4 Types of Hyperpigmentation

As aggravating as hyperpigmentation can be, understanding why it’s happening and how you can stop it (yes, it can be done) is rule number-one on the path to clear, even skin. The experts at NaturalOrganicBody researched all the types of hyper pigmentation and found what works to stop it. Everything from Skin Care, Cosmetics to Hair Products.

1. Melasma
Color: Light to medium brown
Where It Occurs: On the cheeks, sides of the face, upper part of the nose, forehead and above the lip
What It Looks Like: Splotchy patches that are inconsistent in shape and size
Caused By: A surge in hormones usually from pregnancy or birth control coupled with sun exposure
Treat It With: Hydroquinone and Retin-A; salicylic, lactic or glycolic acid peels; Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) plus vitamin C; or Cosmelan. (Melasma is hard to treat because of its potential to recur.)

2. Sunspots (aka Age or Liver Spots)
Color: Light to dark brown
Where It Occurs: On the face, chest and hands
What It Looks Like: Small, flat, dark spots
Caused By: The sun
Treat It With: Retinol + IPL; Fractional laser resurfacing

3. Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Color: Pink, red or brown
Where It Occurs: Anywhere on the face
What It Looks Like: Flat spots
Caused By: Inflammatory acne
Treat It With: Light salicylic acid wipes or chemical peels red and blue light (if there is active acne)

4. Freckles
Color: Light to dark brown or even red or black
Where It Occurs: On the face, chest and arms
What It Looks Like: Concentrated small spots
Caused By: The sun
Treat It With: Fraxel, Nd: YAG laser

Stop Irritation, Redness, Super Dry Flacky Skin!

Help Your Skin... and Manage Eczema at the Same Time

Certain skin conditions are problematic enough all by themselves. With no known cause, eczema can often be among the worst and most embarrassing. Most types of eczema are consistent with dry, red, irritated, and inflamed skin. It can appear in babies, children, and adults alike, ranging in mild to severe cases.

With the proper product and skin care, eczema can be managed and lived with. Lifestyle changes, such as the use of medication and specialty products, is often required to treat this type of skin condition.

NaturalOrganicBody.com offers products that help reduce the effects of eczema by preventing itching, inflammation, and the condition from worsening. One such product is called Organic Evening Primose Soothing Moisturizing Lotion. It is a daily skin cream that reduces skin hypersensitivity and irritation while controlling skin inflammation response. It also relieves itching, restores the skin’s barrier, and is super hydrating preventing moisture loss.

Another product recommended by NaturalOrganicBody.com's personal esthetician is Lumessence Lift Firming Renewal Cream w/CoQ10. It is a preservative-free formula that keeps skin comfortable and hydrated while soothing irritation, redness, and flaking. It is ideal for the most sensitive skin types as it promotes healing and comfort.

Finally there is White Camellia Oil Soothing Emollient, an anti-irritant emollient replenishing skin & body oil, which helps to sooth severely dry and irritated skin while repairing the skin’s lipid barrier. This oil is fragrance and paraben free.

What to Eat to Avoid Breakouts & Wrinkles & Rosacea

THE 4 BIGGEST SKINCARE CONCERNS... 
           AND WHAT YOU CAN EAT TO AVOID THEM!!!

1. PREVENT BREAKOUTS - 

What to Eat: Plenty of adults get pimples.  So try eating bright red and orange fruits and vegetables. They have beta carotene which your body converts to oil, reducing Vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables contain Vitamin B6 which minimize swelling, so pimples are reduced.

The best natural defense: Nuts and seeds, which are packed with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that calm systemic and facial inflammation and therefore reduce the frequency and severity of outbreaks.  
Anti-pimple dose: A one-ounce serving per day of almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds.
Peanut allergy?... try algae-sourced omega-3s and food-grade coconut oil for antioxidants. Note that those with a severe preexisting allergy should consult their doctors before introducing any new substance.

What to Avoid: Iodine rich salt, shrimp and seaweed stimulate oil glands, inducing irritation of pores.

 ****HOW TO ADD COLOR AND MOISTURE TO SKIN

Eat Vitamins: 

For great skin, be sure to consume enough of vitamins A, D, and E and the mineral zinc.            

Foods high in vitamin A -  sweet potatoes, carrots and dark, leafy greens.                    

Foods high in vitamin D -  salmon, mushrooms and fortified milk.                                          

Foods high in vitamin E - sunflower seeds, almonds & peanuts.                                           

Foods high in zinc - oysters, low-fat roast beef and lentils.                                                      

Also, colorful fruits and vegetables are filled with carotenoids, organic pigments that can add color to your skin, giving you a literally healthy glow. 

2. FOR STRESS INDUCED WRINKLES -

What to Eat: Fruits rich in color like Berries have Vitamin C to help promote anti aging. Also rich with skin firming collagen and antioxidants.

Orange seafood like Salmon and Lobster contain Astaxanthin, another potent anti-oxidant stronger than Vitamin  C & E.

What to Avoid: Too much sugar! we must balance sugar intake because too much sugar can affect the skin by binding collagen and elastin fibers. This breaks down skin's elasticity, resulting in sagging skin.

CHICKEN SOUP—THE WRINKLE POTION

Make chicken soup with a quartered chicken (skin, bones and all) onion, celery, carrots and a bay leaf for two hours in enough water to cover the contents.

Remove chicken and vegetables-you’ll be left with a broth rich in hyaluronic acid (HA)—the same substance that we make in our own bodies that provides skin with fullness, volume and plumpness. As we grow older, our bodies produce less HA, which causes our skin to wrinkle and sag, so consuming extra HA may help. Organic and free-range chickens tend to produce more HA than traditionally-raised chickens because their diets are healthier and they’re allowed to exercise more. 

3. MOISTURIZE DRY SKIN -

What to Eat: Drink lots of water and eat  foods with good fats (which will help to keep cell walls strong and prevent water loss) like avocado and olive oil as well as citrus and kiwi (the potassium they contain regulates the body’s water levels). 

Cabbage has sulfur which can help to prevent dry, irritated skin.

What to Avoid: Drinks like coffee and black tea dehydrate your internal tissues and skin. Most fried foods contain trans fats and hydrogenated oils which can often deplete levels of good fats and can lead to dry skin. 

4. RELIEF FOR OILY SKIN, ECZEMA, PSORIASIS & ROSACEA

The skin problems listed above are sometimes signs of poor digestive health. One key to healthy digestion is making sure there’s enough “good” bacteria in your gut. 

Eat a healthful diet—whole foods, not processed—because that creates the best environment for healthful bacteria. But probiotics contained in foods, such as yogurts, don’t build up as well as those found in supplements. Taking a supplement containing both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which may help restore a proper balance of bacteria in your intestine…and lead to healthier, better-feeling, better-looking skin.

What to Eat: A symptom of inflammation in the body, chronic rosacea often controlled by topical medication can also be managed by eating calming foods such as fish, cucumbers and licorice.  Turmeric seasoning, which gives curried dishes their marigold hue, is high in Curcumin, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. 

What to Avoid: Hot foods (in temperature and spiciness) and alcohol and caffeine make blood vessels swell so skin appears redder. Niacin rich peanuts can also increase flushing.