The Key To Shiny Hair & Soft Skin

Let's take a closer look at these two related beauty concerns,
assess whether you may have something awry with yours, and most
importantly, look at how to keep them both healthy (and you
looking great!).

Your Skin

Your skin accounts for about 7% of your bodyweight.  It varies
in thickness from one to four mm, or about 4/100 to 16/100 of an
inch.

If you were to "slip out of it" and lay it flat on the ground, it
would cover about 21 square feet--the size of a twin bed mattress!

Even though it's thin, your skin is made up of several layers.

The top one is the epidermis, which serves as your main protective
shield.

Under that is the dermis, where most of the skin's "action" takes
place.  New skin cells are born in the dermis and migrate up to the
epidermis.

Plus your sweat glands live in the dermis too--to the tune of about
2 million of them!  They (obviously) produce your sweat, which is
99% water.  The other 1% is salt, metabolic wastes and acids--in other
words, your inner trash. 

(That's why it's healthy to exercise and work up a good sweat--hint,
hint to all you exercise loathers.)

Here's an interesting tidbit--your sweat is actually odorless when it
comes out of the dermis!  The odor is created if bacteria on your
epidermis break down certain fatty materials in your sweat.

Your dermis also has sebaceous (oil) glands that secrete sebum.  Sebum
softens and lubricates your hair, helps your skin retain moisture and
kills bacteria on the skin surface.

A blocked sebaceous duct turns into a whitehead.  If the trapped sebum
oxidizes and turns dark, voila, you have a blackhead.  And inflamed oil
glands can swell and form acne pimples.

Now, the boundaries between the epidermis and dermis are not always
smooth.

For example, in your fingertips these boundaries are studded with bumps
and ridges--this is how your fingerprints are created. 

And lastly, your innermost skin layer--the subcutaneous layer--lies below
the dermis and binds your skin loosely to your underlying tissue and bone.

It also happens to be where your fat cells reside!

Now let's look at...

Your Hair

Compared to other animals, we humans don't have a lot of hair.  One
anthropologist even called us "naked apes."

The average full adult head of hair has about 100,000 hairs on the scalp,
and each hair lives about 4 years before it falls out.

The roots of your hair lie in the dermis layer of the skin, but the pits
from where your hair actually grows (the follicles) are in the epidermis.

The visible part of your hair is called the shaft, and shafts comes in 3
styles:

- Round shafts produce straight hair.

- Oval shafts produce wavy hair.

- Shafts that are flattened like ribbons produce tight, curly hair.

Your hair color comes from color-producing cells called melanocytes at the
base of the hair follicles.  These melanocytes secrete a blend of colors
(yellow, red, brown and black) which becomes your (natural!) hair color.

Alas, these melanocytes die off as we age...and without them, our hair turns
gray or white.

How Are Yours?

The signs of unhealthy skin or hair can be obvious for many, but for others,
they may be more vague and easily "brushed off."

Here is a quiz you can take to assess the health of yours.

Answer each question using the following ratings to describe your symptoms:

0 = I do not experience this at all
1 = Mild; rarely
2 = Moderate; occasionally
3 = Severe; frequently

______Dry, scaly skin                                                                  

______Dry hair & scalp                        

______Split ends                                                                                          

______Weak, brittle or cracked nails          

______Cracked or dry lips                     

______Acne                                    

______Whiteheads or blackheads                                        

______Thin, translucent skin                  

______Protein buildup in hair follicles on backs of arms                                                              

______Easy bruising                                                                    

______Itchy skin or scalp                                                           

______Dry eyes and/or mouth                                               

______Lack of luster of hair and skin                    

Your score: ___________

Score interpretation:

1 - 2:  Skin and hair problems are unlikely
3 - 7:  Skin and hair problems are likely
8 and over: Skin and hair problems are VERY likely

Makes Yours Glow!

As I mentioned above, truly healthy skin and hair don't come from lotions
and shampoos.

Instead they are created by a healthy YOU from within.

Here are the 3 best ways you can help create smooth, soft skin and shiny,
lustrous hair (and a healthier you overall!):

1- Get Your Nutrients And KEEP Them

Skin and hair follicles are living tissue. As such, they (just like all
the other cells in your body) need to be nourished.

Eating nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats and healthy
fats is far and away the best way to help make sure you're nutritionally
well-rounded and avoid any nutritional deficiencies.

But that's only half the story.

Because you not only have to GET nutrients in, but also ABSORB them.

And that comes from having thorough digestion.

The good news here is the Great Taste No Pain health system can help you
with both of those concerns!

- http://www.greattastenopain.com/great.asp

First and foremost, Great Taste No Pain delivers on the "great taste"
promise--it gives you LOADS of ideas for enjoying delicious, mouth-watering
nutritious foods.

Plus it also teaches you how to combine those tasty foods to help encourage
better digestion and nutrient absorption!

2- Don't Forget The Omega-3s

You need good levels of Omega-3 essential fatty acids to maintain healthy
cell membranes--and that includes hair and skin cells!

Unfortunately, our typical diets are grossly lacking in Omega-3 EFAs.  While
they're abundant in many fish, most people don't eat fish 7 days a week...so
most of us are low in Omega-3 EFAs.

That's why a fish oil supplement is such a great idea for so many people.

Not only will they benefit your cell membranes, but studies show Omega-3 EFAs
are also helpful against excess cholesterol, joint aches and pains, and high
blood pressure, plus they are vital for healthy brain function!

3-  Get Enough Water

Your body needs water from head to toe, and that especially includes your skin
and hair.

Water provides natural moisture and carries needed nutrients to your skin and
hair, and it sweeps away waste products, both of which in turn help keep your
skin smooth and clear.

There are a variety of factors that affect how much water the average person
needs (including exercise level and the amount of natural water you get from
your foods), but a good place to start is to drink at least 5 to 8 8-oz.
glasses a day.

An easy way to tell if you're drinking enough water is to look in the toilet
bowl.  Your urine should be relatively clear and very light yellow.  If it's
more opaque and dark yellow (at any time other than first thing in the morning),
chances are excellent you need more water.  

If you're concerned about unhealthy-looking skin or hair, don't just look at
lotions, creams, shampoos or conditioners as your only answers.

While they can help somewhat, NOTHING will make your hair shine or your skin glow
better than a healthier YOU on the inside.

Try it and see for yourself.

To Your Health,

Sherry Brescia
Natural Health Researcher
President, Holistic Blends, Creator of the Bestselling Great Taste No Pain System
Editor, Pain-Free Living