Courtesy of Trpster*

Serious Fall Skin Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Skin Care.

It seems that every September 21st or so, I find myself suddenly scrambling around the house, trying to find the lip balm I carelessly tossed aside in April. And what about my hands? All summer, I haven’t given them much thought, and yet one day in late September, leaves beginning to turn, a little bite in the air, I notice that they’re drier than sin. What gives?

What many people don’t realize about fall is that not only does it get cooler and crisper, but much of the moisture in the air disappears. This triggers an immediate cry for help from your skin, and sends people like me scrambling through the junk drawer to find that tube of “lip dope” I haven’t seen in four or five months.

And as if the sharp decline in moisture in the air weren’t enough, many of us are coming off what I like to call a “skin bender” - 3 to 4 months of heightened exposure to UV rays, chlorine and salt water.

Been spending a lot of time at the pool? Well aside from the fact that your hair may be several shades lighter than it was at the beginning of the summer, the pH of your skin is probably pretty wrecked. Your skin is naturally acidic, and that is a big factor in its ability to stay healthy. In fact, there is a protective barrier on the skin called the “acid mantle.” This layer blocks infections, viruses, and bacteria by neutralizing those alkaline invaders. Chlorine strips the acid mantle away, disrupting the structure of the skin cells, which not only leaves you prone to acne and eczema outbreaks, but diminishes the skin’s ability to keep moisture in.

Add to the mix a lot of time in the sun, which is a corrosive, oxidizing agent (that is, the sun AGES you much more quickly) and you can imagine that the added impact of super dry air puts more than a few of us at risk. And if you are already prone to various skin conditions that are hydration-related, like eczema and psoriasis, or keratosis pilaris, chances are you’ll experience a noticeable jump in flares at this time of year.

Today’s article will be focused on specific suggestions for people who suffer from these kinds of skin conditions, but my advice will do wonders for anyone who’s feeling uncomfortably itchy and dry as the fall continues its irrevocable progression to winter.

1. Eczema tips for Fall

Eczema is commonly misunderstood as a “skin disease,” but recent scientific research has classed it as an “immune vulnerability.” Eczema sufferers have a set of about twenty genes that have developed abnormally, making the stratum corneum (the skin’s barrier) overly susceptible to irritants. These irritants - which don’t pose any particular problem to normal skin - trigger an immune response, which manifests as an itchy, flaky rash (also known as “atopic dermatitis”).

For this reason, many eczema medications work by suppressing immune function, an approach which in extreme cases can be helpful, but which is unfortunately not a long-term solution. After all, you need your immune system to function properly for a lot more than healthy skin!

In fact, the main cause of recurrent eczema is improper or poor skin hydration. This is why eczema sufferers often see such an increase in outbreaks at this time of year. The dry air literally sucks moisture right out of your skin, and sets the stage for eczema.

So the key, as an eczema sufferer, is to take action at the first sign of the drier fall climate. For a larger set of guidelines, please have a look at our article about eczema medication and alternate treatments. In the meantime, consider the following three steps to either prevent or deal with an onset of eczema:

A. Humidify

Most of us wait until the deep of winter to break out the ol’ humidifier from its dusty shelf in the back of the garage, but many people in drier climates find that getting a jump on this in the fall, when humidity percentages plummet, makes the transition into winter that much easier. In other words, it’s easier to keep your skin healthy now, while you’re still in good shape, than to try to get back to normal once things have gotten out of hand.

B. Bathe carefully

Remember, eczema flares can be greatly reduced by correcting what eczema expert Dr. Adnan Nasir calls “errors in bathing.” Relatively brief oatmeal baths in lukewarm water should be the norm for you at this time of year. Hot showers with chemical soaps are definitely out.

C. Moisturize properly

It is absolutely crucial to hydrate your skin. We have had the honor and privilege of helping some eczema sufferers who’ve been blown away by the power of Dead Sea minerals as an eczema treatment regimen. Our luxurious, completely natural, mineral body cream is a great place to start for getting the deep hydration your skin really needs.

2. Psoriasis tips for fall

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder in which the skin cells grow and reproduce at a rate way beyond that of normal skin cells. The result is a buildup of dead skin cells that form scaly, itchy patches on various parts of the body. In fact, the itch is part of its name: psora is the ancient Greek term used to describe itchy conditions.

There are several competing theories about the root cause of psoriasis, but one thing is clear: the symptoms are triggered by things that put stress on the human body. It is interesting to note that much of the available literature on psoriasis will offer a list of triggers like this: drinking too much alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, stress, caffeine. Which is strange, because the thing that too much alcohol, caffeine, lack of sleep, smoking and stress all have in common? They’re all STRESS. I feel strongly that we need to widen our definition of stress to include more than just being overworked and having too many activities on our plate. But that’s a topic for a different article…

As we move into cooler, drier months, remember that this change is just one significant stressor AMONG OTHERS. Successful management of psoriasis requires you to consider the stressors on your body collectively. So with that in mind, what’s going on in your life right now that might be increasing your OVERALL stress? Remember, stress is like a domino effect - one thing happens which tends to set off a reaction of escalating stress.

Consider the following: It’s fall. So, you’re back from summer vacation, kids are going back to school. Already, a shift from relaxed to busy. You have a ton to do to get the kids ready, and probably extra work at the office. Another shift. To get everything done, you start missing out on some sleep. Maybe you’re down to 6 hours a night for a week. Another shift. Then, to compensate for the tiredness you’re experiencing, you add in a few extra blasts of sugar and caffeine to keep you going. Another shift, which makes you even less likely to get restful sleep when you DO have the time for it. You’re back at the office hustling (or at home, hustling the kids around to their various activities), so you don’t have time to eat well, and as a result, you start grabbing whatever you can, which usually means lower quality. Another shift. And so on, and so on, into a spiral of stress that will make you extra susceptible to psoriasis flares.

There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are tactics that will help soothe and reduce the flareups considerably. As you probably know, the range of psoriasis treatments (the so-called “psoriasis treatment ladder”) goes from topical ointments for mild psoriasis to light-based treatments to systemic (internal) treatments for severe cases. In fact, probably the best (and ironically, historically oldest) psoriasis treatment is visiting the Dead Sea region. Psoriasis is actually one of the oldest recorded skin conditions, and sufferers from this and various other chronic health conditions (not only skin-related) have been visiting the Dead Sea region for OVER 4 MILLENNIA, in order to benefit from the unique combination of soaking in mineral-rich waters and long-term exposure to low UV light (the Dead Sea is at about 300 BELOW sea level).

Sadly, a quick visit over to the Dead Sea is just not realistic for most of us. But we can replicate some of the conditions we would experience if we could go there. For example, soaking in high-quality Dead Sea salt-infused bath water (lukewarm) is a tried and true method for soothing psoriasis. If you’ve never tried this technique, shut off your computer NOW and run down to the drug store and get yourself some Masada Dead Sea bath salts. You’ll be amazed. After bathing, make sure to provide your skin cells with what they need to function optimally. The best thing you can put on your skin is a concentrated Dead Sea mineral cream, which contains both potassium (the body’s natural hydrator) and magnesium (the skin’s major healing agent).

3. Keratosis pilaris tips for fall

Karatosis pilaris (or KP) is a genetic condition in which the hair follicles become inflamed because the body overproduces keratin, a protein in the skin organ. Keratosis pilaris is sometimes referred to as “chicken skin” because it causes many small bumps on different parts of the body. The condition is almost always painless/itchless, and rarely needs medical attention. It is typically in the fall, however, when KP will need some special attention. This is because, like so many skin conditions, the thing that sets it off is dryness. (Are you starting to see why our mantra around here is “Hydrate & Heal”?)

Besides moisturizing twice or three times daily with a mineral body cream, consider taking the approach that many acne sufferers have found to be effective. Deep yet gentle cleansing, using pure Dead Sea mud with the entire spectrum of 120 Dead Sea minerals, will pull the excess keratin from your hair follicles and alleviate the symptoms of KP dramatically.

Click on one of the images below to try our award-winning cleansing or hydrating mineral skin care products, risk-free. That’s right, I said risk free!

MUDFACE - SALE!

BODY&MASSAGE

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Courtesy of Michel Filion

Serious Hand Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Skin Care.

If you poke around in the world of “hardcore gardeners” (I’ve known a few myself), you invariably find some very dedicated, very passionate people with very beaten up hands. Not that it stops them of course - when your passion for something as deeply satisfying as gardening “takes over” - well, who cares about those nice shirts and sore knees, and… unfortunately, those poor hands! If your hands could talk, they’d tell a tale of woe - strewn with cuts and scrapes, calluses, pricked fingers, fungal infections, and skin just generally battered and beaten by the damp, unforgiving earth. But it’s “loving abuse,” since after all, the benefits you reap - literally - are well worth the wear and tear on your body.

But still, living your life with cracked hands and dry skin - or worse, with cracked nails and shredded cuticles - is not a lot of fun, whatever the payoff you’re getting out in your victory garden. And because it can be so difficult to return your gardeners’ hands to their silky smooth origins, people tend to try pretty radical measures, like soaking their hands in olive oil and wearing gloves all night to lock in moisture. Most of you probably have bottles and jars of hand cream all over the house, in your glove compartment, on the shelves of your potting shed… And yet, what you hear over and over again from serious gardeners is that nothing seems to work in the long term.

