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Oh, rashes. We’ve all encountered them in some form, mostly from an allergy or something we touch. Growing up on 10 acres of wooded land, I found myself adventuring outside to “explore” (usually poison ivy). I then got to explore the rash that would form on my skin, along with all the scratches I collected on my legs from stepping in briars, and all the itching that ensued. Rashes are a common skin condition that many children and adults experience and they are utterly annoying to deal with.

Rashes, also called dermatitis, are often caused by things that your skin touches (contact dermatitis) such as:

• Chemicals in elastic, latex and rubber
• Cosmetics, soaps and detergents
• Jewelry (like all women, I’m allergic to fake gold)
• Dyes and other chemicals in clothing
• Poison ivy and poison oak

Common symptoms include:

• Red rash or bumps
• Itching
• Dry, red patches
• Blisters and draining fluid in severe cases
• Pain or tenderness

Irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis fall into two categories: Irritant and allergic. Irritant contact dermatitis is more common and caused by repeated contact with a substance that – wait for it – irritates the skin! Bleach is a substance that can cause this after just one exposure, as it removes oil and protective barriers in the skin. Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by a reaction to substances (allergens). The resulting rash, and sometimes blisters, is your body’s response to the allergen. It can take several years to develop
an allergy, which will then last for life.

Self-help

Most the time you have to ride out the rash, which is the most annoying part of developing a rash. After taking antibiotics, I developed a rash that lasted for two weeks and the only remedy that significantly soothed my itching was olive oil. Olive oil has healing and renewal properties and helps restore moisture to the skin. The only thing more annoying than having to apply this on my skin is the craving of bread that followed. Other self-help remedies include:

• Witch hazel
• Oatmeal
• Aloe Vera
• Calendula Essential Oil
• Baking Powder
• St. John’s Wort
• Chamomile
• Jewelweed
• Wild Pansy

Complications

Prolonged scratching may increase the intensity of the itch and lead to Neurodermatitis, so it’s best to keep your skin as moisturized as possible. The chlorine that is in your shower water can exacerbate itching, as it strips your skin of its natural moisture. Installing a shower filter that removes chlorine, as well as other contaminants, is one of the best things you can do for persistently itchy skin.

When to see a doctor

Some rashes may require a visit to your dermatologist or family doctor. See your doctor if:

• You’re so uncomfortable that you’re losing sleep or daily routines are interrupted.
• Your skin is painful
• Your skin becomes infected
• Self-care has failed
• You feel the cause is job-related

We all know we should use sunscreen to help ward off the harmful rays of the sun. Sometimes there are so many choices, however, that it’s hard to know where to start. At the most basic level, there are lotions (the old stand-by) and the newer sprays and spray lotions. Do they do the same job? Do they both give the same amount of coverage and protection? There are lots of articles out there that go into the science of the debate, which I (not being qualified to) will not do here. But people tend to have a great deal to say about which sunscreen they like better (just ask—there are some pretty big opinions out there!).

For your skin, lotion might be the better way to go. To me, the sprays tend to lose at least 75% of their liquid to every chance wind that gusts up right when you hit the button. But sprays undeniably go on faster. But what’s in them? Lots of chemicals and questionable ingredients that may provoke a negative reaction. Not that lotion is any better—it’s goopy and white and “takes FOR-EVER, MOM” and is hardly attractive. So after sifting through several blog posts and discussion posts on forums about the issue, I have boiled it down to the major pros and cons for each (as told by others).

So which is better? I’d say that whatever works for you and your family is the better choice. And there are, as I mentioned before, lots of studies and reviews to help you choose:

Environmental Working Group list of Best Sunscreens

Environmental Working Group sunscreen report

9 truths about sunscreen

And here’s a list of lotion-based, chemical and hormone-free sunscreens

In the end, whichever route you choose, there are a few rules of thumb when dealing with sun exposure:

1. 1. Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes prior to sun exposure, to give the ingredients a chance to activate.
2. 2. Cover every inch of exposed skin (I know lots of people who apply it naked before dressing, to avoid missing those little slices of skin at your clothing lines).
3. 3. Reapply regularly (every 2-3 hours at most—more often if swimming or sweating profusely).

Other pro tips:

• Cover with lotion in the morning, then reapply with spray during the day (because it’s quicker).
• Remember to get the back of your neck, your ears, your hands and feet (even the soles, if you’re planning on lying on your tummy for any length of time), and very carefully under all the hems of your clothing.
• If you begin to feel over hot, or if your skin turns a markedly different color when you press your finger into it, get into the shade for a little bit and drink some water!

