Skin Enhancement and Anti-Aging by Donna F. Smith, C.C.N., C.N.

The Skin

     The skin is the largest organ in and around your body. The skin makes up approximately 80-90% of your body weight and personality. Your skin has trillions of cells which are being replaced every second by the millions. This replacement enables you to keep your youthful look and prevent the aging process. Each cell is made up of memory, intelligence, and energy governed by the nutritional chemistry of DNA and RNA. This, along with hemoglobin, the nutritional part of your blood that makes skin glow, makes up the chemistry that keeps your original, youthful design and separate male and female personality features and characteristics.
     The heart provides the electrical stimulus to propel the RNA, DNA and hemoglobin along with 4300 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels every 24 hours. This electrical stimulus serves as the means by which the nutritional chemistry that maintains and keeps the design of the skin is distributed throughout the body. The nutritional components also keep the skin breathing with an ultimate reward of youth and rejuvenation. It is the nutritional chemistry and/or electricity that propels these cells into their constant position of firmness, design and personality. When the chemistry and/or electricity comes in short supply or intensity, the body begins to cannibalize itself by robbing one area in order to give to another. In this manner the body tries to keep homeostasis, the equilibrium of subsystems. Malnutrition is the catalyst for cannibalization.
     The skin bathes in hemoglobin. When the skin, the warehouse of nutrition, is not kept at peak performance, it begins to crumble due to a loss of resistance, immunity, color and ultimately the youthful design, shape and appearance. This is replaced with multiple syndromes of skin infections, inflammations and abnormal cell growth. Abnormal external factors begin to show blemishes, wrinkles, lines, crow's feet, lumps, welts, rashes, itching, cysts, moles, warts, fever, cold sores, alligator skin, age spots, dry, rough, chaffed, blotchy, freckled skin, flushing, acne, shingles, ulcers, psoriasis, blackheads, furrows, pustules, eczema, dermatitis, urticaria (hives), flaky or scaly skin, bruise easily, blisters and patches of various discoloration of gray, black, purple, and white skin.

The Biochemistry of The Skin

     Much of the aging process is caused by shaving, bathing, scratching, heat, cold, invaders of bacteria, and malnutrition, which causes the wrapper or skin parchment to become paper-thin or transparent tissue that is no longer elastic or can avoid any overexposure. Finally, the turbulence of overexposure and malnutrition grows so great that the protective wrapper (skin) can no longer maintain its organization or structure. You notice this in the malnourished elderly, their skin is so transparent and extremely thin in its outer layer. Maintaining skin nutrition is the key to preventing this aging skin process. In my clinical nutrition practice, I rarely find a new client/patient over 35 years old who is not malnourished, and I am finding this more and more in our youth.

     Here are some facts about the body which may surprise you:

     People do not grow old; they become old when their cells stop regenerating themselves.

