Natural Skin Care for Prevention and Healing Sun Damage

Last week I wrote some quick tips for caring for your skin within a whole food - whole health lifestyle: http://www.paulayoumellrn.com/blog/2015/5/17/holistic-skin-care   (yes, go back and read it if you missed it. Skin care begins on the inside my friends!)

This week: Natural Sun Screen & After Sun Skin Repair Recipe

I avoid commercial sunscreens as they are loaded with chemicals; the chemicals in the base lotion as well as the chemicals used for the sun screen affects. Any chemical put onto the skin that can alter cellular function in a way to stop sun burning... hmm, sounds like a chemical I do not want on my skin changing the way my skin cells function.

Natural sunscreens with zinc and titanium dioxide you ask? Nah, I will pass on them as well. First of all the base lotions, again, are loaded with chemicals I do not want on my skin. The zinc and titanium are sticky and white filmy on the skin. Yes, they make nano particle zinc and titanium sunscreens but I will pass on them as well.  Read on for my sun protective recipe.

 
 
 

My Natural Sunscreen Recipe

To make a natural sunscreen I start with an *organic, unscented lotion (no chemicals in this base lotion) and fill a 4 oz glass cosmetic jar almost to top... leaving room for:

1/2 - 1 tsp. organic instant coffee powder and 1/2 - 1 tsp. organic cocoa powder. Mix both into lotion very well. 
And essential oils, see below.

*Check massage supply websites for organic, unscented base lotions. You can buy them in 8, 16, 32, and 64 oz sizes. Read labels carefully to make certain you are comfortable with the ingredients going on your skin and therefore into your body.

And...

1 tsp. Wild Pansy extract powder and 2 droppers of wild pansy extract tincture. Again, mix in well. 

I use this sun protective lotion on my face, neck, and hands. I am very aware that I can not slather this on, head to toe, and think for a second that I can spend all day in the sun and not burn my skin. Life and sun exposure just does not work that way. This is my preventative for any more sun damage to my face and neck. I figure my teen years, living in the sun all day, have done enough damage. Now I do damage control.

I also try to do these things most of the time:

  1. limit my sun exposure during the high, hot time of the sun 11 AM to 2-3 PM

  2. Wear a wide brim hat when I am out in the sun

  3. slather my face with my aging and sun damaged skin lotions.

Aging & Sun Damaged Skin Lotion

Summer Base: Aubrey Organic Aloe gel

Winter Base: Aloe plus 1-2 tsp. organic, unrefined, extra virgin olive oil (if you can make a comfrey infused olive oil... even better)

Using a 4 oz. glass cosmetic jar, fill it up leaving head space for olive oil in winter and drops of essential oils.

Anti-aging essential oils to add 6-8 drops of each (as per the Male Herbal by James Green)

  • Lavender

  • Frankincense

  • Carrot Seed

  • Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum)

I also add a Rosemary essential oil, 6 drops

The Anti-Aging Team of essential oils

The Anti-Aging Team of essential oils

Use on your face and neck after washing with water only in AM & PM. Apply a little extra around eye area to crows feet.

The aging skin remedy can also be made by adding the drops of essential oils to 4 oz. of the above mentioned unscented, organic lotion.

I sometimes add essential oils of rosemary or oregano as they all increase circulation to the skin. Increased circulation means more oxygen and nutrients to skin cells and better removal of cellular wastes.
Peppermint, in very small amounts, also aids circulation. Peppermint does cause / exacerbate reflux and it will bother reflux in your face lotion. If reflux is an issue, skip using peppermint.

The finished sunscreen and sun repair remedy.

The finished sunscreen and sun repair remedy.

My Secret Face Lift In A Jar

face cream

As I skip down the path of life, getting closer to 50, I realize the signs of aging are here on my face. Now I also realize that my sister, who is 2 years older, looks remarkably younger.  Oh the hazards of a nature girl; worshiping the sun by day and the moon by night, hiking, biking, canoeing, swimming my youth (and any adult moment I can squeeze out) and life away out under the open skies.  If, given the chance, I could do it all over again, I would not hide inside for fear of the sun, wind, rain, snow, and cold's aging effects on my face.  To hell with it all, I have lived to be on the tops of mountains, wandering deep in forests far from civilized life as we know it, riding country roads on my bike, swimming lakes and river .... so be it, I will take the sun and natural elements, wrinkles and all!

Ok, now with all that said, I have some secrets to prevention and repairing the natural elements effects on my skin and its visible signs of aging.

Number one is a whole food diet.  Eating real foods, natural foods, fortifies the body with nutrients we do not even know the names of.  These nutrients work hard to protect and repair. Thank you local farmers, I will eat your whole foods!

