Permaculture skin care?

The old man I look after has seriously dry flaky skin on his lower legs.  Exercise is impossible.  Diet is controlled as best it can be.  Massage is a no-no in case I dislodge any blood clots and give him yet another stroke.  I'm monitoring things like urinary tract infections and dehydration and treating as necessary, but I'm beginning to lose the battle.

I'm currently spending a fortune on special moisturising lotions and potions to attempt to stop the flaking getting out of hand, but are there any better alternatives?  I get the feeling that oils only really help to keep moisture in, so just oiling might not be the best thing unless I wash his legs with water first, which doubles the handling and potential for damage.  The best lotion I've used so far claims to add water and hold it in the skin somehow.  Does anyone have any knowledge on this?   Would using just oil be ok or would I have to mix it with water, or apply water first and then oil on top?  I tried baby oil, but it seemed to make matters worse - I suspect it was scented in some way and maybe he reacted to that, but could it have been a reaction to the mineral oil itself? 

Would olive oil be ok?  I also have some glycerine that has oozed off the soap I make - could that be used in some way?  I'm pretty sure that the glycerine also contains water as it's quite liquid, but I'm nervous of putting it on him just to experiment in case it damages him.  It seems ok on my skin, but then mine is a bit tougher.  I can't use anything that has to be rubbed in as the skin is too fragile, so I'm looking for stuff that is as liquid as possible, can be applied in one go to keep handling down to a minimum, and ideally something that I can produce myself. 

Any ideas or information very gratefully received.

I also think the oils just seal up the moisture, but it sounds like he has very little to his skin.
This sounds weird, but it works for me.  Crisco, all vegetable shortening. 
Some of the dermatoligists suggest this for psoriasis or exema. It doesn't take much, just a thin coat, but maybe that would be too 'stiff' for you even if it was slightly warmed by your hands. 

I, too, have used olive oil, even with a Vitimin E capsule squeezed into it.  I'd think it'd be safe to try.  Probably safer than some of commercial lotions.  It sounds like there's a lot going on with his general health, so there's only going to be so much that you can do. 

Can you mix the glycerin in w/ the olive oil to make it 'thinner'?  Probably won't mix together, I don't know. I'm sure your glycerin doesn't have lye residue or anything from raw soap, right?  Could you warm up your hands in really warm water, leave them damp and then apply your oil?  That might add some moisture.

Good luck!

I took care of my grandmothers legs near the end of her life.  Her condition led to honorable cracking and then to staff infection, that's when I was asked to help with cleaning and bandaging daily.  She had a stroke (maybe several), heart attack and extreme heart problems/damage.

I would try a couple of things on this gentleman - first, on only one leg so you can 'see' any improvement for yourself, then on both -
Apply generously with a cotton ball (like a wash) apple cider vinegar, no pressure to the skin is needed (cold pressed ACV from the health food section) three times a day.  This will greatly help control external bacteria from making the problem worse.  Bacteria tend to accumulate on dead and dieing skin.  ACV really helps the skin to heal it's self.  Our skin prefers an acid ph, which aids in healing. 

Next, switch to a lotion from the health section again that contains alpha hydroxy (I used Kiss My Face Peaches & Cream Alpha Hydroxy Moisturizer) which my Grandmother said really helped with the stiffness, and it smelled great too.  The Alpha Hydroxy has a special ability to penetrate the skin, it's acids work mainly as an exfoliate. They cause the cells of the epidermis to become "unglued" allowing the dead skin cells to slough off, making room for regrowth of new skin.  So use a lotion with AH as it's main ingredient.  And/or you could use Vit. A right out of the capsule, just poke a gel pill with a pin and squeeze into your warmed hands and apply gently.  This being an oil will hold in moisture, and you don't have to worry it is holding in bacteria if your using the ACV regularly.

Last of all I had my Grandmother do toe raises when she was in the kitchen or bathroom holding onto the counters - just 3 to start and build up to 10 in a session slowly over a couple of weeks.  She did several sessions a day, she didn't like it as it was exercising, but she did it.  I don't know how you feel about this, but until the blood can be encouraged gently to the area/skin no long term healing can occur - it is truly and inside issue that needs addressed from both the inside and outside.  Just moving the feet while sitting doesn't do the trick.

My Grandmother's legs did heal up after I took over bandaging, but then I encouraged her to try things not promoted by the nurses.  Her feet were real bad too, and I had her soak them in Epsom salts in between leg treatments.  Salt is also super healing for the skin.