Well, I’m here to tell you today that there are some easy steps you can follow to TOTALLY TRANSFORM those beaten up, dried out hands - even if things have gotten to the point where your blood is starting to flow! At Awakening Mineral Skin Care, we believe in “healing” - and that’s what this how-to article is about: how to actually HEAL gardener’s hands for good, and keep them so soft and silky, your significant other will actually REQUEST a massage from you (how’s THAT for a promise?)

The Short Version

For those of you who are pressed for time, here’s the short version of our 5-step, “Beaten to Beautiful” program. It’s “deceptively” simple, so I’d highly suggest reading the full version below.

1. Clean gently
2. Soak in mineral salts
3. Hydrate
4. Avoid excessive water exposure
5. Drink lots of water

The Long(ish) version

Here’s the long version. First of all, there are some important things to pay attention to. As I write this, Fall is beginning its approach, and with the drop in both temperature and moisture in the air, most people notice significant shift in skin hydration as well. Even without sticking your hands into the earth on a daily basis, you’re likely to notice around this time of year a sudden need to reach for your bottle of hand lotion.

Remember: change in climate is a biggie when it comes to skin maintenance, and major shifts will almost always have an effect on your skin.

Of course you probably know this already if you live in a dry climate year round, but even our customers who live in dry states like Colorado often mention that the most difficult time of the year is Fall. We’ve even heard them call it the time of “Fall Gardeners Hands.”

So what can be done to get those hands moisturized? Well, if you’ve poked around the Awakening Skin Care main site, you’ve probably heard the term Mineral Hydration Factor. That’s the base formula for almost all our products, which is a concentrated blend of pure Dead Sea minerals. Specifically potassium and magnesium. Together, these two ingredients give our Dead Sea products their ability to Hydrate & Heal™.

There’s a lot of science behind how this works, but to make a long story short, potassium is the body’s hydration director. It’s present in hundreds of your body’s functions, and its main job is to make sure that the water in your body is regulated - cells get the right amount here, not too much escapes there, etc. The scientists among you may be cringing with this over-simplification, but that’s more or less how it works.

So by using this “building block” mineral in our skin care products, Awakening mineral skin care products are able to actually hydrate your skin, by delivering directly to your skin cells the very substance they need to keep their hydration mechanisms functioning at the highest possible level.

What is “hydration,” really?

Now you may wonder how this is so different from all those “moisturizing” lotions out there. The difference is actually pretty simple. Most of the “hard core” moisturizing creams and lotions on the market rely on greasy , plant-based substances like shea butter or plant oils to fulfill their claims about moisturizing. Ever notice how the more “moisturizing” a lotion is supposed to be, the heavier and greasier it tends to be?

That’s because, like Vaseline, these products are doing half the job of moisturizing very well. That is, they’re sealing in moisture. They create a greasy moisture barrier which prevents the moisture in your skin from escaping. And of course, many good products have excellent healing plant-based agents that help to repair damaged skin tissue. But the truth is, 90% of skin health is hydration. For example, did you know that poor hydration is the number one cause of persistent eczema? Now, you may not suffer from eczema, but the point is, if a skin condition as tenacious and problematic as eczema can be cured simply by proper hydration, imagine what proper skin hydration will do for your gardeners hands!

So the real key is hydration. Real hydration. Give your skin cells what they need to allocate moisture properly and you’ll see a dramatic shift in your skin health. In fact, we’re so sure about this that we’ve built an entire company on the concept, and we even offer a complete money back guarantee on our products (which no one ever seems to take us up on…).

The second part of the picture is the second half of our famous “Hydrate & Heal” mantra. How does skin heal itself, really? Well, we’re fortunate because the skin has an incredible ability to heal itself. Get a cut, a sunburn, a rash - in most cases, with a little extra care, the skin takes care of itself. The problem is that when you subject your skin to repeated “loving abuse” - as with our gardener friends - the skin’s natural ability to heal is compromised.

How to Heal your Skin

As it turns out, the one of the primary ingredients in skin healing is magnesium, another essential mineral that is present in several hundred of your body’s most basic functions. It is part of the nerve impulse system, it is a component of protein synthesis, and it helps build bones and teeth. What’s more, it is an anti-allergen and assists in repairing… you guessed it: Skin Tissue. At Awakening, we like to say “Why not give your skin what it really needs?” And what it really needs are magnesium and potassium.

So now that you understand the basics of skin health, let’s move on to our easy-peasey 5-Step plan for getting your hands back to baby-like softness. Okay, maybe you’re beyond the point of recovering baby skin, but you get the idea.

The 5-Step Plan

1. Clean gently

There are so many garbage soaps out there that are full of harsh, drying ingredients - and many of them are marketed as “natural” or “healing.” You need to be very careful what you choose. For a full list of skin care products to avoid, read this article. Here’s the short list: FD&C colorants or dyes, synthetic fragrance oils, petroleum products, phthalates, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates, triclosan (an antibacterial), and any other preservatives. Most important, whatever you choose, don’t overdo it! It’s hard, I know. You’ve got a day’s worth of mud and grime caked under your fingernails and you feel inclined to scrub like crazy. Well here’s a tip that may just change that forever.

2. Soak in mineral salts

The Dead Sea salts that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Dead Sea each year are possibly the earth’s most potent healing substance. In fact, we recommend soaking in mineral salts as one of the main components of our Foot Repair Remedy, and we highly suggest the same for gardeners hands. Simply fill a medium sized bowl or dish pan with warm water and a handful of high quality Dead Sea salt (such as Masada, which is available at drug stores and natural grocers all over the country), soak your hands for 10 minutes after getting out of the garden, and THEN gently scrub if necessary to get the remaining grime off.

3. Hydrate

Suprised? Didn’t think so. Indeed, hydrating is the key to the whole thing. Before tossing out all your other bottles of lotion, though, try using our award-winning Dead Sea mineral hand cream for a couple of weeks. If you don’t agree with our customers that it’s the best thing that ever happened to your gardeners hands, we’ll happily give you your money back. (Sorry, can’t make the same offer for those all those others you’ve got lying around - that’s why we’d encourage you to hang on to them - at least for now!)

By the way, we were thrilled (and kinda humbled, too) when ABC News chose Awakening Skin Care’s award-winning HANDS Dead Sea mineral hand cream as the best gardeners hand cream on the market. Check out the video on our main site.

4. Avoid excessive water exposure

As I mentioned in my article about dry nails, repetitive and prolonged wetting and drying of the fingernails is the single most common cause of cracked and split nails. It’s also the number one cause of overly dry skin. One thing a lot of the gardeners we know do is wash their hands many times a day, which is understandable if you need to come in and eat, or say, make the bed. But try to avoid it. If you can reduce the number of hand washings daily to three or four, you’ll see rapid improvement in your skin. And apply HANDS when you start the day. It will not only last through hand washings, but it will protect your skin in the process.

5. Drink lots of water

75% of people living in countries with abundant fresh water are chronically dehydrated. Unbelievable, right? The problem is, most of us consume a good share of caffeinated beverages, which actually have a dehydrating effect. And caffeine lurks EVERYWHERE. You need to be drinking lots of WATER. Plain ol’, good ‘ol H2O. Hydrate on the inside, and you’ll give your skin what it needs to stay hydrated and looking and feeling wonderful on the outside.

Well, that about wraps it up. We get a ton of emails and photos from our gardener friends out there, so if you have anything you’d like to share with us, please shoot us an email at: gardeners at awakeningskincare dot com (that’s the SPAM engine proof version - you’ll need to type it the usual way to get through.) Until next time, tend your gardens well!

Stumble it!

Click on the image below to try our award-winning mineral hand cream today. If you haven’t stopped using all the other products you’ve tried within two weeks, we’ll cheerfully refund your money, no questions asked!

HANDS

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Photo courtesy of annia316

Serious Skin Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Skin Care.

At Awakening, Dead Sea cosmetics (or “cosmeceuticals”) - including lotions, creams, and other mineral skin care products like our Dead Sea mud masque - are our “raison d’être.” We have built our company on the idea (and the proof) that skin care products formulated with natural, high-quality, concentrated minerals (and particularly certain “building-block” minerals like potassium and magnesium) will do more to give you radiant, blemish-free skin than anything else available on the market, period. (If you don’t believe me, take a look at our customer testimonials (link to testimonials)).

So we’re understandably thrilled about the rising popularity of mineral makeup over the last few years. You’ve probably been hearing alot about mineral makeup, and when you look at their benefits, it’s not hard to understand why the buzz has been so positive. When you compare them to conventional makeup, it’s pretty hard to make the argument that you shouldn’t make the switch. Like, NOW. So today I’m going to take a look at some of the big reasons you should consider trying mineral cosmetics (and while you’re at it, Dead Sea skin care products (link to products) in general), and give you a better idea why so many people are behind this new movement in cosmetics.

If you’re pressed for time, here’s the short version. After a glance at the bullet points, read on for more detailed information.

