Beauty and wellness roundup: Eczema, Colbie Caillat, triclosan and green tea

Every week we like to bring you a roundup of some of the latest trends in beauty, health and wellness, and other articles of interest to ZENMED blog readers. Last week, we came across some interesting articles on using wet wraps to treat the symptoms of eczema, Colbie Caillat on natural beauty, skincare ingredients to avoid and the lesser known beauty benefits of tea.

‘Wet wrap’ therapy may effectively treat children with eczema

Loren Grush reports on new hope for treating children with eczema not managed alone with eczema skincare products. While topical steroids and other drugs are the standard course of treatment for eczema, they are not without side effects. That is why wet wrap therapy may be just what the doctor ordered. Studies indicate that dressing children with eczema in wet clothing may be more effective at healing irritated skin associated with this form of atopic dermatitis. According the the Cleveland Clinic, the number of cases of children with eczema, an inflammatory skin condition, has increased dramatically since the 1970s.

Colbie Caillat’s video for ‘Try’ takes on beauty ideals

Pop singing sensation Colbie Caillat says that being a woman in today’s society involves great pressure. Suzan Clarke reports that the young musician is trying to encourage girls to embrace who they are naturally without feeling forced to do their hair and makeup if they don’t want to do so. Saying she has felt pressured to look like some she is not in order to sell records, Caillat and her producer Babyface decided that she should put her feelings into song lyrics. That is what she accomplished with ‘Try’ — plus the album cover features Caillat without Photoshop.

3 skincare products you need to ditch

Amanda MacMillan shares recommendations from the experts on popular skincare products and ingredients which may do more harm than good. First up on the list are anti-bacterial soaps and body washes containing a potentially harmful ingredient called triclosan. The FDA is advising companies to reformulate their products so they are triclosan free. Also included on the list are plastic microbeads, which are found in scrubs to give the rough, scrubbing texture. As these are not biodegradable, they are believed to harm  our ecosystem.

3 green tea beauty benefits that will give you shinier hair, clear skin and sweet smellin’ feet

Kristin Collins Jackson shares lesser known benefits of antioxidant green tea and provides tips on using tea in your beauty regimen. While we know it is heart protective and has a host of other benefits, did  you know that green tea may also improve foot odor?  As it is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, green tea is beneficial to the feet. Jackson also shares that making a homemade toner of green tea and cucumber pulp will brighten dull skin. Over the hair, green tea can increase shine, while black tea may add a darker hue to your tresses. Have you made any DIY skincare with green tea? Share your favorite recipes in the comments section below.

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