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2
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OILY SKIN
SYMPTOMS—Excessively oily skin.
CAUSES—The sebaceous glands, which secrete oil onto the skin, produce more oil than they should. The excess oil clogs pores. Heredity is a major cause, but diet and hormones affect it. Oil gland secretions can be increased by stress, hormonal activity changes, hot weather, pregnancy, or taking certain types of birth control pills.
The forehead, nose, chin, and upper back tend to have more sebaceous glands; hence can be the sites of the most problems. Oily skin is most common among teenagers.
TREATMENT—
• Keep your skin clean. Beware of certain cosmetics; they aggravate a problem which might not otherwise exist.
• Wash twice a day with soap; it was made to remove oil. Hot soapy water is even better. Ivory soap is a more drying soap than many others. Scrub the skin with soap and water.
• Some people put mud masks on to remove oil.
• Avoid smoking; it increases the size of your skin pores and weakens the skin generally.
Fortunately, oily skin tends to age better than dry skin, producing less wrinkles. So count yourself fortunate in one way.
ENCOURAGEMENT—God cares for our necessities, and His love and grace are continually flowing, to satisfy our needs. In His care, we may safely rest.
PRICKLY HEAT
SYMPTOMS—Skin feels hot and prickly.
CAUSES—Hot weather, dry skin, sweaty skin.
TREATMENT—
• Wash with mild soap, twice a day; apply apple cider vinegar (½ tsp. in glass of water) after the bath. Take vitamin C orally (1,000 mg or more).
ENCOURAGEMENT—Too often we grieve our kind heavenly Father by our unbelief. If we will but trust His guiding hand, all our difficulties will work to our best good.
HEAT RASH
SYMPTOMS—An itchy skin rash which can occur in the heat of mid-summer.
CAUSES—As a result of poor diet, overwork, and lack of proper rest, the skin has become too acid.
TREATMENT—
• Take a soda alkaline bath. This helps counteract acidity in the rash. Fill a bathtub with water at 95o-98o F. Add a cup of baking soda. Sit in the tub and continually pour the water over yourself. About 30-60 minutes later, stand in the tub and partially drip-dry. Then pat yourself dry and get out.
• Eat a more nutritious diet, obtain adequate rest, avoid meat and junk food. Do not smoke or drink liquor.
ENCOURAGEMENT—God loves His children, and He longs to see them overcoming the discouragement with which Satan would overpower them. Do not give way to unbelief. Remember the love and power that God has shown in times past.
SUNBURN
SYMPTOMS—First degree sunburns cause reddening of the skin and possibly slight fever. Second degree sunburns makes reddening and water blisters. Third degree sunburns produces damage to lower cells and the release of fluid, resulting in eruptions and skin breaks where bacteria and infection can enter.
CAUSES—There has been excessive exposure to ultraviolet light rays. They first burn the surface skin and, later, the lower cell layers. Ultraviolet rays can penetrate clouds, so be careful even on hazy days.
PREVENTION—Do not expose yourself to the sun for extended periods of time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the highest concentration of ultraviolet rays are present. Reflections from snow water, metal, sand, or white- and aluminum-painted surfaces can intensify the effect.
Apply a sunscreen about 30 minutes before going out. Protect your lips, hands, ears, and the back of the neck. Reapply as needed after swimming and sweating. Get a tan gradually, beginning with only a few minutes (never over 15). Wear protective clothing whenever possible. Keep a hat with you, and use it. Long sleeves help.
TREATMENT—
• A third degree sunburn is serious; see a doctor. Water applications help. Keep the muscles flexible. A strong sunburn can cause underlying muscles to contract somewhat.
• For both second and third degree burns, be sure to eat high-protein foods. A lot of tissue needs to be repaired; your body is hard at work. Drink a lot of fluids.
• Put cold water on the burn. Let him lay in a cool bath.
• Mix a cup of skim milk with 4 cups water and add a few ice cubes; every few hours, apply compresses for 15-20 minutes.
• Place dry oatmeal in a bag, run cool water through it, and save the water. Throw away the contents of the bag, and use the water in compresses. Apply every 2-4 hours.
• Here are other suggestions: Clay poultices can be used. Massage aloe vera on the area. Do not apply any product which has alcohol, mineral oil, coloring, or waxes in it. Moisten a cloth with witch hazel, and apply often for temporary relief; for small areas, apply with cotton balls. Apply plain yogurt to the area. Make a paste of cornstarch and water, and apply it. An ice pack can help reduce pain. Get lots of sleep.
