The Skin Warrior Soap...

So following up my last post about herbs that are good for the skin....I decided to make a SERIOUSLY good bar of soap for problematic skin.  All of my natural handcrafted bars of soap are gentle on all skin types and moisturizing..and many already to provide additional botanicals to add an extra kick in the "good for the skin" department.  But I wanted to make the warrior of all soaps to be used for skin conditions.

Here is what (and why) I came up with....

Avocado Oil- Avocado oil has an extremely high Vitamin E content making it an amazing antioxidant.  It has a natural hydrating ability and is deeply absorbed by the squamous layer of skin. It acts as an emollient, providing soft and supple tissue and hence is a wonderful ingredient for anyone suffering from dry itchy skin.

Almond Oil- Almond oil is a natural rejuvenator that not only protects the skin from the sun and aging, but acts as a moisturizer, softening and smoothing the skin. Almond oil can also help relieve skin irritations such as itching and swelling.  This is great for people with conditions such as eczema and psoriasis which cause inflammation of the skin as well as itchiness and a rash.

Coconut Oil- A major ingredient in many soaps, Coconut oil is another great moisturizer.  It is extremely helpful to people with dry skin. In some Indian cultures, Coconut oil is a main ingredient in treating many skin conditions.

Shea Butter- Shea butter, yet another great moisturizer, is often used to treat skin conditions naturally. It is a good source of vitamins A & E which help strengthen and repair damage to your skin.

Olive Oil- Olive oil is known for being an extremely mild and gentle moisturizer. Many baby care products (natural) are comprised mainly of olive oil. Olive oil has been known for being able to relieve some of the discomfort from dry, itchy, inflamed skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema.

Ground Oats- Oatmeal (oats) help to relieve dry itchy skin from conditions like eczema and poison ivy.  It is also a natural exfoliant which helps remove dead or flaky skin.

Honey- Honey is a humectant, something that attracts moisture and keeps it locked inside the skin.  Therefore, it acts as a great moisturizer helping to provide moisture to dry, irritated skin.  It is also an antioxidant and promotes wound healing.

Lavender Essential Oil- Lavender oil has great antiseptic and anti fungal properties. It is used to treat many skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. It is even better when added to chamomile.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil- Eucalyptus oil is also a great antiseptic and anti fungal oil.

Tea Tree Essential Oil- My most favorite essential oil yet, this aromatic oil is amazing in almost any use! I could go into an entire blog on the benefits of tea tree oil. It has antiviral, antibacterial, anti fungal and antiseptic qualities.  It helps relieve and reduce dry flaky skin such as dandruff or psoriasis.

Calendula Petals- Calendula is great when used on dry or damaged skin. It has properties that are great at restoring skin.

Alfalfa Powder- Alfalfa Powder contains Vitamins C, D, E and K and is a great antioxidant.

So....I guess it's pretty safe to say that this soap will be LOADED with awesome ingredients to help combat those annoyingly irritating skin conditions!  I cannot WAIT to try it on my daughter's eczema or my psoriasis!

I will put it up on my website for sale as soon as it is done curing. (In about 4 weeks) So keep checking to purchase yours!  Order yours here!  And I hope you enjoy it as much as I think I will...and as much as I enjoyed making it!

Psoriasis..Eczema..Itchiness...Oh My!

Yesterday I had someone ask me what I would recommend for Psoriasis.  I realized that I create things all the time that I use to treat my own and my daughters skin aliments, but I haven't said much about what I sell that would help, and I haven't blogged about any of it either.

I have a great salve that I use that I really wish I had thought to take step by step pictures of when I made my last huge batch because it really would make a pretty great blog post.

Anyways, today I will list out some herbs that I would recommend to help psoriasis or eczema or any other skin ailment.

Calendula: Can be used externally for ailments such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburns, chapped lips, cuts, scrapes, bruises, and other various skin ailments. Calendula is an astringent, antiseptic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. The petals can be used in lotions, ointments, infused oils, teas, tinctures, salves, in the bath, and many other ways to help produce results.
**Simply Natural Soaps & Sundries sells soaps that are made either with calendula infused oils or with petals in the actual soap.  Check it out here!

Lavender: Lavender is an antiseptic. The essential oil is used to help heal ailments such as acne, athlete's foot, dandruff, burns, eczema, psoriasis, boils, bruises, insect bites, and many other ailments. 

Chamomile: Aside from the many great things Chamomile can aid in, it is also great at helping skin elasticity.  If used with witch hazel it can even help with eczema.

St. John's Wort:  Can be used to treat bruises, burns, wounds, bites and other skin ailments.

Plantain: Is another amazing herb. It is used to treat so many things! I could do a whole post about plantain.  One of its uses is on skin conditions.  It can help with burns and bites and other skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema.  It works like aloe, to soothe the burn and itching sensation of skin ailments.  What's even better about this herb? You probably already have it growing in your backyard! It's a weed that grows all over. Here are a couple pictures to help you identify it.  Save money....you don't even have to plant it!

Evening Primrose Oil: Can be consumed (vitamin/pill form) or the oil can be applied topically to the effected area.

Milk Thistle: Can help regulate your immune system.  An immune system that is behaving irregularly can cause outbreaks of Psoriasis or other skin ailments. This herb can also help protect the liver.

Burdock Root: Burdock is very effective at managing or treating chronic skin ailments. It helps to destroy fungus and bacterial cultures present under your skin. It helps prevent or cure disorders such as boils, psoriasis and even acne. It can also help manage eczema.  Burdock contains large amounts of vitamin C which can help restore scaly skin.

Those are the main herbs that I want to talk about today. I might do another post this week on essential oils.

I plan on  making a few new salves using various herbs, but for now, if you would like to try one: Herbal Skin Salve is for sale on my website.