Beauty Shorts

Natural Blemish Busters
Not everybody is blessed with clear, perfect skin. If the thought of going back to school makes you want to hide your face, take heart in knowing that there are natural things you can do to alleviate acne, which is often caused by stress, PMS, use of birth control pills and fat-related digestive problems.

To heal acne, a healthy liver is key. When it becomes overburdened by animal fats, trans fatty acids (found in hydrogenated fats), white sugar and flour, alcohol and chemical exposure, it becomes sluggish and unable to detoxify the body properly.

ABC's Of Skin Care

• Vitamin A (25,000 IU daily) soothes inflammation (don't take if pregnant).


• Vitamin B complex (50 milligrams three times daily) reduces oiliness and blackheads, and soothes stress.


• Vitamin C (1,000 mg daily) promotes healing and reduces infection.

Herbal Teas
Try about three cups a day.

• Dandelion is a gentle, yet powerful, liver cleansing herb.


• Stinging nettle is an excellent blood detoxifier and will give your skin a glow.


• Burdock root also cleanses the blood.

Healing Foods

• Raw fruits and vegetables provide nutrients and fibre to cleanse the body of toxins.


• Nuts, seeds and whole grains are rich in zinc, which soothes flare-ups.


• Essential fatty acids found in flax, borage and primrose oils nourish the skin and help balance hormones.

Essential Oils
Use as a spot treatment or add a few drops to a pot of hot water for a 15- to 20-minute facial steam.

• Lavender balances the skin and soothes stress.


• Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory that eases pain.


• Tea tree oil is antibiotic and antiseptic, and heals pimples fast.

alive Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, 1998

Herbal Eye Wash
The herb eyebright lives up to its name by relieving redness and making eyes bright and sparkling. You will need:

• 1 eye cup or two cotton balls


• Fine strainer or piece of cheesecloth


• 2 tsp (10 ml) eyebright


• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) purified water.

In a small bowl, cover eyebright with boiling water and infuse for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain thoroughly and allow the infusion to cool to about body temperature. Pour into eye cup and bath each eye (look up, down, right and left to fully bathe the eye). Or soak two cotton balls in infusion and place over each eye.

Call For Cosmetic Controls
European scientists have been urging for stricter cosmetics controls, putting policy makers and the cosmetics industry into quite a lather. The Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products is calling for a blanket ban on all confirmed and likely carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic substances that "represent a health hazard" and "ought not to be present in cosmetics." If the European Union's cosmetics law is changed, it's not yet clear how many products will be affected.
Environmental News Service, ens-news.com

Eye Soothers
If you've been staring at the computer all day or burning the midnight oil, try these tried-and-true remedies to soothe tired eyes and reduce puffiness.

• Pour boiling water over two chamomile tea bags and steep for two to three minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture and let tea bags cool to a pleasant temperature, just warmer than body temperature. Place over closed eyes and relax for five to 10 minutes.


• Alternatively, try two slices of fresh cucumber over the eyes.


• Gel eye masks or aromatherapy eye bags filled with flax seed, available at health food stores, also do the trick. Gel masks tend to remain cold longer, while eye bags mold nicely to the eyes and block out all light for complete rest from eye fatigue.