Naturally Healthy Living in Spain

Keeping naturally healthy isn't just about diet and exercise - skin care comes into it too. Just as you shouldn't be putting harmful chemicals and processed foods into your body if you want to be healthy, the same goes for what you put onto your skin. Too many of the mainstream skin care brands rely on chemicals for their products, and that lovely smell that attracts you in the first place is probably a synthetic chemical fragrance used to disguise the aroma of something less pleasant.

So how can you make sure that the stuff you're using has only healthy, natural ingredients that people have been using on their skin for centuries without problems? Well. if you're Deborah Baker from La Marina on the Costa Blanca, you get trained up in natural skin care, then found your own company to make skin care products using the best ingredients Nature can offer, sourced in our healthy Mediterranean region.

I caught up with Deborah - who has lived in Spain for 12 years - last week, and I thought you might be interested in how she set about founding her own natural skin care company. Naturally Mediterranean started as an ideal for Deborah and her associate, Caroline - an experienced specialist in natural hair and body care. They attended courses in natural skin care in the UK, and were horrified by what they discovered. Some of the products that go into the best known skin care products are about as far from natural as you can get. Petroleum by products and chemicals which are known carcinogens are just the tip of the iceberg. As Deborah explained, even some of the so-called natural ingredients are questionable:

'The collagen included in skin creams is often sourced from aborted foetuses, and the skin of condemned criminals in China. Do you really want to put that on your skin, even if it has been processed? And the thing is, you actually don't need to, because if you go about it the right way, you can stimulate the body to produce more of its own collagen. Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables - especially brightly coloured ones - will help, and so will natural oils such as argan oil, which is present in all of Naturally Mediterranean's products.'

Once they had learned all they could about natural skin care, Deborah and Caroline sourced the ingredients for their products, and the Mediterranean region proved particularly fruitful. Some oils - such as argan oil, elemi oil and of course olive oil have been used by women for centuries for their skin care and hair care. In fact olive oil dates back to the days of the Ancient Egyptians as a skin cleanser and moisturiser.

Having lined up the ingredients for their products, Deborah and Caroline set about manufacturing their first items. There's no big production line involved here. Deborah told me:

'Our products do not include artificial preservatives, so we only make them up in small batches. A lot of the process is done by hand, because that gives us more control over the finished product. We're more interested in providing a quality natural product, than in producing skin creams that can sit on the store shelf for years.'

In the middle of 2013, the Naturally Mediterranean skin care range was launched, and so far, it's doing really well. Feedback is favourable, both in Europe and the USA, and customers love the personal touch the company provides, as well as the natural products which seem to deliver on their promises, acording to the reviews on Amazon.

Deborah is delighted with the success of her new venture. As she says:

'We decided to do something to steer clear of all the unnecessary and harmful chemicals that appear in some of the big cosmetic brands, and Naturally Mediterranean is the result. At the moment, our range is small, but we will be adding more products in the future, as we identify gaps in the natural skin care market.'

You can find out more about Naturally Mediterranean's natural skin care range, and pick up lots of information on natural skin care, and the ingredients to avoid, at their website.

I'm now trying out a couple of their products, and I'll review them here shortly. I really enjoyed my chat with Deborah - I have a lot of respect for people like her and Caroline who follow their convictions and put their money where their mouth is. I for one wish Naturally Mediterranean all the success in the world - with their 'can do' attitude to natural skincare, they deserve to do really well.

Here in Spain, we're all familiar with the benefits of olive oil - after all, around 44% of the world's olive oil is produced here. It's at the core of the Mediterranean Diet, which is acknowledged as one of the healthiest eating plans in the world, and whenever you eat out, there'll be a bottle of olive oil on the table. Even if you don't take olive oil with your food - and you should, because it's one of the healthiest fats there is - it's a great help in keeping your skin healthy.

Since Egyptian times, olive oil has been used as a cleanser and moisturiser. If you're aiming to use more natural products on your skin, you can effectively remove make up with a few drops of olive oil on a cotton wool pad. The bonus is that the slight residue left on the skin will work as an overnight moisturiser, so you don't need to use a night cream. So as well as being a natural skin care product, olive oil can save you money too.

