Castor Oil: Natural Skin Care and Protection Without Equal

By Laura Thomas

At one time, castor oil was the natural home remedy of choice that young mothers would use for any digestive problem, such as sore tummies to sickness, diarrhea and constipation. Woe betide you if you failed to fill your diaper or nappy. Your reward was a spoonful of castor oil - yugh! It was enough to keep you off the potty!


Thankfully, these days are behind those of us old enough to remember them, and castor oil now has other uses, one of the more unlikely being skin care. It's unlikely it tastes any better when used as a skin care product as it did when used for its medicinal purposes, for but at least we are no longer forced to drink it. In fact, castor oil is a surprisingly effective skin care product, and is used to treat burns, cuts and abrasions, sunburn, acne and any condition caused by excessively oily skin in addition to using it to maintain a hydrated, smooth and healthy-looking skin.
Although the castor oil itself is an oily substance, it can be used to prevent your skin from the effects of the skin oil that causes acne. That is because it can penetrate deep into the skin along with the isostearate succinate it contains, and exert a highly antioxidant effect. Isostearate succinate is used as an ingredient in many commercial skin care preparations such as lipstick and lip balm, and helps to keep the skin smooth and hydrated.

Castor oil skin care products also contain ricinoleic acid, a strong anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce the skin eruptions of acne and eczema. The antioxidant properties of the oil protect your skin from the damage cause by free radicals generated by the action of strong sunlight on your skin, and also of pollutants such as traffic fumes and tobacco smoke. Free radicals can kill off your skin cells accelerating the appearance of aging, and without the strong antioxidant effects of natural skin care products, your skin would age prematurely and turn dry and leathery.

The oil helps your skin to feel silky and smooth because of its humectant properties: it absorbs moisture and passed that into to your skin. The oil itself does not leave your skin feeling sticky as many other oils do because it is easily washed off with soap water. Its moisturizing effect supports the antioxidants castor oil contains to help to prevent wrinkles developing, and also helps to maintain a good circulation of blood that keeps it supplied with the nutrients and the oxygen needed to maintain a healthy supply of new skin growth.

Although many find its effects on their skin surprising, there are very good medical and chemical reasons why castor oil should offer a high degree of skin care through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. It is a more effective natural moisturiser for your skin than the vast majority of synthetic moisturizing preparations on the market today, and is in fact one of the best natural substances that nature can provide to care for your skin.

Castor oil skin care preparations can help to maintain well-hydrated healthy skin, and if used in conjunction with a healthy diet should enable you to maintain your youthful looks for many years to come while others around you are becoming old and wrinkled.

About the Author: For further information on natural skin care products visit Laura's site at Castle Baths where you will also find out more on the properties of Castor Oil in protecting your skin.

How Can I Cure Underarm Sweating?

By Howard Ordemann

As of now there is no natural cure for excessive underarm sweating. There are many ways you can try to reduce the severity of it though. If none of these methods work for you or help in the least bit, you may want to contact a physician because you might have a more serious condition known as hyperhydrosis. Hyperhydrosis is a very common condition affecting over seven million people in the United States alone. Some forms of treatment include surgery and botox injections. Before you head to the doctor give these methods a try to help cure underarm sweating.

Drink plenty of water. You need to replenish the fluids lost by your excessive sweating. This is probably the most important step to try. The recommended amount is 8 glasses every day, but do not be afraid to consume more then that. You should also try not to drink beverages that are too cold. Your body will actually have to work harder after a really cold beverage because it is always trying to remain a constant temperature.

Watch what you eat. A healthy diet is one of the most important factors in trying to reduce your sweat. Overweight people tend to have many more problems then a person of normal weight. Try to stay away from processed foods and those high in fat. Eating spicy foods may also contribute to your problem.

Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol. Alcohol can cause your blood flow and heart rate to increase, which will in turn make your body temperature rise.

Quit smoking. Smoking can also increase your blood flow and heart rates similar to the way alcohol does. The chemicals found in cigarettes can add to your body's adrenaline levels. This increased rate of adrenaline will also promote sweating.

Try to relax. Relaxation is a huge factor in trying to cure underarm sweating. Simple activities such as exercising or taking a yoga class may reduce your stress level. A lower level of stress will usually mean a lower amount of sweating.

About the Author: To read more on this article you can visit http://www.stopunderarmsweatingtoday.com/2009/09/15/how-can-i-cure-underarm-sweating/ . Howard Ordemann is the author for stop underarm sweating. Here you can find regular articles on how to help excessive sweating.

Foundation makeup - How to Choose the Right Color

By Linda Asato

Foundation comes in various forms and most recently as a natural mineral powder. It also comes in various shades of skin color that poses a question for most women. Which color should they choose for their skin color? After all, they don't want to look pasty white, nor do they want to look falsely tanned.

There are several shades of foundation starting with light, moving to medium, medium warm, medium dark, dark, spiced honey, cappuccino and espresso. Different manufacturers have different names for these shades but you get the idea of their range.

So just how does one choose the right color? Here is some data to help you make a wise choice.

Medium is what suits the skin color of most American women so this is a good place to start, especially if you are of Scandinavian, German or English descent with pink undertones.

If you are of Hispanic, Mediterranean or Asian descent, you may have yellow undertones in your skin, and your choice would be more of a Medium Warm color.

If you wonder whether you have pink or yellow undertones, there are a couple things you can check to determine which you have. If your veins show somewhat blue through the skin, or if you tend to burn before tanning, you probably have pink undertones. If your veins appear more greenish, and you go to straight to tanning without burning first, you would have a more yellow undertone.

Light foundation is your choice if your skin is lighter, but you can mix light and medium to get any in-between shades that match better.

The next shade darker is Medium Dark and this can be mixed with Medium for your in-between shades using the medium as a concealer. Dark is the next shade darker, and the same principles apply. From there we go darker to Spiced Honey, Cappuccino and Espresso.

Using powdered mineral foundation is popular these days and preferred over liquid or cake by many ladies. The advantage to using this form of foundation, besides it being composed of natural minerals that feed the skin rather than harm it with added chemicals, is that you can add layers bit at a time and end up with a more natural looking skin rather than cakey.

So now you know where to start as you experiment with the different shades of foundation.

About the Author: Linda has researched many subjects and written about them in her books and articles. She is currently working with her daughter in manufacturing and marketing an all natural mineral makeup that is good for the skin. You can visit the website at http://www.deluviausa.com