The Short Version

• Mineral makeups use color sources that are entirely natural and free of dangerous chemicals or other toxic substances
• Mineral makeup is non-comedogenic (won’t block pores)
• Risk of allergic reaction is very low. Good quality mineral makeups are tested for sensitivity
• Ingredients provide natural UVB and UVA protection - usually ranges from 15-20
• Mineral content can have anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it will not only NOT aggravate sensitive skin, but will actually soothe it
• Mineral makeup is typically quite water resistant
• Mineral cosmetics are made of inorganic materials, meaning they’re impervious to bacteria
• Mineral makeup companies tend to be more environmentally and socially aware, and their products are almost never tested on animals

The Long Version (no extra charge)

First let’s talk about color. Women often use makeup to even skin tone and add color to their complexions, but conventional makeup usually contains less than 10 percent pigment. The remaining 90 percent comes from some of the worst ingredients in skin care (link to 12 worst skin care ingredients article), like coal tar, petrochemicals, synthetic preservatives, fillers, and even lead and aluminum, which are both neurotoxins linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and other very serious degenerative conditions.

This is absurd, of course, because all the while, the same colors can be found abundantly - and naturally -  in the earth’s minerals. Why put toxins on your skin when better quality colors come right out of the earth?

Next, mineral makeup is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. In mineral makeup, the microscopic mineral crystals overlap, allowing the skin to breathe naturally. This single fact makes mineral makeup a suitable choice for sensitive and acne prone skin types, as well as for women who struggle with rosacea and dry skin.

And as if that weren’t compelling enough, two of mineral makeup’s main ingredients — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — create a natural sunscreen for the skin. Further, zinc, magnesium, and other minerals have anti-inflammatory properties, actually making mineral makeup GOOD for the complexion. Can you imagine? Wearing makeup that actually heals and tones the skin? Many of our customers use Awakening Dead Sea mineral skin care products as a way to hydrate and heal their skin after using harsh makeups. Imagine how beautiful their skin would be if they combined our products with a great line of mineral makeup!

In addition to all of the benefits listed above, mineral makeup doesn’t breed bacteria. Typical advice for conventional makeup is to throw it away after one year, because it can become contaminated with bacteria that causes nasty eye and skin infections. But because most of the ingredients used in mineral makeup are inorganic, bacteria and microbes cannot contaminate the makeup and cause skin infections. The fact that the ingredients are inorganic also means that preservatives don’t need to be included - the products have a naturally long shelf life, all on their own.

Mineral makeup companies also tend to be more environmentally and socially aware, and their products are rarely tested on animals. As you may know, we have never, ever tested Awakening Skin Care products on animals, and we never will. In this day and age, blinding rabbits just so we won’t burn our eyes using mascara is unacceptable.

High quality natural skin care products and cosmetics adhere to those ideals by paying as much attention to what stays out of the products as what goes into them. Still, you should always check the ingredient list on any product before making a purchase. The list should contain minerals and not a lot of fillers or preservatives. Powders and dry products should contain 100 percent minerals. In moist products like mineral lip stick or mineral mascara, minerals might be combined with natural preservatives like vitamin E.

You can also check to see if a product is really mineral-based by running a little test: Because mineral makeup is naturally water resistant, when you apply a bit of the makeup to the top of your hand and run it under water, the makeup should stay on. To gather more information about the potential environmental and personal health risks from the personal care products you use everyday and to learn about safer options check out The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

So try some mineral makeup and send us your feedback. You never know, one day we might just use our know-how in the mineral skin care world to come out with a line of cosmetics!

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Healing Eczema with Minerals

Serious Eczema Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Skin Care.

Eczema is not a disease or an allergy. Rather, it’s an “immune vulnerability” that typically appears with other so-called allergic-type immune reactions like hay fever or asthma. This has only been understood recently, but now scientists have identified approximately twenty genes that control how the skin interacts with the environment. If these genes are normal, the skin will act as a natural barrier to irritants and infectious agents. But in eczema sufferers, these genes have developed abnormally, and the skin’s barrier, or stratum corneum, function fails, allowing irritants to pass through to underlying tissues. The irritants trigger an immune response - the itchy rash that characterizes eczema (a.k.a. “atopic dermatitis”).

There is also some new evidence that the class of disorders that includes eczema and asthma are the result of growing up in an environment that is devoid of the natural, “lesser” contaminants we were all exposed to when we lived in closer contact with the natural world. This article discusses some fascinating research showing that growing up on a farm can actually reduce the chances of getting eczema and asthma later in life.

For those of us in the here and now, though, eczema can be a debilitating condition. When flareups happen, it can be a real challenge just to get through the day. Things that non-eczema sufferers never pay particular attention to - bathing, clothes, common pollutants, even food or laundry ingredients - are for the eczema sufferer a constant source of irritation and worry.

Worst of all, many of the medications that are prescribed for eczema either do not work at all or work only sporadically. Today I’m going to try to offer some compelling reasons to get rid of your eczema medication entirely. Of course, severe eczema can be a serious condition, and the advice in this article is meant only as opinion and suggestions based on that opinion. It should not replace the advice of a physician. It is always important to consult your physician before making major changes to your eczema regimen.

With that said, here are 6 reasons you may want to throw out your eczema medication.

1. Enough side effects to make your head spin

Eczema is typically treated with corticosteroid ointments, creams, or lotions. These do not cure eczema (nothing does), but they can be effective in controlling or suppressing symptoms in some cases. However, these medications are an area of serious debate, mostly because regular, long-term use of them is associated with a number of dangerous complications.

For mild to moderate eczema, a weak steroid such as hydrocortisone is usually recommended. In more severe cases, a higher-potency steriod like fluocinonide may be used. In very severe cases, oral or intravenous corticosteroids (prednisone, triamcinolone) are prescribed. This last group can be very effective, generally bringing about substantial improvements very rapidly. The problem is that they can’t be taken long-term because of the risk of serious side effects. And when you stop taking them, the eczema often returns to its previous level. And unfortunately, not all of these treatments offer quick relief. It can sometimes be weeks before a patient sees significant results.

But the side effects of corticosteroids are not limited to the ones that are administered internally. Studies have shown that long-term use of even over the counter cortisone creams can result in some side effects ranging from mild to life-threatening and/or life-altering. The following list is not comprehensive, but mentions the most common side effects. All of these are much more of a concern when treating children.

• Skin rashes and irritation
• Formation of dilated blood vessels
• Stretch marks
• Spider veins
• Acne
• Thinning of the skin which can lead to atrophy, infection, and increased susceptibility to fungi and bacterial infection, all of which can make eczema symptoms worse (a vicious cycle)
• Nausea and vomiting  (with oral GCS therapy)
• Peptic ulcers (in patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications along with corticosteroids, as well as those with past histories of peptic ulcer disease, smoking, or alcohol use)
• Weight gain due to increased appetite and fluid retention
• Impaired glucose tolerance (a.k.a. “insulin resistance,” which is a pre-diabetic state)
• Cataracts (high GCS dosages and long-term topical therapy applied around the eyes)
• Glaucoma, (if GCS treatment is applied topically around the eyes or administered systemically, especially when patients are already at high risk for glaucoma
• Impaired adrenal function
• Growth retardation (a side effect that occurs especially with long-term, systemic administration of corticosteroids before age two or at puberty
• Osteoporosis (especially in women who take daily long-term prednisone therapy)

2. It’s all about hydration

There are a million theories out there about what to do to help control eczema, but when it comes down to it, controlling eczema is all about keeping your skin adequately hydrated. Even the extreme end of the spectrum, which says to literally do nothing qualifies the statement by adding that you should keep your skin adequately hydrated.

This idea is echoed by Dr. Adnan Nasir, whose book Eczema-Free for Life is one of the few book-length studies on eczema written for the layperson. “Errors in bathing and moisturizing,” writes Nasir, “are THE major cause of persistent eczema.” “Errors in bathing” - now that’s not so hard to understand. Most soaps are drying and alkaline, a dangerous combination for eczema sufferers, since they strip away natural oils and wreck the Ph balance of the skin, making it far more susceptible to a number of skin conditions.

Further, detergents made from petrochemicals (which can be found in soaps and facial cleansers, as well as tissues) cause permeability of skin membranes, which makes it even easier for contaminants to enter the skin and cause eczema flares. Also, keep in mind that the terms “hypoallergenic” and “doctor tested” are not regulated, and no research has been done showing that products labeled “hypoallergenic” are in fact less problematic than any others.

Add to that overly hot water and long bathing times, and the stage is set for eczema. To keep eczema at bay, Dr. Nasir recommends relatively brief lukewarm oatmeal baths, followed immediately by moisturizing. But “errors in moisturizing”? What could that possibly mean? Well, Awakening’s products are formulated using the Mineral Hydration Factor(tm), a unique method of transporting moisture to skin cells through potassium and magnesium, which are two of the skin’s essential building blocks. Moisturizing does NOT just mean slathering on greasy skin care products. It means giving the skin what it actually needs to stay hydrated, and that very thing is the foundation of our products. In fact, many people who have suffered for years from eczema (or whose children have) have been literally stunned at how much of a difference using a product that actually hydrates your skin can make.

