Natural Skincare tips by Dr. Walter Chiarra

Put simply, ‘natural skin care’ is caring for your skin in a natural and chemical-free way. ‘Natural skin care’ advocates enabling the skin to take care of itself (without any assistance from synthetic materials/ chemicals). ‘Natural skin care’ is about inculcation of good habits in the way you lead your day to day life. A lot of natural skin care measures are actually the same as those for body care in general.
So let’s see what these natural skin care measures are.
Well the first and the foremost natural skin care measure is – ‘Drink a lot of water’. Around 8 glasses of water is a must everyday. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, in a natural way. It helps in the overall upkeep of the body and promotes good health for all organs (not just skin).
General cleanliness is another inexpensive way of natural skin care. Daily shower, wearing clean clothes and sleeping on a clean mattress/pillow are all part of general cleanliness. After all, clean skin is the key to keeping the skin disorders at bay.
Regular exercise is the next thing on the cards. Exercise increases the flow of blood that helps in getting rid of body toxins and keeping you healthy. Exercise also helps in beating stress which is the worst enemy of good health.
Healthy food and eating habits are also recommended for natural skin care. Some type of food (e.g. oily food) is know to cause acne and should be avoided as much as possible. Your diet should be a healthy mix of various nutrient providing foods. Raw fruits and vegetables are known to provide freshness to your body and help in getting rid of body toxins.
A good sleep is also instrumental in maintaining good health and in beating stress. As a natural skin care measure, a good sleep delays slacking of skin.
Beating stress is another natural skin care therapy. Stress causes overall damage to body and health. Drinking a lot of water, getting a sound sleep and exercise has already been mentioned as stress busters. Indulging in a warm bubble bath, listening to music and playing your favourite sport are also good ways of beating stress. Yoga is yet another way of beating stress; it is fast gaining popularity amongst the masses.
Avoiding excessive exposure to sun (by wearing long sleeved clothes, hat and umbrella etc), is another natural skin care strategy. Sunscreen lotions are also recommended as necessary.
A lot of traditional and home made natural skin care products/ measures are also known to be very effective. Such measures are not only natural and easy-to-follow, but also relatively inexpensive.
Besides that, a lot of natural skin care products are available in the commercial market. These include things like lavender oil, aloe vera etc., which don’t have any side effects.

Dr. Walter Chiara

Using Skin Care Products Properly

It is always a good idea to layer skincare products in the winter time, ie: Cleanse, next always use a toner, it temporarily tightens the skin and it also moistens the skin so you use less of the next product you apply, which should be a lotion if you have sensitive, oily or combination skin ( Indigene's Soothing Lotion is light, unscented and dries to a matt finish). Next apply an eye cream to the eye and lip areas and any other areas that are drier.
Ideally you should apply your creams 20 minutes before make up for the best results ( less comedones, blackheads and breakouts)

Exfoliate your skin 2 to 3 times a week if you have oily, normal or dry skin  and once if you have sensitive skin.
Use a hydrating masque on dry, normal areas and a clay or marine based masque on the t zone area ( forehead,nose and chin)

Whatever you do to your face include the neck too the skin there is much more fragile and shows signs of neglect more quickly than the face.     

Winter Skincare Tips

Looking After your skin is a must during the winter months, wind, cold, electric heat all wreak havoc on the skin no matter what your skin type.

Easy things you can do to prevent transdermal water loss (TEWL) ( dehydration)

Cleanse with a creamy moisturizer designed for sensitive skin, always follow with a toner that is alcohol free and tap lightly into the skin, blot excess off. Use a face cream/serum/fluid that is Not water based. There are lots available on the market today.

Use an Exfoliant and  Hydrating Face Masque weekly, this keeps your skin in tip top shape.

Add moisture to the air in the bedroom you sleep by putting a humidifier in there or even a bowl of water.

Shower in warm not hot water and always follow with a body oil or cream. There are so many on the market available. I recommend something that is Organic or  Naturally derived from botanicals from the land and sea.

Keep a hand cream in your purse as well as a lip balm. At night before bed reapply moisturizer to dry areas and reapply lip balm.

Whenever you are out and about doing your thing wear gloves as often as possible. I am seeing alot more contact dermatitis than any other year simply because of the extra cleansing we are doing to our hands.

Do not overuse exfoliants this can cause dryness and irritation

Wear liquid mineral make up and or sunscreen. My personal favorite is La Roche Posay.

Rest, Relax and be thankful always :-)

   

Spa-goers check out these cool places in Newfoundland

Rosewood Beauty Clinic at the Sheraton is great, grab a GF and go for the duo pedicure, it is cozy and oh so relaxing!

Stillwaters Spa in Gander. Looking for a new stylist Donna is skilled and speedy.

Emerald Spa in Corner Brook is organized, friendly and very accomodating