Revitalize Your Skin with Golden Flax

"Help! My hands feel like sandpaper!"

Do your cheeks look chapped? Are your heels cracked and sore? Could you smooth out the surface of rough wood with your bare hands?

If any of this sounds familiar, take heed: dry skin is an incredibly common condition that affects millions of people every year. Just about everyone will suffer from dry skin at some point, and for many of us, it is an ongoing battle.

Having said that, there are two times during the year that dry skin is especially rampant and we're in the middle of one of them right now. As you probably guessed, summer and winter are the peak seasons for dry skin problems.

Warning: this may make for "dry" reading…

As is the case with many health conditions, knowledge is power. This is why before you begin to treat your dry skin, it is important to understand why it gets that way in the first place.

In order to have gorgeous, dewy skin that looks like it just stepped out of a magazine ad, you must first have the proper balance of moisture and oil. The moisture is found inside your skin cells, arriving there through the bloodstream. Oil is present in your sebaceous glands and its job is to keep your skin lubricated.

Now ideally, the moisture and oil work together, and all is well. In a perfect world, at least as far as your skin is concerned, your skin cells will be nice and moist and your glands will produce enough oil to cover your skin, keeping the moisture inside.

There are actually two types of dry skin: simple and complex. When your skin does not have enough oil, you will get simple dry skin. If you are 35 years old or younger, this is probably the type of dry skin you have.

Complex dry skin results from low amounts of both oil and moisture, and it is especially common in people past middle age.

In addition, if you spend a lot of time out in the sunlight chances are good that the three key proteins that make up skin-collagen, elastin, and keratin-will become damaged, leading to not only dryness but to the dreaded wrinkles too.

"Okay, that makes sense. But what can I do about it?"

Fortunately, with a few simple changes you can be the first one on your block to win the war against dry skin. You have probably heard the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day. If you have dry skin, this is an absolute must. Part of keeping skin healthy on the outside is keeping your insides well hydrated.

Also, we need to start accepting the fact that the phrase "a healthy tan" is an oxymoron. Actually, the sun causes more skin damage than any other factor. If you must be out in the sun, cover up as much as you can and use lots of sunscreen on exposed areas.

If you can, try to cut back or eliminate alcohol and caffeine. Both act as diuretics, making your whole body (including your skin cells) lose water, which leads to dry skin.

"What about lotion? Will that help my dry skin?"

Most dermatologists agree that in order to have healthy skin we must moisturize both the insides and the outsides of our bodies. Choosing water over coffee or beer (at least most of the time!) should definitely help keep our insides in check. As for our outsides, applying a high quality skin cream or lotion can really help.

Not all hand and body lotions are created equal. Some can be quite effective at treating dry skin, while others contain low-quality ingredients that do very little other than making your skin feel greasy and waxy. In general, you should try to find a hand and body lotion that contains as many of the following ingredients as possible:

• Flaxseed oil. In order to have healthy skin you must have essential fatty acids in your system. Remember your skin cells? Their membranes are made up of chemical compounds obtained from Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 is also sometimes called Alpha linolenic acid and Omega-6 is also known as linoleic acid. Generally speaking, flaxseed oil is like the poster child for essential fatty acids, being incredibly rich in both Omega-3 and Omega-6. In addition to being a healthful supplement when taken internally, flaxseed oil has also been shown in studies to have beneficial effects when applied topically the skin. Flaxseed oil helps to keep moisture inside the body while improving dry skin. Additionally, flaxseed oil can help alleviate inflammation when applied topically to sunburn.
  
  
• Jojoba oil. Jojoba contains substances called insaponifiables. Studies have found that when you apply insaponifiables to the skin they help increase the amount of elastin. About fifty percent of Jojoba is made up of insaponifiables. Jojoba can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles while promoting cell growth. Jojoba oil is also easily absorbable, which means it won't leave your skin feeling greasy or oily.
  
  
• Sunflower seed oil. Like flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil contains linoleic acid. When your skin contains adequate amounts of linoleic acid, it is more likely to retain moisture and be less dry.
  · Grapeseed oil. This oil is also rich is linoleic acid, making it a key nutrient for the skin and cell membranes. When added into skin lotion, grapeseed oil can be a very impressive moisturizer. It also acts as a natural emollient, which means it can help soften and soothe the skin.
  
  
• Wheat germ oil. Chemical analysis of wheat germ oil indicates that it is naturally rich in vitamin E, and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Vitamin E has also been found to be incredibly beneficial to our skin. A natural antioxidant, vitamin E can protect our skin from the formation of free radicals and it also acts as a natural sunscreen.
  
  
• Vitamin E. A high quality hand and body lotion should definitely contain vitamin E. Scientists at the University of Arizona found that applying vitamin E to the skin of mice prevented the formation of skin tumors. When you consider that cases of skin cancer are on the rise, this information is especially crucial. Additionally, in a study of twenty women aged 42 to 64, applying eye cream containing vitamin E for four weeks "reduced the amplitude and roughness of wrinkles in more than one half of the women in the study."
  
  
• Evening Primrose oil. This oil is naturally rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. Research has shown that Evening Primrose Oil has an anti-inflammatory effect on people with skin disorders, particularly those with acne, eczema and dermatitis.
  · Rose Hip oil. The skin-healing properties of Rose Hip oil were first discovered back in 1983 at the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Concepcion in Chile. A two-year study at the University involving 180 patients with surgical and burn scars as well as signs of premature aging applied Rose Hip oil to their skin, with amazing results. Rose Hip oil was found to have a regenerative effect on the skin. Most subjects enjoyed a reduction in their scars and wrinkles and those with premature aging reported an improvement in their skin as well. Rose hip oil also helped skin regain its natural healthy color and tone.
  
  
• Sweet almond oil. This oil comes from the dried kernels of almond trees. Like grapeseed oil, it can be an effective emollient. It has also been found to help balance the way our bodies absorb and lose moisture, making it an effective ingredient in the battle against dryness.

"Wow, those sound great! I can feel my skin getting softer already!"

Dry skin is can be uncomfortable and even painful at times. Life is too short to go around feeling unhappy in your own skin. So go ahead-put down that coffee mug, pick up a bottle of water and consider buying a high quality hand and body cream. By the time this summer is over, you should be well on your way to skin that looks and feels smoother, healthier, and is more attractive too.

References:

• Balch and Balch, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2000, pages 337-339
• Andreas Papas, The Vitamin E Factor, 1999, pages 272-273
• Rudin, Donald and Felix, Clara, Omega-3 Oils-A Practical Guide, 1996, pages 5, 70-75
• Various Internet sources