All the best with your gentleman.

My expecting wife has been using coconut oil as her only lotion, she loves it!

Thanks guys!  I think I have a little shopping list building up and a few experiments to try.  Jamie - thanks for that info about vinegar and maintaining an acid pH to control the bacteria.  That's exactly the kind of info I needed.  I'm so scared that the old boy's skin will start to crack right through and get infected.  I'll try the salt too - he used to have brilliant feet when he was younger, which he always put down to paddling in sea-water at every available opportunity. 

The toe raises are just totally impossible though.  It's as much as I can do to get him to raise a leg a few inches off the bed, with me helping and supporting, and attempt to flex the knee, move the leg a little from side to side, and maybe rotate the ankle and wriggle the toes a little, but that seems to be getting beyond his comprehension these days. 

I'll let you all know how I get on and which experiments work out best! 

Jami, you bring up a lot valid points, based on similar experiences.  I gotta start writing some of this stuff down....just in case.
Thanks for posting!

An elderly woman I knew had the most beautiful skin.  I was shocked when she told me that the only thing she had ever used on her skin was plain ol' vaseline.

Marianne - Vaseline does work but it's scary when you think about it, and there are much better, health wise, alternatives such as coconut oil.  But just so you know coconut oil won't last like Vaseline does (V is almost permanent - yikes) so just apply the coconut oil more often and you'll get the same results with better health.

Maluca -

The toe raises are just totally impossible though.  It's as much as I can do to get him to raise a leg a few inches off the bed, with me helping and supporting, and attempt to flex the knee, move the leg a little from side to side, and maybe rotate the ankle and wriggle the toes a little, but that seems to be getting beyond his comprehension these days. 

Yea I know, and this is exactly why they get leg, skin, feet problems - lack of circulation, started by their strokes and heart issues and taken to extremes by their lack of movement. 

You have to increase circulation some how - maybe hot baths, maybe hot tub jets at a rehab center, something.... or you'll loose this battle slowly over time.  My Grandmother could barely walk when I first started working on her legs, and she was moving her own legs and feet regulating while watching TV, but after seeing what was happening to her legs and the pain, she forced herself to dabble in the exercises, even though she was strongly against it.  I totally understand about your situation, and how toe raises are not possible - it's a shame.

We all need to learn this lesson and take some tips from Jack Lalanne, if we don't move it we'll loose it, or worse.

Thanks for sharing what your going through ~ your such a sweetie to help this gentleman ♥

I use topical hot pepper infused oil for my joints to stimulate circulation, it works great. I don't know if that would be too uncomfortable or inappropriate for him though. Just a thought.

That sounds interesting Rob, might be good for other things, is it hot on the skin?
And how do you make it exactly?

I fixed my stiff hips (condition just starting to appear, same condition had my mother hobbling in her fifties) by adding MSM and Vit C crystals to my Kombucha every morning - poof all gone.  The Kombucha is also very acidic, which promotes alkalinity internally and helps the situation heal. 

Great advice Jami !

I like to use pig fat although some people might find that a bit shocking.

I found that after spending a couple of day processing a pig, my hands and arms were soft and stayed that way for a good while afterwards. Lanolin from organic sheep is good too.

Wonderful to know Irene, and it would probably last more like Vaseline.

Vegetable oils are great, but they don't perform like animal fat does.  This is especially true for use in cast iron, I have stopped only using vegetable oils as it kept leading to gumminess and sticking.  I only use clean, home rendered animals fats or half 'n half in my pans now with great results.  Good thing the sticky issue doesn't apply to skin 

Irene, I agree about the pig fat and only found that out after processing one of ours.

Burra Maluca, you mentioned about baby oil.  My midwife told me that it was the worst oil on the market and absolutely NOT to use it on babies!!!

Someone said that the lotion that farmers use for cows' udders is particularly good and quite 'clean' in permaculture terms.

Good luck, you have a wonderful heart.

I use chinaberry (Melia azedarach) to make a simple shampoo that controls my bad psoriasis but don't know if it would work for your issue.
It's related to the neem tree so that's a point in its favor. I think (from my reading and conclusions) that it acts like an anti-inflamatory as psoriasis is an immune response gone amuck.

