Popular Herbs Used in Skin Care and Their Benefits

Popular Herbs Used in Skin Care and Their Benefits: Chamomile, Aloe Vera, Lavender and Rosemary

Today skin care and cosmetics are increasingly going natural. You may have heard that herbs and oils are commonly used in skin care and cosmetics; but, you may not know why or what purpose they serve. why, and what do the do? Four very common and popular herbs that are used in the form of oil or gels are chamomile, Aloe Vera, lavender, and rosemary. All provide unique benefits for the skin and body.

The benefits of chamomile for the skin and body range from calming effects to healing. Recent and on-going research has identified chamomile’s

specific benefits as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-allergenic. Chamomile is most often recognized as an herbal tea; however, chamomile is present in many skin care products. Chamomile’s active ingredients extracted from the flower are essential oils and flavonoids. Essential oils help to calm and relax irritated skin. Essential oils have also been found to be beneficial to treat and sooth acne prone skin. Flavonoids – or plant metabolites- are rich in anti oxidants that help the body repair and heal damaged skin, as well as fight free radicals, which create damage to bodily cells. Chamomile has few side effects and is effective and beneficial to the skin topically or if ingested.

Aloe Vera contains numerous, minerals, vitamin, enzymes, and natural sugars that help with inflammation. Aloe Vera is commonly known for its healing properties, which explains its popular use in skin care. Aloe Vera aids in the healing of skin burns and cuts and moisturizes and softens skin. Aloe Vera is used in skin care products to help with dry sensitive skin as the plant has unique healing and soothing properties. Taken internally, Aloe Vera has been found to regulate digestion, which in turn builds healthy skin from the inside out. Aloe Vera is available as a gel, spray, lotion, juice, cream and in the form of a capsule. Aloe Vera is most commonly found in skin care gels or creams.

Lavender has many uses in skin care that include aiding skin repair, stimulating cell growth, reducing inflammation, preventing scarring and pigmentation, regulating oil production, and reducing pain. Lavender also works as antiseptic or antibacterial agent and is considered an essential oil. Due to its extensive benefits to the skin, lavender is often found in skin care formulated to treat acne prone skin.

Rosemary can be used as an essential oil just like chamomile and lavender. Rosemary and lavender are actually found in the same herbal family.

Rosemary tones the skin, helping to even out skin tone and texture, while reliving dryness. Rosemary strengthens capillaries and is good to use on aging skin. Rosemary is found in skin care cleansers, toners and creams.

There are many other herbs used in skin care and cosmetics today-most in the form of essential oils or extracts- and all can have different or positive effects on the skin and body. Herbs and oils have been used to heal for many centuries and now are being utilized for safe, natural ways to treat skin conditions and maintain a healthy complexion.

by Tiffany Oney

Chamomile Provides Natural Skin Healing

Chamomile (or camomile) is a common name for several daisy-like plants. The greeks named them “earth-apple-on the ground” for their apple-like scent. There are several varieties of Chamomile - each one used for slightly different purposes or intensities of properties. German or blue chamomile and Roman (English) chamomile, or the “garden” chamomile are the most commonly used.

These two types of chamomile are used for health conditions and are most commonly found in skin care or beauty products. While the two kinds are thought to have similar effects on the body, the German variety is more commonly used in the United States. Chamomile, is one of the oldest of all herbs, dating back to ancient Egyptians. It’s both a pretty flower and an ancient healer. Chamomile has been widely used for children and adults for thousands of years for a variety of health conditions.

Chamomile Provides Natural Skin Healing

Chamomile is an essential addition to the herbal first aid kit. It is a useful herb in many situations. It can relieve anxiety and calm someone down in the event of stress. It can also relieve gastrointestinal upset - after a big meal, or when stress doesn’t mix well with your meal. Chamomile is even an excellent herb to use as compresses for eye problems. Warm two tea bags with chamomile flowers to ease itchy eyes, especially when traveling to different parts of the country and you are not immune to the allergens in that area. It is also used topically for skin conditions and for mouth ulcers resulting from cancer treatment.

How It Is Used

The flowering tops of the chamomile plant are used to make teas, liquid extracts, capsules, or tablets. The herb can also be applied to the skin as a cream or an ointment, or used as a mouth rinse.

Chamomile in Skin Care Products

This versatile herb is also recognized as a natural healing treatment that helps rejuvenate the skin. There are many wonderful natural facial treatments on the market today that incorporate Chamomile as a key ingredient.

To make a quick and easy tea facial, simply apply a paste made from one teaspoon of fine cornmeal mixed with cooled tea to the face, let dry, then gently rub off.

