The Wonders of Shea Butter

With all of the snow and freezing cold weather here in Massachusetts this winter, my go to ingredient has been shea butter.  I've come to love it so much that I always carry a tin of raw shea butter in my bag so I can moisture my hands, lips and cuticles anytime they need it.  I love how it instantly moisturizes and leaves my skin feeling soft for a good while, even after hand washing.

Shea butter actually comes from the karate tree which grows in the wild in west and central Africa.  The tree takes 50 years to mature and can live to 300 years!  To extract the butter, the tree nuts are cracked open and roasted.  The butter is then scooped out and kneaded.  Pure unrefined shea butter has a distinct nutty smell and is either cream or yellow in color.  I don't find the smell unpleasant and it dissipates quickly after putting it on your skin.

Shea butter is great because it's such a multi-tasker.  For one it improves wrinkles due to it's natural vitamin A content when used regularly over 4 to 6 weeks.  It treats and protects as it promotes cell regeneration and circulation with vitamin F and it moisturizes due to the high fatty acid content (oleic, stearic and linoleic).  It also has a decent vitamin E content and contains cinnamic acid which helps protect skin from UV rays in conjunction with other ingredients.  Shea butter shouldn't be used on its own as a sunscreen, however.

I find that shea butter is useful for so many skin conditions!  Here are some of the many:

- dry skin anywhere on your body (I especially love it on my hands.)
- rough skin (especially of feet and elbows but also on the face)
- itchy skin (from rashes, insect bites and even poison ivy)
- sunburned skin
- cracked skin and peeling skin
- eczema and dermatitis
- scars and stretch marks
- scalp conditioner
- dry, brittle hair
- cuticles and nails
- lips

One of the great things about shea butter is that not only is it non-toxic (it's rated a "0" on the EWG skin deep cosmetics database, meaning it's thought to be very safe) but it's also non-comedogenic.   This means that it won't clog your pores.  It's rated a 0 on a scale of 0 to 5 on the comedogenic index.  Shea butter is solid but pliable in cold weather but melts at skin temperature and is absorbed quickly as it penetrates the skin.  Shea butter is not recommended for those with nut and latex allergies.

If you're suffering from crazy dry skin like me, please check out Be Green Bath and Body's products that contain pure, unrefined organic shea butter.  It can be found in these products:  Shea Butter Tin, Shea Butter Hand Cream, Herbal Miracle Balm, Baby Balm and Organic Beautiful Skin Butter.

Thanks for reading and "Nourish your skin safely"!
Karen
begreenbathandbody.com

Reducing Eczema Flare-ups

Olive oil is an effective moisturizer for
skin with eczema.

Cold, dry winter weather always seems to cause eczema to flare-up more often.   Also called atopic dermatitis, it seems to affect children and young adults more frequently and it is thought to be hereditary in families with a history of allergies. Although the exact reason why people develop allergies is unknown, there are many things that are known to contribute to triggering allergies.  The hard part is figuring out what the allergy trigger is that may be causing the eczema.  For children, it may be food related:  beef products, dairy products, wheat, preservatives or dyes.  It could also be caused by environmental factors:  pollen, dust, pets, cold/dry winter weather, perfumes and physical and emotional stress.

Aside from avoiding the triggers here are some ideas to help prevent flare-ups:

1.  Keep your skin hydrated- Using moisturizers (even when you’re not experiencing a flare-up) will help keep your skins barrier intact and healthy. It is especially important to moisturize immediately after a bath or shower.  Dry skin is prone to cracking, allowing irritants to penetrate your skin.  It’s important to use moisturizers that are as natural as possible.  Most creams on the market contain a slew of harsh chemicals that may actually make your condition worse.  Steer clear of creams with propylene glycol and PEG’s.   These chemicals are used as penetration enhancers and humectants because they rupture the skin’s membrane.  As a result, they are known to aggravate eczema (and acne).   See below for ingredients I recommend you look for in natural moisturizers.
2. Clean your skin carefully- Use mild, natural soaps that are free of harsh detergents and fragrances.  Don’t use loofahs, poufs, shower brushes or products with rough exfoliants.  Bathe and shower in warm not hot water.  For baths, try adding ¼ cup of ground up oatmeal (coffee grinder works great for this) or 1 tbsp of olive oil to the water.
3. Keep your diet in check- Drink plenty of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables to keep your body hydrated.  Try keeping a food journal to see if you can determine the cause of a flare-up.  Avoid junk food and soda and keep alcohol and coffee to a minimum. (I know that one is hard!)  Also make sure you get enough essential fatty acids in your diet and vitamins A and E to help keep your skin moisturized from within. 
4. Reduce your stress levels- If you’re managing a job or 2, school, and/or kids this can be so difficult to accomplish.  If you work in a high stress environment, try to take breaks and find an activity that will take your mind away from these cares.  You might try reading, meditation or exercise. (Kickboxing is my favorite stress reliever!)

A request I get a lot from customers of Be Green Bath and Body (www.begreenbathandbody.com) is what do I recommend they use on their children as a moisturizer to relieve eczema.  Since Be Green Bath and Body uses only natural and organic ingredients that are pure and simple, my customers already know to avoid these ingredients that may contribute to eczema flare-ups:

-          Synthetic dyes (FD&C)
-          Synthetic fragrances and perfume
-          Petroleum products (mineral oil, baby oil, petrolatum)
-          Propylene glycol and PEG’s
-          Preservatives with known health concerns (parabens, imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea)

Eczema sufferers are best served with simple, highly moisturizing products that contain as few ingredients as possible.  Even though the ingredients I recommend are natural, some people are also allergic to these.  The fewer the ingredients, the easier it is to determine the allergy culprit.  Look for these ingredients in your eczema treatments:

-          Olive oil- an emollient with excellent antioxidants that has wonderful skin softening properties.
-          Coconut oil- helps skin retain moisture.  High in lauric acid.
-          Evening primrose oil- high in essential fatty acids like gamma linolenic acid.
-          Calendula- the common marigold that has calming, anti-inflammatory and skin healing  properties.
-          Chamomile- flower that is a softening agent known for calming and healing.
-          Colloidal oatmeal- oatmeal ground to a specific particle size that is a natural cleanser and soothing to skin irritations.
-          Vegetable glycerin- a natural humectant to help draw water to the skin.
-          Aloe- relieves irritation and helps to restore skin to its natural PH.
-          Essential oils of lavender, carrot, German chamomile, geranium
-          Neem oil- made from the leaves and bark of the neem tree that is native to India, this  oil helps skin to retain moisture.

At Be Green Bath and Body, I have created a thick, rich calendula cream to help keep the skin of eczema sufferers moisturized.  This and evening primrose oil infused with organic chamomile and calendula will be available soon.  The oil is especially useful when applied immediately after a bath or shower.  In the mean time, please try some of these other natural remedies:

1.  A mixture of honey and cinnamon.  Honey is like a miracle ingredient and I have heard that a past of cinnamon and honey works well.
2.  A mixture of baking soda and water.
3.  Oatmeal added to a bath.
4.  A mixture of 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water sponged on your body or put in a bath.
5.  Lavender essential oil- calming and soothing to the skin and safe for use during pregnancy.  This is one of only a few essential oils that can be used undiluted on the skin.  I love to use this in the summer on mosquito bites as I find it very effective in taking away the itch. 

You can read about these and other wonderful, natural skin ingredients in our ingredient dictionary here http://verscostores.com/begreenbathandbody/index.php?main_page=page_3.  Questions or comments can be directly to Karen at begreenbathandbody@yahoo.com.  Thank you for letting us help you "Nourish your skin safely." ™