• If the legs are burned, elevate them above the heart level.
• That skin area will be delicate for 3-6 months, so be careful.
ENCOURAGEMENT—God helps the feeble and strengthens those who have no strength. The Lord is thy shade upon the right hand and upon the left. Trusting in Him, you will be safe.
ROSACEA
SYMPTOMS—A reddening of the skin, generally on the forehead, nose, cheekbones, and chin. Pustules may appear on the nose, and are tender. The skin may thicken. Groups of small blood vessels, close to the surface, become enlarged, resulting in blotchy red areas with small bumps. Pimples may accompany the problem. The rosacea may disappear, or become permanent. Blackheads or whiteheads are rarely present.
It often begins with a frequent flushing, or reddening, of the face. This is most often seen on the nose and cheeks. A burning, or grittiness, in the eyes may be felt.
CAUSE—Rosacea, which usually begins in the 40s, is a skin disorder which can become chronic. It is important that you try to eliminate the underlying causes, which are closely related to a wrong diet and way of life.
People who flush easily are more likely to develop this problem. White women between 30-50 have it the most. When men have it, the appearance of the face is worse, often accompanied by a roughened, enlarged nose (rhinophyma).
TREATMENT—
• Alcohol, stress, excessive heat or cold, sunlight, hot liquids, or spicy food may trigger a reaction. It is believed that a B complex deficiency is involved, along with a poor diet, resulting from too much junk food. Alcoholics, who perennially lack in B vitamins and good food, often have reddened faces. Avoid commercial skin creams, etc.
• Once or twice a month, go on a short fast, to clean out the body. Eat nourishing food. Do not drink hot liquids.
ENCOURAGEMENT—Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ—what a wonderful hope is set before us! May we prove faithful every day. As we cling to Christ and, by His enabling grace, obey His Ten Commandment law, we will rejoice in His light.
ENLARGED PORES
SYMPTOMS—Unsightly larger pores in the face and on the skin, which gives an appearance of premature aging.
CAUSE—Using nicotine in any form.
TREATMENT—
• Stop believing those ads which show beautiful people smoking. They only want to get your money.
• After quitting all tobacco products, get on a good nutritional, exercise, and rest program. Take vitamin-mineral supplements. Do not drink soft drinks or eat sugar, chocolate, potato chips, or other junk foods.
ENCOURAGEMENT—All who enter into a covenant with Jesus Christ become, by adoption, the children of God. They are cleansed from sin, as they submit to His rule and obey His Word. Ever trust Him.
WRINKLES
SYMPTOMS—Wrinkles on the face. The skin tells what is inside. If you have healthful, youthful, skin, it is a good sign of a healthy body inside.
CAUSE—The skin loses its elasticity and suppleness. It becomes thinner and dryer. With age, wrinkles are inevitable. But there are ways to avoid getting them earlier than necessary.
PREVENTION—
• Stay out of the sun. Avoid tanning booths; they produce the same wrinkling as the sun. Wear a hat when out in the sunlight.
• Eat carefully of good food. Exercise, drink enough fluids, and get adequate sleep. Pressing your face against a pillow adds more wrinkles. Do not scrunch up your face when you talk; that makes new wrinkle patterns.
• Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Tobacco dramatically ages the skin! Smoking makes a 25-year-old woman look like a 35-year-old! Smoking also decreases blood supply to the face and skin.
• Dampen the skin and then apply a little vegetable oil, to lubricate it. That will help put water and oil into your skin cells.
• Massage your face as the Orientals do. That tends to exercise the skin and facial muscles and strengthen them.
Now, don't laugh, and I will give you more suggestions:
• To soften and nourish your skin, mash half an avocado and put it on your face. Leave it there until it dries, and then wipe it off with water. Avocado has essential oils.
• To reduce puffiness under your eyes, place cool slices of cucumber over them for 10 minutes.
• To tighten and refine skin pores, whip an egg white and apply it to your face. After 15-20 minutes (if you can still breathe), rinse it off with water.
• To remove dead surface skin cells and improve skin texture, Japanese women gently rub a small handful of dry short-grain rice against their faces.
• To cleanse the pores, rub mashed tomato over your face.
ENCOURAGEMENT—Only to those who receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour are given the power to become sons and daughters of God. By ourselves, we cannot overcome sin; but, in the strength of Christ we can be overcomers.