Just boil up 20 or so berries in water for 15 minutes, mash then strain the seeds/skins, then use straight after is't cooled.
Mild with a slight sent (almonish) and keeps me itch/flake free for a few days between shampoos. Also use it on my face/eyebrows.
Works better than any store bought shampoos I've tried over the years.

Also might try dressing the effected areas with fresh leaves. A favorite of Juliette de Bairacli (Juliette of the Herbs)...says it draws out the bad. Claims to have saved a ladies leg from amputation due to gangrene after the docs had written the leg off. Again not sure if it applies but couldn't hurt to try. Not sure what type of leaves she used...but here's a screen capture of what she used (at least in this video). Fig?



more on Juliette
http://www.ashtreepublishing.com/Author_Juliette_de_Bairacli_Levy.htm

Hum.... that doesn't look like my fig tree, but it could always be a different variety I guess.  Maybe someone will recognize it and post.   Good to know about the shampoo, I'll have to try it.

Alison - you are talking about bag balm (utter cream) - I don't like it for a 'natural' remedy myself (while others swear by it), because - "The active ingredients of Bag Balm are 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate 0.3% (antiseptic) in a petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and lanolin. "  And like I said Vaseline works, I would add so does lanolin, it's just that I am extreme in my avoidance of petroleum products, while others are not bothered.

Maluca - I forgot to mention that if the ACV bothers his tinder skin, start out by diluting it a bit with water and build up to using it full strength.  ACV won't bother healthy skin, while the fumes can tear up your eyes.  However, it can be a bit to strong to use straight on broken or raw skin, so feel your way as you apply it to his legs.

Jami McBride wrote:
That sounds interesting Rob, might be good for other things, is it hot on the skin?
And how do you make it exactly?

I fixed my stiff hips (condition just starting to appear, same condition had my mother hobbling in her fifties) by adding MSM and Vit C crystals to my Kombucha every morning - poof all gone.  The Kombucha is also very acidic, which promotes alkalinity internally and helps the situation heal. 

Depending on how much red pepper you add to it (the ratio) it can be very hot on the skin, like bengay, or a milder warmth. Basically I take oil or aloe and mix in some crushed red pepper. I then microwave that mixture, you could also put on the stove of course. I get it to a mild boil so the oils will leach into the oil and then let it sit overnight for the best result. I then use a paper towel to apply it, although you could sift out the pepper chunks. Ive actually started using it on my face with aloe to see if it heals my skin quicker, but Im going to try your apple cider vinegar. When I start to get a sore through I take a tablespoon of ACV and it does wonders!

I like your idea as well but I don’t know what MSM is….I make my own kefir every day, so I could do the same thing you are doing.

Google Search -

MSM has been used over and over for the relief of pain, head trauma, interstitial cystitis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and Alzheimer's disease. MSM makes the cell walls flexible and elastic. If the concentration of MSM in the body is too low, the new cells lose some of their necessary flexibility and elasticity. MSM makes cell walls permeable, allowing water and nutrients to freely flow into cells and allowing wastes and toxins to properly flow out. MSM is a powerful detoxifier. MSM is also nontoxic.

MSM is also called organic sulfur. MSM the sulfur compound is a nutrient found in the human diet and the natural diets of virtually all other vertebrates. MSM is part of the amino acid chain and without the proper amount of MSM in our bodies, the amino acids will continue to build the glands, but fail to produce the correct enzymes, making us prone to unnecessary illness. MSM is the flexible bond between proteins. When a cell dies, a new cell takes its place. Without the needed amount of MSM, it attaches but becomes rigid. When body tissues lose their flexibility, problems develop with the lungs and other parts of the body.

MSM stands for Methylsulfonylmethane, a stable odorless metabolite of DMSO. MSM cleans the blood. MSM is less toxic than water. In its purified form, it is an odorless white crystal with a slightly bitter taste and looks very much like table sugar.

ACV - is a wonder for use on the face/skin, but I dilute it for my face because of the eye thing.  It leaves my skin baby soft, and is a great after shave tonic for men I hear.  We use it instead of witch hazel astringent.   So give it a try, it's suppose to help guard against aging of the skin including wrinkles.   Back when I turned forty I started to have chronic heart burn, which I cured with taking a tablespoon of ACV at night and haven't had any sign of it since. 

Thanks for the 'heat-rub' alternative recipe.  I'll have to try it this spring when yard work leaves me with sore muscles    I no longer have any joint issues to deal with.

Cheers... I wonder if raw garlic will do the same thing as the MSM.

