“Ouch, It Stung Me!” Treating Bee & Other Stings With Lavender and Tea Tree Oil

Today, I got first hand experience on the healing benefits of essential oil for a sting.  Early this morning, while outside watering the herbs and other plants, I was stung on my finger by a yellow jacket.  By the way, bees and yellow jackets are more likely to bite in spring and very early fall.  This is when they are more on “edge.”

Immediately, I rubbed some lavender (true lavender) and tea tree essential oil on the sting and the surrounding area including the back of my finger and top of my hand.  I used a combination, but you could use one or the other.  Both are analgesics, so they help with the pain.  Lavender also has antihistamine properties. 

Within minutes of applying the lavender and tea tree oils, the pain from the sting was barely noticeable along with the bite mark.  Within an hour the redness and swelling had disappeared.  Since it was still a little tender to the touch, I applied some more essential oil.

While I didn’t have a stinger, the stinger is the first thing you want to remove before applying any essential oil.  To remove the stinger used a straight edge, such as the edge of a credit card.  Scrape it across the stinger.  Using tweezers to remove a stinger, could release more venom.

Besides lavender and tea tree, these other essential oils also aid insect bites and stings:

• Chamomile
• Eucalyptus
• Geranium
• Lemon Balm (Melissa)
• Manuka
• Niaouli
• Vetiver
• Ylang Ylang

Besides essential oils, insect bites and bee stings can be relieved with a paste of baking soda and water.  Ice also helps with swelling and pain; apply at ten-minute intervals. Antihistamines can also help the itch and swelling.  Other known remedies for bee stings are apple cider vinegar, meat tenderizer made into a paste with water, and a very old fashion and basic treatment for stings is mud….yeah…dirt and water.  Hey, if you’re out in nature and dirt is all that’s around, it’s worth a try.

Severe allergic reactions to wasp, bee, and the like stings are not very common.  However, severe allergic reactions–trouble breathing, swallowing, severe pain, and/or extreme swelling at the site or surrounding areas needs medical attention right away.

You can read more information about bites and stings on the University of Maryland Medical Center website: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/insect-bites-000095.htm

Leave It To Us To Tackle the Gross Stuff! Backne!

Clearing Up Backne-  The first thing to clear up about backne is what is and what it isn’t.  The word “backne” is a take on acne; it refers to those pimple-like breakouts on the back. Although breakouts can also happen on the shoulders, arms, tush, etc. Most people think the blemishes on these areas are the same as facial acne and caused by the same  bacteria. Backne is actually a growth of a yeast bacterium, pityrosporum, and the condition is called pitsyrosporum folliculitis (backne…much easier to remember and pronounce).

It now makes sense why some people have bacne and no acne or facial blemishes, or why some have facial acne with no blemishes on the back or other parts of the body.  And unfortunately some people have both.

Looking Similar Is Not Everything

It may look similar to acne or blemishes, but actually there are no comedones (black/white heads) as there are with facial acne, although there can be cysts.  Yeast organisms feeding on the sweat and body oils cause pitsyrosporum folliculitis (PF).  This is due to a bacterial imbalance in the body and skin’s flora that cause overactive sebum production.

Yucky, yes.  But these organisms, malassezia, are on all of our bodies.  For various reasons, however,  people who have this condition have a more favorable setting for the spread of the yeast.  Men more than women have PF (hmm…maybe it’s because men sweat whereas ladies glisten….).  The condition is found at the hair follicles where they become enlarged and blocked with cellular debris that the yeasts nosh on.  Hmmm…what’s for dinner?

Okay, we’re sorry if we are grossing you out, but we gotta share. This condition is also related to seborrhea and candidiasis, which are also a result of the body’s flora being out of balance in favor of yeast producing microorganism.

And The Reason Is…

This overgrowth of yeast organism on the body can have many causes.  It can be caused by any one of these or a combination: medical (diabetes, autoimmune diseases, etc); changes in hormones (pregnancy, post-puberty); antibiotics can disrupt the skin’s flora; environment plays a role (high temperatures and humidity); not removing the dead skin through bathing (particularly after sweating), and diet (diet plays a large role).

