Diet Recommendations for Dry Skin

- Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts. Eat quality protein from vegetable sources. Increase your intake of raw foods. Excellent "FREE" healthy recipes can be found online.

- Eat foods such as garlic, onions, eggs, and asparagus that are high in sulfur, which helps to keep the skin smooth and youthful.

- Consume plenty of yellow and orange vegetables. These are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant. Carrots are especially good.

- Critical to facial skin care is drinking at least 2 quarts of water every day to keep the skin well hydrated.

- Do not drink soft drinks or eat sugar, chocolate, potato chips, or other junk foods.

- Avoid alcohol and caffeine. These substances have a diuretic effect, causing the body and skin cells to lose fluids and essential minerals. In tandem, these two habits may be the worst facial skin care diet issues of all.

- Unrefined, cold-pressed flax seed oil, used daily on salads and baked potatoes, or mixed into any dishes that do not require heating to high temperatures will make dry skin moist and supple. Flax seed oil contains the essential fatty acids omega-3 alpha linolenic acid and omega-6 linolenic acid. These are converted in the body into hormone-like substances called Prostaglandins, which support skin health.

- Avoid fried foods, animal fats, and heat-processed vegetable oils. Use cold-pressed oils only. Heating oils leads to the production of free radicals, which have a destructive effect on the skin.

- Cantaloupes, carrots, and apricots are healing foods for facial skin care because they are rich in the vitamins A and C, both important for a supple, smooth skin. Eat them whole or take as fresh juices. Eat foods rich in pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), such as quark, raw milk cheese, natural plain yogurt, kefir, leafy green vegetables, nutritional yeast and wheat germ. Pantothenic acid is needed for the synthesis of fats and oils used by the skin.

Essential Oils For Dry Skin - Chamomile, Geranium, Hyssop, Lavender, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang.

Good facial skin care starts with avoiding dry skin. Here are some basic common sense suggestions:

- Get sufficient sleep as the skin's cellular repair activity is at its optimum during this resting phase.

- Exercise benefits skin as it boosts circulation and encourages blood flow. Regular exercise will nourish and cleans your skin from within.

- Drink 8 glasses of water daily and avoid direct sunlight.

- Use a good dry skin care anti aging lotion that is all natural.

Stay tuned for Part III.'