I think cayenne,  garlic and ginger are all supposed to good for circulation.

Coconut oil and lanolin are both very good on the skin. Lanolin can be very solid  though and will take quite a bit of warming up in your hands before you can apply it to his legs.

Does this man get much animal fat in his diet? My skin has been a lot better since cutting out milk and wheat and eating more fatty meat and whole eggs.

So many replies!  Thanks you guys - I'm seriously touched. 

I probably ought to explain a bit more background.  The old man is my uncle, and we share the family traits of being stubborn, pig-headed hermits who hate being told what to do, which doesn't make him the easiest of patients.  I've promised him I'll care for him here as long as I'm capable of it as he has made it quite clear that he does not want to go into a care home or hospital.  He's had bad circulation to his feet for about forty years after spending hours in freezing water after being shipwrecked, when he developed frost-bite.  His feet have had a tendency to turn black ever since.  He had his first stroke about 17 years ago and has had more regularly ever since. 

For the last 18 months he has been totally, utterly, bedridden.  His appetite is minimal, so I have limited ability to increase anything in his diet, but I have persuaded him to accept a spoonful of cod-liver oil every morning to wash down his vitamin pill and a strong gingko biloba tablet to try to keep his circulation up.  I had to keep his legs raised on a cushion for nearly a year in an attempt to get a bed sore on his heel to heal up, but this has taken it's toll on the skin of the calves.  The heel is OK now, and I alternate 12 hours on the cushion to protect the heel and 12 hours off to help the calf.  We are very definately in the 'palliative care' stage, and I admit to rather hoping that the next time he has a stroke it finishes him off as I really don't want him to get any worse.  My job seems to be juggling all his different needs in an attempt to keep him comfortable and at home until that time comes. 

He has a heated duvet/comforter which, combined with the ginkgo, seems to keep the circulation fairly good, but I have to monitor the temperature as if he gets even slightly too hot he gets too sweaty, develops fungal infections and his skin seems to overheat and flake worse than ever.  But if I have it too low his circulation slows down and his feet go black.  It's all juggling.   

I don't believe that his problem with the flaky skin is psoriasis - it seems to hit when either the temperature control isn't too good or if he's had a bad few days and not eaten/drunk enough and triggered some dehydration issues. 

I'm definately going to try the pig fat idea - I've just rembered now that Irene mentioned using it that animal fat was always supposed be better for use as a leather treatment, but I never knew exactly why.  It does stand to reason that it's likely to be more similar to our own fat than olive oil would be.  The baby oil is definately not going to be used again!  I think the pepper idea might be asking for trouble - a bit too stimulating for skin that's so thin and papery.  It might work, but I'm too chicken to try it. 

If you're looking for something that you can grow yourself, you might try aloe vera. The gel from the plant is really soothing and it absorbs quickly. Maybe ACV, then aloe, then some oil or pig fat on top to seal the moisture in?

It might help to steep some healing herbs like lavender or chamomile in the ACV, too, as long as he's not allergic. Rosemary's also good- it's antibacterial and antifungal.

Ginger also stimulates circulation; you might consider trying that instead of hot pepper.

Great accumulation of information here! 

I also have taken care of elders, as well as studied therapeutic aromatherapy for quite a while, so I'd just add a couple tidbits from my experience:

one is, elders at this stage especially tend to be much more sensitive to active plant materials such as essential oils or herbs as have been mentioned, so use less than you would on a healthy adult.

Chamomile infusion mixed with Jojoba comes to mind, actually.  Chamomile is an excellent anti inflammatory agent (though not sure inflammation is a factor here) and is soothing in itself, but the chamomile essential oils are pricey ones so an infusion would be easier.  The Jojoba I suggest as it is the consistency of an oil but is really a wax and is considered quite close in composition to the body's own sebum and so tends to balance out skin conditions if used over time...  You could alternate Jojoba with some real oil or lotion based treatments.....

And I agree diet probably has to do with this though that is a real tricky area to get into without knowing much more and even then.  But animal fats in the diet, if he has reasonably decent digestion, is probably a good thing......

Funny about the Bag Balm, we used to use it when I worked in a care facility for elders.....  It did seem effective but I would hate to use it now....

talking about animal fat I also kept thinking, bear grease! but who has any of that???  but I betcha it would be great. 

anyway, wow, good luck with this!  and hope you're taking care of yourself too as I know this is a real stressful job more often than not.

