SkinFitnessFacts.com News

You may remember my recent post about drinking herbal teas to clear up acne where I mentioned that turmeric is one of many acne-clarifying herbs and spices. Well, it turns out turmeric is great for treating melasma too.

Turmeric has antioxidant properties, and it has been found to slow down melanin production. So, in addition to drinking tea spiced with turmeric, try applying a turmeric paste directly to your skin to treat pigmentation problems, such as melasma.

Traditionally, turmeric is used a spice in different Indian dishes. It is yellow in color and is soft and powdery to the touch. When choosing to apply it to your skin, add a sprinkling of lemon juice and water to create a paste. Cleanse the skin, pat dry, and then apply the mixture to the areas of your face you want treated. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse, and moisturize.

Like with any new skin care regimen, test a small area of your skin first and see how your skin reacts. If within a day or two you have no adverse reaction to the treatment (i.e., no redness, no bumps, no itchiness), then apply it to your face. Start out using the mixture once every three days for a week, then once every two days for a week, and then once every day for one week.

Be sure to take pictures of your skin as you go through this process. Before committing yourself to the regimen long term, you need to be sure it is actually working.

There are professional products that will give you more bang (and more buck too, of course). One of my favorites is  Juara Skincare Turmeric Antioxidant Facial Mask. While I’ve only used it on a few occasions, I do like the way it makes my skin feel, and I have noticed some of my smaller spots fading. With persistence and my own do-it-yourself turmeric treatment, I’m confident I’ll see more results, but I’ll keep you posted.

It’s not just a marketing ploy. Men really do need skin care products special to their skin for optimum skin fitness. Here are the skin facts:

• Men’s skin is thicker than women’s skin and contains more collagen
• Men have thicker facial hair and the constant shaving creates a tougher, rougher skin (sort of obvious, but it’s worth saying)
• Men have larger pores and oilier skin

So what does all this mean?

Not all skin types are made equal and not all skin care products will work for every skin type – male or female. It’s important to use the products that are right for you, not necessarily because you can find them in your girlfriend’s medicine cabinet or because you think they smell good.

Instead, use products designed for oily skin. Use skin products that will moisturize and heal before, during, and after shaving. And last, just because you have thicker skin than women, doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from anti-aging products. The good news is that you might not need them until later in life.

One very popular product line for men is Menscience. Try the daily wash or many of their other products for great skin fitness.

If you are a regular reader here, then you know how I feel about drinking more than eight glasses of water every day – skin fitness requires hydration. Drinking water helps maintain an acne-free, clear complexion.

By running fluids through your body you not only push toxins through and out of your body, but you also keep your skin supple, taught, and moisturized (with the help of products too, of course). But the problem is that some of us get bored drinking so much water with little flavor.

So why not add herbs to the water for some flavored pizzazz? On top of the added flavor, the herbs will improve your skin fitness too.

Purifying herbs can do wonders for maintaining a healthy complexion, especially for acne-laden skin.

Herbal teas—including mint, ginger, and cinnamon—cleanse the blood and liver helping your digestive system to push those pesky toxins out of your system and to keep your digestive system working regularly. The condition of your organs is often apparent by the clarity of your skin. So if your insides are in good condition,  then so will your skin.

Here are a few more herbs beneficial to skin fitness:

• Tumeric
• Chamomille
• Pansy herb
• Aniseed
• Birch leaves
• Cumin

Teas are a great morning beverage, but it wouldn’t hurt to have an afternoon and evening dose too. Most skin clarifying teas are caffeine-free so they won’t interfere with sleep or your coffee drinking, if you are so inclined.

One last tip … avoid sweeteing your tea with white sugar (white sugar doesn’t help skin fitness, at all). Instead, use honey or other natural sweeteners.