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Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions, Issue #014 - Dry Itchy Skin February 04, 2013 |
Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions monthly newsletter/ezine of www.aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com avavavavavavavavavavavavavavavav Vol. 2 #14 February 4, 2013
Contents:
Taking Care of Myself - Dry Itchy Skin For those of us in the northern hemisphere, where we have winter right now, many of us are faced with dry, itchy skin. But we don't always realize it right away. I've had an itchy area at the back of my waist line this winter. It stands out so much that I can't recall having had this before. I'm sure I've had some incidental itching but not enough so that I began to worry about maybe having hives again, or shingles. (Gulp!) However there has been nothing physical to see that indicated either of those diagnoses, and I hate to run to a doctor for little things that make me look like a hypochondriac. So for a while I concluded that it was all these layers of elastics around my waste because of all the layers of extra winter clothing that I wear in this -27 to -42 Celsius weather. Then, one day I observed that many other areas of my skin were dry and papery thin, and with the slightest friction on them, they became itchy spots. Well, duh! Then I should get out my lotions, right? Perhaps, like me, you have lotions in several rooms of your house, but maybe - again, like me, you often forget to use them for days and weeks on end. The cold outside, even though the snow dissolves into water if you pick it up, is really quite dry air. The air in our homes and offices, or work-places, is heated and that hot furnace air is very dry! No wonder we itch. If you are younger your skin will likely hydrate from within and you may not be so aware of this, but as we age, our skin does grow much thinner and translucent. (I'm seeing it on the backs of my hands right now). It also grows more sensitive. Does it matter which lotions we use? I haven't got around to researching lotions in depth, but common sense tells me that aloe vera is the ideal hydration, and lotions that have some aloe vera in them can't be all bad. It also makes sense to drink much more water, and aloe vera juice. (If you are ahead of me here, maybe you'd be kind enough to write and tell me what you've learned in this area. Good contributions can be turned into articles on my website, and may show up here in the Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions. You'll be credited, of course, for substantial writing).
A Practical Tip/Solution - Make Your Own Bath Oils Are you ready to make your own bath oils? I remember that oil has been very soothing in the past. But when I looked in my cabinets I saw that I was right out of the oil I thought I had there. Well, maybe I could make my own? So I checked online. Sure enough, there are many recipes out there for mixing our own bath oil. The range from the simple; using about 2 oz. of one of these kitchen oils, coconut, olive, sesame or jojoba oil. There are recipes too, blends of oils, and scents. You may not have all of these in your kitchen just now either; olive oil, almond oil, sesame oil, canola oil, wheat germ oil. I was missing four. But when I went for groceries on Friday I found only olive and canola oil. The ones I already have. I bought a ready-made bath oil with mostly almond oil. But that was expensive, so I'm going to keep alert for an opportunity to get the ingredients and make my own yet. Read more: www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-bath-oils-recipes.html Of course, if you add just straight oil to your bath, you will end up with bathtub ring, or greasy patches. So this page about adding an emulsifier is useful; candleandsoap.about.com/od/bathbody/a/waterdisbathoil.htm NaturalNews suggests using Castile soap. I know I have some somewhere at home. I just have to find it.
I Can Recommend - Sesame Oil at Puritan's Just been shopping around for those oils needed to make bath oil. Guess what, the sesame oil at Puritan's Pride is priced so that I can buy almost 3 for the same price as I paid for the store's retail bath oil! See here; Sesame OIl at Puritan's What's more, on the right they show some scented oils like Eucalyptus and Lavender oil, - plus! Look at this. Wonder Oil! (Here I've been hoarding the last bottle Mom had because I thought nobody made that any more! I recall how my Gr'ma and Mom used that for everything!) I tell you, it is always helpful to check out the Puritan's Pride site. We could go hunting for more, but I better not confuse you with too many options at once. P.S. Am I the only one that remembers Wonder Oil? I must be ancient! :)
Contact & Policies - Constant CONTACT INFO: Ruth Marlene Friesen (306)856-7785 Ruth@aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com
POLICIES: I am definitely against S/p/a/m! I Will NOT share your COPYRIGHT (c)2012 Ruth Marlene Friesen
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