Number two through five is good sleep coupled with plenty of fluids, daily body movement, and finding peace within.

From there it helps to use only natural products on your skin.  If I would not put the '"ingredient" in my body because it is not a whole food, why would I put it on my body?

So here are my natural face lift secrets:

1.  I use no sunscreen lest I make it myself (the lotion recipe below is the base for my natural sunscreen).

2.  I wash my face with water only, splashing cold water on in AM and PM.  When living outside I use the springs, rivers, lakes and streams of the Adirondacks for face splashing.

3.  I put pure aloe on my face after splashing:

Aubrey Organics from Nature's Storehouse in Canton, http://www.natures-storehouse.com/

Mountain Rose Herbs via mail order:  http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkmisc/bulkmisc.php

4.   Then I use the lotion I am about to give you the recipe for.  To this I add essential oils specific for sun damaged and aging skin.  There are essential oils specific for sensitive skin, skin from every decade in life, oily and dry skin.... you name it.  Want details, email me.

In the summer, the lotion I use is much lighter, mostly an aloe gel with a just a very few drops of carrier oil and the essential oils specific for sun damaged and aging skin.  This works best in the aloe gel from Mountain Rose Herbs as it is a gel.  The Aubrey Organics aloe is a very liquid consistency, great for putting on after the morning and evening face splashing.

To this face lift in a jar I owe thanks to three fabulous herbalists:  Rosemary Gladstar  (Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health, and Vitality), James Green (The Male Herbal), and Valerie Ann Worwood (The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy).  Blending their secrets has created my secret!

face cream

Rosemary's Perfect Cream

Ingredients

WATERS

2/3 cup distilled water--OR distilled rosewater or -- orange flower water) 1/3 cup aloe vera gel 1 - 2 drops essential oil of choice (here is where I mix and match from James Green and Valerie Ann Worwood's essential oil recommendations) Vitamins A and E as desired

OILS

3/4 cup apricot, almond or grape seed oil (I have used organic olive oil, as well) 1/3 cup coconut oil or cocoa butter 1/4 tsp lanolin 1/2 - 1 oz grated beeswax

Directions

1. Combine distilled water, aloe vera gel, essential oil and vitamins in a glass measuring cup. (Tap water can be used but it will sometimes introduce bacteria and encourage the growth of mold.) Set aside.

2. In a double boiler over low heat, combine remaining ingredients. Heat just enough to melt.

3. Pour oils into a blender and let cool to room temperature. The mixture should become thick, creamy, semisolid and cream-colored. This cooling process can be hastened in the refrigerator, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too hard.

4. When cooled, turn blender on the highest speed. In a slow, thin drizzle pour the water mixture into the center vortex.

5. When most of the water mixture has been added to the oils, listen to the blender and watch the cream. When the blender coughs and chokes, and the cream looks thick and white like butter cream frosting, turn off the blender. You can slowly add more water, beating it in by hand with a spoon, but don't over beat!  The cream will thicken as it sets.

6. Pour into cream or lotion jars. Store in a cool place.

7. For a thinner lotion, use more water.

Paula's IMPORTANT NOTE:  I do not add the essential oils in step #1 as described above.  To me, heating them destroys their natural nutrients. I add the essential oils as an additional step, my step #7.  I add the number of drops, based upon the size of the jars I have put the cream into, and stir with a tiny baby spoon to blend the essential oils well.

Essential oils for sun damaged and aging skin:  Add 4-5 drops per tbsp. of the lotion. James Green's Recommendations (the book Male Herbal) and what I have used for years: lavender, frankincense, carrot seed, Helichrysum italicum (Immortelle). Immortelle is a very expensive oil, but well worth it as per James Green, for its effects on sun damaged skin and skin cancer.

Essential oils for skin over 40: Neroli, lavender, frankincense, rosemary, fennel, carrot, lemon, evening primrose

Sunscreen you ask?  To the above Rosemary Gladstar's lotion I add: 

  • 1 rounded tsp. of Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade Instant Coffee,

  • 1 rounded tsp. of organic fair trade cocoa powder, and

  • 5-10 drops wild pansy extract.

  • 1/2 tsp. wild pansy powder

  • Wear a wide brim hat during the high, hot hours of the summer days and wing it with the sun and wind on my face at every other moment.

Chemical sunscreens?  Not a chance.  Frankly, I believe they cause skin cancer!

PS For another option to restore your youthful glow:  Call Shelby Connelly, Acupuncturist in Colton. She does an amazing acupuncture face lift. This is a series of treatments to restore vitality to the facial skin.  http://fiveelementsliving.com/