Natural Beauty: The Benefits of Holistic Skin Care

What is holistic skin care? It's a regimen that recognizes that your skin is not just the outermost layer of your body it's also a reflection of your body's internal state. Rather than just treating the surface symptoms, such as wrinkles, sallow skin, acne, dry flakes, and so on, holistic skin care aims to target the root problems in an effort to revitalize and rejuvenate the entire body. As a result, you don't just see an improved appearance; you also feel more energized, clear-headed, and physically fit.

Prescription Drugs Vs. Holistic Treatment Options

Holistic skin care sometimes gets a negative reputation from mainstreamers who prefer to prescribe drugs for virtually every condition they encounter. The trouble is, most prescription medications and medical fixes have isolated effects, failing to take the whole picture into account. A strong oral anti-acne drug like Accutane might have the effect of reducing superficial skin oiliness and reducing acne, but only at the expense of the liver. Botox injections may plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but the effects are temporary and the safeness of the procedure is questionable.

Now what if you knew that eating salmon 10 times a week could not only plump up your skin and fill out wrinkles but also make your hair more lustrous, diminish blemishes, and improve your elimination system? Would you still opt for that Botox needle, or would you start making salmon part of your weekly diet plan?

And what if you were told that dry brushing your skin each morning before jumping in the shower could revitalize your sluggish circulatory system, boosting your energy, empowering your immune system, ridding your body of toxins, and clearing your head and skin? Would you keep taking dangerous antibiotics for your acne when simply sloughing your legs and arms with a loofah could dramatically improve your complexion? (And did you know that taking antibiotics can actually throw your whole system out of whack, killing off the good bacteria that are essential to digestion ultimately clogging up your elimination system and worsening your complexion?)

Certainly, some medicines are modern miracles, providing cures to people who would otherwise be condemned to suffering. But in this day and age, medications are so over-prescribed (and often inappropriately prescribed) that it is good to be wary before popping another pill. Many physicians in the West don't know much about natural treatments options or alternative solutions to common skin problems. It is well within your rights as a patient to research them and discuss them with your physician or dermatologist if you so choose.

Caring for Your Skin the Natural Way

In your attempts to improve the condition of your skin, start by looking inward. Don't just think about how you look think about how you feel.

Are you irritable, congested, upset, depressed, stressed out? If so, topical treatments alone may not do the trick. You've got to exercise, drink plenty of water, dry brush your skin and perhaps even get regular massages as a way to recharge your batteries, boost circulation and improve your mental state. How we look is a reflection of what's going on inside, and that includes both our physical and our emotional health.

Pay attention to your diet a much neglected aspect of life in our modern day and age. Make sure you are eating foods that feed your skin, not foods that work against your body. Avoid excessive sugars, white flour and processed items, which trigger dangerous inflammation. Junk foods and fast foods are a big no-no. Limit your intake of meat, which essentially rots inside your gut; instead, choose plenty of veggies and fruits they will help sweep out your colon, improving absorption of nutrients and boosting your energy levels. Eat lots of oily fish, like salmon, to give your body the essential fats for proper functioning.

As you eat, try this simple and yet incredibly effective tip: chew your food thoroughly. Don't just chomp a few times and swallow. Instead, chew at least a dozen times on each side of the mouth. Most of us don't break down our food into small enough pieces, and this can wreak havoc on our digestion by hindering the body's absorption of nutrients. You may be surprised to find that this simple change has a considerable impact on how you feel and how your skin looks.

Give the Holistic Approach an Honest Try

If you're used to quick fixes and easy prescriptions, it may be hard to accept the idea that deceptively simple changes like the ones above, in combination with natural topical treatments and vitamin supplements, can have a major impact on your health and your skin's condition. But just give them a try and you may be shocked at how quickly your body transforms. The human body is astonishingly resilient and fast to respond to positive changes you'll see the proof in your mirror!

Faye Spencer writes about timely, relevant, and practical tips and issues that are essential to exquisite skin care. Sound off at her skin care journal at http://www.skin-care-1.com/blog, and find out how you or a friend can take advantage of free natural skin care product trials at http://www.skin-care-1.com/natural-skin-care-product.htm