This very gentle skin tonic is ideal to replenish and enrich dry or sensitive skin. Its bactericidal, anti-itching, and antiseptic properties help to refresh the skin and reduce swelling.

Making paste with extra-strong brew and using it as an external wash or part of a hot compress can also help soothe burns, skin rashes, and sores.

Chamomile has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Chamomile contains an anti-inflammatory compound called alpha bisabolol which helps to soothe itchy, red skin. For this reason, Chamomile along with some other herbs and natural treatments has shown promise as skin treatments for eczema.

According to family physician Dr. Kristie Leong, “Chamomile has been used throughout history to treat various skin conditions and some studies have shown it works as effectively as low dose steroid creams without the side effects. Chamomile oil can be purchased at some health food stores. It needs to be diluted with a carrier oil such as almond oil or jojoba and can then be applied as a skin treatment for eczema. Bathing in warm water containing chamomile flowers may also help to soothe inflammation and itching. Simply make a bath bag using chamomile flowers and float it in a tub of warm bath water.”

For easing skin inflammations and acne, make a strong chamomile tea, and wipe the cooled liquid over your face each morning. This effective daily rinse tones and cleanses.

Essential Oil Usage

Both Roman and German chamomile have excellent calming properties, but Roman chamomile is more effective for irritation, impatience and feeling disagreeable, and has great value in treating PMS and other menstrual and menopausal problems, while German chamomile  is superbly effective on the skin, not only to sooth and calm, but to heal and for tissue regeneration.

Side Effects and Cautions

* There are reports of rare allergic reactions in people who have eaten or come into contact with chamomile products. Reactions include skin rashes, throat swelling, shortness of breath, and anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction).
* People are more likely to experience allergic reactions to chamomile if they are allergic to related plants in the daisy family, which includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies.
* Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This helps to ensure coordinated and safe care.

Protein Rich Diet Helps Aging Skin

Recent studies report that lack of proteins causes skin-sagging and lack of glow on the skin’s surface. True to the facts,  proteins are very important for the regeneration of skin. They have collagen and keratin that make up of the elastin in the skin. Moreover, you don’t have to eat meat to get your daily source of proteins. For instance, red beans, which are highest in protein content are also highest in antioxidants.

Omega3 fatty acids found in fish and poultry also enhance the hydrating effects of the skin. Therefore, it is important to have a good amount of proteins in our diet, which will detoxify our system naturally, purify our blood and fight the aging process by increasing blood supply to the skin.

Since the American FDA doesn’t always follow organic or other industrialized nation’s standards of health and nutrition. I find it more informative to go to articles and studies conducted in countries where food hormones, pesticides and genetically modified foods are illegal and testing results aren’t skewed in favor of Big Business. Here are some excerpts I found from a great site in Australia.

Overview

Proteins are made up of smaller organic chemicals called amino acids. When proteins are digested, they are broken down into their constituent amino acids before being absorbed into the bloodstream. The body then uses these amino acids to build the kinds of proteins it needs to maintain and repair body tissues such as muscles and organs, and to grow.

There are 20 amino acids. Eleven of these amino acids can be made by the body itself, while the other nine (called Essential Amino Acids) must be obtained from food. The classification of an amino acid as essential or non-essential does not reflect its importance, because all 20 amino acids are necessary for health.

The dietary requirement for protein has two components: total nitrogen requirement (represented by essential plus non-essential amino acids), and requirements for essential amino acids. In assessing dietary protein sources, both need to be considered, as the amount of food protein needed to meet the protein requirement will depend not only on its amount and digestibility, but also on its content of essential amino acids.

Plant Sources of Protein

Plant sources of protein alone can provide adequate amounts of the essential and non-essential amino acids, assuming that dietary protein sources from plants are varied and that total calorie intake is sufficient to meet energy needs. Whole grains, legumes (beans), vegetables, seeds, and nuts, as well as commercial meat alternatives, all contain essential and non-essential amino acids.

Some plant foods are low in one kind of amino acid (e.g. grains are low in lysine), while other plant foods are higher in that amino acid (e.g. legumes are quite high in lysine). So by eating a well balanced diet that contains a variety of foods it is possible to obtain all the amino acids that the body requires. Note that while recent research shows that soy contains all essential amino acids, and is therefore a complete protein source, in my opinion it is preferable to have a varied diet and not depend on one food source to meet a particular dietary need.

