See Ya Later Alligator :: Beauty

See Ya Later Alligator
by author Heather Apple

Beautiful soft skin starts with good nutrition. That means a healthy diet of whole, (not processed) foods and lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and beans. Avoid food with additives, preservatives, sugar and hydrogenated fats like the plague!

Drink eight glasses of pure water a day and avoid alcohol and coffee. Make sure you have enough iodine, silicon, sulphur, zinc and vitamins A, B-complex, C, D and E. For essential fatty acids, eat raw nuts and seeds, take evening primrose oil and one tablespoon of flax seed oil a day. (Soak nuts and seeds overnight to get rid of enzyme inhibitors.)

Good hand care means waterproof gloves when washing dishes or handling harsh substances. Soap can be very damaging to the skin. If you do use soap, a simple, additive-free Castile or glycerine one is best.

Brush with a natural scrub. Scrubs contain slightly abrasive materials like salt and oatmeal that act as exfoliants, removing dead cells from the outer layer of the skin so that fresh young cells can take their place. They increase circulation and provide nourishment. Exfoliation is the first step in healing dry, rough skin because moisturizers cannot penetrate to the deeper layers until the barrier of dead cells is removed.

For raw or chapped hands, mix two teaspoons of scrub with one teaspoon honey and a bit of water. Or, mix one tablespoon of finely ground cornmeal with one tablespoon avocado.

Herbal hand baths are a pleasant way to soften skin. Make the hand bath in the same way as described for foot baths, using half the suggested quantity of herbs. Your local health food store will also have moisturizing creams or lotions free of harmful chemicals, artificial fragrances and petroleum products. Apply these after using a scrub, on putting your hands in water and before going to bed.

Following these suggestions leaves hands soft and lovely. For stubborn cases, make a mixture of one tablespoon each of finely ground oatmeal, finely ground almonds, honey and one beaten egg yolk. Spread this paste over your hands just before bed and then put on a pair of gloves. Kid or leather gloves are best but cotton gloves can also be used, although some of the paste may leak out through the cotton. If applied nightly, after two weeks even the roughest hands should be soft and beautiful. When gardening or working outdoors, put some lotion on your hands before you slip them into gloves.

Fortify Your Foundation

Your feet should be washed well every day to remove dead skin and eliminate bacteria. Dry them thoroughly between the toes before putting on comfortable, low-heeled shoes with sufficient toe room. Make sure they don’t rub and cause calluses. Wear cotton or woollen socks.

Foot baths help soften the skin and are a treat for tired feet. You’ll need a plastic tub that will fit both feet.

The ideal time to apply a scrub to your feet is right after a weekly foot bath. Use any of the recipes for hand scrubs, slightly increasing the amount used. Work the paste over the bottom and top of your feet, over and between your toes, giving extra attention to rough and callused areas. Rinse off the scrub with lukewarm water and pat dry. Use a pumice stone to gradually work away thick calluses.

Apply a moisturizing cream or lotion after a shower or bath to soften the skin. For foot problems, make the same paste as suggested for problem hands, apply before bed and then put on a pair of thick socks. Cozy! If this regimen is followed in spring and summer, you’ll never have the painful problem of cracked heels in winter when it’s cold outside and circulation suffers.

The scrubs suggested for hands and feet work on rough elbows too. Apply a good moisturizing cream or lotion several times a day.

Homemade Scrubs and Foot Baths

Combine one cup finely ground oats, two cups clay (available in health food stores), one cup finely ground almonds, one-eighth of a cup each of finely ground lavender and roses and one-eighth cup poppy seeds or blue corn meal. Store in a glass jar. When needed, scoop out a couple of teaspoons and mix with water. Stir into a paste by rubbing your hands together. Then work the paste up each finger and over the backs of your hands. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Your feet relax in baths with flowers of lavender, rose, elderberry, linden, calendula, camomile, lemon balm and red clover. For irritated or rough feet use emollient herbs such as comfrey leaf, chickweed, plantain, borage and mallow.

Use half a cup of dry herbs or one cup of fresh herbs. Place the herbs in a pot and pour boiling water over them. Cover tightly and steep for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid into the tub and then add enough warm water to cover your feet. Add a tablespoon of honey or whole milk for extra softening. Soak your feet for 10 minutes and then pat dry.

Heather Apple is a certified natural health practitioner in Uxbridge, ON.

Source: alive #224, June 2001

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