Whether you're using it for culinary or cosmetic purposes, it's best to use extra virgin olive oil, because it's been through less processing. It may be a little more expensive, but it's a more natural product, so it's worth spending a little more initially.

For strong nails and cuticles, soak the fingertips in a shallow dish containing olive oil once a week. This will soften the cuticles and moisturise the nail bed, so your nails will grow stronger and healthier.

Everyone needs a certain amount of fat in the diet for health, and it makes sense to use olive oil rather than other oils. It's a monounsaturated fat, and it can help to lower cholesterol as well as standardising blood sugar levels and boosting the metabolism. Making the switch to olive oil can help to regulate blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and help you to lose weight. Maybe you should be making more use of olive oil to stay naturally healthy.

This isn't about the car you drive - it's about the skin care you use! You may not realise it, but many of the leading brands of skin care products use petroleum byproducts in their preparations. If the ingredients list includes mineral oil, petroleum jelly, petrolatum or paraffin wax, then your skin cream contains the same stuff they use to fuel cars, rustproof tools and preserve wood, among other things.

Okay, it's cleaned up, but even the cleaning and refining process doesn't eliminate all the impurities - in fact, it picks up a few more along the way. Some of these are known carcinogenics - in other words, they can cause cancer.

Skin care companies promote petroleum by-producs as 'locking in mositure,' but they also lock in the dirt and waste products that would naturally exit the body through the pores, as well as locking out natural moisture and much-needed oxygen from the atmosphere.

Petroleum products are basically a one trick pony - all they do is moisturise. They don't provide your skin with the essential vitamins and antioxidants which can be readily obtained from plant-based oils. Here in Spain, we're lucky enough to have ready access to olive oil, shea butter and even jojoba oil, all of which are completely natural and contain compounds which are good for skin health, as well as moisturising the complexion. I've made the switch to natural skin care - maybe it's time you did!

As I'm typing this, I'm looking out over the orange groves, heavy with fruit, and I'm thanking whatever or whoever brought me to this place, because I love oranges, and they are truly healthy. We all know that oranges are full of vitamin C, and that's important to everyone, but to someone with an auto-immune system disease such as Lupus, vitamin C is crucial. It boosts the immune system, and guards against infection. This is important for me, because a simple cold can turn into a chest infection with depressing ease.

Antibiotics might clear the infection, but I'm left with inflammation on the lungs, which can take weeks to settle down. I start each day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, made from two large locally grown Valencian oranges. This way, I'm doing my best to stay naturally healthy - especially since recent research has shown that getting vitamin C from its food source is much more effective than taking supplements.

Getting to the science bit, the flavenoid herperidin, which is found in the skin and pith of oranges, can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Personally, I'm not a fan of orange skin and pith, but I do make a food processor marmalade that uses the whole orange, so I get the full health benefits from my oranges. The recipe is here if you want to give it a go.

If you want a quick pick up for tired skin, juice some oranges and freeze them in ice cube trays. Then just rub a cube of frozen orange juice over your skin to close the pores and tone your skin. And you can make an excellent conditioner for your hair by mixing the juice of an orange with an equal amount of water and a spoonful of honey. Apply to clean hair and leave for 5 - 10 minutes before rinsing out. This conditioner also stimulates hair growth.

As you can see, you don't need to spend a fortune to keep your body and your skin healthy. Nature has everything you need!

Going around the market in Benidorm yesterday, my senses were assailed by the aroma of fresh strawberries. That's excellent news for me, because apart from the fact that strawberries - along with cherries - are my favourite fruit, they are also one of the best anti-inflammatory foods there is. On top of that, you can also use strawberries for hair and skin care. And when they are fresh and in season, the anti-oxidants and vitamin levels in strawberries are at their best. Here's how you can use strawberries to improve your health naturally.

Anti-inflammatory benefits

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which is excellent at fighting inflammation. In fact, just 8 ripe strawberries contain more vitamin C than an orange, which is acknowledged as a rich source of the vitamin. But there's more, and this is the science bit. The phenols in strawberries hinder the action of the inflammation-causing natural enzyme cyclooxygenase- otherwise known as COX.