The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada state in their Position Statement on Vegetarian Diets:

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases… Plant protein can meet requirements when a variety of plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all essential amino acids and ensure adequate nitrogen retention and use in healthy adults…”

In the past it was widely believed that in order for vegetarians to obtain adequate amounts of protein, all of the essential amino acids had to be ‘balanced’ at each meal. For example, grains and legumes had to be consumed at the same meal. This is referred to as ‘protein combining’. However, more recent research has indicated that, while consuming a proper mix of amino acids is important, it is not necessary to consume them all at the same meal.

Protein Deficiency

Protein deficiency is rare in Western countries but has wide-ranging effects on the body. Dietary protein deficiency in humans occurs principally in children in the form of kwashiorkor, although a similar syndrome is sometimes seen in severely depleted hospital patients with increased protein catabolism.

Kwashiorkor occurs most commonly in areas of famine, limited food supply, and low levels of education, which can lead to inadequate knowledge of proper diet. Early symptoms of any type of malnutrition are very general and include fatigue, irritability, and lethargy. As protein deprivation continues, growth failure, loss of muscle mass, generalised swelling (oedema), and decreased immunity occur. A large, protuberant belly is common. Skin conditions, such as dermatitis, changes in pigmentation, thinning of hair, and vitiligo (loss of skin colour) can also occur.

Protein deficiency among well-fed vegetarians and vegans is rarely a concern. A protein deficiency may be seen when there is also a calorie deficiency, but in such cases many nutrients would be a concern. The other possible scenario of insufficient protein intake would be where a vegan has a very poor diet that is heavily dependant on fruit or refined junk food such as sugary drinks, pastries and chips.

To read more on proteins and vegetarianism, go to http://www.vnv.org.au

New Risk Variant For Atopic Dermatitis Identified

Science Daily (Apr. 14, 2009) — Scientists of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Charité – University Medical School, Berlin, Germany, in collaboration with researchers from the Klinikum rechts der Isar of Technical University Munich and Christian Albrecht University, Kiel, have identified a gene variant on chromosome 11 that is associated with an increased risk of atopic dermatitis.
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In a large genome-wide association study the researchers scanned the genomes of more than 9600 participants from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. “Our findings cast new light on the pathogenesis of the disease,” said Professor Young-Ae Lee (Charité / MDC). The pediatrician-researcher and her collaborators hope the study will lead to a new approach to targeted therapy for this chronic skin disorder.

More and more people suffer from atopic dermatitis, which is also known as atopic or infantile eczema. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory skin disease that typically affects the large flexures such as the bend of the elbows or the back of the knees. Patients suffer from recurrent flares of intense itching, dryness and redness of the skin, with weeping of clear fluid in the acute stage, and skin thickening (lichenification) in the chronic stage. Along with hay fever and asthma, atopic dermatitis is one of the most common allergic disorders. In the industrialized countries about 15 percent of young children are affected.

Atopic dermatitis is typically the first clinical manifestation of allergic disease. In most cases atopic dermatitis appears within the first few years of life. For the majority of affected children this marks the beginning of an “allergic career”, which in later years evolves into hay fever or asthma. Just what triggers the outbreak of atopic dermatitis is not yet fully understood. However, epidemiological studies indicate that the genetic contribution is substantial.

For that reason, of the total of 9600 study participants, the scientists decided to scrutinize the genomes of 3011 individuals more closely. These included children and adults with atopic dermatitis, healthy controls, as well as entire families in which at least two children have atopic dermatitis. The researchers scanned the entire genome, searching for genetic variants that are especially common in atopic dermatitis patients.

The study demonstrates that several genes are involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Most importantly, the researchers identified a variant on chromosome 11 that is particularly common in the patients with atopic dermatitis. This variant is located in a region containing the gene C11orf30 which encodes the protein EMSY. The scientists suspect that a mutation in this gene is associated with atopic dermatitis. However, the exact role of EMSY in atopic dermatitis still needs to be investigated.

Same variant also a risk factor for Crohn’s disease

The same variant on chromosome 11 is also common in patients with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Scientists therefore suspect that this variant on chromosome 11 will unravel a novel common disease mechanism that can lead to chronic inflammation of various organs. The variant is very widespread: in Europe, 36 percent of the population are carriers. Now the MDC and Charité scientists want to decipher the exact function of EMSY in atopic dermatitis.

Furthermore, the scientists show that other previously unknown variants in genes related to the outermost skin layer (epidermis) increase the risk for the disease. The researchers hope that their findings will contribute to improved treatment for atopic dermatitis sufferers. “To develop a targeted intervention,” they explained, “we must first fully understand the underlying disease mechanism.”

Journal reference:

1. Esparza-Gordillo et al. A common variant on chromosome 11q13 is associated with atopic dermatitis. Nature Genetics, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/ng.347

Adapted from materials provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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