infection

Acne in Pregnancy – How Hormonal Upheaval Affects Your Skin

| Leigh

acne in pregnancyMany people experience acne in pregnancy, but this occurrence of acne is not a sign of a specific skin disease. Instead, acne in pregnancy is typically caused by an overproduction of sebum prompted by hormonal changes.

In people with acne prior to pregnancy, the skin issue may get worse. In others, problem skin might actual look and feel better during pregnancy. Once hormones return to baseline after pregnancy, acne and other skin changes usually resolve without lasting effects. Continue reading →

Got Warts? Try Zinc

| Leigh

human papilloma virus HPV warts and zincZinc is an essential mineral needed for the growth and repair of healthy skin. It plays a key role in immune function, is required for a whole host of enzymatic processes, and has even been found to help reduce diaper rash and acne. What’s more, getting enough zinc can help prevent warts! Continue reading →

What Causes Acne?

| Leigh
Eat to Beat Acne: how a plant-based diet can help heal your skin
Eat to Beat Acne: how a plant-based diet can help heal your skin

There’s not normally a single specific cause of acne, which means that decreasing acne symptoms and clearing the skin can take a considerable amount of time and concerted effort.

Without resolving underlying issues, acne can persist for years, and for many adults this skin condition is not simply a bad memory from their teenage years. Continue reading →

The Difference Between Sweat Glands and Lymph Nodes

| Leigh

sweat glands and lymph nodesLymph nodes, sweat glands, melanocytes, pores and all – your skin is a wonderful and magical thing! It seals in moisture, holds everything together, and helps regulate your body temperature within an extremely narrow safe range.

Your skin is also a major player in eliminating unwanted substances, chemicals, and toxins from the body and this is where sweat glands and lymph nodes come in, but what’s the difference between the two and what do they do to keep skin naturally healthy? Continue reading →

What Causes Rosacea? Three Common Triggers and How to Combat Them.

| Leigh

rosacea causes red rash across centre of faceNo single cause of rosacea has been identified but recent research does suggest a number of potential triggers for the skin condition that affects around 3% of the population. Without knowing what causes rosacea it can be difficult to treat and this can lead to stress and depression in sufferers who worry over their appearance.

Luckily, many of the possible causes or factors exacerbating rosacea are responsive to treatment so, although there is no ‘cure’ as such for rosacea it is likely that patients can dramatically reduce the impact of the skin disorder by identifying their rosacea trigger(s) and treating it accordingly. Continue reading →

Home Remedies for Bags Under the Eyes.

| Leigh

bags under eyes home remediesAccording to a study done by Clinique in 2006, half of all women note dark circles and bags under the eyes as major beauty concerns. These two skin issues may have connected causes or may be due to separate underlying issues but when looking at undereye dark circles and puffiness, men and women, and even children, are all affected.

The causes of bags under the eyes are often different in younger people than in those approaching middle-age or older so knowing the factors underlying that under-eye puffiness and pigmentation is important in order to successfully fix the condition and restore naturally healthy skin. Continue reading →

Skin Damage, Personal Lubricant Dangers and STIs – Part Two

| Leigh

Personal lubricants safety

Osmolality and Skin Damage from Personal Lubricants

Osmolality appears to be a key factor in regards to the damaging effects of personal lubricants, with higher osmolalities associated with increased susceptibility to infection. As an example, K-Y Warming Jelly has an osmolality thirty times that of the body’s own lubricant and was found to increase transmission of herpes ninefold in the rodents tested compared to unlubricated controls. Continue reading →

Skin Damage, Personal Lubricant Dangers and STIs – Part One

| Leigh

natural vegan lubricantsA whole raft of studies are calling into question the safety of personal lubricants in regards to skin cell damage and sexually transmitted infections, with some of the more well known lubricants performing particularly badly in safety experiments. The personal lubricant market is estimated at around $219 million in the US alone, but evidence is mounting that these sex aids actually promote disease transmission. Continue reading →