Here’s part of a letter we got from one of our customers recently:

“Dear Awakening,
I have always been of the assumption that all hand creams are about the same. Until one day I walked in to our local tack shop and stopped to read the label of Awakening Hands. Since I was almost out of the hand cream in my purse decided to give it a try. That night [my husband] tried it on our son who has eczema. We have tried several products including very expensive prescription creams. To our surprise in only a couple of days the eczema had completely disappeared!” — Diane Hogan

Beyond the hydration of your skin, there are also the natural healing properties of Dead Sea minerals, which are abundantly found in all our products. The Dead Sea has long been a destination for eczema sufferers, because the unique combination of minerals in the water and mud have an uncanny ability to soothe and heal difficult skin conditions.

Interestingly, from the perspective of Chinese medicine, eczema is a dry, heat and blood condition. Minerals and clay help cleanse the blood, moisturize, and have anti-inflammatory/cooling effects.

By simply changing your bathing practices and hydrating your skin properly, you will reduce your chances of eczema flares dramatically.

3. Medications Lose Their Effectiveness Over Time

Tachyphylaxis, or a decreasing response to corticosteroids, can occur with long-term therapy. Topical hydrocortisone cream thus loses its effectiveness over time. And of course, if treatment is stopped entirely, eczema tends to return to the level of severity experienced before starting the medication.

4. Immune Suppression

Currently, all the corticosteroids carry warnings that systemic absorption can cause suppression of the adrenals and other glands of the endocrine system. Suppression of adrenaline may lead to Cushing’s syndrome, hyperglycemia and glucosuria (a condition where elevated glucose is present in the urine, causing the kidneys to excrete more than normal).

Then there are “topical immunomodulators,” a non-steroidal class of drug that works by inhibiting the immune reactions of the skin. Well-known brand names are Elidel and Protopic. The FDA has issued a public health advisory about the possible risk of lymph node or skin cancer from use of these products. In addition to cancer risk, there are other potential side effects with this class of drugs. Adverse reactions including severe flushing, photosensitive reactivity and possible drug interaction in patients who consume even small amounts of alcohol.

5. You may be triggering eczema without even knowing it

According to Dr. Nasir, “both prescription and over the counter medications have been known to trigger itching.” The manufacturers of such medications are required to report this in the literature that comes with them, but have you ever actually read that stuff? The print is microscopic and goes on and on for pages. But if you suffer from eczema, you MUST read the fine print in detail. Some typical medications that can either cause or worsen the itching from eczema are pain medications that are opiate-based - such as codeine and morphine; erythromycin and other antibiotics; and even seemingly innocuous supplements such as vitamin B complex.

Dr. Nasir relates a story about one of his patients who was experiencing abnormally difficult eczema symptoms during her pregnancy. He suggested that she switch to a dye-free prenatal vitamin and her itching improved immediately. The point is, many people are suffering from eczema, seeing either inconsistent or poor results from their medication, while all along they’re “feeding the fire” so to speak, by consuming ingredients that trigger their condition. A thorough housecleaning, in which you examine all the things you’re eating and drinking and carefully eliminate suspected trigger ingredients, can be enormously helpful in controlling eczema flare-ups.

6. Your home may be contributing to your eczema

Eczema is often made worse by environmental factors that are “normal” but extremely hard on people with eczema. Consider the following factors and make adjustments wherever possible.

Over the last 50 years, pollen sources have increased dramatically. This is partly due to the fact that there is now a much higher percentage of male plants than female plants. If you have a decorative garden, it is likely that most of the plants are male. Male plants release pollen into the air, which should be filtered by the flowers of the female of the same species. Try to find the female version of the plants you have to lower the amount of pollen you’re exposed to.

Do you live near factories, freeways, or other big sources of pollution? Pollen mixes with pollution and creates a potent combination that will make your eczema even worse.

Try to get rid of insects, but be sure to keep the good ones around: ladybugs, dragonflies, spiders and others eat the kind of insects that can bother your skin.  (Be nice to bees, too; just stay clear of their stingers).

Inside your home, keep surfaces dust-free and dry. Leaky damp basements are a breeding ground for mold, which can greatly increase your reactiveness. Also investigate the kinds of chemical solvents and additives that may be in carpets, insulation and other building materials. The more non-absorbent building materials, the better.

Try to keep the air in your home relatively cool: 65 degrees or less. Also use an air cleaner to filter out harmful elements in the air such as dust mites, mold and other contaminants. Also use hypoallergenic, densely woven sheets and pillow cases to prevent contact with dust mites when you’re sleeping.

Wrapping Up: Mineral Options

Eczema isn’t pleasant, but there are indeed steps that you can take to feel and look better.  All of us here at Awakening Skin Care are working to lend a hand. As the testimonial above makes clear, Dead Sea Mineral skin care products, when used in conjunction with other, can be a powerful alternative to pharmaceutical eczema medications. We guarantee that our products are the best of their kind you’ve ever tried, or your money back. Click on the image below to find relief today!

HANDS

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Botox Face?

Serious Skin Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Mineral Therapies.

Warning: If you’re going to get a Botox treatment anytime soon, you may not want to read this. I’m definitely not going to pull any punches here. On the other hand, I always try to offer alternatives in these articles - and there are few good ones here. So take courage, and read on!

1. It’s Poison

You can’t help but wonder if Botox, the wildly popular anti-wrinkle treatment, would be so successful if people actually knew what the word meant. It’s actually two words combined into one. “Botulinum toxin” with a few letters removed becomes “Botox.”

Botulinum toxin in the class of poisons called “neurotoxin proteins.” Basically, it paralyzes the muscles it comes in contact with. This makes it a potentially useful medical tool: conditions such as involuntary blinking, migraines, and jaw disorders have been treated with Botulinum toxin. In practice, however, there have been at over 1,500 hospitalizations and at least 30 deaths directly associated with the use of Botox in medical treatments.

This should come as no surprise, because Botulinum is considered to be one of the most lethal naturally occurring substances on earth. If you have the misfortune to come into contact with pure botulinum, they call it botulism, a condition that usually kills people by making the respiratory muscles seize up – that is, you stop breathing.

2. It was never intended to be a wrinkle treatment

Personally, I always thought the name “Botox,” regardless of its origins, was a pretty terrible choice. My instant association is “Clorox” (or if I’m feeling more chipper, “bow tie”). But if Botox is one of the less inspired names the pharmaceutical industry has ever conjured, this has not stopped the drug’s meteoric rise. Since its debut in 1989, Botox has been injected several million faces around the world, at about $500 a pop.

But Botox actually has more noble origins: in the 1950s, it was discovered that if spasming muscles were injected with tiny amounts of Botulinum toxin, the muscles would stop contracting for a period of months. It was first approved in 1989 as a treatment for two disorders of the eye muscles - uncontrollable blinking and misaligned eyes. Then in 2000, Botox was approved for the treatment of “cervical dystonia,” a neurological condition that causes acute contractions of the shoulders and neck.

However, doctors had already noticed that when Botox was used for eye muscle disorders, it had an interesting side effect: it diminished the lines between the eyebrows commonly referred to as “frown lines.” It took several years to do the proper studies and get FDA approval, but in April 2002, a new era in the anti-aging crusade was born, as Botox hit the market as a cosmetic treatment option for wrinkles. The rest, as they say, is history.

3. It only works on SOME kinds of wrinkles

Now, to be fair, cosmetic treatments using Botox (and Dysport or Myobloc – different brands, same poison) use a very diluted formulation of Botulinum toxin. These treatments consist of injections into the facial muscles responsible for creating “premature” (or as those of us with an aversion to marketing BS like to call them, “natural”) wrinkles.

How Botox Works

It works by weakening a muscle associated with a particular facial line, in essence making it unable to contract. No muscle contraction, no more wrinkle - the skin becomes “smooth.” Sadly, the treatment is temporary. Its effects only last about 4 months. Which is excellent news for the doctors and drug makers, but bad news for your wallet. (And perhaps for your continued viability as a sentient being. We’ll get to that in a minute.)

One thing that most people don’t know about Botox, however, is that it DOES NOT work on the kind of wrinkles that happen naturally with age, as collagen breaks down. It only works on the lines that are associated with repetitive muscle use – like those lovely lines that form around your eyes when you laugh heartily (and yes, your “frown lines” too). In other words, many of the features that make your face YOURS and not someone else’s. Botox basically robs us of our individuality and makes us look like freakish mannequins.

4. It really is safe (maybe…)

There are two main reasons that such a questionable substance can remain in use, even with pretty clear evidence that it’s “unsafe at any speed.” First, the initial “preclinical” tests that Botox underwent showed that it did not travel to the brain. (This is now in question). It DID appear to make it into the bloodstream and lymph system, but hey – the lymph system is overrated anyway. All it does is unimportant stuff like producing immune cells. As long as it doesn’t get to the brain, we’re safe in the heroic fight against our facial expressions!

Second, obviously, is the maniacal demand and unhindered supply. Walk into any of 30 dermatology or plastic surgery practices in my mid-sized town and you can walk out 15 minutes later with a face shot full of poison. We’re all mad to avoid aging - to prove ourselves innocent, you might say, of the crime of growing old - and we’re willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve eternal youth.