As much as possible, wear protective clothing to block as much sun as you can: hats, shirts, and loose clothing.

Which do you prefer? Spray or lotion? We had the discussion in the office, and everyone has an opinion and a reason! What are yours??

When most people think of dermatology, they probably think of beauty. No longer are dermatologists known for removing embarrassing warts or moles, but for chemical peels and Botox. They are the go-to person for making skin beautifully flawless. But dermatologists also engage clients to help them deal with some of the more unsightly dermal concerns: skin abnormalities, rashes and cysts, among other things.

My own first meeting with a dermatologist was over a cyst. Cysts are a common abnormality that often appear on the face and neck, but can appear anywhere on the body. They’re just plain ugly, and coming from personal experience, I can assure you that they’re embarrassing and made me feel self-conscience. I even had people ask if I had cancer!

So…

What is a Cyst?

A cyst is a noncancerous, closed pocket of tissue that can form anywhere in the body and is common on the skin. Skin cysts develop due to an infection, clogging of sebaceous glands (also called oil glands), and may form around foreign bodies in the skin, like piercings. Certain factors increase the possibility of developing a cyst such as:

• Acne
• Gender
• Age (30s or 40s)
• Damaged hair follicles (skin abrasions or wounds)
• Trauma (skin is crushed or broken from an injury, such as hitting your finger with a hammer)
• Birth Defects

Common Skin Cysts at a Glance:

Cysts are usually noticeable and tend to be slow-growing, painless and can be rolled under the skin. Some of the most common types of skin cysts include:

• Epidermoid cysts (which men are twice as likely to have): the most common type of skin cysts (this was the type I had) and are often mislabeled as sebaceous cysts, which are a rare type of cyst. Epidermoid cysts range in size from ¼ inch to 2 inches (Mine was about an inch).
• Lipoma: a fatty lump that tends to grow slowly over time and is usually discovered accidentally.
• Pilar cysts: form from hair follicles and commonly occur on the scalp.
• Milia: tiny white bumps or small cysts on the skin. These cysts are common in newborns, which then are called Epstein’s pearls, and go away on their own.
• Pilmatrixoma: a slow-growing, hard mass found beneath the skin. Occurs most commonly on the face and neck and is seen mostly in children under 10.

Treatments

The treatment of most cysts depends upon cause, size and location. Removal of the cyst is done at your doctor or dermatologist’s discretion, as some cysts can be drained or aspirated, or injected with a cortisone shot (My dermatologist gave me a cortisone shot, which resulted in an infection, so instead of a smallish size cyst, I had what looked like a goiter. I went back and it was drained – yuck! – and removed). Some cysts disappear on their own without treatment. Most people elect to have their cyst drained or removed for cosmetic reasons or to prevent further growth of the cyst. Pilmatrixoma cysts are removed surgically as an outpatient procedure.

Prevention

Some skin cysts can be prevented by keeping your skin clean and avoiding skin irritation. Using a shower filter that filters out harsh chlorine to keep your skin soft and less dry may help reduce irritation. Use gentle, oil-free cleansers, wear soft, cotton clothing, and adjust anything that may rub against your skin.

Need a little less skin irritation in your life? Check out our shower filters to keep your skin soft and from drying out! Click here to receive half-off during July 2011!

As you may or may not be aware, dermatology is the field of medicine that focuses on the skin: skin diseases and disorders. This includes things as varied as hair removal and implantation, skin cancer treatment, skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis and (the most unfair of plagues) acne, to plastic surgery like liposuction and face lifts.

And just how, you might ask, is dermatology related to water and water filtration?

For hair removal issues, plastic surgery and cancer, water is important for all the usual health reasons, but has little impact aside from that. Where water becomes an essential component of dermatology issues are in the areas of skin health and skin disorders. Proper hydration is often the heart and soul of health in general, but it particularly affects the skin. Lack of adequate hydration can exacerbate (or cause) rashes, eczema, allergic reactions and other topical ailments.

