Embarrassing and unsightly skin conditions can be improved by following a healthy diet and a regular skin-cleansing routing using suitable products. The important thing is to follow both of these recommendations if you want to see positive, lasting results.
Regular cleansing and moisturizing your face will keep your complexion at its best.
Lifestyle Changes
A good starting point is to make a record of your dietary intake each day for a week. By studying this, you will be able to make any necessary adjustments. Try substituting fresh fruit for crisps and chocolate, or fresh juices and/or mineral water for carbonated, sugary drinks. At the same time, monitor improvements to your skin.
If you support yourself by taking aromatherapy baths to relieve stress and follow the skin-cleansing regime below, you should see visible results within a week. If you do not, it may be because the diet and/or care treatments have not been strictly followed. Remember, too, that acne is often worse just before menstruation, and that teenage acne usually subsides by the early twenties.
Daily Skincare Routine
To see immediate improvement to the skin, a five minute skincare routine should be established and carried out twice a day. Essential oils added to unperfumed creams or lotions can be useful for treating difficult skin conditions and to help with the added emotional difficulties of low self-confidence. With perseverance (and improved lifestyle habits), this routine has proved to be extremely effective. Once the skin begins to improve, stress is reduced and a positive, rather than a negative, cycle is created.
Cleanse the skin with a light, water-soluble cleansing milk. Make your own by blending 1 drop each of rosemary, lavender and geranium oils into 30ml (2 tbsp) base lotion. Rinse off with cold water.
Make a gentle, purifying mask by adding 2 drops each of cedarwood, juniper and lemon essential oils to 30ml (2 tbsp) base cream. Apply to face and leave for ten minutes. Rinse off thoroughly with cold water.
Add 3 drops each of lemon and geranium oils to 50ml (2fl.oz) distilled water. Wipe over the face and neck as a tonic. Follow with a moisturizing lotion mixed with 2 drops of hazelnut oil.
Problem Skin
The hormonal changes of puberty lead to increase production of sebum by the sebaceous glands in the skin. From the normal, peach-like skin of childhood, a young woman may find her skin (particularly on her face) changing in texture. The pores become enlarged and more open and the skin becomes oily - particularly on the forehead and in a "T-panel" leading down the nose and on to the chin. These open pores are a breeding ground for bacteria, leading to spots, pimples and blackheads, which is why a regular and effective skin-cleansing routine becomes so important.
A spotty skin can become a problem if it develops into acne (Acne vulgaris). This is a medical condition and requires special care.
The feet are prone to patches of dry, rough, skin. Moisturizing your feet on a regular basis will help to keep them smooth and soft.
Drinking plenty of water can vastly improve your overall health and vitality.
Teenage Care
Acne is caused when excessive amounts of sebum form a blockage at the skin's surface on the face, shoulders and back. Cysts, blackheads and red pustules develop, which can lead to pockmark scars. It is difficult to improve the skin once these scars appear.
The rise in the incidence and severity of teenage acne seems to be connected with some aspects of today's modern culture. Insufficient fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet, chemical additives in food, and air pollution all cause a toxin overload which puts extra strain on the body. Taking good care of your skin and body will really help.
Tips For Healthy Skin
- Stick to a suitable daily skincare routine.
- Exercise for half an hour three times a week.
- Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of mineral water a day.
Regular steam inhalations with juniper can help clear blocked pores or blackheads.
Stomach ache or period pains can be treated by applying a compress using basil, lavender and sweet marjoram. A piece of soft cotton or linen soaked in a water-oil mix makes a good compress.
Aromatherapy In Adolescence
For a girl, one of the more obvious signs of becoming a young woman is marked by her developing breasts and by the onset of her periods. This can be a difficult time as she either adjusts to the physical changes that are taking place, or worries because they are happening too fast or not fast enough. Essential oils can be extremely useful to alleviate some of the physical discomforts and emotional aspects often associated with puberty and menstruation.
Being a teenager is not always easy. Hormone imbalances can lead to extreme mood swings and problems with both the hair and the skin.
The teenage years are typically turbulent times. A girl's body is rapidly growing and changing in new and startling ways, and her hormones are likely to be affecting both her body and her mood. Hormonal changes trigger an imbalance of sebum in the skin (usually increasing the amount produced), which can lead to greasy skin and hair. This can be awkward at a time when a young woman is becoming aware of her appearance, and of the effect she has on the opposite six, and feelings of inadequacy are common. The associated emotions of anxiety, resentment, fear and jealousy can all increase stress levels and trigger further reactions in the hair, skin and/or nails.
Essential oils can be very useful both in alleviating unsettled emotional states and treating the skin and hair problems themselves. Aromatherapy, used correctly, forms just one part of a holistic approach of health, and this approach should take into account the girl's nutrition and lifestyle habits, as well as any stressful or worrying external circumstances or events in her life, before the essential oils can be chosen. Now that she is no longer a child, a teenager needs to feel in control of her life, and looking after her health is a good way to begin.
Receiving a shoulder massage is a pleasant and effective way of relieving stress and tension in the neck and shoulders. Ask a friend to gently rub and knead any knotty or tight areas.
Stress And Anxiety
Apart from the changes taking place within her own body, life in the outside world can also be problematic for today's teenager. External circumstances, which are beyond her control, can be difficult to manage. If a parent change a job, for example, the family may have to move house and area. This means a new teacher, and no immediate friends - all at a time when the academic workload is increasing and exams are becoming a reality. School may also be stressful because of bullying. This affects many teenagers, who exist in a perpetual state of fear and feel they are unable to talk to anyone about it.
There may also be problems within the family: heavy arguments between parents, between the teenager and her parents, or between siblings. For example, teenagers may feel rivalry or jealousy towards a brother or sister who seems to be given more of a parent's love and attention, and receives special treats and favours.
Growing up involves finding out who you are and having your own ideas and opinions. Problems can arise when parents and their teenage daughter don't see eye-to-eye, and angry fights at home become a routine part of life. Teenagers face strong peer pressure to conform to current trends.
Whatever the reason for stress or anxiety, however, there are numerous relaxing or sedative essential oils which can help. These are best used in the bath, or, for more immediate results, by inhalation (see previous post).
Experiment with adding oils to your own skin creams and see which combinations work best.
Now is a good time to start a daily beauty regime and have fun taking care of yourself.
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