Certain products that you put on your skin can cause the condition or worsen it.  Lotions, cosmetics, and sunscreens mix with the sebum being released from the body to create a sympathetic environment for yeast growth.  There can also be a genetic disposition that creates the right scenario for some people to get it (although not a reason that you have to just live with it).

Why Those Medications Didn’t Work

If you have tried the typical acne products for your backne and got no results, it’s because medications and products for facial acne typically don’t work on PF.  PF and facial acne do not share the same bacterial organisms. Backne is a fungus and requires a different approach to improve or eliminate it.  And remember that antibiotics can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the body and on the skin, so antibiotics that work for acne could exacerbate PF.  Always check with your doctor before changing any medicines you are taking and evaluate/diagnose any skin conditions you may have.

Clearing Up Backne

• First, you need to keep the area clean, especially after an activity that makes you sweat. Remember the pityrosporum feed on sweat and sebum.  Even if you can’t immediately shower after say–a workout, clean the area with a washcloth or a gentle cleansing wipe.  Be particular in what wipes you use, some of them have ingredients that will aggravate the condition instead of helping it.
•  Use a washcloth or even a hand towel to clean those hard to reach areas.  You can also buy body sponges that have long handles.
•  The skin on the back is thicker and denser so gentle exfoliation is beneficial because exfoliating removes the dead skin cells that block the pores.
•  Wear clothes that breathe and can absorb sweat such as cotton, especially when you are doing sweat generating activities.  Things that rub against the skin such as backpacks; tight clothes can aggravate the blemishes and cause the yeast to spread. Even an intense massage could irritate PF.
•  Change your bedding regularly, especially if you sweat during the night.  Unless you want to give those little buggers a bedtime snack!  Consider changing at least your pillowcase daily.  Instead of making your bed, pull back the top sheet and blankets to allow the bedding to get air and light.
•  Harsh detergents (bacterial “soaps” and shower gels) can worsen PF because they strip the skin of the good bacteria and oils.  Remember it’s a fungus.  And while you want to be clean, being overzealous with scrubbing the skin will not improve it either.
•  Changing your diet, especially if it’s high in carbohydrates and/or the wrong carbohydrates can make the biggest difference in PF.  Sorry, guys…beer may give your more than just a belly…. Yeast feeds on sugar and unbalances the body’s flora.  These sugars make their way to your skin.  So, make sure each day you are eating fresh fruit and vegetables.  Especially green leafy vegetables.  See our blog from last Friday for skin healthy nutrients and a yummy salad recipe.
•  Three of our products, Orange You Glad Salt Scrub, Argan Acne Serum, and Manly-Lavender Shave Balm will also help. The Dead Sea Salts in Orange You Glad… gently exfoliate and provide the skin with 21 minerals. You can also apply the scrubs to a washcloth for those hard to reach areas.
•  The plant oils we use contain natural nutrients, such as vitamin E, that help nourish and balance the skin.  Plant oils are not the same as oils produced by the body. Secreted body oils in these problem areas have dirt and bacteria mixed with it.
•  Essential oils in the two above mentioned serums work on both acne and backne because essential oils unlike acne medications have multiple properties so they work on more than one condition.  For instance, lavender is a fungicide (kills yeast and fungus), an antimicrobial, and an anti-inflammatory.   If you have used lavender for aromatherapy, you know how calming it is; that’s because it also has sedative properties.

As always our products are guaranteed, or your money back.

Reference: Siobahn M Bower, MD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD; “Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis:”  Medscape Reference (WebMD) http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1091037-overview                                                                

Disclaimer: This information is for educational and entertaining purposes only; the information may not be complete. It is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or conditions.

copyright: Abhijit Chandra, LLC – 2011

Keratosis Pilaris? You Could Have It!

Got red bumpy skin on your upper arms and thighs, and on your buttocks?  It has a name, keratosis pilaris.  Try saying that 3 times fast…  And if you have it, you’re not alone.  It’s estimated that more than 40% of adults worldwide have KP.  While not harmful, it can be annoying.  In colder months it’s itchy.  And in the summer, it can’t be hidden…

Those bumps are still there when you are ready to rock your fabulous new summer dress or bikini.  And those cute short-shorts will be showing more than just legs.  But there is help to eliminate or reduce KP.

