There’s a comprehensive article by Alisa Miller on how to maintain a healthy skin at any age over at RNCen+ral.com.

It’s important to remember that your skin is a giant organ, and just like the heart or lungs, you need to take care of your skin to ensure it performs at it’s peak. When your skin is healthy, you feel better and look younger. You also work to prevent more serious illnesses such as skin cancer. The fifty tips below will help you improve your skin and keep it healthy no matter if you are fifteen or sixty-five.

Good beauty advice with a medical edge.

Read it here.

Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 7

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

All skin starts to sag as we get older. The upper arms are no exception. If this is one of your black spots, try this massage oil.

Exercise such as walking, running and swimming, can help tone and firm, and gentle upward massage will help banish cellulite by encouraging lymphatic drainage.

Massage oil for the upper arms
45ml (3 tbspn) jojoba oil
10ml (1 dspn) rose masqueta oil
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
1 capsule evening primrose oil
3 drops essential oil of either rose or jasmine
5 drops essential oil of lavender
4 drops essential oil of either bois de rose or lemon
100ml bottle

Mix together in the bottle. After a bath or shower, use the oil to massage the triceps muscle from the elbow upwards. This oil will keep for up to two months.

Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 6

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

The following lotion is useful for firming the connective tissue around the breasts.

Just add some fresh or dried herbs, such as mint, basil, lavender, rosemary and thyme, to a bottle of cider or white wine vinegar.

You can also use essential oils if you prefer : bois de rose, rose, peppermint, ylang-ylang and lavender all work well.

Aromatic vinegar lotion for breasts
* 6-10 tbspn dried herbs, or a handful of fresh herbs, or 15 drops of one of the essential oils mentioned above.
* Slightly less than a pint of cider or white wine vinegar.
* One and one-third of a pint of boiled, cold water in a bottle.
* Add chosen herb or essential oil to the vinegar in the bottle. Keep in the dark for two weeks. Add the water.

Apply the lotion in circular movements with cotton wool to each breast. Do this a few times. Let dry.

Use this lotion daily for two months.

Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 3

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

Many creams intended to beautify the eyes and the surrounding skin can have the opposite effect. The following light gel, which you can make up yourself, will naturally ease the symptoms.

The causes of puffy, darkened and unhealthy looking eyes are usually late nights, too much alcohol, cigarette smoke and allergies. Bags under the eyes may also indicate kidney problems.

Apply a little of this gel –which will keep for three days in a refrigerator — to boost circulation and reduce puffiness, lines and wrinkles.

Eye Gel
Half a cucumber, liquidized
1 capsule wheatgerm oil
50ml herbal infusion of either marigold, fennel, comfrey or parsley (one teaspoon of herb)

Make up the herbal infusion in 50ml of boiled water, cool and strain. Stir it into the liquidized cucumber with the contents of the wheatgerm capsule.

Apply a little to the skin around the eyes and pat it in.