Aloe vera juice absorbs well into the skin and isn't sticky. I mix down my oils with it for face/body moisturizing (with a little vitamin E added in, too).

Burra Maluca wrote: His appetite is minimal, so I have limited ability to increase anything in his diet,

Hello Burra. What I should have said is try increasing the animal but decrease the carbs (grain products and other sugars and starches). You also mentioned the fungal infections. Reducing carbs can also really help with reducing or even eliminating fungal infections.

I think some investigation is in order before applying animal fat to the skin (unless somebody here knows more about it?). I have read that beef fat applied to the skin has a tendency to trap heat in the body. I don't know all the details but I'm wondering if other animal fats applied to the skin would do the same thing? I could be completely wrong and I really don't have time to look it up now but if anyone knows more about this then please feel free to tell us ok?
 

Well, I've been experimenting!  The first thing I did was to swap his vitamin pill for a larger one with a higher dose of the B vitamins.  I was dreading him challenging me on it, but he seems to have accepted it ok.  I've also make a very conscious effort to give him fattier portions of meat to keep up both the calorie intake and the essential oil intake.  I can't cut the carbs down too much as I'm terrified of him losing any more weight, but to be honest he doesn't really eat that many carbs anyway.  I'm pretty sure the fungal infections are more of a 'jock itch' thing, down to too much immobility and I *think* it's stuff like thrush that is more sensitive to carb intake. 

Then I started playing with the glycerin.  The 'home made' glycerin was a bit of an accident when I made up a batch of soap using far more water than normal to keep it nice and soft so I could whizz it up with even more water to make a form of liquid soap that the old man used to use loads of before he completely lost the use of his legs 18 months ago.  I made up a big batch of soap using 2 litres of water to 3 litres of cheap vegetable oil and after a month or so a yellowish liquid began to ooze out.  I decanted it, allowed it to stand for a couple of weeks, strained it and stuck it in a bottle in case it ever came in useful.  It's been sitting in my cupboard for the best part of two years as that batch of soap still hasn't been used up so I haven't made any more since then.  I was pretty sure that the lye I used wasn't going to be a problem as I always make the soap 'superfatted' and leave it to mature, and the old man had been happily using the soap itself nearly two years ago.  I tried some of the glycerin on my skin and it felt a bit 'drying' and 'tacky', which I now think was because it was too concentrated.  It actually pulls moisture out of the air, but if it's used too 'neat', it can pull moisture out of the skin, too.  So I diluted it and it seemed much better.  I experimentally tried a bit on the old boy's foot and it seemed pretty good, so the next day I tried it on one leg and it worked absolutely brilliantly with no unforseen side effects.  I went on to use it on both legs and it works really, really well.

Then I thought I'd like to experiment with chamomile infusion, seeing as chamomile grows everywhere around here and it was just starting to come into flower, so it seemed kind of appropriate.  I waited til a dry day and picked a few flowerheads and made up an infusion which I used to further dilute the glycerin.  I'm not sure if it was the chamomile or the extra dilution, but this stuff seems to work even better!  I still need to apply it every day though so maybe a bit of oil in the mix will make it longer lasting.

I sent off for some Jojoba oil (it's supposed to be a desert plant - does anyone know if it will tolerate the wet winters we have here?) and this morning I added one ml of Jojoba oil to the glycerine/chamomile blend to see what difference it makes.  This morning I also used the new blend instead of 'nappy cream' to see how effective it is for that job.  It's much lighter and easier to apply than the cream but I don't know if it will do the same job - time will tell.

I'll report again in a few days! 

You're doing great! 

For a 'jock itch' type rash I would use DE, the DE adsorbs all moisture killing most yeasts, bacteria and such which cause raw skin.  It can really help with burning and itching too.

Thanks for sharing your experiments, keep us posted.

I hope you people don't mind, but that's really a permaculture wisdom in one sentence about skin care. It comes from greek skin care wisdom.

"Do not put on your skin, what you wouldn't put in your mouth."

I hope he's getting enough EFAs, Burra.

Increase his Omega 3 Fatty Acids and limit his consumption of Omega 6s. Omega 3s (EPA and DHA) are useful for inflammatory issues. Heal from within. Topical ointments might soothe itching or flaking but...

Here's the whole story on the benefits of flax,hemp,chia... or oily fish consumption. BTW, this website doesn't mention the skin issue but it will help his skin too.
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/omega-3

For a nice cream to soothe things....

