! Oil can be found in just about every skincare product these days, with good reason. There are countless reviews which attest to the benefits users are experiencing. However, I must admit, somewhere in the back of my mind I can remember hearing how absolutely horrible oil was for skin. Just a few years ago we heard of how oil can cause breakouts, clog pores ...wait, oil attracts dirt and bacteria! Shouldn’t we be using benzoyl peroxide to remove every trace of this evil substance? If left unchecked oil could cause acne and scarring!

The truth is this is the biggest hoax the beauty industry has ever created. After all your skin creates oil and needs oil to be healthy. The oily substance your skin makes, called sebum, is part of the lipid barrier. As a matter of fact it’s the Lipid barrier that protects your skin from bacteria and keeps it strong and beautiful. Women with more oil in their skin have noticeably less lines and wrinkles. So when did we turn our back on this natural skin loving serum and why? In the 80’s and 90’s, the beauty industry discovered it could use mineral oil to replace plant based oils in skin care. This was truly the dark ages of skin care. Mineral oil, while it sounds just lovely, is just a nice name for a petroleum based product that has no restoring benefits for skin. It was, without a doubt, mineral oil that gave all oils a nasty reputation.

Plant based oils are holistic, they contain natural vitamins and amino acids that restore and repair the lipid barrier. The straight chain molecular structure of most natural oils help to carry nutrients deep within the skin to strengthen and support healing. Plant oils such as coconut and avocado plump cells and refine skin texture. Nature has created a whole apothecary of oils, each with their own benefit for skin. Results can be seen in a few days instead of weeks. Your skin easily recognises oil and knows exactly how to use it. Skin does a fantastic job of regulating oil without intervention-it knows exactly how much to produce. Removing the natural sebum from skin starts a vicious cycle. Left defenseless the skin will frantically try to replace the oil with more and vigor. After months or even years of this cycle, abused and weakened by chemicals, the skins surface dries and damage occurs. The same chemicals used to remove oil wreck havoc and allergic rashes like rosacea and eczema appear.

Fortunately for us our Grandmother’s secret skincare is back on the shelves. The fact is, women have been using oil on their skin for hundreds of years. Islanders know that coconut oil filters 20% of the sun’s rays ...all without harmful chemicals! Asian women use seabuckthorn and sesame to heal and beautify their skin. In the mediterranean, woman apply olive squalene to moisturize their beautiful skin. Search the web, the rave reviews are endless, oil has made a comeback and it’s about time for a renaissance in skin care!

Natural Remedies for Sick Children. These work on Husbands too!

There’s nothing more stressful than having a sick or injured child. If you could, you would trade spots with them in a second, but unfortunately as a parent you’re put in a helpless and heartbreaking position.

My hope is to minimize your feeling of helplessness by sharing homemade, natural remedies that can help ease the pain of your child’s ills and injuries.

So the next time your child shows symptoms of one of the following, take a breath, don’t stress, and try out these natural remedies!

1. Itchy Rashes, Chicken Pox

When your child has an itchy rash, one of the best remedies that you can create is composed of silver nitrate, raw Aloe Vera, and camphor.

25 drops of silver nitrate

6 oz of raw Aloe oil

1 oz of raw camphor

Mix the above ingredients thoroughly and apply the mixture to the sores on your child’s body. Silver nitrate has the ability to remove sores and other irritated skin cells, while Aloe Vera and camphor work to soothe the itch and irritation of the lesions.

Remember; keep an eye on your child to make sure they’re not itching. I remember when I was young; my mother put mittens on my hands so I couldn’t scratch too hard. Maybe give that a try if your child is scratching when your back is turned… poor thing!

2. Cough

Pineapple Juice! Yep it's just that simple. In fact studies have been done to prove it's more than 5 times as effective as over the counter cough syrup! 

2. Earaches / Ear Infections

Earaches are common in both children and adults, so learning a homemade, simple remedy can save you a lot of pain and time. All you need is;

3 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 clean, soft cloth (optional)

Simply crush the garlic cloves into the olive oil and let sit for around 30 minutes. Then put the mixture through a strainer and use the leftover liquid to soak the tip of a soft cloth. You can either place this cloth softly into your child’s ear, or put 1 drop of the liquid directly into the ear.

3. Fevers

An excellent natural remedy for you and your child’s high fevers is dry ginger powder. This treatment requires you to pour one cup of ginger powder in a warm bath. Once dissolved into the water, take a 10-15 minute bath.

I recommend rinsing your child with clean water immediately after the bath and avoid this treatment if your child has open wounds or sensitive skin.

4. Infections and the Common Cold

It may seem unlikely… but when you or your child has a cold… your new best friend should be garlic! Garlic has antibacterial properties that help eliminate infections and the symptoms of a cold.

Your child might not be as accustomed to the taste of garlic so I would suggest the following ingredients be diluted in hot water:

1 crushed garlic glove

2 tablespoons of lemon

1 tablespoon of honey

5. Burns and Abrasions

You may associate Aloe Vera with sunburns, but it can also help with mild burns caused by hot surfaces, friction, and chemicals.

Raw coconut oil and lavender essential oil are also fantastic to ease the sting and promote the healing process.

If you or your child’s burn is severe, go to emergency room immediately to have it treated, but if it’s mild or a fading abrasion, Aloe Vera works wonders!

Please remember to wash your wound before applying any topical treatment!

Isn’t it incredible that Mother Nature has equipped us with all these natural remedies? Never underestimate the power of eating healthy and always look to nature for home remedies!

When it comes to you and your child’s health there’s never any shame in visiting your family doctor for a consultation before you administer treatment from home.

References:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/chicken_pox.html

http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/article/chicken-pox-natural-ways-to-ease-the-itch/

http://nourishingtime.com/garlic-oil-for-ear-infections-why-you-should-make-your-own/

http://www.BaltimoreMassageTherapy.com

Image Source: Eat Local Grown