Heat Rash?

Posted on July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 by jenny

Horrible Heat Rash

In my final article on holiday health this week I am going to have a look at the issue of prickly heat. Prickly heat can be a real problem for some people, keeping them awake at night, making every day uncomfortable and genuinely taking the shine off a holiday or enjoyment of the sunshine.

Helping Hands for Heat Rash:

We have two main remedies that we suggest to people to try and help prevent or ease prickly heat. One is Sulphur, a traditional blood cooler. This is the one we suggest if people suffer with the heat, maybe with swollen fingers and a burning or itching red rash from the heat.

The other is called Urtica and this is the one we suggest for those rashes that look like the person concerned has just walked through a patch of nettles – uncomfortable, itchy raised white lumps in the rash.

This is the approach we have been using for years with a pretty good success rate. Here are two stories to illustrate how helpful they have been for people.

Super Sulphur

The first concerns a lady who came in before her holiday. She wanted something to prevent the prickly heat that she suffered with every time she went away. She told us that the rash was extremely hot and red and very uncomfortable. We suggested that she take the sulphur tablets. I have to say she was extremely dubious. In fact just how dubious became apparent when she returned the next day to tell us that she had not believed that the sulphur would work, so to test it she had gone on a sunned that morning – something that would normally trigger her rash. She was delighted to inform us that the rash had not flared up at all, which she said must be due to the sulphur, so she had come to buy another packet as she wanted to be sure she wasn’t going to run out whilst she was away as she was headed to Spain for a month. That lady has been back every year since and still swears by sulphur!

Useful Urtica

Another time we had a lady in during a warm spell here in England. She was really struggling with it, every time she exposed her arms to the sun she broke out in a nasty white bumpy rash which really irritated her. We suggested that she try the Urtica as the rash was perfect for indicating that. She was willing to try anything as she was feeling really miserable so she agreed to give it a go. What was fantastic was that she can back in two days later to inform us delightedly that her rash had completely cleared up and she was able to enjoy the weather again.

So don’t suffer with heat rash – natural remedies may be able to offer you some quick relief.

Topical Methods for Treating Acne

Posted on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 by Nicola

: sunshinecity / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Managing acne can be a difficult experience. There are a multitude of products on the market, promising clear skin and a pimple free complexion. Having recently opened the doors to our skin clinic, it seemed appropriate to discuss one of the most commonly talked about topics surrounding this problem: What do I use on my face?

Before answering that question, it makes sense to get a general grasp of what acne is, what causes it and what makes it worse. There are two aspects to this.

The first is an excess production of sebum (the oil) and keratin (skin cells) within the hair follicles. The overproduction of skin cells creates a plug within the hair follicle, trapping the oil within, along with any other debris and forming a pimple. The key to stopping this is ensuring that the excess oils and cells are removed in time to prevent the plug, being rinsed instead from your face with your cleansing routine. To combat this, many people select an aggressive cleanser, one that strips the skin, leaving it feeling clean initially but can worsen the problem long term. After being stripped of its natural oils, your skins immediate reaction is to begin producing more oil to compensate, thus perpetuating the problem. The same can be said of exfoliants. Scratching the surface of the skin will encourage dead cells to be removed too early, causing your skin to produce more in an attempt to create a protective barrier.

The best way to cleanse the skin, is to use a gentle cleanser, one that gently teases dirt and dead cells from the follicles without damaging the living cells beneath. Cleansing Cream had been designed especially for this purpose. It contains ground almonds, which are pressed and rolled along the skin – NOT scrubbed! – to coax dirt out. If you have been using an aggressive chemical cleanser or harsh exfoliator, then Cleansing Cream is certainly the product to swap to. It will give your skin a break from being over cleansed and stop discourage overproduction of dead cells and oil.