NIGHT SWEATS (Hyperhidrosis)
SYMPTOMS—Sweating during sleeping hours which seems abnormal. The sweating may begin all at once.
CAUSES—There may be a lack of air in the sleeping room. The body may be eliminating toxins and needs help. You may have a thyroid problem.
TREATMENT—
• Not enough air in a room can cause you to break out in an abnormal sweat. Make sure a current of air flows through your bed chamber when you are sleeping. It does not have to be much, but you need a slight amount of moving fresh air. In some instances, there may be enough air in the room; but, when you breathe out air, it tends to remain in a hollow formed by the bedding. If necessary, breathe through your mouth. If you find that your brain quickly feels better when you do this, then that is a significant way to solve your problem.
• If you are not living right and eating right, then the sweating can be the result of a toxic overload.
• Avoid meat, salt, tobacco, and junk food. Drink 2 oz. of green drink (whizzed up greens in pineapple or apple juice) every day. Do not eat closer than four hours before bedtime. Fast one day a week on distilled water or fruit and vegetable juices.
• Take Epsom salt (2 cups) baths every night, and hot/cold showers in the morning. After the night sweats are past, take 10-minute cool baths in the morning, to tone the system.
• An alternative is to take a hot salt water sponge before retiring. Use 2 tbsp. salt per quart of water. A hot bath followed by a salt glow is also good.
• You may have hot flashes, caused by irregular thyroid activity.
ENCOURAGEMENT—Christ alone has power to cleanse the heart. He alone can make you a child of God. He can transform your life and bring you peace and happiness in the midst of every trial.
BODY ODOR (Bromhidrosis)
SYMPTOMS—The secretion of foul-smelling perspiration.
CAUSES AND TREATMENT—
• A lack of soap and water applications causes the sweat to accumulate. Wash your body more often, especially in the axial areas (under arms and groin), and change underwear daily. Make sure your clothes are clean. Choose natural fabrics; cotton and wool enable the absorbed sweat to evaporate from the body.
• Foot odors can be caused either by not changing the socks often enough or by wearing rubber or plastic shoes. They will make your feet smell like an old rubber tire. The problem may be the shoes, not your feet. Many people today wear such shoes, since they are so much less expensive than leather ones.
• Body odors can also be caused by an excess of toxins in the body which it is trying to eliminate. Are you eating too much or eating the wrong foods? Are you staying up late at night, drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes? Apply a wet sheet pack overnight. It will help pull the toxins out of a heavy meat eater. By morning, the sheet will be stained by the eliminated poisons. Fast one day a week on juice or vegetable juices, or a water fast. Epsom salt baths help the body eliminate toxins. Repeat daily for one week, and then reduce to once a week.
• Not eating enough unsaturated fatty acids (quality vegetable oils) or not getting enough zinc can also produce body odor.
• Take a tip from hunters who wash with pine soap, so their odor will not be detected by wildlife. Another is old-fashioned glycerine soap.
• Another cause of body odor is excessive sexual activity.
• Pouring tomato juice on a dog to de-skunk him has been done for generations. Some have found that they can pour some tomato juice in a tub of water, sit in it for a time, shower off and get out—and they also smell fine!
ENCOURAGEMENT—The promise of sonship is made to all who believe on His name. Everyone who comes to Jesus, in faith, will receive pardon and power to obey.
SKIN RASH
SYMPTOMS—Reddening of various kinds on the skin, with possible bumps, scaling, and thickening.
CAUSES—In our modern world, skin rashes can have many causes, including reactions to chemicals, sun, wind, insect bites, alcohol, detergents, and friction.
Skin rashes in children are often caused by food rashes from chocolate, peanuts, dairy products, wheat, eggs, or meat. It has been estimated that 75% of children's skin rashes are caused by sensitivity to eggs, peanuts, or milk.
TREATMENT—
• Quick relief from many rashes may be obtained by soaking a clean cloth in cool water, wringing it out, and applying it to the area for 10 minutes. Repeat as often as needed.
• Better yet, soak the cloth in comfrey tea or in calcium water. To make calcium water, take a spoonful of calcium gluconate powder (obtainable at a health food store) and stir it into a cup of water.
• A wash of chamomile tea helps reduce rashes. A poultice made from dandelion, yellow dock root, and chaparral helps alleviate many of them.
ENCOURAGEMENT—When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ. Just as Christ resisted sin, so, in Christ's strength, you and I can resist temptation to wrongdoing.
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