In an effort to avoid dry skin, for comfort and health reasons, I have attempted some wonderful remedies. N, has problems with dry skin on his checks, and legs. We have have had much success with some natural salves made of honey and fat supplementation.
Fat supplementation you say?
Yup! Dry skin, more times than not, is a nutritional problem exacerbated by environmental conditions. (remember, we are talking about dry skin, not eczema, a totally different issue all together.) One of the leading causes of dry skin is a lack of fat in the diet. In N's case there certainly isn't a lack of "fat" in his diet, but there is a lack of certain types of fats in his diet.
All fats aren't created equal, while they all serve their biochemical purposes, for different problems, different fats are needed. N because he is developing, eats lots of saturated fat, and unsaturated fatty acids, in butter, coconut oil, and olive oil. We also knew of the importance of supplementing omega-3's into his diet, and this is where the fat train gets complicated.
There is no one fix solution for all here! Many recommend Cod Liver Oil (including myself) for various healthful solutions, but that doesn't mean that everyone can take it, should take it, or can biochemically speaking assimilate it into their system. N, was the perfect case study for this.
We bought an awesome, highly recommend cod liver oil brand. The whole family was taking it, including N. After a month on the supplement there was no change in his skin. (dietary oil increases or supplementation, usually take a month to manifest changes in skin quality.) In the meantime we had a visit to our beloved AK Doctor down in NJ. We brought in the Cod Liver Oil, and were very surprised to learn, that N's system wasn't recognizing it. (meaning in a simple way he wasn't processing the food as an omega-3, or he had a sensitivity issue with it.)
I was shocked. I always knew we could be sensitive to fruits, veggies, meats, and grains, I never knew one could have a sensitivity to an oil. So, we proceeded to test him with 12 other variety of omega-3 substitutes, and to my shock, only one of them worked....Standard Process Tuna Omega Supplements. So, we made the switch, after a month on the supplement we are seeing results, and I am needing little to no honey salves for his checks and legs.
Moral of the story. Increasing Omega-3 fats in the diet will help the skin repair the fatty layer and oil secretions to limit dryness. As far as what Omega-3 supplement you should use, it is best to talk to a Doctor, Homeopath, Ak, etc for specific system checking, but I will list possible sources of Omega-3's if you would just rather experiment just remember you need a month trial to see if it is working!
Flax seeds and oil.
- The Flax oils can be added to homemade dressings (by the tablespoon, you don't replace all of your oil with it, that would be nasty!), or nut butters or taken as a supplement by the tsp or tbsp. Keep in mind it needs to be cold pressed, never exposed to heat and refrigerated at all times. It goes Rancid or bad very very quickly. Flax seeds, home ground can also be added to porridge or other like mixtures, just be sure they are ground up by you! Flax seed meal, which can be purchased is more times than not rancid. Once you home grind, be sure to store in the fridge in a dark container.
Fish oils and Cod Liver Oils
- In this category, you will find tons of options. I really like Standard Process Supplements, and they are highly recommended by health care professionals. If you opt to go to your local health food store or online, you really want to make sure your supps are free of mercury or other contaminants, and cold processed. Pharmaceutical brands (Standard process, Thorne, or Nutriwest) also have options available. For Brand recommendations for Cod Liver Oils click here.
Anything with omega-3 is an unstable fat, meaning it has a high likely hood of rancidity.
Flax seed oils are more easily assimilated in a females system than a males, and fish oils are better assimilated than fish oil capsules, just as an FYI.
Bottom line, it is the winter, and everyone from time to time is going to have issues with dry skin. You can use just basic Olive oil on your body (or coconut oil) and almond oil on your face as it is lighter and absorbs more easily. Just remember your skin is your largest organ, don't put anything on it, you wouldn't eat!
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