5. It’s regulated (for something – I think)

The reason it’s so easy get Botox is that the FDA regulates products, but not the specific ways in which they’re used. So for example, even though the physiological process that enables Botox to work is very clear (i.e., it ONLY works on facial lines related to repetitive muscle use), some doctors still use it to treat OTHER kinds of facial wrinkles - ones they know perfectly well WILL NOT be helped by Botox. Why? Well, to be fair, many patients insist on the treatments even after being told they won’t get the results they’re looking for, because “Who knows?  Maybe it will help me look young again.” And doctors will do it because after all, it’s not like they’re REALLY deviating from the prescribed treatment (they’re still injecting it into people’s faces). It SHOULD be safe. And hey, at $500 for 10 minutes of work, can you blame ‘em?

The problem is that, according to some experts, not only is the use of Botox for unapproved treatments risky, it has also set the stage for its rampant, unregulated use. “Botox is a prescription drug that should be administered by a qualified physician in an appropriate medical setting,” says Ella L. Toombs, M.D., a dermatologic medical officer in the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors. But the reality of its use is something unimaginable since the days of traveling snake oil salesmen. One curious (and scary) offshoot of the Botox business is what are called “Botox parties,” at which multiple patients congregate to help support each other through their anxiety (and to help practitioners offload the Botox they can buy in bulk at discounted rates).

And although we’re told that you can’t contract botulism from Botox injections, there are still pretty serious risks. For example, if too much Botox is injected, or if it’s injected in the wrong place, you can end up with “droopy eyelids” which can last as long as a month. And of course there’s the usual slew of side effects like headache, nausea, flu, upper respiratory infection, facial pain, and muscle weakness. The only reason people tend to write these off is that they’re so common when taking various pharmaceutical preparations. Oh, what we endure for “good health”!

Then there’s the inevitable list of medications that are contraindicated if you’re receiving Botox injections: several classes of antibiotics, medications used to treat arrhythmic disorders of the heart, and Alzheimer’s medication.

So before you go and get yourself that Botox treatment you’ve been hankering for, consider not only the above, but the following FURTHER reasons to reconsider.

6. Eyebrow paralysis

Droopy eyebrows, raised eyebrows, and facial paralysis are some of the known side effects of botox. These side effects aren’t permanent, but there aren’t any clinical studies that have examined the long-term effects of this kind of muscle trauma.

7. Unprotected Botox

We all understand the importance of exercising caution in the realm of sex. Yet for some reason, Botox parties, which arguably carry a higher risk than the kind of “risky behavior” we’re all used to hearing about, seem to have escaped any kind of major condemnation.

The fact is that in addition to doctor-sponsored events at medical offices, which are theoretically “safe,” the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has reported that Botox is being administered by unqualified practitioners in hotel rooms, retail stores, gyms and even offices. Aside from the obvious risks of unsanitary conditions, wrong doses, and poor technique, what happens if (when) there are complications? Do you think the “esthetician” shooting the stuff into your face in the café of your health club is going to know what do to if you have a severe allergic reaction? Doubtful.

8. Botox is cruel - and not just to your face

As you know, at Awakening we have never, ever tested our products on animals and never will. Well, guess what? EVERY SINGLE BATCH of Botox is tested on animals. It has to be, so we can be sure that no one is killed by a “bad batch.” It reminds me of the practice of having some poor, expendable fool taste all the King’s food and drink first, so if it’s poisoned, the king is safe. Our lab animals are now our “disposable beings,” and many die in the process of making sure we can safely inject “just enough poison” into our faces without dying.

9. Express yourself! (or not)

As I mentioned above, Botox works by paralyzing muscles, which smoothes creases related to repetitive muscle use. As it happens, it also may leave you utterly expressionless. And while Botox Face might be fun if you’re a puppet, it really is pretty repulsive on us humans.

10. Do you know your doctor?

Botox has been widely injected into people who are not actually qualified to receive the treatment. Improperly trained physicians, who do not know anything about facial anatomy, are performing botox injections, increasing their clients’ exposure to very serious risk factors. The bad news: for wrinkles caused by smoking, sun exposure or the natural aging process, Botox is basically worthless. Here’s a better idea.

The takeaway:

Botox is dangerous, cruel, and unnatural. Enjoy aging and try some natural solutions to the aging process. You’ll live longer and happier, and you’ll get the added benefit of staying YOU.

UPDATE: Awakening Skin Care has just introduced a brand new antioxidant wrinkle cream that is unlike anything on the market - that’s a promise! We’re offering it at a low introductory price, and we offer a 100% no questions asked money back guarantee on all our products. So if you’re having second thoughts about Botox, and want to try something that will help reduce your wrinkles, give Awakening’s FACE&NECK a try. You’ll be delighted!

Click on the image below to learn more about this revolutionary product.

FACE&NECK

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Photo courtesy of Milena Mihaylova

Serious Acne Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Mineral Therapies.

Those pesky teen acne outbreaks may be nothing more than a distant memory when suddenly, as Yogi Berra liked to say, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

Some people develop acne in their twenties, thirties and even forties… even if they never had acne as a teen. And although there are certain environmental factors that can increase the severity of adult acne breakouts, the ultimate cause is the same as with teen acne: hormones.

“But wait,” you say. “My hormones haven’t been crazy like this in years!” Well, you may never experience hormonal imbalance at the “teen spirit” level again, but there are many natural fluctuations of hormones throughout your life (for women, pregnancy and menopause are the two biggies). And while adult acne does affect women at a higher rate than men, most sources of hormonal fluctuation are gender-neutral (and far too commonplace): high stress levels, poor sleep, buckets of caffeine and other stimulants, poor diet, and exposure to toxic chemicals (more common than you’d think).

And yet, these things are practically required for Americans these days. Let’s face it, if you’re not stressed out and “busy,” you must be some kinda slacker! Well, the good news is, that’s total BS. And if you take the time to take better care of yourself, you’ll probably find that your adult acne breakouts diminish noticeably.

Just by using some very simple skin care remedies, you’ll join many of our customers who have experienced amazing results simply from using MUDFACE, our proprietary Dead Sea mud masque, combined with SKIN or FACE&NECK, our antioxidant face creams.

What follows are 4 “no brainer” steps that will help you start to control adult acne breakouts by helping to regulate hormonal imbalances.

1. Reduce Stress

A lot of people talk about stress, but what does stress actually do inside your body? As it turns out, stress is “expressed” in your body by increasing levels of, that’s right – hormones. Hormonal imbalance can cause the oil glands to overcompensate, and even birth control pills, which are often prescribed for acne in women, can actually aggravate acne breakouts in some cases. Not only that, but when cortisol, insulin, and other hormones are out of whack, this puts added stress on your immune system, liver, and other eliminatory organs. Try incorporating any of those many little stress-relievers we all know about these days – take pleasant walks, do yoga, meditate, read a good book, drink less caffeine… the list goes on. Most adult acne sufferers see a rapid improvement if they make a concerted effort to reduce stress in their lives. Try it for a month and see what happens – you may just be delighted with the results!

2. Feed Yourself Right

Many people don’t realize it, but food can actually cause a lot of stress in our systems. How? Well, when you are sensitive to certain foods (sometimes called “food allergies” or “invisible inflammations”) your immune system can have an inflammatory response that breaks down the protective barriers in the digestive track. This negative immune response does two things that can make acne worse:

First, it triggers a spike in cortisol, a stress hormone that already gets way too much action these days – from things like double lattes and “energy drinks”. Second, large molecules of food are not broken down properly and can be released into the bloodstream. The liver is forced to deal with most of this excess. But if the liver becomes overwhelmed, your skin, as the body’s other main detoxifying organ, will try to help process these toxins, and you end up with increased susceptibility to acne, eczema, and other skin conditions. Food sensitivities are probably not the underlying cause of your adult acne, but they can contribute to making it a lot worse.

3. Use Gentle Care

The skin care industry’s general approach to acne is to scream at us to dry out that excess oil. So we do, and usually our acne improves – sometimes dramatically. Eventually though, acne treatments that work by drying skin will lose their effectiveness - either because those hormones are still in overdrive or because our sebaceous glands kick it up a notch, trying desperately to replace the oil our skin needs for healthy functioning. With drying acne medications, our bodies get caught in a vicious cycle of trying to compensate for what we’re taking away, and the whole thing backfires.

The deal is, no matter how hard you scrub, you can’t scrub off acne. In fact, it can make it worse. There is a protective barrier on the skin called the “acid mantle” that protects the skin from bacteria, viruses, and infections. Because this barrier is acidic in nature, and most of these infectious critters are alkaline, the acid mantle neutralizes them. Soaps are alkaline, and so scrubbing and over-cleansing strips away the acid mantle, leaving a breeding ground for bacteria on your face, and often worsening acne. So put down your loofah, your rough washcloth and any other abrasive or “industrial” tools in your bathroom.

A kinder, gentler approach is to use our Dead Sea mud masque for deep and gentle cleansing. The naturally bioactive mud from the Dead Sea exfoliates without scrubbing, and naturally pulls excess oil and dead skin cells from your pores. It also contains a wide array of natural antibacterial and antiviral agents which will bring down the P. acnes count in your skin (P. acnes is the name for the pore-clogging bacteria Propionibacterium acnes that can make your acne outbreaks a lot worse).