The other factor affecting acne is the pH of the skin. The bacteria P. acnes live within the follicles, secreting enzymes to digest the sebum, which acts as a source of food for the bacteria. While this bacteria is not necessarily problematic, if it is allowed to multiply then the enzymes secreted within the follicles can cause damage to the cell walls. Damage leads to inflammation and inflammation leads to those angry red spots that feel sore to touch. So how can we discourage an excess growth of these unfriendly bacteria upon the skin? We reduce the pH!

Our favourite soap free cleanser for this job, is Salcura Antiac Spray It has been designed to help clear flare ups of acne, without the use of soaps to provide a more optimum pH for the skin. This should assist in discouraging the growth of a more healthy skin flora. Sea buckthorn is a key ingredient of Antiac and has the ability to reduce inflammation from the follicles and repair and sooth the damaged cells. If your acne is red and angry, this is certainly the cleanser to choose!

Once you have chosen a cleanser that is right for you, consider the moisturizers that you are applying on a daily basis. Avoid night creams that suffocate the skin, suppressing its natural repair processes while you sleep. Although it may sound counter intuitive, applying an oil to the skin during the evenings can discourage excess sebum production, since the skin does not feel stripped of its natural oils. Skin that is prone to acne has been found to often be deficient in omega 6 upon the surface, therefore restoring the omega 6 oil can be a sucessful topical treatment. Normalizing Day Oil and Divine Face Oil> would be excellent naturally sourced options. If you would like to try something for a short space of time to see if this would work for you, then our own Omega Balance Oil has been designed by us specifically for that purpose.

As a final tip, try adding a drop or two of lavender essential oil to your rinse water. It’s antibacterial and antiseptic properties are a great way to add a little soothing care to your daily regime. If you have any questions or tips of your own, please share them with us below or Contact Us as we would love to hear from you.

Strong healthy Nails

Posted on April 15, 2014April 15, 2014 by jenny

This week I am writing about healthy nails after receiving a request, via our Facebook page (Facebook.com/MorecambeHealthFoods), for an article on that topic.
Healthy Nails are often spoken about in the same breath as healthy hair. This is because the growth of hair and healthy nails are affected by the same nutrients and issues. For this reason many of the products we sell for strengthening the nails will also be beneficial for brittle or falling hair.
The main considerations for strong and long nails and hair are:
SILICEA –
This important mineral is involved in providing the structure onto which healthy hair and nails are built. It provides the strength and structure. It is therefore the best product to choose if you are struggling with weak or splitting hair or nails. We have had some great feedback on this – in fact I started using this myself late last year when I noticed that my nails had started to peel and break quite a lot. You do have need to be patient because you have to grow new nails – which takes around three months, but I have to say that my nails are now one hundred percent better – no flaking or peeling and they are growing really well – as is my hair!
IRON –
This is particularly important for women. Partly due to menstruation and also many of us eat very little red meat – the main source of dietary iron.
People often think that iron only affects the blood and energy levels – but low iron levels can also affect the hair and nails. Low iron levels can lead the hair to become quite thin, as you will have less active hair follicles. With the nails it can cause ‘spoon shaped’ nails to grow – with a real dip in the middle, the nails could also be really brittle, if iron levels are low. If you suspect this could be the case – it may be worth using a good iron supplement like Solgars Hematinic Formula for a month or so.
THYROID FUNCTION –
If you have ridges in your nails, weak, brittle or falling hair and you are struggling with weight issues, it could be worth getting your thyroid levels checked. Your thyroid is a major part of your metabolism, so most people know that it can have an impact on weight loss or gain. But low levels of thyroid hormone can also lead to problems with hair and nails, low energy, low mood and problems with temperature regulation. If this sounds like you – find out your thyroid levels. Sometimes your thyroid may not be bad enough you to need medication, but a ‘borderline’ type reading could still give rise to the problems we have listed here. We have seen many people with lower thyroid readings find benefit from a thyroid support supplement including an increase in energy and weight loss and an improvement in their hair and nails.