The fresh, rosy glow of good health has long been associated with country living. Fresh fruit and vegetables grown in local gardens, meat from grass-fed animals raised the old-fashioned way, fresh air far from the toxic emissions of factories and freeways - living in the country can sometimes do more to promote healthy skin than all the skin care products on urban pharmacy shelves. While most of us can’t just up and leave the city, we can go a long way to emulating country life with just a few simple lifestyle changes and natural skin care products.
What does the country have to offer for good skin care? On top of fresh, organic produce and natural meat – which you can buy in your local health food store if nowhere else – one of the major ‘country’ influences on the skin is good air quality.
In fact, studies have shown that the closer you live to freeways and high traffic areas, the higher the risk of eczema and other forms of atopic dermatitis. Statistics indicate that about 20% of the U.S. population suffers from eczema and sales of specialty skin care products – both prescription and over-the-counter – are in the millions and climbing.
The problem is that most of those products only provide temporary symptomatic relief. To really get a leg-up on eczema, dry skin and other skin conditions you have to remove the cause. And, frequently, the cause is in our air. Living in the city, cleaning up the air can be a challenge.
How do you meet that challenge? While individuals can’t do much about air pollution from traffic or industry, you can reduce and protect yourself from chemicals in your personal environment by eliminating chemical-laden household and personal care products as much as possible.
Natural household cleansers, chemical-free skin care products, air filters that remove harmful particles and gases, clothing, furniture and linens made with natural fibers are fairly easy changes to make if you don’t mind a little work and a little research. But as clean as your indoor air might be, it’s never going to be perfect and, even if it was, you can’t stay in your house all your life. You still need to protect yourself from the chemicals in your home you were unable to eliminate, and from those in the outdoor air. That is best accomplished with a shielding lotion.
How does a shielding lotion work? A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a new protective layer that prevents chemicals from irritating the skin on contact, and from being absorbed. Thousands of doctors now recommend a good shielding lotion for skin care – it can help those with eczema, dry skin, and a myriad of other conditions. In fact, it does such a good job many eczema sufferers have been able to stop using other eczema skin care products. The same is true for those with dry skin. And, unlike other dry skin care products, you use less of it as time goes by.
While you may not be able to take yourself out of the city, eating fresh, organic foods, surrounding yourself with natural fibers, and eliminating as many household and skin care treatment chemicals as possible might be able to take some of the city out of you. Give it a try – and don`t forget the shielding lotion!
Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is an expert author on skin care solutions and contributes articles on skin care for 21st Century Formulations. For more information, please visit http://www.SkinMDNatural.com.
