Dry skin green

Today's post brought to you by the annual winter case of dry skin and flyaway hair. As we've recently talked about water and showering and the sort, one of the most drying elements to our skin actually is the water we use to clean ourselves.

The deposits in tap water, such as calcium carbonate and magnesium actually reduce the effectiveness of the soap we use, resulting in using more soap, and drying the skin more. These minerals are also highly alkaline, stripping the skin of moisture, as our skin has a natural acid mantle, with a pH of 4.5 to 5.  Additionally, municipal water is also treated with chlorine to purify it. The purpose of chlorine is to kill unwanted bacteria in the water supply, but it also will damage any living tissue (skin/hair) that it contacts.

As Our Daily Green has attempted to embrace more earth friendly and frugal choices in our walk, one of the major concerns is replacing unnatural chemical beauty products, which may temporarily cover the problem, but in turn create new problems in the way of additional chemicals absorbed into the body and plastic waste generated by the packaging.

Two of our favorite products are directly from the kitchen pantry. Apple cider vinegar and used coffee grounds. Both are acidic, working to naturally restore the pH balance of the skin and hair. (from Alive.com)

Healthy skin has a protective acid mantle that can be stripped away by overuse of alkaline body soaps, many of which also contain preservatives, synthetic perfumes, animal fats and hormones. Apple cider vinegar, on the other hand, helps keep the skin in an acidic state. It’s important to remember that the skin is the major organ of elimination, so maintaining an acid mantle assists the normal detoxification process.

photo courtesy of:
krystaecm/photobucket

There are a couple ways to use cider to soften your hair. Some folks use it as a final rinse after shampooing, but Our Daily Green sprays the cider on dry hair and lets it penetrate the shaft for about 15 minutes before shampooing. While the cider is soaking in, we exfoliate with our cooled coffee grounds (that we mix with a little olive oil).

Apple cider vinegar can also be used as a body splash to soften skin and coffee can also be used as a hair treatment (although we wouldn't recommend it for lighter hair as it may darken the hair).

If you're suffering from dry skin this winter, consider some of the natural and green ways to alleviate your discomfort.

Do you have any natural beauty tips or hints that you'd like to share?

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