Sunday, April 6, 2014

Natural Herbal Remedies For Scars - Part 1

Top of the Morning To Everyone!  Perhaps spring is finally going to reach my eternally frozen state of Maine . . . the sun is out, the wind is from the south (albeit chilly), the snow has nearly melted, the Robins have arrived, and a pair of rarely seen American Woodcocks are poking deep into my lawn pulling up tasty spring worms.  Supposed to be 50 degrees today . . . yahoo!  My bones and mental attitude sure could use a shot of warmth and healing sunshine!  Gardening seasoning is just around the corner . . . can't wait to taste the season's first peas . . . my favorites!

Today, due to lots of requests, I'm going to begin a new blog series called, "Natural Herbal Remedies For Scars".  If you're an outdoors person, as I am, are physically active, accident prone, or use your hands a lot while crafting/cooking, then you've probably injured or cut yourself a few times and possibly have a scar or two to show for it - probably wishing you had had a scar remedy on hand at the time so that those pesky lines on your skin weren't so obvious now.

Well . . . healing herbs and aromatic essential oils can come to the rescue . . . softening your skin and speeding skin cell regeneration so that your scar tissue can fade and the surrounding skin become radiant, smooth, and well-conditioned.  I'll begin today's series with the definition of what a scar is and tell you about a new product (the first of many) that I'm now making available for retail sale.  It's called Herbal Skin Revitalizer by Stephanie Tourles Herbal Skin & Body Care, LLC (my newly formed company).  I've had sooooo many requests over the years from blog followers and readers of my books for an herbal, totally natural product that will help fade scars, condition skin that is environmentally damaged, minimize the appearance of wrinkles, and deeply moisturize normal-to-dry skin and mature skin.  I'll tell you more about it later in the blog and tell you where to get it if you're interested.

SCARS - What Are They Exactly?

A scar forms as your skin repairs a wound that has penetrated the dermal layer or second layer of your skin.  Scars can result from cuts, scabbing diseases such as chickenpox or acne, minor to major burns, or a severe rash.  They are part of the natural healing process of your body.  Scars can be raised or flat, long, short, or round, and flesh-toned, pink, purple, or brown in color.

Some people are more likely than others to develop more pronounced scars.  A scar's formation and appearance depend on general health, age, skin type, condition of skin, skin color, location of the injury (body or face), and the particulars of the initial trauma.  The degree to which a scar develops greatly depends on the severity of the damage to the skin and the length of time it takes to heal.  The longer the healing process and the greater the damage to the skin, the increased likelihood of a noticeable scar.

A hypertrophic scar is elevated above the surface of the skin, and the tissue forms in direct proportion to the size of the wound.  A keloid is similar to a hypertrophic scar, except that the scar tissue forms out of proportion to the amount of scar tissue normally required for repair and healing.  In other words, it extends beyond the boundaries of the original wound site and into the surrounding skin.  Black skin and those with dark, east Indian skin are particularly prone to the development of keloids.

To avoid scars entirely, you'd need to live in a bubble.  Life happens.  Once you do have an injury, the best way to minimize scarring is to begin proper care of the wound at once and avoid further injury to the wound site.  It pays to keep skin in tip-top shape by conditioning it regularly with nourishing oils, body creams, and lotions and by eating a whole-foods diet to ensure that the skin remains flexible, elastic, and able to heal rapidly.

When treating scars with home remedies, keep in mind that everyone's skin is unique and reacts differently to different products.  For additional assistance, consult with your local pharmacist about nonprescription topical scar treatments.  Scars older than a year or two, raised scars, surgical scars over a joint - such as the knee or a knuckle, major burn scars, or those that develop and deepen over time, such as acne and chickenpox scars, can be difficult to treat with home remedies and should be addressed by a dermatologist if they cause discomfort or negatively impact your self-esteem.

Herbal Skin Revitalizer - Just what is this product and what will it do for you?

Okay, as I mentioned earlier, let me tell you a bit about my first product . . . Herbal Skin Revitalizer.  I actually formulated it nearly two decades ago and have sold it in limited quantities over the years - so it's not really new, but it has been newly re-formulated and now I'm making it available to a larger audience via online sales and through a catalog. 

Herbal Skin Revitalizer is a beautiful, light, blue-green oil that is my personal skin-care favorite.  It is a blend of 14 organically derived and/or wild-harvested, low-heat processed base and precious essential oils from around the world.  This formula will help revitalize, retexturize, and renew skin scarred by acne, damaged by the sun and other environmental factors, slack, crepey, mature skin, devitalized/dull skin, and prematurely aging skin exhibiting fine lines and wrinkles.  Also, it is excellent as an aid in healing bruises and everyday scrapes and scratches.  It contains antibacterial properties to prevent infection.

The ingredients actually penetrate the skin's layers - with no oily residue - to nourish deep-down and encourage regeneration of the supportive collagen and elastin matrix, so necessary to young, taut, firm skin.  Highly beneficial to use after chemical peels and microdermabrasion, on burned tissue and expression lines.  One of the main ingredients is rosehip seed oil.  It is extremely high in essential fatty acids, flavonoids, riboflavin, and betacarotene and helps regulate hydration of the tissues.  The 1/2 ounce bottle should last 2-3 months by using only 4-6 drops twice per day.  A little goes a long way.  The aroma is intoxicating, by the way - warm, earthy and green.  I've frequently been asked to formulate a perfume with the same scent! 

The ingredients are:  organic base oils of sunflower, rosehip seed and calphyllum; essential oils of lavender, helichrysum, neroli, peppermint, thyme linalol, rosemary verbenon, carrot seed, myrtle,  galbanum, Moroccan chamomile, and niaouli.

Currently, my Herbal Skin Revitalizer is available from an experienced, knowledgeable, herbalist friend of mine, Holly Applegate, who is the owner of a lovely herbal product store called "Jean's Greens", in Castleton, NY.  You can order her delightful catalog by calling (518) 479-0471 or (888) 845-8327.  Her website is:  www.jeansgreens.com.  My product is $45.

I hope you decide to give the product a try . . . I'm sure you'll love it.  If you do buy a bottle, please let me know what you think.  Until next time . . . be well, be happy, and be whole.

NOTE:  Portions of this blog were adapted from the book "Hands-On Healing Remedies" by Stephanie Tourles, Storey Publishing, c2012.  The information is true and complete to the best of Ms. Tourles' knowledge.  All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author.  She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.  It is for educational purposes only.