Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic
Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
August 1st, 2010: Treating Hives
Q For the third time in eight years I am suffering from a bout of a horrid skin condition called hives, or urticaria. The dermatologist told me it would burn itself out but it hasn’t so far; this last bout has been making me itch until my skin looks raw since March and of course the hot weather makes it worse. Is there anything you can suggest?
A We do sympathise, remembering a friend who had the same problem and telephoned her doctor husband in horror from a Spanish beach - where she'd had to shroud herself in a head to foot kaftan. There are all sorts of possible reasons for urticaria, which can be acute or chronic (as in your case). With our friend, it seemed to be a one-off reaction to antibiotics - some drugs are known to trigger skin problems, possibly due to additives. Foods and food additives (including colourings and preservatives), also personal and domestic cleaning agents, may contain ingredients that set off this irritating condition.
Anyway, a solution - or at any rate, some possibilities. The pharmacist at Victoria Health suggests the following:
'As a supplement, nettle extracts are excellent for non-specific rashes and allergies. Nettle is commonly used for hayfever and other allergic symptoms. In addition to the herb's reduction of inflammatory compounds, nettle is a rich source of the flavonoid quercetin, which is known to inhibit histamine, the compound that causes skin allergies. Being a mild diuretic, nettle also helps to expel toxins from the bloodstream.
Use Stinging Nettles Root by Swanson, £14.30 for 120 capsules, take one capsule three times a day until symptoms are relieved. For topical relief, either use Organic Aloe Vera Gel by Optima Health Care, £5.39 for 200ml, or ActivAid Natural Skin Therapy Spray by Salcura, £10 for 50ml, which contains tea tree oil, calendula and lavender.'
Hope that helps and you can enjoy a calmer month of August.
 We  . . . We’re constantly asked for remedies for puffy eyes – and putting these to the test, we can now heartily recommend them. The technology is not like anything we have ever seen before: these reusable ‘cryogel’ slices feel blissfully cool (and slightly wet) on the skin, and deliver a boost of eye-soothing, circulation-revving ingredients (including organically certified aloe), while you lie back for 10 minutes and relax.
The good news: unlike some treats for tired eyes, these can be reused: pop them back in their container after use, and they’re ready to work their magic up to 10 times before you need to replace. (We like them even more when they’ve been kept in the fridge, though technically there’s no need…)
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive
July 25th 2010 - UV Skin Protection
July 18th 2010 - Light Foundations
July 11th 2010 - Consequences of Chemotherapy
July 4th 2010 - Eyebrow makeovers
June 26th 2010 - Weak nails
June 20th 2010 - Cleanser for acne
June 13th 2010 - Frown line fillers
June 6th 2010 - Body Lotions
May 30th 2010 - Holiday Hair Care
May 23rd 2010 - Cleanse and tone
May 16th 2010 - Hair protection
May 9th 2010 - Weak nails
May 2nd 2010 - Calming hair products
April 25th 2010 - Skincare for PCOS
April 18th 2010 - Tinted Moisturisers
April 11th 2010 - Stretch Marks
April 4th 2010 - Red Veins
March 28th 2010 - All-Over Sensitive Skin
March 21st 2010 - Foundation Recommendations
March 14th 2010 - Ingredients
March 7th 2010 - Laser hair removal
February 28th 2010 - SPF Moisturisers
February 21st 2010 - Eyelash enhancers
February 14th 2010 - Night-time skincare
February 7th 2010 - Moisturisers
January 31st 2010 - Concealers
January 24th 2010 - Primers
January 17th 2010 - Choosing skincare products
January 10th 2010 - Parabens free make-up
January 3rd 2010 - Cosmetic Dentistry
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Archive 2009
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