Healthy skin is a reflection of overall wellness

The human skin is the outer covering of the body. It has got several layers which will protect us from microbes and other external agents out. The uppermost layer of the skin is the stratum corneum consists of cholesterol and fatty acids. These substances help keep the skin moist and maintain an effective barrier.

Winter can wreak havoc on your skin — making it dry, itchy, and irritated. Cold, blustery conditions outside can leave your skin feeling raw, while indoor heat zaps moisture from the air and from your skin. Nothing strips your skin of moisture more than hot showers and harsh soaps or the dry hot air that draws moisture from your skin, not to forget genetics that can also lead to dehydrated skin.

Baffled by how to take care of dry skin?

As opposed to what you might think dry skin treatment ain’t that tough. First and foremost, make hydrating lotions and moisturisers your best friend. Opt for the best products for dry skin that won’t wreak havoc on your skin.

Beautify your skin

Start your morning skincare routine with an effective cleanser that removes dirt and other impurities, without drying your skin out. The best face wash for dry skin is a no-foam, no-lather super mild formulation with soothing ingredients that will get the job done without disrupting the outer layer of the skin. A fragrance-free formula with moisturizing Glycerin and Niacinamide is an added bonus.

Hydrate your skin from within

The more water you drink, the more hydrated and plumper your cells become. The metabolic processes inside the cells can work most efficiently. Drinking at least eight to ten glasses of water and eating at least five servings of fruits or vegetables per day. To get all those micronutrients and antioxidants to maintain healthy skin. Remember to eat a rainbow—apples, oranges, banana, kiwi, blueberries and grapes!

Boost hydration with the right moisturizers

Whether you have dry or oily skin, moisturizing is important to balance your skin’s sebum production, prevent flaking and dry patches and replenish lost moisture. Lotions and creams are oily products that can plump up some of the dead skin cells and provide a smoother-feeling texture by adding an oily layer to the surface.

Opt the best moisturizer for dry skin

For dry skin care – The one that hydrates without clogging your pores. During cooler months, opt for a creamy formulation (lotion for dry skin) that treats dull, dehydrated skin and keeps flaky skin at bay.

Dry, flaky skin can be a disaster, no matter what the season is. Of course, no one wants to feel rough sandpaper-like patches on their body. So give your extremely dry and under-replenished skin best body lotion – removes flaky skin, rehydrates, deep-conditions and repairs the deepest layer of skin to revitalize and generate natural moisture.

For best results, apply your lotion or moisturizer on damp skin (or within three minutes of stepping out of the shower) to trap water, then follow up with a face or body oil to seal and lock in moisture.

Verdura Intense Moisturizing Lotion – An ideal moisturiser for dry skin that gives you long lasting intense moisturization benefits.

Benefits of Verdura intense moisturizing lotion

• Intensely hydrates and revitalizes skin
• Long lasting softness and protection to skin
• Reduces itching and inflammation
• Proven to be hypoallergenic and non-irritant

Acne is a common skin disorder of sebaceous glands origin with comedones, Papules, Pustules and cysts. It is very difficult to clear the acne because of its varied triggers.

Prevalence

Nearly all teenagers have acne but it can occur any age including newborn babies. It affects both sexes equally and starting age is between 12-14 years. Peak age for severity in females is 16-17 and for males is 17-19 years.

Why teen agers ?

Androgenic hormones, especially di-hydro testosterone stimulate the sebaceous gland activity. Human sebaceous glands contain 5α-reductase, 3α- and 17α- hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase which convert weak androgen to di-hydro testosterone which increase the sebum secretion. Surge of androgens at puberty produce sudden increase in sebum excretion which sets stage for acne.

Root Causes

Many factors combine to cause acne.

Sebum – When sebum excretion is excessive, oil glands are triggered and start accumulating over and over leading to a pinky bulge called Acne.

Hormones– Androgens are main stimulant of sebum secretion. Nearly fifty percent of females with acne have slightly raised free testosterone levels.