     The key organs and glands that promote healthy skin are the liver, heart/blood, and hormones. In relationship to the skin, below I will explain the effects of environmental pollution (chemicals and germs). My four-part article series on Fibromyalgia, written for the Internet Magazine Natural Health World, provides vital information and understanding on parasites (germs, bugs, etc.) and their effect on the health and well-being of the body, which includes the skin. Knowing this information is vital to promoting healthy, vibrant skin. (For a free copy all four articles on Fibromyalgia, go to www.naturalhealthworld.com and click on ARTICLES or request a copy of each through wsnqas@aol.com.)
     A toxic liver pollutes the blood and then the blood pollutes the cells. When your body is exposed to environmental pollution, the liver, kidneys and lymphatic systems of the body have been designed to deal with these toxins and move them out of the body. However, if your body cannot move them out, then the poisons are recirculated and eventually stored in the fat and brain cells. This promotes obesity and the various mental dysfunctions, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, memory loss, in addition to premature aging.
     The U.S. population is increasing in obesity and mental dysfunction today. My clinical experience has been that one of the major causes is a toxic liver. We hear more about liver cancer today than any other time in history. In my clinical nutrition practice, I have yet to find a new client/patient who does not have imbalanced liver enzymes, indicating a toxic, congested and swollen liver. Think of the liver like the filter on your automobile. If the filter was never changed, the oil would become overloaded with dirt, grime, and pollution, which results in dirty, contaminated oil circulating through the engine. In time, the engine would malfunction and the car would stops.
     Similarly, if your liver, the blood's filtering system, is toxic, instead of filtering the poisons and toxins in the blood and removing them from the body, these toxins remain in the blood and get circulated through the body and deposited into the cells and tissue, primarily the fat and brain tissue. The cells, then, cannot regenerate and begin to die for lack of oxygen, water and nutrients. The aging process is accelerated. Signs of this happening internally is seen externally through the skin as wrinkles, dry, scaly, infectious skin, etc. The longer this process continues, the more malnourished the cells become. The long-term effects can again be seen in transparent, gray, lifeless, odorous, thin skin.
     Therefore, if healthy vibrant skin is your goal, you must not work purely from the outside to feed and nourish the skin, you must also work from the inside - this means correcting nutritional deficiencies to prevent malnourishment and detoxify the liver and blood to prevent environmental pollution from inhibiting skin regeneration.
     A clinical nutrition analysis of your blood can provide the information you need regarding how toxic your liver and blood is. With this information and after following a clinical nutrition program, you can detoxify your liver and blood and correct nutritional deficiencies. Your health and your skin will improve. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the skin of my clients/patients becomes through the process of healing their body through improved nutritional biochemistry.
     One important note is that the body heals from the inside out, so the internal biochemistry must become balanced and nourished before you will see lasting, positive effects on the skin. However, while working internally, you can speed up this process by also nourishing your skin as well. It is important to nourish the skin externally with non-toxic, nutrient-rich skin care products formulated using herbs, unsaturated oils, foods and other natural ingredients.

Our Skin and The Environment

     The nails and hair are an extension of the personality of the skin. The hair, scalp and nails are sensors that test the environment and warn the organ system of the skin of potential disaster. When healthy, the system is always ready, through the intelligence of the cells, to prevent disaster.
     Our bodies are full of invasive disasters from our environment. These include chemicals, pesticides, bugs, viruses, poisons, diseases, allergens, etc. Unfortunately, they often destroy the natural chemistry of our blood and lymphatic systems. Without these systems functioning at peak levels, the natural design, color and beauty of our skin is in danger.
     Many homes, offices, automobiles, and recreational vehicles are combustion chambers full of body chemicals, allergies, odors, household germs, mold, mildew, plant pollens, bugs, flies, spiders, ants, etc. These are dangerous to the health and beauty of people, pets and domestic animals. Floating chemicals and poisons from people, pets, birds and sometimes sick plants, make every member of their household sick.
     To secure a healthy environment, the desired natural procedure is to practice prevention by neutralizing the entire area members of the household live. This includes the office, cars and recreational vehicles. Spray the carpet, lower parts of drapes, kitty litter box, bathroom fixtures, etc., once per day for 10 days, then always once per week with Amway Pursue Germicidal foam cleaner. This thoroughly disinfects and neutralizes the once sick house and/or other properties. It allows the household to have clean, healthy, allergy-free air so the people's bodies can effectively breathe through their skin. The skin's glow will then be restored and invigorated by hemoglobin that will awaken sick cells to youthful life.

Health and Beauty Aides To Enhance Our Skin's Immune System

     Read your labels thoroughly before applying anything on your skin. Not only do preservatives, colorings, dyes and other additives harm your skin, whatever is applied to the skin permeates through to the organs and glands of the body and pollutes your body systems as well. The labels on personal care products should read like the labels on the containers of food you eat. I use and recommend Arbonne International, Swedish-formulated skin and hair care products.
     Another option is to make your own skin care products. I teach Natural Beauty Sessions, where I share recipes using foods and herbs to make your own skin creme, astringents, hair rinse, relaxing and rejuvenating herbal baths, etc. (If you would like to order the Natural Beauty materials and recipes from this session, go to the Order Form

Self-Designed Programs in www.womensportsnutrition.com.).

