Beautiful Hair & the B Vitamins

The B complex vitamins are particularly important to hair health and beauty. Deficiencies of biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and PABA can lead to a loss of colour and there has even been success in reversing the greying process by giving supplements of these nutrients, particularly doses of PABA. One researcher claims to have restored colour to greying hair in 70 present of cases with PABA.

A lack of any of the B complex can result in hair troubles and losses. Vitamin B1, B2, and B12 are particularly important in invigorating lacklustre hair, clearing dandruff, scaling, redness of the scalp, and hair loss. Vitamin C is important too, because it maintains the health and strength of the capillaries supplying the hair producing follicles with nourishment. If your levels of vitamin C are too low, this results in perifollicular haemorrhages, in which these capillaries break and bleed, resulting in improper nourishment to the papillae.

How fast your hair can grow depends on adequate, but not too much protein, since more than adequate amounts can deplete your body of the minerals it needs. It is the right balance of nutrients that is most important. The condition of your hair is greatly affected by medicines that you take; antibiotics, sulpha drugs, aspirin, the Pill, diet pills, tranquillizers, thyroid pills, cortisone, anticancer drugs, and even cold remedies are a common cause of brittleness, dullness, breakage, and loss. Hair follicles are ultrasensitive to hormones. If you are taking a birth – control pill and having trouble with your hair, you might consider changing brands to see if it improves, as well as taking supplements.

Dealing With Dry Skin

The cause

Dry skin problems usually comes from underactive sebaceous glands, which may be due to hormone imbalance of vitamin or mineral deficiencies and therefore don’t produce enough important oily fluid to lubricate the skin and protect it from water loss.

Another reason may be the result of being exposed to excessively drying weather conditions, central heating, or air-conditioning, or from a diet too low in essential fatty acids.

Sometimes dried out skin is due to an incorrect water balance in the horny cells as a result of their being exposed to water for too long causing the cells to swell and burst, or on the other hand from being deprived of water for too long and as a consequence the cells gradually desiccate.

Excessive dryness of the skin also occurs in people who are suffering from subclinical deficiencies of Vit. A or C or one of several of the B-Complex group or of linoleic acid.

A dry skin incidence is also increasing, probably as a result of air pollution, the use of drugs, or the overuse of detergents and soaps on the skin of the face and body. skin conditions such as neuro-dermatitis, fungus infections, contact dermatitis, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis are often confused with dry skin.

Prevention and cure

Use a water-in-oil emulsion on your face night and day to protect against excessive water loss by trapping the water in the outer layer of the skin, preventing it from being released. Ensure sufficient essential fatty acids in your diet. Good sources are olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil.

You may also want to consider taking supplements of Vit. A and D in the form of fish liver oil. Vit. E taken internally or rubbed on the skin is often helpful too.

Other helpers include a humidifier, a weekly steaming of the skin followed by an oil massage, and mineral water sprayed onto the skin before applying moisturiser or treatment products. Avoid using soap on your face, avoid skincare products containing alcohol and apply a mask at least once a week.

Useful aromatherapy oils to use which you can mix yourself that contain the essence most useful for dry skin are geranium, camomile, rose, sandalwood, lavender, and ylang-ylang.

Health Benefits of the Rose

Roses are not only considered the most romantic flower; they are also said to comfort the heart and emotions. They are usually irresistible and one is ever so tempted to smell every single one as you pass by.

Ancient healing traditions will tell you that Rose clears heat and toxins from the body resulting in a cooling effect, can benefit a sore throat and runny nose, and relieves painful periods. It also contains high levels of Vitamin C, helps the body fight against infection, helps establish healthy bacteria, helps cleans the kidneys, liver and gall bladder, helps remedy gastro, diarrhoea and dysentery, works as a laxative, helps infertility and has a positive effect on the nervous system therefore helps fatigue, insomnia and depression.

When combined with the more widely known benefits of ginger the rose also boosts the immune system, and treats colds, chest infections, digestive disorders, nausea and joint pain and what’s more it tastes good.

Recipe for rose petal and ginger tea

1x1cm cube of fresh ginger peeled and thinly sliced or finely grated
1 dried rose bud or a couple of rose petals
1 cup boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes

Let the tea cool slightly before serving in your favourite tea-cup or a tall glass.