Pollution – Air pollution simply dust including smog, chemicals and toxins can clog your pores and cause an acne flare. Ozone and other common air pollutants, like nitric oxide, might make skin more susceptible to allergies and irritation.

Poral occlusion– When body starts to make lots of sebum, the dead skin cells can stick together inside the pore and lead to clogging which cause acne.

Bacteria– Sometimes bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) that lie on the skin also get inside the clogged pore. Inside the pore, the bacteria have a perfect environment for quick multiplication.

Genetic– About half of the acne patients have family history of acne.

Tropical – Heat and humidity worsens the acne.

There is no concrete evidence that dietary constituent cause acne except iodine. But low glycemic diets are advisable and avoid certain foods like nuts, chocolates and dairy products.

Keep them your routine

• Wash your face twice a day and after sweating.
• Use finger tip to apply gentle, non-abrasive cleanser.
• Cleanse with lukewarm water and soap to remove surface sebum.
• Keep the sweaty hands away from your face.
• If hair is oily in nature, use mild shampoo daily.
• Use skin care products which are non-comegenic.
• Wash pillowcases, hats, scarfs, stolls regularly.

Apart from the above mentioned ways to manage acne, the right choice for speedy recovery of acne could be the use of Verdura anti acne pack packed with the goodness of Aloevera that actually will be boosting the blood flow in your skin and killing off harmful bacteria

Usage instructions

• Apply sufficient quantity of pack every day over the entire face covering the pimples.
• Allow it to permeate into skin for 10 minutes. Wash face gently after the pack dries.
• Use twice a day. Continue usage until pimples completely subside.
• Once the pimples are cured. Use thrice a week on a regular basis.

A healthy skin is a source of pleasure, not only to the individual but also to the one who looks it. To possess a nice skin is to have great social advantage. The positive health of skin is an insurance against diseases. Conspicuous

The normal healthy skin is clear, smooth, supple, elastic, uniformly pigmented without wrinkles and does not sag. The skin being the external covering of human body is put to great stress and strain by the external environments involving factors like climatic changes, dust, irritants, non-pathogenic and pathogenic organisms. The sebum of skin should be washed off daily. The following factors are important in keeping the skin healthy.

DIET

It should be balanced and digestible. A fair amount of animal proteins and vitamins are essential. Concentrated starchy food should be avoided. The Spices, tea, coffee and alcohol should be consumed as little as possible. Occasional fasting is good for health and keep the digestion healthy. Over eating leads to obesity which predisposes to several illness. “Sattwik” diet is the best way.

FRESH COOL AIR, EXERCISE AND MILD SUN

Fresh cool air, exercise and mild sun are potent natural skin restorers. They stimulate the skin and there by the Thyroid, Adrenals and Sympathetic nervous system on which are dependent the well-being and vitality of the skin and the body.

A moderately cool climate is the most potent natural stimulus to the skin. Exercise in fresh, cool air is very stimulating. Yogic exercises are very beneficial. At the same time, extreme cold is injurious to skin. Scorching heat of tropical climate causes hyperhidrosis and maceration. So the skin must be protected from strong sun and direct heat. While mild sun bathing is beneficial, strong sun produces degenerative changes and even cancer.

CLOTHING

Our cloths and foot wears should not contain sensitizers. Avoid very tight fitting and Nylon cloths especially in summer and only wear loose cotton cloths and soft chappals. Nylon cloths interfere with the absorption and evaporation of sweat. In addition, the chemicals, dissolved by unevaporated sweat can cause contact dermatitis.

BATHING

In tropical countries, daily bathing with clean, cool water is essential in summer. In cold weather, one can use warm water as often as possible. Clean the various body folds, genitalia and feet properly. The skin should be dried thoroughly after bathing.

SOAP

A simple, least alkaline soap should be used. People with greasy skin need more soap than those with dry skin. People with dry skin should use superfatted soaps.

OIL

It nourishes the skin and hair and makes them smooth. Coconut and Olive oils are in common use. In dry cold weather conditions like North Indian winter, it is a good habit to massage Vaseline or milk cream on the exposed parts of the body before retiring bed which helps the skin smooth and fresh.