KP is a result of too much keratin (a protein) forming in the body and plugging the hair follicles in those areas.  KP is tough and doesn’t flake off as normal dead skin does.  Did you know that skin, hair, nails, hooves, and horns are all made of keratin?

The consensus in the medical field seems to be that there is nothing that can be done except try different creams in the hope they will reduce the bumps.  Most people find the creams don’t work because they act more like a “band-aid,” masking the problem instead of resolving it.  And some actually experience that the ingredients in those lotions worsened their KP, ingredients such as lanolin.

More and more, research shows that diet plays a large role in the condition of our skin.  It only makes sense: Diet affects the health of our body on the inside why wouldn’t it affect the outer layer of the body?  It’s not as if our skin is disconnected from the rest of our body.

Ways to reduce or eliminate KP:

Some of the common foods that people with KP have eliminated from their diet, which in-turn reduced or cleared the skin condition entirely are, wheat, gluten, dairy products, and factory-raised meats (because of the hormones and antibiotics given to the animals–among other things).  So you would want to eat organic raised meats instead.

Studies have shown KP is thought to be hereditary; this connection is often used as a way of dismissing any hope of correcting the condition. However, heredity falls inline with diet as a culprit.  If heredity is the problem then diet makes sense once again.  The reason is that most people eat from the traditional diet of their family’s heritage.  Sure you eat foods from other ethnic traditions, but on a consistent basis (especially when you want that comfort food) you most likely choose something that your parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles and so on eat.  In other words, observe what you eat and look for connections.

If you want smoother skin, try experimenting by eliminating one of the above foods, do it gradually and one at a time.  And allow at least 6-8 weeks from the complete elimination of a food to notice a difference.  Switch from eating factory-raised meats to organic raised and processed meats.  And fill your diet with skin happy foods such as berries, carrots, fish, and green leafy vegetables!!

Other culprits that could cause or exacerbate KP are products (soaps, lotions) that contain lanolin and mineral oils, harsh detergents (commercially produced soap and shower gels), laundry soap, and dryer sheets.

Besides changing up the diet and investigating products that are applied to the skin or come in contact with it, you can improve the condition with regular exfoliation and keeping the areas moisturized.

Yum Scrub! Organics Coco-Mint, Manly-Mint Eucalyptus, and Orange You Glad Scrubs with regular use will reduce or eliminate the bumps.  Not only do the scrubs soften and exfoliate the built-up keratin; the oils in them penetrate and nourish the skin with essential fatty acids.  And the botanicals  improve the skin’s overall condition.

And to help you get started on smoother, healthier skin, Yum Scrub! Organics is offering 10% off any Scrub.  It’s spring time; get your skin ready now for summer!! Use PROMO code: superskin  (Note: Need to register at checkout to use promo code.)

http://stores.yumscrub.com/-strse-Body-Scrubs/Categories.bok

Caution: Use of Tanning Beds for Skin Rashes Could Be Deadly

This is yucky stuff, but someone has got to talk about it!

Using tanning beds to self-treat undiagnosed skin eruptions or rashes can cause harm or even be deadly.  Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine Dermatology report on a growing trend: People believe that the radiation (UV rays) from tanning beds can reduce or eliminate skin rashes.  However, a study done by IUSM showed that if the rash is unknown and/or caused by medication or drugs, a person could do more harm by using a tanning bed.

The study reported on a person who had a mild skin reaction to Ibuprofen and used a tanning bed to reduce the symptoms.  After the tanning session, the person’s blood pressure dropped, the skin blistered and the rash spread.  She was diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) a life threatening disease.  TEN attacks skin cells and other tissues in the body, which can cause hemorrhaging, respiratory failure, and other life-threatening symptoms.

Bottom line is do not self-treat an unknown skin condition with a trip to the tanning salon; seek the advice of a physician.  For detailed information, click on the link below.

Story Source: Science Daily, Mar. 2, 2011. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301151207.htm