Holistic Review health product guide s2: advanced interest supplements for hair, skin and first aid. Last revised May 1, 2008. (Minor changes Tuesday, June 10, 2008.)

    *   Low cost hair support: Fo-Ti, L-Cysteine and Thyroid Energy by Now Foods. 

    *   Premium hair support: Shen Min fo-ti, Melancor L-cysteine, Metabolic Advantage thyroid glandular. 

Fo-ti (or "Shou Wu") may help to keep hair dark, and L-cysteine certainly helps to keep hair thick. Take two of each daily for six weeks, then run your fingers through your hair. You can expect a difference. Thyroid Energy contains L-Tyrosine which may directly supply the pigment to keep hair dark. It is also good for general health.

For early prevention, you can mix all three in one bottle, and take one daily. However they are inexpensive so you might want to take more. If your hair is already thin or grey, then consider 2 daily of each of the "premium" versions: Shen Min, Melancor and Metabolic Advantage.

(Caution: do not take L-Tyrosine if you have skin cancer. L-tyrosine does not cause cancer, and an existing cancer can grow just as well without extra pigment. Nonetheless if you have a pigment-based cancer, it is best to avoid any theoretical risk.)

    It is also vital for all men to take prostate supplements that include saw palmetto. 

This helps to neutralize the free radicals that cause baldness, in addition to prostate enlargement. For more information see chapter G.

    *   Proseed Ouch & Itch Herbal Cleansing Spray and Proseed Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE). 

Basic first aid, without harsh chemicals. GSE is a potent antiseptic oil, even against acne or foot fungus. Rubbing some around the outside of the ear can reduce ear infections. One drop, several times daily, can eliminate acne or at least prevent it from becoming infected. Do not place undiluted into the ear. Do not use on the eyes. The only other precaution is that the skin must be wet first, to prevent irritation. To kill diahrea bacteria, add to water and drink. Do not take internally often, because it also kills beneficial bacteria. The Ouch & Itch spray is basically grapefruit oil that has been pre-diluted for instant use, with herbs to reduce itching. However the pure Grapefruit Seed Extract, applied directly to wet skin, is the most potent.

    *   DMAE & ALA serum by Derma E and CoQ10 Serum by Now Foods. 

Serums are handy ways to apply the ultimate anti-aging nutrients to your skin. These are expensive but only small amounts are needed. We suggest alternating between them.

A similar option, more potent but less convenient, is to use scissors or teeth to nip open a capsule of DHLA from chapter O--or Ubiquinol CoQ10 from chapter H--or to use the Liquid E from chapter H--or the Liquid DMAE from chapter N. Similarly alternating between them. Also see the section below: "Convert cheap moisturizers into custom skin tonics."

    *   HA Serum by Now Foods and NaPCA with Aloe Vera by Twinlab. 

HA (hyaluronic acid) is the most important moisturizer and skin toner. NaPCA is less essential, but listed here for increased variety and reduced cost. Internally, it is always good to take HA daily. Externally, for people under 60, only 2 or 3 times weekly may be plenty. Thus we suggest to alternate this with Aloe Vera based Na-PCA by Twinlab. This comes in an 8 oz. bottle with a sprayer. We suggest replacing the sprayer with a squirt top from a shampoo bottle. It is then easier to apply, and other nutrients can be added, such as Lysine Powder from section i1.

(Caution: do not buy alcohol-based NaPCA by Twinlab. The bottle looks similar but the alcohol may have a drying effect.)

Instead of HA Serum, Skin Glow HA softgels from chapter J may be of better quality and may be nipped open. HA is not an antioxidant and is as mild as gelatin. Therefore, as your budget permits, 1-3 externally safely may be used every day (or every other day) in addition to 1-3 internally, and in addition to any antioxidants. HA may help both to fill wrinkles and to strengthen the knees, feet and spine. Also see the section below: "Convert cheap moisturizers into custom skin tonics."

    *   Expensive non-antioxidant natural face creams by various brands.

Expensive 2 oz. natural face creams often include unique ingredients that are highly nutritive to the skin and eyes. Even if only one such cream per year can fit into a budget, this can make a difference that can be felt. For the benefit of variety, we suggest those creams that do not emphasize CoQ10, ALA, HA or other antioxidants that are already emphasized in the basic serums listed above.

    *   Yogurt cream, preferably organic. 

The best quality yogurt is unsweetened and non-homogenized, or with "cream on top". It is best not to eat the cream which is high in cholesterol. Feed it to animals or even better, put it on your skin. This has special health benefits. If you do not like the feel on your skin, use less or do it one hour before bathing. The remaining yogurt is more tasty than low-fat or non-fat yogurt. Skimmed yogurt is especially tasty and healthy when mixed with flax oil, per chapters H and I.

    *   Convert cheap moisturizers into custom skin tonics. 

Among the most popular ingredients in expensive face creams are: CoQ10, ALA, HA, DMAE and vitamin E. These are usually not the highest quality forms and the amount is uncertain. Less expensive creams may only have token amounts. You can do better yourself, using the highest quality supplements: Ubiquinol for CoQ10, RDLA for ALA, Nutricology Skin Glow for HA, Twinlab liquid DMAE-H3, and Now Foods liquid E-Oil 0930 with 80% mixed tocopherols.

Simply place some inexpensive cream on your palm or a small dish (such as the Fragrance Free Moisturizer by Kiss My Face). Then mix in the supplement. If using capsules, nip open with scissors or teeth. Swallow or chew up the empty capsule. Tips and precautions:

    *   Ideally, use Skin Glow HA every day, plus one of the others. Line them up in your bathroom. Each day, use a different one.
    *   If your skin becomes hyper-sensitive, the antioxidant dose may be too high. (This is unlikely to happen if you only use one antioxidant daily.)
    *   Each dose on your skin probably makes for one less pill to swallow.
    *   It is not necessary to mix-in the supplement with the cream. You can apply directly to the skin, especially to focus on specific areas, such as knees, eyes or sore muscles.
    *   It is better to mix-in the supplement with the cream if you wish to cover large areas.
    *   Do not apply oral supplements to open wounds. Oral supplements such as vitamin E are "foods" and may increase bacterial growth in an open wound. Wait until the wound seals.

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