After using the masque, just hydrate your skin with a light Dead Sea mineral face cream. Just doing these two things, when added to a regime of good general health, will do more to tame adult acne breakouts than anything you can buy over the counter at Rite Aid or Walgreen’s.

4. Throw out Your Acne Medications

There are of course extreme situations where a visit to a dermatologist and the use of drugs are appropriate. Getting bacteria levels down quickly through the use of an oral antibiotic (in the SHORT term) can actually get you some quick, noticeable improvement. But you can’t stay on antibiotics for ever, and unfortunately, most of what’s out there in the way of acne treatments is either questionable or downright dangerous. Here’s a very typical list of recommended acne medications, taken from another “authority site” - WebMD.com.

• Azelaic acid cream
• Alpha-hydroxy acids
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Antibiotic pills
• Topical antibiotics (gels, lotions, and solutions
• Birth control pills for women
• Accutane or Sotret for severe acne

Read on for a brief description of why you may want to avoid any of the above.

Azelaic acid is a compound that occurs naturally in wheat, rye and barley - and in human skin. It’s used in various creams and lotions. Slight stinging or burning, itching, tingling, redness or drying of the skin may occur, and it will definitely burn the heck out of your eyes and nostrils. It also may worsen asthma symptoms. And you shouldn’t use it if you’re pregnant or breast feeding. Oh, and, last but not least, if you have a darker skin tone, be careful, because azelaic has been confirmed to cause hypopigmentation in some people. In other words, it may fade your skin color. Fun times.

Alpha-hydroxy acid formulas (which include glycolic acid, lactic acid, and gluconic acid), when used in high concentrations (like at a dermatologist’s office) are often referred to as “chemical peels.” But this is exactly what is happening in lower doses as well. In fact, that’s how they work: by burning layers of skin off your face. But it’s unlikely that you’ll hear about the dangers of alpha-hydroxy acid from your dermatologist or pharmacist. But the truth is, many people who regularly use alpha-hydroxy products end up with badly irritated, red, even ravaged skin. Regular use in any dosage is to be avoided.

Benzoyl peroxide. Ah, good ‘ol benzoyl peroxide. I wrote extensively about the warhorse of the “fight on acne” in an earlier article, Acne Myths Exposed. For now I’ll just say this: It’s bleach. It’s a probable carcinogen. It makes you hypersensitive to the sun, and makes your skin age faster. Does it help reduce acne? Sure. But so do a lot of other things.

Topical antibiotics. The popularity of these kinds of medications rests on a misunderstanding of the role of bacteria in acne. As I mentioned above, the bacteria in question is called P. acnes, and it’s present in everyone’s skin. However, when additional oil, skin cells, and keratin are present in pores (which causes acne), the conditions for P. acnes are ripe for reproduction, and they can go haywire. Take away the conditions for their success, and they die off naturally. And besides, do we really need to be putting MORE antibacterial agents onto our skin? Read this article for more information about the dangers of antibiotics and topical antibacterial agents.

Oral antibiotics. While there is evidence that severe cases of acne can be helped by taking oral antibiotics, this should be a last step, not first. Haphazard use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, and besides, most acne sufferers have no idea that there are many natural acne treatments that will help control adult acne breakouts in 90% of the cases.

Birth control pills. Please – don’t take birth control pills unless you want birth control. If a dermatologist is happy to write you a prescription for birth control pills because it “may” help with your acne, you should take a step back. Would you let your gastroenterologist write you a prescription for Prozac? (Hint: it happens).

The point is that if a lessening of acne symptoms is a positive side effect of taking birth control pills because you want to be on birth control pills, then wonderful. But as a skin-care treatment, sorry – that just doesn’t fly. And besides, you can do A TON of stuff to help regulate your hormones (and support healthy skin) without taking birth control pills.

Accutane or Sotret. Here’s a dandy little quote from an article about Accutane from drugs.com:

“Accutane is available only under a special program called iPLEDGE. You must be registered in the program and sign documents stating that you understand the dangers of this medication and that you agree to use birth control as required by the program. Read all of the iPLEDGE program brochures and agreements carefully. Ask your doctor or call the drug maker if you have questions about the program or the written requirements.”

Whoa, what is this, the Secret Service? “Sign documents?” For acne?!

Wait, it gets better…

“Accutane can cause severe, life-threatening birth defects if the mother takes the medication during pregnancy. Even one dose of Accutane can cause major birth defects of the baby’s ears, eyes, face, skull, heart, and brain. Never use Accutane if you are pregnant.”

But of course, it’s JUST FINE for you if you’re not pregnant. Yeah, right. Any medication with this list of cautions that isn’t for life-threatening conditions should be made illegal. Period.

The Way Forward

The truth is that our bodies are not “static.” We all have fluctuations of various kinds – digestive, energy levels, and yes, skin conditions. We can do a lot to help our bodies stay balanced, but it’s important to remember that there will always be ups and downs. If you’re suffering from adult acne, hang in there, follow the advice above, and most importantly, expect change, because change is going to come no matter what!

In the meantime, try using our Dead Sea mud masque in combination with our antioxidant Dead Sea face cream for a powerful alternative to conventional acne medications. We guarantee that our products are the best you’ve ever tried, or we’ll cheerfully refund your money, no questions asked. Click on either image below to start experiencing clearer skin today.

MUDFACE

FACE&NECK

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Photo courtesy of Gaetan Lee

Serious Skin Care 101 with Rob Hardwicke, President and Product Master at Awakening Mineral Therapies.

As our customers know, we at Awakening Mineral Therapies have always made it our mission to create products that are wonderful for your skin and as friendly as possible to the environment. We have been at the forefront of changes in the skin care industry for many years, constantly seeking to improve our formulas in terms of their efficacy AND their environmental purity.

For example: parabens. Most people who are familiar with natural skin care products have seen the words “paraben free” on a label or two. I’ll be discussing parabens in more detail below, but for now, suffice it to say that Awakening was one of the first skin care companies to respond to the allegations about parabens’ negative health implications and begin to remove them from our products.

But beyond our choice of ingredients, we also believe that human health cannot exist independently of the health of our planet and its other inhabitants, which is why we never, ever test on animals, and always try to manufacture our products in the most eco-conscious manner possible. In fact, our highly concentrated formulas last up to 5 times longer than comparable products, thereby using less packaging in the long run.

But as the Product Master at Awakening Mineral Therapies, I can tell you after 15 years of formulating skin care products, that “going eco” is a lot easier said than done. Particularly if your highest priority is creating skin care products that are EFFECTIVE (like us!). I see far too many companies these days jumping on the “organic” or “eco-friendly” bandwagon, with lists of ingredients you wouldn’t hesitate to spoon feed to your infant child. But the real question is: Do these ingredients provide any REAL benefit to your skin? In some cases, absolutely. In many others, none at all.

Many people in the Eco camp, while well-intentioned, seem to think that the presence of questionable or dangerous ingredients in skin care products represent a kind of conspiracy against our health and well being. And while there is no question that inertia and low costs have kept many industries from making important reforms, even long after they knew that health risks had been identified, we need to remember that these ingredients were put there in the first place for a reason, and their continued presence does not equate to spreading asbestos on your skin.

For example, one of the main obstacles we face in the skin care industry is making products that don’t spoil or otherwise degrade on the shelf (just like with food products). In fact, we went through perhaps 5 versions of our recently launched anti-wrinkle cream, FACE&NECK, before finally getting the formula to the point that it would remain stable in the jar. Parabens, those evil perpetrators of God-only-knows-what, are preservatives that are found in many skin care products for the simple reason that without them, there wouldn’t be anywhere near as many skin care products on the shelves in the first place.

I’m going to talk in more depth about parabens below, but I’ll just say for now that as “bad ingredients” go, parabens are one of the least dangerous. They’re made from plant sources – specifically, parabens are decocted from the pigmentation ingredient that gives flower petals their color – and although there is evidence that they may be problematic, they are not the demons they’re sometimes made out to be. Nonetheless, we here at Awakening have removed parabens from almost all of our products, but there remain obstacles that are difficult to surmount in some cases, depending on the formula in question.

In other words, it’s not like you can just trot off to the local organic preservatives shop and pick up a bucket of “paraben replacement formula” and plunk it into your products in place of the parabens. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t move to replace parabens completely — we most definitely are — but it does mean that it takes time, especially if you want the quality of your formulas to remain at the highest level.

What follows is a survey of the so called “Dirty Dozen” of the skin care industry—the 12 most suspect ingredients widely found in mass-market (and also so-called “luxury”) skin care products. This list was originally put together by the fine folks at The Green Guide. Many of these ingredients have absolutely no place in anything that touches your skin, and others are much less “toxic” than they’re made out to be. In fact, a (very) few of them are still found in our own products. What I hope to achieve with this article is to show that the issue of questionable ingredients in skin care products is not black and white. So come along and we’ll see if we can’t shine a little light on the dark side of skin care ingredients.

ANTIBACTERIALS

Know what the world’s most effective advertising technique is? Ask a hundred ad men, political consultants, or school board members and they’ll tell you: Fear. Make people afraid of something, then offer a “solution” to their fear, and 99 times out of a 100, you’ll have a winner.