Along the same lines, the water you wash with can affect the quality and vitality of your skin in surprising ways. City water contains a whole raft of contaminants in varying concentrations, some of which have been shown to be harmful to your skin. Chlorine in particular is cause for concern. We all know how it feels when you get out of a chlorinated pool: the itchy, dry, tight feeling plagues you until you can rinse off with less chlorinated water. But there’s chlorine in your shower water, too, if in lesser amounts, and it’s still not good for you.

Dermatology and you

For the next several weeks, be on the lookout for blog posts, Facebook and Twitter activities, and general buzz on Aquasana.com and our other community channels that relate to dermatology and skin issues. The subject is near and dear to our hearts, and we have undertaken a mission to shed light on various dermatology topics. With that in mind, we’ve found some really excellent resources about dermatology and skin conditions out there on the net:

Related, interesting sites on dermatology…

• American Academy of Dermatology
• National Eczema Association
• Kids Skin Health
• KidsHealth

The Fourth of July brings on a lot of planning for any family—which festival to go to, what recipes would everyone enjoy, what games would the kids enjoy—or, if you have yet to start a family, where’s the best happy hour? Even with all the decisions to be made, The Fourth always ends with the flash and bang of fireworks, unless you’re in the middle of a drought, of course. In that case, what in the world are you going to do? When planning a whole day of activities, it’s helpful to consider several ideas and choose which best fits your family.

1) Food for The Fourth! Holiday recipes are always a fun idea and great to get kids involved. A hot day always deserves cold food so think fruit! Strawberries are always a tasty, healthy treat and simple to make festive for this holiday. Grab a bag of white chocolate chips, melt them down and then have the kids dip the strawberries one-by-one into the chocolate then top them off with blue sugar crystals, allow the chocolate to harden, and Voila! Instant edible patriotism! Wash it down with a red, white and blue drink, which is equally simple to make. Fill a glass with ice then add cranberry juice first, then a wild berry flavored sports drink and lastly, diet 7-up or Sprite. Make sure to pour each flavor over the ice so not mix the colors and always put the drink with the most sugar first.

2) Home for the Holidays. If you’re throwing a Fourth of July party at home, it’s always a great idea to have activities lined up for the kiddos. Since they’ll be outside most of the day, anything that causes a mess is a winner. Buy a finger paint paper roll, which can be found at crafts or school supply stores, roll it out in the driveway and have the kids paint what they think symbols patriotism and Independence Day. If you’re not crazy about paint, classic sidewalk chalk is always fun for little ones.

3) Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom, Boom, Boom! Most communities host Fourth of July festivals. A couple ways to find out which local festival best fits your family, visit the city’s website or browse your local newspaper for a schedule of events. Most festivals offer live entertainment, kid friendly activities and contests, and, of course, fireworks. If fireworks are out of the question this year due to lack of rain, alternative ideas are to watch a laser show, bring a blanket to watch a movie at a park or if you don’t want to deal with the traffic, light sparklers in the yard for the kids to enjoy then gather in front of the television with the lights turned off and watch the numerous fireworks shows across the country together.

Whatever your plans are this holiday always have safety at the top of your list!

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July from everyone at Aquasana!

So your kitchen has a refreshed and energized look. What next? If you have some budget left over, or some time next month, you might consider making some updates to another room in your home. I’d say the bathroom is worthy of attention, for two reasons:

1) Often all it needs to really look spiffy again is a good hard scrubbing and a few cheap changes to dress it up.

2) We all know the bathroom is one of the rooms that determine a home’s character and level of sophistication (for whatever reason—real estate agents harp on bathroom updates constantly when a house goes on the market), so it’s a good investment to spend some time bringing it up to date.

So what can you do that is easy, relatively painless and inexpensive to give your bathroom a fresh and clean look? More or less, you do the same things as you did to your kitchen—paint, color, fixtures. There are just a few different things to keep in mind as you make changes.

• Add a new coat of paint or stain. Same as the kitchen, a new color can transform a room in ways you can hardly believe until you do it. (See the paragraph below about color before you go crazy, though!)

• Install a new vanity or mirror treatment. Mirrors give us only what we put into them, right? If you make the setting a bit more attractive, you might be surprised at what stares back out at you!

• If you have windows, try a new window treatment. This is where that complementary color comes in: choose a lovely complementary shade to the walls and dress the windows and the shower curtain to really make the most of the bathroom.

• Add some fashionable and useful storage. I don’t know anyone who could not use more storage in their bathroom. So get out to IKEA or the Container Store and find a fashionable and serviceable set of shelves or a cabinet and really make full use of all the space in your bathroom (but make sure to do this after you paint).