     Our experience has been to keep the skin healthy, resilient, lubricated, shiny, firm, soft, cosmetically glowing, and tan. To maintain this appearance, rub the skin, hair, nails and orifices of the body, this includes bottoms of the feet, behind the knees, the sex organs, anus, arm pits, lips, nose, closed eyes, ears and buttocks, several times a week at bedtime, with natural skin emollient hand, feet and body lotions, such as available through Arbonne, plus Naturade Aloe Vera 80 from health food stores.

According to Dr. Dick Versendaal, Naturade Aloe Vera 80 enhances the immune system, brings color and tan to the skin, rushes new nutritional chemistry to sick cells, brings hemoglobin and collagen for the lubrication of damaged cells. It will reduce swelling which is often seen in the very sick. It also keeps the skin more electrical so it can fend off environmental changes, stresses and infections for which the body, at the moment, has no tolerance. This treatment often brings back original color or colors that glow and are soft. An excellent way to obtain a suntan, safely and quickly, is by treating or rubbing the entire body before sun tanning. This treatment if used daily can assist in preventing yeast, fungus and mildew on the skin. Target the feet, especially the bottoms, the body orifices, and anywhere the skin is discolored or very sick. Athlete's feet is caused by fungus, yeast and mold on the skin.

Vicks® VaporRub Cream

For those with areas of fever blisters, itching, alligator skin, flaky, scaly or burned skin, use this safe, nontoxic grease less Vicks® VaporRub Cream in a tube. Rub this on the affected skin for lubrication and relief of fever, one or more times per day, until the skin syndrome has abated. This cream is excellent for sunburns, and it most often prevents peeling.
     An Additional Note: The internal cause of nail fungus and athlete's feet is a yeast imbalance. I have found Vicks® VaporRub Cream to work 99% of the time for those who have nail fungus and athlete's feet, when addressing this problem internally as well.

Dermal-K Clarifying Cream

     An excellent cream for spider veins. With daily use after showering, you will soon see the difference. It is not effective for severe varicose veins, however, daily use may prevent them if you don't already have them or prevent others from appearing elsewhere on the body. If you are unable to find this cream locally, contact me through wsnqas@aol.com.

For Suntanning

     Before you go sunbathing, rub the entire area targeted for tanning with Vicks® VaporRub Cream. Then cover that with your favorite suntan lotion or Naturade Aloe Vera 80. Then cover you're the exposed areas with Arbonne Sunscreen. This procedure enhances the tan, prevents burns, and gives the skin a shining glow. For those who lie in the sun for more than an hour, for skin protection, repeat this treatment during and after sunbathing. If you use any products other than those listed here, read your labels closely and chose only those products made of natural ingredients.

     Again, I remind you of the importance of cleansing and nourishing your skin internally, as well as externally. Truly beautiful and youthful-looking skin requires both.

Clinical Nutrition Skin Support Programs

     Clinical nutrition skin support programs are available specifically to help people with the following skin problems: acne, pustules, blackhead removal, cold sores/herpes symplex, shingles, cradle cap for babies, dandruff, puffy eyelids, bright red face, facial hair, fever blisters, fungus, athlete's feet, itching, swollen, red lips, liver and brown spots, psoriasis and eczema, poison ivy/oak, ulcers, lesions, burns, stretch marks, odor, warts, moles, tag warts, eyelid sty, and oily or dry, thick, white crusted, cracking skin, etc.

Summary

Yes, it is possible to improve your skin, no matter what condition it is in at this moment. Because your cells are designed to regenerate, your skin cells will regenerate when you:

Reference: "Health and Beauty Aides to Enhance Our Skin's Immune System," Dr. Dick Versendaal, D.C., Ph.D., CRA.

For products, information and services mentioned in this article, contact:

www.womensportsnutrition.com - to obtain a clinical nutrition analysis of your blood and to order "Natural Beauty" PEP Session #18.

wsnqas@aol.com - for other information you are interested in as a result of reading this article and to order Dermal K and Naturade Aloe Vera 80 if unable to locate locally. You may also use this e-mail for a referral to an Amway Product Distributor if unable to find one locally in your area.

psaharmon@aol.com - for Arbonne International Skin and Hair Care Products or call (940) 761-5330.

Health Food Stores - for Naturade Aloe Vera 80

Pharmacies - Vick's Vapor Rub

Copyright 1998 Donna F. Smith