In the last 10 years, a new industry has been born, and I’m here to tell you it’s nothing but fear mongering. Antibacterial soaps abound, public places are littered with antibacterial “sanitizing” lotions, and we’re all hearing about drug-resistant bacteria that are sure to bring down humanity if we don’t defend ourselves (by using, of course, “anti-bacterial” sanitizers and lotions).

Hogwash. Did you know that warm soap and water will destroy 99% of the bacteria one might normally come into contact with? And did you know that the reason we have drug-resistant bacteria in the first place is that – surprise, surprise – we’ve been over-using antibiotics for so long?

Now don’t worry, I’m not going to get up on a soapbox and start shouting about how you shouldn’t immunize your children and how all you need for that Strep throat is a couple of cloves of garlic. Antibiotics have been responsible for many huge advances in human health, and they have their place. But to imagine that we’re somehow protecting ourselves from “danger” by slathering on antibacterial creams and soaps day in, day out is absurd. They won’t protect us, and if anything they weaken our natural defenses to “regular old bacteria” - the kind that would normally present no threat.

Of course, there are people who suffer from skin ailments like eczema or bad acne, whose condition can be improved by using antibiotic agents, whether pharmaceutical or naturally occurring. Indeed, many of Awakening’s products contain naturally occurring antimicrobial and antibacterial agents. Our best selling product - a Dead Sea mineral hand cream called (aptly enough) HANDS - contains myrrh, as does our anti-wrinkle cream, FACE&NECK. Dead Sea mud contains naturally occurring antibacterial and antifungal agents as old as the earth itself, which is why people looking for a natural acne treatment often see such incredible results using our MUDFACE Dead Sea mud masque. But the fact is, there is simply no reason to regularly use (and plenty of reason NOT to use) soaps and lotions with antibacterial agents in them. Be on the lookout for antibacterial agents such as Triclosan, which according to studies published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and Nature, encourages the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. (By the way, these ingredients can also be found in deodorants and other cosmetics.)

PARABENS

Parabens are preservatives that are still VERY commonly used in deodorants and many other skin care products. Their safety had never been a concern, and until recently, the skin care industry never gave them a second thought. So what’s all the fuss about?

Well, preliminary studies indicate that they may be linked to breast cancer. In some biopsies traces of parabens have been found. And as someone once said, “facts are a stubborn thing,” so as these facts first started to become apparent to us at Awakening, we started the arduous task of overhauling our products to ditch the parabens rather than sit around and await the final scientific reports. Remember, we’re not talking about asbestos here. But in an effort to stay as clean as possible, we’ve phased parabens out of each and every one of our current formulations of creams. And they’re in the process of being phased out of our mud products, too. The reason for this is that, first of all, creams are meant to be left on the skin without rinsing them off (obviously!), whereas the mud products we make are meant to be left on for a maximum of 8 minutes, making the time of contact significantly lower. Secondly, our Dead Sea mud masque uses very pure Dead Sea Mud. We don’t dilute it, evaporate it, or compromise it. Dead Sea mud is VERY bioactive - that’s partly why it’s so effective. It’s also why it is more difficult to preserve, and as of our last formulation, we still hadn’t found a viable alternative for our mud products. Nevertheless, our objective is to get them out of ALL our products within one year.

PETROLATUM (petroleum jelly)

Petrolatum is a major ingredient in Chapstick and other lip balms, hand lotions, and of course that old standby, Vaseline. It’s also found in everything from lipstick to baby lotions, cold cream to eye shadow. Why? Well, because petrolatum does two things that skin care products need to do REALLY WELL. It is incredibly effective as a surfactant (something that coats the skin) and as a spreadability agent. Petroleum is also very greasy, so it forms an effective barrier against loss of skin moisture. But the fact is, there are so many healthy alternatives to petrolatum at this point that there really is no excuse for using it any more, except that it’s cheap.

Because I’m in the mineral skin care business, I always make a point of mentioning one of the most common - and most misleading - uses of petrolatum products: the deceptively named “mineral oil.” Mineral oil is not mineral in any sense of the word. It’s a petroleum product like any other, and comes with the same associated risks (it’s a carcinogen). Worst of all, petroleum products come from our already depleted non-renewable oil resources. So throw out your Chapstick and Vaseline, and instead find some healthy alternatives.

LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)

The Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR), a publication from a panel of experts from the personal care industry (whose purpose is to test established ingredients for safety), reports that SLS causes “severe epidermal changes” to mouse skin, and felt the need to request further study into the possible carcinogenic nature of SLS. This year, after review of over 250 existing SLS studies, the CIR concluded that SLS is NOT cancer-causing. So that’s the Good News – and I must say it’s always a treat to see that something in our world has been found to be non-carcingenic. However, the Bad News is that SLS has been established as a skin and eye irritant in a certain percentage of the population. So, is SLS safe? Well, you decide. Here’s the conclusion from the CIR document: “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with skin, concentrations should not exceed 1 percent.” In keeping with this information, you’ll find SLS only in Awakening’s Dead Sea mud products – which are meant to be on the skin briefly, and rinsed thoroughly afterwards. Nonetheless, we are working to eliminate it entirely.

FORMALDEHYDE

Ah, formaldehyde. Best known as a chemical used for preserving corpses (remember all those jars of rabbit and hamster cadavers in 10th Grade biology class?), formaldehyde is a powerful disinfectant and preservative. It is found in cosmetics and skin care ingredients because, unsurprisingly, it is a very effective preservative and stabilizer. It is used in eye shadows, mascaras and other cosmetics, and the EPA classifies it as a “probable human carcinogen.”

Of course, one must keep in mind that like many carcinogens, the quantities used to get the test results that make their way into public discussion often represent tens or hundreds of thousands of times the exposure one would experience in a lifetime of use. The small amounts found in skin care products most likely do NOT represent a serious health threat. Nonetheless, we have worked very hard to find replacements for formaldehyde derivatives in our products, and they’ve been removed from all but a few (a VERY few). In those products that are particularly susceptible, there are tiny amounts of such ingredients as DMDM hydantoin and IMIdiazolidinyl urea (both are distant cousins of formaldehyde). The problem is, every formula is different, and what works in one will not work in another, so while we can eliminate certain ingredients from certain products, we can’t just do it across the board Still, these ingredients (along with any other questionable ones) are slated for oblivion as we work feverishly to eliminate them and achieve EcoCert certified status by the end of 2009. How’s that for Full Disclosure?

HEAVY METALS: LEAD AND MERCURY

At this point in history, these heavy metals need no introduction. Bad, Bad, Bad. Lead is a nasty toxin to the brain and nervous systems, and a well known carcinogen. It is also a powerful hormone disruptor which accumulates in the bones. Brain damage generally results from exposure to lead, which is why lead-based house paints have been illegal in this country for years. And yet unbelievably, it is STILL found (as “lead acetate”) in many hair dyes and makeup. Please, do your due diligence and avoid at all cost ANY products with ANY lead derivatives.

As for mercury, this nasty nervous-system toxin, which accumulates in the body (people with over-accumulation of mercury in their bodies often go through long-term chelation therapy to get rid of it) is still allowed as a preservative in eye cosmetics. You gotta be kidding me.

COAL-TAR COLORS

These are ingredients in the dyes that are found in many hair color products and makeups. If you see “FD&C blank” or “D&C blank” that should be a red flag. For example, FD&C Blue 1 and FD&C Green 3 are known carcinogens. Impurities found in other colors, such as D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5 and FD&C Yellow 6 have also been shown to cause cancer when applied to the skin. We don’t use any artificial coloring agents in our products, ever.

DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)

DEA is used in many hair products like shampoos and conditioners, and is suspected to be a carcinogen. Its compounds and derivatives include triethanolamine (TEA), which is often contaminated with nitrosamine compounds, which are in fact KNOWN carcinogens.

GLYCOL ETHERS

Glycol ethers are nasty industrial solvents commonly used in nail polish, perfume, deodorant and other cosmetics. Studies have shown some glycol ethers to be hazardous to the reproductive system. Other side effects of exposure to glycol ethers are, unsurprisingly, irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Look for – and avoid like the plague – the following typical glycol ether listings on labels: EGPE, EGME, EGEE, DEGBE, PGME, and DPGME. We have never used any of these in our formulas, although we could add them easily if there were a demand. Rats might like them…

PHENYLENEDIAMINE (PPD)

Found in many hair dyes, PPD is linked with skin irritations – and, to add injury to insult (or rather, injury), respiratory disorders! PPD, aka “para dye,” “oxidation dye,” “peroxide dye,” or “amino dye,” is mutagenic and considered a probable human carcinogen. PPD is banned in Europe. By the way, a great way to stay abreast of what food and self care ingredients may be dangerous is to follow the decisions made by the European Union and the UK. In a lot of areas, they’re years ahead of the States regarding consumer safety.

PHTHALATES

Phthalates are substances commonly used in fragrances, lotions, deodorants, hair products. The oily texture of phthalates allows them to work as “moisturizers,” helping lotions to penetrate the skin. The only problem is, they are NOT moisturizers. They are chemical plasticizers that have been shown to cause cancer of the liver and birth defects in lab animals. Since phthalates are often hidden in substances labeled “fragrances,” it is very important to use products that are either fragrance-free or state explicitly that they are scented only with pure botanical ingredients or essential oils (as with Awakening’s products).

