Contemporary society is strewn with pollution from the manufacturers, careless pedestrians, and natural decay. The world was not meant to be filled with unnatural toxins in our environment, and as a result, the natural inhabitants of this world begin to suffer the repercussions and the effects of it. All medical resources state that the skin or the body’s integument is the largest organ in the body. Our skin is a wondrous thing, able to keep the body warm and cool, sweat out toxins, provide sexual comfort, and give wonderful hugs. In situations when a person is exposed to cold conditions, the small hairs on the skin stand on end, which help trap warmth or moisture from the air. On the other hand, during warm or hot weather, the skin keeps the body cool by allowing sweat to evaporate from its surface. But because the skin is outside of the body, it is also prone to diseases and infections. There are, however, many ways by which skin can be taken care of, so it protects your body more efficiently.

Psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne are but a few of these skin conditions people suffer from these days. There is usually a correlation between our skin and our external environment, as well as our internal environment. Any havoc present in our gut area, usually spills out to the outside world through our skin, and hence we have psoriasis and eczema. Skin conditions tend to get worst in colder, drier weather. It’s best to have ointments on hand, but really the best way to control a skin condition, is to find out what triggers it, and what one can do to prevent a flare up.

Acne is a common skin condition characterized by blackheads, white-heads, and pimples on the face, neck, back, and other body parts. Sebaceous glands secrete oil from the skin surface, and when these glands produce oil and are unable to be released from the skin surface due to a blockage in the pores, acne develops. There are commercial acne treatments available, including dermatological procedures. But this condition can be dealt with at home. Keeping the skin clean and avoiding squeezing the acne can help prevent the blemishes from coming back. Aside from that, lessening the intake of sugary foods, chocolate, fats, pastries, and carbonated beverages can help avoid acne.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition. People with psoriasis develop scaly patches that tend to be itchy, and can crack and bleed. Scalp psoriasis is pretty common, however, some percentage of the population who suffer psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis, which inflames the joints. Eczema works pretty much the same way, except that there are no real scaly plaques. Red rash-like symptoms appear on hands, arms, legs, behind the knees, and even on faces. Infant eczema is common, as many babies tend to get dry skin, and this in turn brings about eczema. Some cases are very strong, where the rash is an open sore, and oozes a liquid-like substance. It is very itchy, and, especially in the case of infants, becomes bloody due to intense scratching.

In the homeopathic arena of medicine, practitioners believe that such symptoms like infant eczema and psoriasis is the result of toxins within the system, such as the leaky gut syndrome. Poor diet is the main culprit, and so they begin their consultation with sufferers by going through their diet and going through a process of elimination. Dairy products, homogenized milk, coffee, tea, junk food, processed flours, wheat, are all eliminated, and then slowly re-introduced one by one to see if the skin reacts suddenly to the intake. This has been successful with infant and toddler eczema. Most of the reactions have been due to homogenized milk being introduced too early, as well as wheat. Naturopaths are now promoting the use of Omega-6 oils into children’s diets. This is especially helpful for those with eczema. Providing good bacteria to overpower the bad bacteria that are plentiful in the gut of eczema sufferers is also a good way to beat the symptoms. The way to do this is to use probiotic powders. Kids who go on antibiotics for other symptoms will usually have flare-ups because of the destruction of all the bacteria, bad and good. In this case, use probiotic powders to replace the good bacteria lost.

Sunburn can occur when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light for longer than usual periods of time. The skin becomes very red and sore. Aside from that, the heat has caused most of the moisture on the skin to evaporate, making the skin more prone to injury. This can be avoided by using sunscreen lotion with high sun protection factor (SPF) when going outdoors. Too much sun exposure without the proper protection like hats and umbrellas may also hasten the aging process of the skin.

There are also bacterial and fungal infections that target the skin. Boils are bumps or formations on the skin surface that is filled with pus. Bacteria enter the skin and infect the sebaceous gland or the hair follicles on the epidermis. This can be treated by applying warm-compress to the area to encourage the boil to rupture on its own. Anyone with boils should avoid rupturing the blisters himself. A medical professional should be consulted if the condition becomes widespread in many body parts.

Athlete’s foot is a common infection caused by a fungus. This usually occurs between the toes, under the toenails, or even the soles of the feet. Since fungi love moisture, they thrive in these areas of the feet, especially when poor hygiene is observed. Antifungal creams can help relieve the itching, and foot powder can keep the problem area dry.

For skin conditions, it’s a good idea to get a diagnosis and opinion from your general practitioner first, and then supplement by seeing a Naturopath as well. Usually, when fighting symptoms due to unnatural factors, it takes the strength and power of natural therapies to combat it.