The Japanese name Edamame is commonly used in America to refer to a dish prepared by boiling green soybeans in the pod, before they ripen.  The Japanese name literally means "twig bean", and is a reference to the short stem attached to the pod. Edamame is becoming a fad dish in many restaurants and sports bars.  ( By the way, you don’t eat the pod, just the beans inside.)

Why?  It’s a good question, but I have no answer. It could be because soy, and therefore soybeans, has gained a lot of favor as a "health food".. Soybeans certainly are a healthy food to eat, but what about for your skin?

Well, as you can imagine, soy has found its way into many skin treatments and even into cosmetics. Many cosmetic companies are adding soy to their preparations.  "Soy is fairly cheap, and it does some good," according to Dr. Ramsey Markus of Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology. Soy is very helpful in lightening skin color, smoothing skin texture after sun damage and slowing hair growth.  The slowing of hair growth can reduce the need to shave as often, and that may lead to better looking skin in the long term.  You can find a good article on how to use soy in a homemade recipe for lightening dark circles under the eye by visiting this blog Beauty and Personal Grooming.

Soy is very unlikely to cause allergic problems in adults, but you should be careful the first time you experiment with it.  If you are prone to allergies, you want to  make a paste of soy flour, or blend some beans and apply a small amount to the inside of your forearm and see if there is a reaction of any kind. 

The bottom line is soy protein is great for the skin.  Creative ways to use edamame for skin health are easy to think of, if you have edamame and a blender.  Go for it, and use natural and inexpensive skin treatments.

Posted: June 21st, 2008 under skin health.
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Skin lesions that are about the size of a pencil eraser are more likely to be melanomas, a deadly form of skin cancer, than smaller moles, according to a new study led by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers.In a new study published in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, the NYU researchers confirm that an important warning sign of melanoma moles that are larger than 6 millimeters, the size of a pencil eraser is still valid.

This post is an original post by ScienceDaily: Skin Care News

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under skin health.
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Do you know what MRSA is?  You may have heard about this on the news recently. MRSA is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)  and it refers to types of staph that are resistant to a type of antibiotic methicillin. It is often resistant to other types of antibiotics as well. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections that look like pimples or boils and occur in otherwise healthy people. Approximately 1% of the population have MRSA bacteria on their skin, and it usually doesn’t cause an infection.

Most people are concerned as to How can I get MRSA?  Or better yet, How can I avoid getting MRSA?  The Centers for Disease Control list something called the 5 C’s.  These will help you remember what to look for to help prevent exposure to MRSA. They are as follows: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness. Locations where the 5 C’s are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.

If you think you have a skin infection that may be MRSA, get it checked by a health care professional.

Your skin is best defense against MRSA and many other unwelcome bacteria.  Healthy skin will go a long way to preventing MRSA.  Unhealthy, dry, itching skin invites scratching; and scratching invites bacteria to enter the body.  See my post on 5 ways to soothe dry skin.  It may help you have healthier skin.

Feel free to leave comments here about this post. Do you have experience with MRSA that you could share with everyone?

Posted: March 31st, 2008 under Disease.
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