Acne is common disorder of the oil glands when overactive sebaceous (oil) glands secrete too much oil (sebum) in the skin. This is characterized by the recurring formation of blackheads, white heads, and pimples. Acne occurs primarily on the face and sometimes on the back, shoulders, cheat, and arms. The incidence of acne is greatest during puberty, adolescence, and when hormones influencing the secretion of oil glands are at their peak level of activity such as during stress, emotional problems, menstruation, menopause, and exercising.

Another cause of acne can be dirt, oil and dead skin, accumulated inside the pores, plugging the pores and preventing the flow of sebum. When bacteria builds up, pimples can form and acne may develop, often as an indication of an internal toxin condition. Other causes or contributing factors include allergies, a poor diet, dehydration, environmental pollution, heredity, sun over exposure, and weaken immunity.

Resist the temptation to touch your blemishes. Touching aggravates them, makes them last longer, and can cause further infection. Your diet is also very important. Click here for more information on nutrition. Follow a sensible, daily skin - care program with a weekly facial scrub followed by a facial mask. Spot-treat blemishes with a formulation of essential oils such as tea tree, neroli oil, lemon oil, and/or aloe vera can help heal blemishes at a faster rate. These herbal oils can help fight bacteria which can cause blemishes. Just dab on a blend of jojoba oil with one or more of these herbal oils on each blemish several times daily. Often blemishes disappear within a few days. This bacteria fighting blend of herbal oils can also be used for cold sores, insect bites, cuts, and in-growth nails.

Normal skin is completely healthy. In youth it is smooth, fine pores, and soft, but with age it becomes dry, wrinkled, and marked with the so-called "age spots." Between these two normal conditions there are short periods of change and irritations of the normal skin caused by hormonal changes, illness, and lifestyles.

Normal skin needs no extensive special care now, but one should think of tomorrow. Normal skin can be treated simply with a mild cleansing lotion, toner and a alpha hydroxy acid cream in remove dead skin and an facial scrub to reduce the effects of a bad environment. Suitable aromapathic essential oils for normal skin care are: chamomile, comfrey, rose hips, and sage.

Oily skin is thick and tends to develop pimples and blackheads. The sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, and the fatty tissue under the epidermis is very thick. Too much oil can indicate a high estrogen level in women (or high testosterone in men), due to menopause, monthly periods, and adolescence. The pores of the skin are often clogged, making it necessary to clean the skin thoroughly on a regular basis. Apply a daily light and natural facial scrub using essential oils such as walnut husks, or almond seed, comfrey, golden seal, witch hazel and peppermint follow by a rejuvenating facial mask with Bentonite Clay,  Fruit acids-lemon and orange peel extract, Peppermint extract, Witch hazel, and Hydrogen peroxide  Using a toner twice a day can be very helpful with excess oil on the skin. Toners should be applied after washing and before bed. Witch hazel, aloe vera, comfry, Na-PCA, lemon oil and chamomile penetrate deeply into the skin, soak up excess oils, stimulate the skin functions, and have an antiseptic effect. Tea tree oil, lemon oil, aloe vera are particularly useful for inflamed and infected areas. Your diet is also very impotent.  See Home Facial

 

Usually dry, delicate or mature skin that is thin and fragile is most susceptible to broken capillaries. When blood no longer pumps through the tiny capillaries and the capillary walls weaken, capillaries lose their elasticity and can't return to their normal size after dilation. Then they collapse and become visible on the surface.

Abrasive cleansers and facial scrubs, alcohol, caffeine, certain drugs, cold weather, harsh cosmetics, extreme changes in temperature, forceful massage, harsh winds, overexposure to the sun, rough handling of the skin, spicy foods and stimulants can contribute to or cause broken capillaries. Protecting your skin in cold or windy weather and treating your skin gently can help to prevent broken capillaries. Bioflavonoid supplements may reduce redness and strengthen capillaries. Use skin-care products that contain essential oils that can help circulation such as: cinnamon, cloves, mint, witch hazel, and/or peppermint. Increasing circulation can benefit capillaries and varicose veins. See Body Cream

Symptoms of common skin disorders sometimes look very similar to winter damage. Below are disorders to help you identify your own skin problem or determine if you've just got a bad case of dry, dehydrated skin. If you're in doubt, check with your dermatologist.

 

Dermatitis is the skin's reaction to chemicals or environmental elements. It causes the skin to become irritated and inflamed, itchy and red, dry and flaky. When certain substances contact the skin and causes an allergic reaction, it is called "contact dermatitis". Examples of substances causing contact dermatitis are: deodorants, bra closures, chemicals, clothing dyes, cosmetics, detergents, hair coloring, hair perm solutions, leather processing chemicals, nickel in jewelry, perfumes and fragrances, poison ivy, solvents, wrist watches and zippers.

Eczema appears as dry patches of skin with cracking, crusting, redness and swelling, often with weeping sores or watery blisters. The skin becomes hot, inflamed and itchy. Stress, cleaning compounds, colognes, cosmetics, detergents, food allergies, household chemicals, soaps and synthetic perfumes can cause or aggravate eczema. Eczema may also be a way of eliminating toxins from the body.

Minimize stress and avoiding fragrant cosmetics, synthetic perfumes, and harsh chemicals can be helpful. Borage oil externally and internally, often eases symptoms of eczema. Aromapathic Detox therapy bath (see above) can soothe the symptoms of eczema.

A blend of jojoba oil and herbal oils can make a helpful therapy for eczema. Apply a blend of 3/4 jojoba oil with one or more of herbal oils such as: eucalyptus oil, aloe vera oil, chamomile oil,  clove oil, tea tree oil and echinacea, to affected areas once or twice daily.

Deficiency of any of the B vitamins can cause dermatitis, and these vitamins should, therefore, be present in the diet in adequate amounts. Borage oil, vitamin E and, vitamin B6 taken internally have been found to cure infants who have dermatitis and eczema. Vitamin A is also essential for maintaining healthy skin tissue. A protein deficiency can cause chronic eczema and also a deficiency of water intake.

Psoriasis shows up as bright red, inflamed skin with raised, dry, silvery scales. Skin cells of psoriasis suffers grow about five times faster than the skin can shed old cells. Dead skin accumulates in crusty patches on the elbows, knees, lower back, buttocks, around the nails, scalp or chest. In severe cases, psoriasis can cover the entire body. Heredity plays a major role in the development of psoriasis, while emotional factors and stress often determine the frequency and severity of outbreaks. Bacterial infections, drugs, illness, sunburn, surgery, and viruses can also trigger or aggravate outbreaks of psoriasis.

Reducing stress often eases symptoms. Bathing in Dead Sea salts helps some suffers control psoriasis. A soothing aromapathic bath can diminish stress, reduce psoriasis inflammation, soothe and soften skin. Skin therapy bath can diminish stress, reduce psoriasis inflammation and soothe and soften skin. Repeat several times a week until symptoms improve, then once a week to maintain results. Also apply a blend of essential oils, suggests for eczema. (see above).

Psoriasis may result from a faulty utilization of fats. Heredity, emotional factors and stress affect the development frequency and severity of outbreaks.

Exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light reduces the scaling and redness of psoriasis. A reduction in animal protein and fat intake can be useful for treating psoriasis. Vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C, vitamin D, and E, all of which play a part in skin health, have been found to be useful in treating some cases of the disease. Some researchers have also found vitamin E applied externally to be effective in healing psoriasis.  Black Walnut is useful in treatment of, parasites, ringworm, athletes foot, toxic blood conditions, and skin detoxification. The fruit is useful for promoting strength and weight gain. The extract of the hulls can be taken internally or used externally for skin diseases, eczema, herpes, psoriasis, skin parasites.

A shampoo or scalp treatment with essential oils such as: 3/4 jojoba oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil is helpful for the scalp.