SHAVING

The following points should be kept in mind when shaving

• Do not shave too finely by stretching the skin
• Shave in one direction
• Use clean, sterilised and sharp instruments and avoid repeated shaving on the same part
• The beard should be properly softened with soap or shaving cream before shaving

The electric razor is a useful innovation, particularly for people with disorders on beard region.

COSMETICS

Cosmetics contain chemicals to which individuals may be sensitive or may become sensitized to them. So we are more care when selecting the cosmetics. In Europe and America, cosmetics are responsible for a great deal of contact eczema. In Asiatic countries, the incidence fortunately still low.

Chemicals in cosmetics may harm the skin, cause blockage of pores and invisible, slow degeneration. Hence avoid cosmetics as much as possible.

We follow the above said disciplines in our daily routine and keep our skin healthy and glowing.

Dry skin and Winter

The skin becomes dry when it loses its moisture content due to lack of the protective oils. And this problem intensifies during the winter, when environmental humidity is low. The cold air pulls moisture away from skin, tightening your skin cells and weakening your protective barrier.

Other common causes of dry skin include:

• overuse of soap and hot water
• exposure to harsh chemicals
• autoimmune skin diseases such as Psoriasis
• aging

How to Restore Dry Winter Skin?
Use warm water for bathing

Hot water rather than helping you feeling better in chilled weather, it actually worsens the dry skin problem by stripping off the protective oils from the skin. Thus, it is better to use warm water and short bathing time in winter.

Use of mild soap and moisturiser

Use of harsh soaps is no way preferable if you have psoriasis or severe dry skin. Rather switch to less aggressive, moisture-rich soaps made for sensitive skin. And apply suitable moisturiser.

Keep yourself hydrated

Drink more water to replace the moisture that the dry air steals away.

Oils are essential

Oils like Almond oil, wheat germ oil, avocado oil etc. help you fight the aging process, wrinkles formation and dry skin.

Rely on herbs rather than chemicals
Herbs such as

• Indigofera tinctoria exfoliates dry skin and contains rich source of flavonoids that are known to protect the skin.
• Wrightia tinctoria contains flavonoids, tannins, glycosides and phenolic compounds known to augment healing properties of skin.
• Cynadon dactylon is known to delay skin ageing.
• Aloe vera contains potent antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties. Treats dry skin and associated itching.

Melanocyte cells present below the human skin produces and transfer more amount melanin pigment to the upper layer of skin. Thereby it creates a protective layer from the Sun/UV rays.

But in vitiligo melanin pigment is lost resulting into uneven discoloration of skin. Therefore, for treating vitiligo and other hypopigmentary disorders, it is important to use any product that will absorb the sun exposure and induce the pigmentogenesis process and at the same time, it will also protect the vitiligenous skin from over sun exposure. As over sun exposure to the depigmented skin can be harmful.

Natural resources that can help you out for treating vitiligo:

The plant Psoralea corylifolia (Babchi) contains the active constituent Psoralen which entraps and enhances the benefit of the Sun/UV rays when mild exposure is given. It makes the skin sensitive to sunlight. Sunlight being entrapped by psoralen kindles the genetic memory of the damaged melanocytes resulting into melanin production.

On the other hand, Piperine in Piper longum promotes melanocyte multiplication and transfers melanin pigment to the upper layer of skin; whereas Wrightia tinctoria augments healing properties of skin and Indigofera tinctoria works as anti-oxidant and retards the damage of skin cells due to free radicals.

Various herbal ointments with all or any of these herbs also provide sun protection other than inducing melanin production and thus they can be the best drug of choice for treating hypopigmentary disorders and vitiligo.

But do always consult with your doctor to choose the right treatment product for your problem.

Your body needs vitamins in order to take care of specific problems like cell damage repair and regulate other metabolic functions. Vitamins could regenerate, rejuvenate and enrich the human physiology in one or other ways.

Vitamin A slows the normal aging breakdown of your collagen and elastin in the dermis,exfoliates making skin smooth and even-toned and repairs the cellular structure of the epidermis optimising UV protection.