COX inhibiting drugs are routinely prescribed for people with Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis to cope with internal inflammation and pain. However, I can't take them, because they either affect my blood pressure or my stomach. And with a history of heart disease in the family - both of my parents died young from blood pressure related conditions - it's not advisable for me. In addition, I'm allergic to Ibuprofen, so that rules out almost all the anti-inflammatory drugs on the market.

Strawberries are natural COX inhibitors, and are just as effective as drugs if you eat enough. And I can never eat enough strawberries!

Skin and hair

One of the most annoying things about Lupus is it affects the skin and the hair. I could stuff a cushion with the hair that comes out on my comb every morning, and it gets a bit dull and lifeless too. A while back, a Spanish friend who has really glossy hair told me her secret - she mashes a few ripe strawberries in a tablespoon of mayonnaise, then massages it into her hair and leaves for about 20 minutes before shampooing out. I tried it, and it really works. It doesn't stop my hair coming out, but it does leave the rest of it looking shiny and healthy.

Because of the Lupus, I also get a circulation rash on my legs sometimes, and if I forget to apply my factor 50 sunscreen - even in January - I'm liable to get a butterfly rash across my nose and cheeks. When the rashes go, they leave little scars and dead skin cells behind, so to keep my skin looking good, I make an exfoliating wash from strawberries - about 10 or 12 large ripe ones - and a little sugar and olive oil.I just use that instead of regular shower gel, and it perks up my skin and leaves it looking glowing and healthy.

When my skin is itching or irritated, I find that if I just cut a ripe strawberry in half and rub it all over my face and neck, and anywhere else that's irritated, it soothes the irritation better than anything. Leave the juice on the skin for a few minutes, then rinse off. Even if you don't have problem skin like me, it's a great pick me up for dull skin.

Other health benefits

Strawberries can protect against heart disease, and also help regulate blood sugar levels, thus reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. They can also help you manage diabetes if you already have it. And because they are low in calories and high in nutrients, strawberries are an excellent choice if you're watching your weight. Oh, and they taste wonderful too, so if you see somebody buying up all the strawberries on the market say 'Hello,' because it will probably be me!

This is my third blog on Eye on Spain, and I'm pretty excited about it. Why would I need three blogs, you may ask? Well, as you may have noticed, I like to write a lot, about all sorts of topics. Soon after I started my first blog, Spanish Eyes, English Words, I realised that around half of the posts were about food. I thought it would be better to create a second, food themed blog, since not everyone who was interested in life in Spain will necessarily want to read about food and recipes, and vice versa. And so Mad About Spanish Food was born.

It's almost a year since I launched my first blog, and during that time, I've experienced a change in my health. I have a mixture of Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, which my consultant calls 'Rupus.' It was one of the factors which influenced our move to Spain, and I am more comfortable and active since we've been here, although these conditions will never go away. Recently, the Lupus is making its presence felt a lot more, and I'm having to find ways to cope with the skin problems and internal inflammation that is bothering me.

I've always been in favour of natural remedies, although there are certain medications I need to take to keep things under control. Of course, here in Spain, there's an abundance of healthy food, combined with a fantastic climate, and I'm discovering just how beneficial Nature can be.

I can't take anti-inflammatory medications, but I can and do eat an anti-inflammatory diet. And I've discovered that by using skin care products with natural ingredients, and even using stuff I normally eat as skin preparations, there is a big improvement in my skin condition.

I got to thinking that maybe a few EOS readers may also be interested in finding natural ways to keep healthy in Spain - or anywhere else for that matter. Again, it's not a topic that will interest everyone, so it gets its own blog spot. I'll be writing about the health benefits of the foods we see every week on the street markets, sharing a few hints and tips, and also reviewing a few of the products I've found useful.

This is where I point out that I don't run any sort of health care or skin care business, so I won't be actively promoting any products - just giving my honest opinion of the things that work for me. I'm not an entrepreneur - just a writer trying to stay healthy in Spain, and looking forward to lots of interaction with other like minded people. Hasta pronto!