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Super Protection Against Trigger Factors

David Steinman By David Steinman, from Healthy Living

Trigger factors. This is the term skin care experts use to designate those skin enemies that can shoot down your own personal quest for beautiful skin. Exposure to trigger factors causes inflammation, redness, swelling, irritation, unsightly dermatitis and cosmetic acne. Almost everyone today has at least one personal trigger factor for their skin.

clear skin The skin's natural response to irritants, allergens, and other types of trigger factors is usually inflammatory, leading to unsightly redness, swelling, and puffiness. Three keys to reducing your skin's susceptibility to trigger factors is to soothe the inflammatory processes of the skin, including the immune response that causes redness and swelling; to protect against personal trigger factors; and strengthen the skin by replenishing it with beneficial nutrients and herbal medicines.

In the end, if you don't protect your skin, the result will be premature aging of the skin. Thus, part of our mission is to alert you to truly protective herbs, nutrients, and other beautiful skin therapies. Let's discuss some of the most beneficial strategies for elimination of personal trigger factors, starting with powerful herbal healers.

Sea Buckthorn

For several years now, sales of sea buckthorn and sea buckthorn oils have been booming in China, Russia and Central Asia. The use of sea buckthorn and its oils for medical and pharmaceutical purposes has its roots in ancient Tibet.

The composition of the oil derived from the seeds and pulp of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is quite complex, its fruit oil containing some 108 different kinds of compounds, and its seed oil containing 52 kinds of compounds. These are mainly made up of essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, linolenic and arachidonic acid, which comprise more than 60 percent of its total fatty acid content. Sea buckthorn also contains phosphates, pigment, phytoestrogens, catechols, and flavonoids. There are 24 kinds of mineral elements in sea buckthorn, including calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and magnesium. Its high carotenoid content in conjunction with the other bioactive substances is responsible for its extreme skin repair properties. The use of sea buckthorn oil quickly regulates damaged skin or mucous membranes. Sea buckthorn oil also has anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and protective properties.

Sea Buckthorn Bar with Sandalwood Sandalwood oil -- The essential oil, emulsion or paste of sandalwood (Santalum album) has been used in India for millennia as an ayurvedic medicinal agent for the treatment of inflammatory and eruptive skin diseases. Sandalwood oil is highly effective as a protector against skin cancer.

Grapeseed Extract -- In terms of pure antioxidant power, grapeseed extract has been shown to be some 50 times more potent than vitamin E and 20 times more potent than vitamin C. It is also one of the "hot" new ingredients in cutting edge personal care formulas, finding its way into scrubs, oils, lotions and even mud treatments. Its main benefit for the skin is probably due to its ability to inhibit release of histamines and other inflammatory compounds. It can also reduce under-eye puffiness and protect against the sun's harmful rays.

Ginkgo biloba and Beta-1,3-glucan -- A combination of Ginkgo biloba and beta-1,3-glucan has been shown to be very helpful for mitigating contact dermatitis. In a recent study from France, a Ginkgo biloba extract and carboxy methyl-beta-1,3-glucan formulation was investigated in a double-blind study using 22 subjects with allergic contact dermatitis from various substances. The formulation or placebo was applied to their skin twice daily for two weeks prior to a single application of a selected contact allergen. Some 68.2 percent of the women receiving the active formulation showed significantly reduced skin reactivity.

Besides the anti-inflammatory effects of the major components, ginkgolide and bilobalide, another important property of topical Ginkgo biloba is that it induces production of two very powerful antioxidants superoxide dismutase and catalase, which can help to fight damage caused by skin triggers, reduce inflammatory compounds, and strengthen the skin against chronic inflammation. Fatty Acids & Moisturizers Moisturizers are used daily by many people to alleviate symptoms of clinically and subjectively dry skin. Recent studies suggest that certain ingredients in such creams may accelerate the recovery of a disrupted barrier and decrease the skin susceptibility to irritants. In a recent study from the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, a moisturizing cream was tested for its influence both on barrier recovery in skin damaged by sodium lauryl sulfate with excellent results, including far less water loss and enhanced barrier recovery. Thus, a quality moisturizer "may be of clinical relevance in attempts to reduce contact dermatitis due to irritant stimuli."

Aromatherapy Helps Eliminate Trigger Factors

Very much related to herbal skin protectors is aromatherapy. We are convinced of the benefits to be derived from aromatherapy, especially if skin problems are related to pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. "Aromatherapy is a type of health and beauty care in which aromatic essential oils of all kinds are used as active ingredients in various beauty preparations and in various treatments," says Aubrey Hampton, author of Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care (Organica Press 1987). Essential oils may be used in massage cream or oil; to vaporize the skin as a fine mist of steam; or even poured into a tub of water to prepare a whirlpool or hot tub.

According to Hampton, dry skin can benefit from avocado, carrot, melon, aloe, primrose, fig, almond and olive oils. Oily skin can benefit from cabbage, lemon, strawberry, witch hazel, ginseng, eucalyptus, camphor and pear oils. Blemished skin can benefit from grape, cabbage, camphor, juniper, and bergamot oils. Mature skin can benefit from aloe, apple, banana, wheat germ, and jojoba oils.

Massage as a Skin Protector

At the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, children suffering from atopic (allergic) dermatitis experienced significant improvement (reduction of redness, scaliness and itching) when provided with a daily massage of about 20 minutes for 30 days. The key seems to be stress relief. Atopic dermatitis often results from stress and anxiety which cause increased production of cortisol and histamines; this, in turn, damages immune function.

The Doctors' Prescription

Because so many cosmetic formulations today contain trigger factors themselves, we stress use of the most pure cosmetic lines from companies such as Aubrey Organics, Dr. Hauschka, Logona, Noni of Beverly Hills, Weleda, and Zia.

In particular, Aubrey Organics offers a wide range of formulations with the herbal protectors detailed in this report--without any problem ingredients whatsoever. Aubrey Organics Sea Buckthorn with Ester-C Serum is particularly beneficial, since it also combines vitamin C, sandalwood oil and a highly potent extract of sea buckthorn. This serum is amazing.

Following the "three-minute rule" and applying a rich emollient moisturizer to the skin within three minutes of leaving the shower "can improve penetration of moisturizers tenfold," notes Dr. Diana Howard, vice-president of technical development and former director of education for the International Dermal Institute.

Green Tea Sunblock for Children The greatest enemy to the skin is the sun. Thus, use of quality sunscreens is also extremely important. The best sunscreen line today is Aubrey Organics; look for their Green Tea Sunblock for Children with a 25 SPF. Also, be sure to take a daily oral antioxidant formula. Among the formulations that we recommend are Maxi-Zzap from Naturally Vitamins; your local health food store retailer can also suggest quality antioxidant formulas.

References available at www.freedompressonline.com

Recommended Skin Protection Formulas

Aubrey Organics' antioxidant-rich Sea Buckthorn Moisturizing Maskcleanses and moisturizes the complexion, offering protection against trigger factors.

Other moisturizer formulations, with rich essential fatty acid bases and other herbal and vitamin protectors against skin enemies, include Aubrey Organics' Blue Green Algae Herbal Antioxidant Moisturizer SPF 10 with Grapeseed Extract; Blue Green Algae Clay Mask with Grapeseed Extract; Sea Buckthorn Ester-C Silky Smooth Moisturizer; and Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Moisturizing Cream.

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