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, regulates skin cell multiplication and differentiation.

B-Complex Vitamins counteract damage caused by free-radicals – molecules that breakdown healthy cells and contribute to ageing and disease. B complex Vitamins also helps in less dryness and flakiness and a reduction of fine lines on the skin.

Vitamin E also has basic antioxidant properties that block free radicals and reduce wrinkles and keep the skin youthful-looking.

Although an excess of vitamin and improper intake can also lead to adverse effects, the right type and the appropriate amount of Vitamins could help you maintain the health of your hair, skin and other vital organs.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder of skin in which

• The skin pigment, melanin is lost
• Skin cells further fail to produce melanin
• The already produced pigment does not get transferred to the upper layer of skin

Therefore, skin loses its natural colour and white patches are formed which are progressive in nature.

How to treat vitiligo condition?

Various products that give the following benefits are majorly used for treating vitiligo or hypopigmentary disorders of skin:

• Increases in melanin synthesis by skin cells
• Helps in the transfer of melanin from basal layer to the upper layer of skin
• And also induces the functionality of the required enzyme, tyrosinase

These functions are further enhanced by the sun therapy or PUVA therapy. But, due to lack of melanin, the vitiligenous skin becomes very sensitive to the sun exposure. Hence it needs to be protected from the sun damage.

Verdura mela gain cream- what and why

Verdura mela gain cream gives all the above mentioned benefits and helps in the management of vitiligo condition.

It also contains Psoralea corylifolia (natural source of Psoralen) that entraps and boosts the sun therapy and the sun screeners such as Bentonite, Calamine, Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide that are present in it, give required protection to the skin from over exposure.

Clinical proof for efficacy of Verdura mela gain cream

A clinical study was done on 26 volunteers with cream with and without sun screeners and with and without sun exposure.

The findings of the study suggest that the herbal actives of the cream induce melanin production, irrespective of sun exposure. Simultaneously, the sunscreeners minimize the solar vulnerability of the skin.

Hence, with these proven complimentary benefits from contradicting agents, Verdura mela gain cream can be the best product of choice for vitiligo treatment.

Ordinary soaps can quite often be harsh on the skin and cause irritation – particularly when your skin is dry and scaly.

Irritation potential of soap/ bathing bar is evaluated scientifically by Collagen swell test. A mild and non irritant soap should pass the Collagen swell test.

Choose VERDURA skin fresh intense moisturizer bar enriched with almond oil, wheat germ oil and avocado oil – an ideal bathing bar for your delicate, dry skin that helps in the exfoliation of scales and intensely moisturizes the skin and what more….

VERDURA skin fresh intense moisturizer bar has passed the collagen swell test. It is mild and non-irritant and safe for regular use.

Collagen swell test

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen swells when it damages. The extent of swelling is directly proportional to the gentleness of the product.

The graph given below scientifically proves that verdura skin fresh intense moisturiser bar is gentle on the skin and does not cause any skin irritation as collagen swelling is minimal compared to SLS which swells collagen to the maximum. It has no effect on collagen protein.

It gives increased humectancy and offers skin protection through its rich ingredients. It is very helpful for psoriatic skin, atopic dermatitis and dry skin.

While too much of the sun rays can be harmful to your skin, the right balance can have lots of positive effects on our body. According to the World Health Organization, sun exposure can treat several auto immune disorders.

Moderate amount of sun exposure

• Slows down the rapid rate of skin cell multiplication (scaling) and skin cell shedding in psoriasis.
• Kindles genetic memory of pigment cells of the skin to produce melanin in vitiligo.
• Produces vitamin D in the body which improves brain function
• Helps in healing eczema and fungal infections
• Sun exposure improves the production of blood cells in the body which helps develop resistance to diseases in the body and thus boosts the immunity.

Over exposure to sun can cause

• Sunburn
• Wrinkle formation
• Skin damage
• Photo Ageing of skin
• Skin cancer.

It is important to take adequate precaution.

The best way to get the benefits and stay away from the ill effects of sun is to always apply a sunscreen compulsorily whenever we go outdoors.