Calendula cream, Egyptian Magic cream (TM), Propolis cream, Emu Oil (I'm not kidding), Sea buckthorn oil (high in Omega 3,6,7 and 9), and maybe if the old man has an infection or leg ulcers try Manuka Honey directly on those sores.

Hope this has been helpful.
~Peony.

This post is a bit old but skin care is one of my special interest items. Burra are you still looking after this patient? If so, is there any progress?

I'm afraid the old man died just before Christmas - I really was on palliative care duty, not healing duty!

The chamomile/glycerin/jojoba concoctions was an absolute godsend for him though. Shortly after the last post I made to this thread he started to have difficulty swallowing and I had to stop all the vitamin tablets, and his appetite reduced to the extent that he was living mostly on liquids drunk with a sippy-cup. His skin became even more papery thin as his diet deteriorated and he couldn't even lift his legs for me to put anything on the skin under his calves so I'd have to handle them to lift them, which was incredibly hard on whatever bit of skin took the pressure while I lifted, so it was really, really helpful to have a very liquid lotion that I would basically cup in my other hand and splash on in a second or two with no rubbing whatsoever. Any skin on the top/front of his legs could just have the stuff squirted on from a suitable bottle and patted into place without any problems.

I did once run out of lotion and made up a very fast version without the chamomile and to be honest it seemed just as effective. I never measured anything but by far the bulk of the mix was water, then I'd add some glycerine and shake it up and then dab a bit on my lip. Glycerine absorbs and holds water, so if I'd made it too strong the glycerine would actually pull water out of my lips and they would feel dry where I'd dabbed it, but if the mix was dilute enough then the glycerine and the water would be absorbed and my lip would feel moister. Then I'd add a squirt of jojoba oil to the mix,which seemed to make the effect last about six times longer. The oil would tend to settle out on top so I'd always shake the bottle before applying it. I had it in an old baby-oil bottle which meant I could squirt it reasonably accurately onto him, or into one cupped hand for putting under his calves. The stuff would work like magic and skin that looked like it was about to break and flake off like old singly-ply tissue paper would, within a couple of seconds, absorb enough of the mix to make the skin look a zillion times healthier and less likely to fall off if you blinked at it. I never took photos as it felt like a total intrusion of privacy, and I don't know anyone with skin anything like that bad to demonstrate on, but it truly was almost miraculous!

For the last two months of his life I did give up and use disposable diapers (he lost the ability to know when he was about to poop, and also disposables are much harder to, er, 'get into' than the adult sized washables I bought) which meant that the skin in the nappy area was taking a beating, but I used the glycerine/jojoba lotion to keep it moist and also, as the skin there was a bit less fragile, I could also apply a barrier cream to protect it. A sheath catheter was brilliant at keeping pee off the skin, but he was very fond of pulling the tube out which didn't make life easy.

All in all the skin care regime worked well until he finally stopped eating completely and was barely drinking enough to keep body and soul together. The skin held up till about a week before he died and at that point he started to break out in new bed-sores. We put him on one of those special mattresses with air in alternate channels and a pump which switches which channels are inflated every ten minutes. This pretty well prevented the sores getting any worse, and also relieved me of the need to battle with him to roll him from side to side, which used to cause as many problems as it prevented by that time.

I just want to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread - you all made a real difference to me during an exceedingly difficult time!

***hugs***

Thanks for the update Burra, I need to bookmark this and probably write down your 'recipe'. I have inherited skin problems which are 'usually' controlled by diet except when I eat stuff I shouldn't - like now.

One of my earliest jobs in 1975ish was as an aid at an assisted living home. Most of the residents were mobile except one woman. I would go into her room when I took her juice and toast and she would always ask me to put lotion on her arms. Poor dear - her arms were like waxed paper.

Skin care; mix fresh thyme, rosemary,and sage in boiled water. Seal it in a glass jar for a month. Strain. Put the liquid in a spray bottle. You can now use it as a skin hydrant, hair moisturizer or styler, it helps relieve scalp and skin inflammation and irritation.  If you steep herbs  in olive oil it is good on salads. Melt raw coco butter about a teaspoon full, in a cup of melted shea butter. add a small amount of coconut oil to the melted oils. After spraying the legs gently pat the oils on after a few days of just the spray. Do not melt oils over fire or microwave. use a hot bath method.  (hot pot of water then put the cup in to melt the oils.).  This saves the properties of the oils.