A word about color

Take a moment to reflect on how you feel in your bathroom versus how you want to feel. Do you feel hot and sticky in the bathroom when you have to be in there? Do you often take cool showers? Do you approach blow drying your hair with dread? If you feel uncomfortably hot in your bathroom, you might consider painting and decorating with cool colors—blues and greens and greys and whites—to promote an illusion of a cooler atmosphere. Alternately, if you always shiver your way through showers and bathroom activities, redecorate with warmer colors and tones. Install a space heater or overhead heater/fan. Invest in some lovely warm, fluffy towels and floor mats! (And remember the 60/30/10 rule of colors! Choose a main color and make the room 60% that color, a complementary color to cover another 30%, and an accent shade in about 10% to give just a taste of freshness.)

Like every room in your home, you want to customize your bathroom to be comfortable for you. It’s not as important as the kitchen or family room, certainly, but it’s still important and worthy of some summer attention.

Are you planning on making any changes to your bathroom this summer? What’s the one update you’re burning to make? Or are you misering away your extra dough against the unpredictable and difficult economic times? (Either way, fair enough!) Let us know in the comments!

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend, and the race is on to secure a good, enticing, enjoyable gift for the men in our lives who grease the wheels and make life exciting. But what do you get for the man who already has every tool from Home Depot and too many ties to count? Why not go sideways this year, and reach for a practical and exciting gift that he’ll love? (That’s my plan, anyway.) Here are some ideas to get you started!

For the closet cook
Cooking has become a more acceptably enjoyable activity for men, and a good many of them show a decided flair for it. Why not invest in a few really excellent kitchen gadgets to help him out?

Men really like to grill best, and summer is the perfect time for him to get some more experience! Try the cookbook Everyday Grilling from Sur La Table. He’ll be able to make everything on the grill, appetizers to desserts!

If he already knows the grilling ropes, a great instant-read digital thermometer can help him hit just the right level of done.

A nice pizza stone is a good investment, too. When not in use for pizza parties, you can use it to bake other yummy things, like biscuits and cookies.

Gadget man-ia

But not every man likes to cook. Some of them just can’t ever own enough gadgets. For some spectacular ideas on what to get to indulge him, try looking at Skymall.com or Brookstone.

Weather stations are pretty neat little things, and the prices on the good ones are coming down. If you need to know instantly how to dress the kids today, don’t wait for the weatherman, just take a peek at this little guy!

Maybe your man is security-minded, though. If so, investing in a home security system could be a good gift to ease his anxiety. There are lots of options out there, and some even come with iPhone or smartphone apps that let you manage your security remotely, so you always have access and control.

Or if your husband is the fastidious sort, you could consider even our own Aquasana shower filter with handheld wand. Clean himself, the kids, the dog, pots and pans, whatever he wants, in clean and healthy shower water!

Being a dad is a demanding job, one that increases stress and tension. Why not get Dad a back and neck massager of some kind? (And when he’s not using it, you can hop right in there and take a whirl!)

There are lots of other ideas out there, but use these to get you started. Use a bit of thought and imagination, and forgo the tie or cufflinks this year (unless they shoot lasers or auto-clean the house or something). And remember the best gift dads can ever get, those three little words they love to hear:

“I’ll clean up!”

Refine the Nerve Center of Your Home
For families, especially large families, the kitchen is often the nerve center of the house. It nourishes our bodies and minds, and nurtures relationships and creativity. Not to mention the possibilities for teaching and learning inherent in cooking and baking! With the recession, homeowners are increasingly choosing to remain in their houses longer, and opting to remodel or adjust their living spaces to suit their needs (as opposed to remodeling and updating for the next family, in preparation to sell). So you want your kitchen space to be yours, really and truly tailored to you and your needs, with an emphasis on making activities easier and supporting family health. So what are the important things? Remodel blogs (including my own last blog) often talk about getting new appliances, painting, new countertops, etc., and that’s fine, but that’s not the whole story. Let’s face it, it’s not even really the biggest part of the story.

Size Matters
You know it’s true, especially with kitchens! So when looking at your space with an eye to changing things up, start by comparing the size of your family with the size of your kitchen. How many people could be in your kitchen at the same time? You’re cooking at the stove and your four year old is washing veggies at the sink, your husband is chopping the washed veggies, and your seven year old is helping measure out spices for you or stirring a pot of noodles. All that activity necessitates a specific amount of space, both for the counters and standing room. When thinking of a redesign or face lift, look first to how best to fit all those people and activities into your kitchen. The best way to accommodate the size might be as simple as moving the trash can or re-organizing the appliances that live on the counters; you never know.

