Vitamins and your skin

Vitamins and your skin

Vitamins are an important contribution to healthy skin. Many skin problems can be treated or prevented by taking the proper vitamins.
Most people realize that what you put into your body affects your entire health. Doctors have also known that certain vitamins have rejuvenating or healing powers when it comes to the skin. As a matter of fact, before there were specific medications for most skin conditions, experts commonly depended on vitamins, along with other natural products, to treat these ailments.

WHAT KINDS OF SKIN CONDITIONS RESPOND WELL TO VITAMINS?
First of all, if you consume the proper vitamins in the appropriate quantities, your skin will start out healthier and more vibrant to begin with. But if you find yourself deficient, vitamins A, C, D, and E are especially important and are often prescribed for dull, lifeless skin. If you're curious about specific conditions that vitamins can treat, dry skin, acne, psoriasis, and skin eruptions are just a few of the problems that can be helped with vitamins.

I HAVE HEARD THAT VITAMIN A CAN TREAT ACNE. IS THAT REALLY TRUE?
YES. Before we had the vast array of acne preparations available, vitamin A was often prescribed as a very effective treatment for acne. Even today, some people find that over-the-counter and prescription concoctions too harsh and drying for the face. These same people can safely consume a daily dose of vitamin A and their acne will greatly diminish. If oral vitamin A isn't giving you the results you desire, synthetic vitamin A-like compounds called retinoids can be applied directly to the skin. These compounds not only help clear up acne, but they also even out pigment changes and heal the skin damage that results from too much sun exposure.

I HAVE ECZEMA? DOES THAT RESPOND WELL TO VITAMINS?
Often times, yes. Inositol is a substance that is particularly useful in the treatment of eczema. If you have a stubborn case, give inositol a try. You've got nothing to lose but your itchy, scaly skin.

WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER VITAMINS? WHAT BENEFITS DO THEY HAVE FOR THE SKIN AND WHAT CONDITIONS CAN THEY TREAT?
Below is an overview of the most important vitamins in the treatment of common skin conditions.
VITAMIN B-2 OR RIBOFLAVIN

This vitamin is necessary for proper skin balance. Too little of it causes the face to be oily.

This vitamin aids in healing cracks and sores of the mouth and lips. Even doctors quite frequently prescribe vitamin B-2 for their patients who appear in their office with this painful condition.
VITAMIN B-6

This vitamin helps to treat dermatitis as well as a vast array of other skin eruptions and rashes.
NIACIN

This popular B vitamin is important in the maintenance of healthy skin.

Successfully treats canker sores.
PANTOTHENIC ACID

Treats painful, burning feet.

Keeps skin healthy and strong by assisting in cell building.
BIOTIN

This is sometimes prescribed when skin is dull and the pallor is gray.
VITAMIN C

This is an extremely important vitamin that aids in wound healing. If you have a cut or a sore, try adding extra vitamin C to your diet.

Sufficient vitamin C helps prevent broken capillaries and excessive bruising.
VITAMIN E

Prevents and treats dry skin.

Slows down cellular aging.

May prevent skin damage caused by excessive sun exposure.

Though not scientifically proven, some women claim it helps diminish stretch marks.

Treats nipples that are sore and cracked from nursing a baby. Simply break open a vitamin E capsule and apply a small amount topically to the painful area.

CAN I SAFELY TAKE LARGE DOSES OF VITAMINS?
Yes and no. Most vitamins are water-soluble and are quickly eliminated from the body. It is safe to consume varying quantities of these vitamins. Other vitamins are fat-soluble. That means that they are stored in the body and can build up over time. Mega-doses of these vitamins should be avoided. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, and E.

IF I CAN'T TAKE LARGE DOSES OF THE FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS, HOW CAN THEY BENEFIT ME?
By taking the proper amounts of these vitamins, you can maintain healthy skin and prevent problems from occurring in the first place. If you do have one or more of the above-mentioned skin conditions, you may be deficient in one of the fat-soluble vitamins. Look to your diet and see if that could be the case.

SHOULD I TAKE SUPPLEMENTS OR CAN I GET ALL I NEED FROM THE FOOD I EAT?
It would be ideal if you could get all of the nutrients that you needed through the foods that you consume. However, this is often not possible. High quality supplements, coupled with a healthy diet, will ensure that you get all of the nutrients that you need.

DO I NEED TO CONSUME THE SUPPLEMENTS ORALLY FOR THEM TO HAVE BENEFITS FOR MY SKIN?
No. Some supplements are applied topically. For an example, vitamin E is often applied to wounds and scars to hasten healing. Vitamin D can be absorbed through the skin when you are exposed to the sun, and as was stated before, vitamin A is available in a variety of topical preparations.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Many skin conditions can be prevented or successfully treated by using vitamins either orally or topically. But most important is consuming a healthy diet on a daily basis. Without the proper amounts of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, vitamins can't do their job.
If you have a skin problem that isn't responding to conventional treatment, give vitamins a try. They are safe, cheap and highly effective.