TOLUENE

This solvent found in nail products can cause liver damage and is a known skin irritant. It also causes respiratory irritations. There are great alternatives out there to this and other solvents. A company that’s definitely worth checking out is Suncoat, who make great water-based nail products, as well as other cosmetics.

Well, that about wraps things up for today. Although the natural skin care industry is still in its infancy, we’ve made a lot of progress already. And although there are some lingering ingredients we need to be aware of, there are good alternatives to just about every one of them. For our part, we’re working hard to find viable, effective alternatives that won’t compromise the effectiveness of our products. In a future article, I’ll be detailing those alternatives, and giving you resources to find products that contain them.

Until then, keep it healthy, and try one of our paraben-free mineral skin care products today. If you don’t feel that it’s the best thing you’ve ever tried, we’ll cheerfully refund your investment, no questions asked.

Click on the image below to get started with healthier skin now!

BODY&MASSAGE

Awakening Mineral Therapies has been hand-crafting unique Dead Sea mineral skin care products for over 15 years. For more information about this and other natural mineral-based skin care remedies, visit our main site at: www.awakeningskincare.com

Hey there, and welcome to another edition of Serious Skin Care 101 with yours truly, Rob - Product Master at Awakening Mineral Therapies for Healthy Skin. Today I’d like to discuss some easy things you can do to improve your skin health RIGHT AWAY. There are a lot of skin care products on the market these days that are targeted to particular skin problems, certain age groups, and even consumer niches (Organic, Ayurvedic, Biodyamic, Homeopathic…). Each of these approaches brings something new (and in many cases, something valuable) to the arena of skin care. But no matter what your age, sex, geographical region, or skin problem, there are some basic things you should be doing every day that will contribute to better skin health in the long term. In fact, without these basics, it is unlikely that the products you choose for your specific skin needs will have their full effect. The skin — your body’s largest organ — is but one component of human health, and as such, it does not exist in a vacuum. Stay healthy in general, and you’ll have healthier skin – there’s no two ways about it!

Read on for a list of 8 simple things you can do to improve your skin health right away. The key is getting going right now, and doing these things every day. Ready? Okay, we’re off to see the Skin Wizard.

1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Our mantra here at Awakening is “Hydrate & Heal.” The reason for this is that without proper hydration, your skin cannot flourish — let alone heal properly when it’s attacked by direct injury or by the all-pervasive oxidizing junk that’s in the air. For example, did you know that eczema sufferers get more relief from keeping their skin hydrated than from any single other component of treatment? This is remarkable, considering that eczema is one of the more difficult skin problems to manage, with a multi-billion dollar industry surrounding it.

Hydration for skin health consists of two things, essentially: First, drink lots of water. We all know how good this is for our health. Skin is no exception. The proper functioning of skin relies first and foremost on hydration. One easy way to see if you’re dehydrated is to pinch the skin on the back of your hand. It should snap right back into place. If it doesn’t, you may be dehydrated. You should drink half your body weight in ounces each day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that means you should be drinking 75 ounces, or about 10 eight-ounce glasses per day. Frankly, I think this rule-of-thumb is a bit excessive; I’ve found that 8 glasses each day is a challenge. But when I actually do it over several days running, I can’t help but note that my skin is better (even though my bladder may be asking ‘what the heck is going on here?’!

The next step is using the right skin care products to keep your skin hydrated. The trick is to feed your skin cells the right nutrients for hydration. At Awakening Skin Care, that means pure, concentrated Dead Sea potassium, which is one-half of our signature Mineral Hydration Factor™ formula (the other half is the healing mineral, magnesium). Potassium is one of the building blocks of human life. Specifically, it is the mineral responsible for the regulation of hydration levels in all the cells of the body. By feeding your skin cells the very ingredients it needs to stay hydrated, rather than just coating the skin with an oil-based formula, your skin will not only feel better, it will stay healthy over the long-term. Simply switching to a Dead Sea mineral skin cream can have an enormous impact on the health of your skin, practically overnight.

2. Get Enough Rest

If you don’t sleep right, you can’t stay healthy. And as I mentioned above, good skin health is not really possible without good health in general. When you sleep, your body goes through an intricate, delicate process of regeneration and rejuvenation. During “Stage 2” or “Delta sleep,” —which accounts for about 35% of your nightly slumber—hormone activity reaches its peak so that skin cell repair can occur. Proper cell repair equals skin longevity and youthfulness.

During sleep, the body also works at destroying free radicals, those insidious chemical compounds that are directly related to premature aging, cancer, and other diseases. This is largely thanks to the airborne ‘crud’ that I mentioned earlier. Further, studies have shown that lack of sleep results in higher levels of stress hormones like cortisol that make you age faster and make you more susceptible to high blood pressure—a major contributing factor to premature aging. Simply put, if you don’t sleep enough, you age faster. And the skin is the place in your body where aging shows most clearly.

Unfortunately, “Get more sleep” is more easily said than done. We’re all so busy being busy these days that we tend to relegate proper sleep to (at best) weekends and vacations. And when we actually DO have the time for sleep, many of us are so wound up that we can’t fall asleep. If this sounds familiar, don’t fret: There are some easy things you can do right away to start sleeping better. Here are 5 things you can do TONIGHT to help you get to sleep more easily:

• No caffeine after noon (I know, that can be a toughie, but you’ll thank yourself at bedtime!)
• Don’t eat after 7PM. Full belly = poor sleep. You need at least 4 hours to fully digest before bed.
• Make a list of all the things that are on your mind before you go to bed. Things that you have to do tomorrow, things that are bugging you—whatever. Just writing this stuff down and knowing it’s in a place where you can refer back to it easily will help you “let go” of it. And there’s nothing like letting go to help you sleep.
• Make sure your room is nice and dark.
• If you are easily awakened by noise, try a “background noise.” Studies have shown that a soft, constant background noise of some kind (a fan, a CD set to play ocean or river sounds over and over again) helps enormously to keep OTHER noises from waking you.

3. Relax

Again, “Easier said than done,” right? Well, maybe just a little bit. Relaxing does not require extensive transcendental meditation in some rarefied place of calm. Relaxing is mostly about finding something you really love to do, and DOING it, every day. A half-hour walk someplace pleasant, an easy bike ride, knitting, solitaire, a cup of herbal tea with a friend: all of these, if done regularly, can bring a great deal of positive, relaxing energy into your life. (But don’t get me wrong: I’m not seeking to ‘dis’ anyone who is into transcendental meditation! Far from it. I aim to get in at least 20 minutes of my own flavor of meditative respite each day with a meditative discipline called ‘centering prayer.’ Thomas Keating, a Cistercian monk, is the authority on this, and I’d absolutely recommend this process for vacuuming up the junk of everyday life each morning and/or evening.)

Now, what exactly does relaxing have to do with skin health? A lot, as it turns out. Most of us are bombarding our systems with stress hormones at a level that we were never meant to experience. Between lack of sleep, stressful jobs and schedules, and caffeine (thank you, Starbucks and Red Bull!), our bodies never get a break. The constant presence of hormones that were really only meant to be there in brief, intense doses (like, when you ran into a saber-tooth tiger) ages our bodies – and therefore, our skin – much more quickly than normal. Moral of the story? Relax!

4. Exercise

The benefits of regular exercise on skin health are enormous. First of all, exercise dilates capillaries, thereby increasing circulation to your skin cells (parenthetically, so does the concentrated level of natural magnesium that we formulate into Awakening’s Dead Sea mineral foot balm - which is a delightful way to refresh those tired dogs after a run or bike ride). This means higher levels of oxygen and other nutrients being delivered to your skin. Additionally, exercise sets the stage for optimal collagen production. Collagen is the substance responsible for keeping your skin youthful and wrinkle-free. And if you suffer from acne (either teen or adult), you may be thrilled to discover that exercise, as a major stress-reducer, will help to balance the production of hormones related to testosterone, such as DHT and DHEA. Less stress equals clearer skin for most acne sufferers.

5. Don’t Use Harsh, Chemical Soaps and Skin Care Products

Recently I wrote about the 12 Worst Skin Care Ingredients on the market. This article will give you some detailed information about what to avoid. But beyond these “really really questionable” ingredients, it is important to avoid the cycle of over-washing with harsh soaps that dry your skin, followed by “moisturizing” lotions that are anything but moisturizing. Your average deodorant soap (and even some non-deodorant soaps) is full of stuff that should NEVER touch your skin. Unfortunately, many people associate that feeling of being “squeaky clean” with true cleanliness, which is not the case.

Gentle, natural soaps followed by a hydrating mineral skin cream are all most people will ever need to use on their skin. (But never, ever use products containing “mineral oil.” This is one of the greatest marketing scams in the history of skin care. Mineral oil is actually a petroleum product that has no beneficial mineral content whatsoever.)

6. Eat well and get the proper nutrients

At this late date, it goes without saying that a diet high in fat, processed foods, sugar, and refined carbs is bad news. The U.S. is currently experiencing an epidemic of diabetes and other diet-rela