Winter is the time when your skin gets dry, itchy and scaly. Yet, it is important to recognize whether the changes to your skin have been caused by weather condition or skin disease. Scaly skin can be caused by eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis, so if symptoms persist despite your best efforts at moisturizing, you may want to see your family doctor or dermatologist. Some of the most unpleasant skin conditions are fungal nail infections (onychomycosis), sometimes they are hard to recognize. Most people wouldn’t even recognize mild infection as something that requires treatment. You may click here to see if your toenails have been affected by a fungal infection.

Most people have searched for, bought, and tried various “solutions” to help their troubled skin for decades now. We spent big money on products that have fallen short of the promise to give you flawless skin. Some of us could probably open a pharmacy with all the products sitting on our bathroom shelves, doing nothing more than collecting dust… because they just didn’t work. Some of the skin products help, to some degree, but the cost is out of control. Have you priced all these miracle products lately? The prices are unbelievable.

However, there is another option for those of you who are searching for help to improve problem skin, don’t want to pay a fortune for them and want to go all natural, eliminating unnecessary chemicals in your home and on your skin.

I am about to share in this article some home remedies, made easily with inexpensive ingredients, often found in your kitchen pantry.

Honey

Honey not only tastes good, but it also has benefits to your health and skin. With is antibacterial and antibiotic elements, it’s a natural choice for treating skin that is troubled with breakouts, especially for teenagers who often deal with acne.

You can use it as a mask on the skin after warming it up slightly. Be careful to not get it too hot that it will burn your skin. I recommend that you warm it up by placing a container of it in a bowl with hot water so it warms up slowly.

It’s also a humectant, which will bring moisture to the skin. On cleansed and damp skin, pat a couple drops of honey onto your face and let sit for a few minutes before rinsing off.

Yogurt or Buttermilk

Plain yogurt used on the face as a mask is a great soother for sensitive skin, just leave it on for about 10 minutes or so, and your irritated skin can find relief instantly. You can also use it as a natural daily cleanser. Buttermilk is great for soothing sunburn, or it can be used as a daily cleanser just like yogurt.

Both can be added to a bath to soak in, as an all-over treatment for irritated skin.

Strawberries

Mashed strawberries can be used as a facial mask, and will work to exfoliate dull skin for a fresher and brighter appearance.

It can also be used to whiten your teeth. Seems like it would stain, right? But, strawberries, as well as apples, can help brighten your smile naturally simply by eating them.

Almonds

Almonds can be ground up to use as an exfoliator, to remove dead skin cells, which gives the skin a dull and often flaky appearance. Or, rather than grinding your own, you could use almond butter. The oils found in almonds also work to moisturize dry skin.

Other natural exfoliators can be made with the following ingredients:

Dark brown sugar

Fruit enzyme

Baking soda

Salt

It’s typically recommended to exfoliate about once a week. Daily exfoliation would cause too much irritation to the skin, but if you don’t feel once a week is doing enough, step it up to twice a week.

Green Tea

Green tea is turning out to be a gem for many health concerns from losing weight, to increasing metabolism. But, it also acts as an anti-aging agent. You probably see that it is added to many of the newest commercial products…because it works.

However, you can get it without all the unnecessary ingredients, including preservatives and chemicals, which are often added to commercial products.

Simply brew some green tea, and then splash a little on your face after it’s been cleansed. Just make sure you let it cool to either slightly warm or room temperature. After it sits for a few minutes, rinse with water.

Olive Oil

Use olive oil to remove make up. Just a couple drops will go a long way in removing your makeup before going to bed.

It can also be used as a moisturizer, because it can plump up your skin, which can help provide a more youthful appearance.

Oatmeal

Do you remember your grandma or mom suggesting taking an oatmeal bath if your skin was itchy? It’s because it worked… and still does. To make a soothing facial mask, mix it with some water to form a paste and then let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing.

It can also be used as an exfoliator when used dry.

In Closing

Hopefully, this information is going to help you in your quest for finding eco-friendly answers to skin issues. Perhaps you have heard of some of these remedies, so it’s a gentle reminder that they do work. Either way, enjoy a healthy glow, from natural ingredients.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfratch/