Housework done, I sat down to write having just washed up without rubber gloves, these having developed a hole. Currently, it so happens, I am also using ‘bad’ washing up liquid – as in bog standard and not the gentle eco sort. I have an excuse for this, but let me not digress.

Consequently, my hands felt tight and dry and I had to slather on my home made (eco) hand cream to gain some relief. It serves handily as an illustration for how all of our skin is similarly affected by chemicals in our environment, but on a less obvious level. We don’t generally feel as if our total area of skin is too tight for our bodies, but this is what happens often with our hands.

There are numerous factors that aggravate a tendency towards dry skin such as: wind, air conditioning/central heating in the car, home and workplace, extremes of heat or cold, and chemical cleaning products. These are external causes which will exacerbate any nutritional deficiency.

What’s Your Skin Type?

We do tend to classify ourselves as having dry, greasy or normal skin. However, natural skin care author Star Kherchara points out that as our skin cells are renewing themselves every 40 days or so, our skin type could change several times. ”Skin types are not static, but rather a snap shot of what state the skin is in at that present moment. Our skincare products are only playing a secondary part in creating the health and good looks of our skin.”

So if we can accept that our skin reflects what is going on inside our body, it becomes obvious we need to correct the factors causing dry skin from within, as well as without. As it is likely to take some time for this to show up, you need to allow a few weeks to see the difference. We like rapid results I know, but patience and persistence are required!

In respect to using vitamins for dry skin, probably the most well known ones, due to the inclusion in standard skin products, (which generally contain but a drop), are Vitamins A and E. These are certainly important, but Vitamin C also plays a massive part in skin health, as does Vitamin D, and the B vitamins to a lesser degree.

The various vitamins have different effects, Vitamins C and E act as free radical scavengers, Vitamins A and D are involved in cell growth. The B group aid the others to work better. Vitamin C is also very much involved in collagen production and strengthening the skins structure. So wouldn’t it be wonderful to find a one- stop – shop for these so to speak?

Ring-a-Roses

Rosehips are power packed with natural vitamin C and much much more. Nature rarely provides just one healthy nutrient in a plant, but rather, a whole gamut of synergistic ones. Rosehip oil can be used externally, and rose hip powder can be added to juices or smoothies.

Rosehip oil has been tried and tested over the ages, it “has historically been used for healing skin problems, reducing aging spots and wrinkles, and hydrating dry skin. Rosehip seed oil is high in Vitamins A an E along with essential fatty acids. Rosehips contain the Vitamins A, B complex, C, E, K and minerals including calcium, silica, iron and phosphorous. Wild varieties have the highest concentration of Vitamin C, with some estimates reporting 30-50 times the Vitamin C of oranges.”

If this is not enough to convince you to start growing some roses for the sake of your future skin cells, read on:

“Rose hips have a high vitamin A content. …this helps to regenerate skin cells, healing wounds and scars. It also helps to keep the skin elastic and nourished. This will not only prevent wrinkles, but can actually help to minimize any that have already appeared.”

I harvested some rosehips in the past, but was not successful in drying them. So unless you have the ways and means, buying them may be the best option. I had more success with making rose water from petals, which is a very gentle way to cleanse and tone your skin. Certainly, if you are applying oils with vitamins for dry skin, you do want to aid this by not using harsh facial cleansers. This may seem obvious, but often we can be aware of altering our skin creams and not consider the cleansers too. Shop bought PH balanced ones are hardly likely to be at all balanced, unless you buy from reputable organic stores such as Neals Yard. I have worked for them I know they are good!

Raw for Real Vitamins

Raw foods are vitamin rich, and come naturally combined with the minerals that are so necessary to enable the vitamins to function properly within the body. Dr. Joseph Mercola advises obtaining Vitamin E via foods, rather than a supplement because, of the 8 different compounds in Vitamin E, only ONE of these is included in standard supplements!

Fresh vegetable and fruit juices are a great way to incorporate an abundance of vitamins into your daily diet. Eat a green leafy salad each day. Use rocket, avocado, cucumber and red onion, all tossed in a dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice and honey. As a quick dry skin remedy, rub the inside of the avocado skin over your face and leave on for a few minutes. As Kermit said, it’s good to be green.