Material Matters: From Asian Hardwood to Tempered Glass

Material Matters: From Asian Hardwood to Tempered Glass

Our Materials Glossary Tells You What You Need To Know.
We carry furniture that is made from many different materials and is available with a multitude of finishes. This should make it easy for you to find exactly what you want, at a price that's friendly to your budget. That being said, it's useful to know a little bit about products that are commonly used in furniture construction.

Engineered Wood/MDF
MDF is a common abbreviation for medium density fiberboard, or engineered wood. MDF is made out of multiple wood fibers glued together under heat and pressure, and is generally very affordable and often just as durable as solid wood. Teamed with laminates and wood veneers, furniture made with MDF can imitate the look of real wood while meeting the budget requirements of most families.
MDF offers several advantages over alternate materials, while not being too costly. It can be made with recycled materials, and possesses no grain so it can be drilled and/or cut without damaging the surface. Also, MDF is often sturdy enough to be nailed together, and yet it's light enough to be shipped cheaply and easily.

Laminates
Laminates consist of a layer of wood or other product, such as paper, which is applied over a wood frame and sealed with a protective layer of thermosetting resin. They are used in a wide variety of products (especially office furniture), as they can be extremely durable and stand up to daily use by many people. In addition, when adding employees - or pieces of furniture to complement what you have - you are virtually guaranteed that the finish on your products will match what you already have. Unlike real wood, laminates should not fade or have variations from piece to piece. They are also very easy to clean with just a soft cloth.

Hardwood Solids
Solid wood furniture is considered the best quality furniture on the market, and if you are purchasing furniture that will be in your home for a long time, it is a very smart investment. Even with wear, solid wood gains character and charm and becomes a part of your family. Solid wood furniture is usually crafted with attention to detail that includes dovetailed joints, wood on wood drawer glides, and strong protective finishes.
Hardwood solids, in particular, are cut from the trunks of deciduous hardwood trees. Among the most popular of these are oak and maple, which are commonly used for constructing furniture and cabinetry. And don't forget, no two pieces of solid wood furniture are the same, so your furniture will be completely unique.

Asian Hardwoods, Parawood, and Rubberwood
Asian hardwood is also referred to as parawood, rubberwood, and tropical hardwood. Mainly from Southeast Asia, this wood is as strong as maple and is often referred to as Malaysian Oak because of its durability and strength.
The trees used for this wood are native to the Amazon region of South America. In the 19th Century their seeds were transported to England for germination and the resulting seedlings were brought to Malaysia and planted permanently (thus the name Asian hardwood).
Furthermore, the trees are used to produce latex for 25-30 years prior to being cut down for furniture construction. This ecologically friendly process has spawned the name rubberwood.

Wood Veneers
Wood veneers are constructed of thin slices of real wood which are adhered to the surface of a piece of furniture to give it the glowing appearance of real wood. Veneers can be laid over less costly and lighter materials to save production and shipping costs, or added to a very expensive piece to showcase a particularly beautiful grain pattern. Any smooth and flat material can have veneer laid over it, making this an extremely versatile and popular method of constructing furniture.
The slices used for veneering are generally trimmed from the most attractive parts of the wood source. A saw was originally used for this procedure, but is now commonly replaced by a stationary knife. This reduces the dust that is caused by sawing, and also allows more slices to be cut from each individual log.

Marble Veneers
Marble veneers are similar to wood veneers, but consist of thin slices of marble that are precisely sawn from solid marble blocks. It is an economically ideal way to avoid the fragility of marble without sacrificing its beauty. Marble veneer is also popular in architecture, and can be found as decoration on ancient Roman palaces as well as modern-day furniture.

Wrought Iron
Wrought iron means "worked iron" in Old English. Wrought iron refers to metal that is hammered or bent into shape as opposed to being cast or poured at a foundry. The result is a metal that has a roughed up surface as opposed to the machine-made smooth look of alternate metal products. Because of this coarse surface, wrought iron is able to retain a thicker layer of finish than smoother metal.
Working metal by hand has been done for over 5,000 years, to make functional items such as furniture, as well as art. The wrought iron of today most commonly consists of mild steel, which was discovered in 1856 and is made by melting cast iron and removing the carbon and slag.

Tempered Glass
Tempered glass can be made in one of two ways, both of which produce very similar results. The first is by subjecting the glass to a special heat-treatment in which it is heated to about 680