Ask yourself these questions
1) How many people use the kitchen at one time?
2) How much room do we need?
3) Can I reorganize to better suit our needs?
4) What one change can I make that will give us more room?

Use these questions to start down the path to making some simpler changes to accommodate your needs. And if you find that simple changes aren’t going to cut it, identify the one major change you need to make that will help improve traffic flow! (Egads, I just need another foot of counter space!)

Cooking Habits
Next, what activities do you most often perform in your kitchen? Critically thinking about what you use your room for most, and how long you spend in there, will help you prioritize making some of the bigger changes like flooring and counter space.

Do you and your family engage in creating nightly from-scratch made meals with two or three courses? Do you make huge meals a couple times a week and live off leftovers in between? Do your family members do drive-bys, grabbing small meals and snacks between activities? Which meals do you make and which do you purchase on the run? How much time do you spend in your kitchen? (i.e., how comfortable do you need it to be so you don’t go crazy with tired knees and stooped shoulders?) Think flooring options here, counter height to fit your leg and arm length, room temperature levels, etc. Molding your kitchen to these needs will drastically affect how much you hate or love it!

Ask yourself these questions
1) Which meals do we cook in the kitchen?
2) What is the one thing that most impedes activity and productivity in the kitchen?
3) Do I ever feel uncomfortable in the kitchen? In what ways? (Sore knees, shoulder or back pain, too hot or cold, etc.)

Use these questions to help identify the top things you can do to refine your kitchen to support your families cooking and eating needs.

Timing is Everything
Next think about when you spend the most amount of time in the kitchen. Do you start cooking dinner at four, then eat and clean up that night, spending three to four hours more or less ensconced? Do you work in there midday and make meals and package snacks for everyone? Your time of day will inform what kind of lighting will work best for you. If you’re in there mostly when it’s dark outside, you might want to invest more in creating a lot of lovely lighting options that clearly illuminate each area, with an emphasis on work spaces. If you’re in there during late morning and midday, consider harnessing more natural light.

Ask yourself these questions
1) How much time do you spend in your kitchen?
2) At what time of the day do you spend the most time in the kitchen?
3) Where do you need the most illumination to help perform tasks?

Use these questions to help identify where you might need more light—and what kinds of light might work best!—in your kitchen.

Function Over Form
Interior design, or making your place look like you have ownership of it, must start with a room’s functionality. If you can’t actually perform all the tasks you need to in the kitchen, it doesn’t really matter how attractive it is, you’ll still probably hate it. Use these tips to think critically about your space and make the changes you really need to make your kitchen serve you. Once you have the functions right, the form will surely follow!

We all want to upgrade and beautify our homes, but the problem with making changes these days comes down to two key facts: money is scarce and tastes change. High-contrast color kitchens are trendy this year (lime green and stark white, purple and white), but may not always be. Chrome and black appliances are all the rage, as are granite counters and reclaimed wood cabinets. Some people are also really into making healthy and/or “green” changes, trying to make their spaces beautiful and functional in a way the supports long-term sustainability and health goals. You know what they say about diets: if you want to eat more healthy, stock your kitchen with healthy food, not junk. The same idea can apply to your home: if you make it easier to be good, you will be good more often. And we start the being “good” by not over-reaching our budgets. Living within your means is the hottest new fashion, and we certainly want to promote that!

This year, forgo the massive remodel, and opt to give your kitchen a face lift instead.

Repaint/stain your cabinets with VOC-free paint or stain, of course. Unless your cabinets are just falling apart at the seams, you can probably get away with simply giving them a good hard scrub and a layer of paint or re-staining them. The new look will make you see the space with fresh eyes, trust me!

Get a sink-mounted water filter. (I know, please forgive the plug.) You’ve no doubt heard the recent clarion call to abandon our national love affair with bottled water; the concerns that inform this trend are real and incredibly sobering, and we’ve covered them in other blog articles. But to get the healthiest water, you need to filter what you drink (and bathe in). And for those of you who really want the convenience of a water filter spout in your kitchen, but don’t want to sacrifice your kitchen’s feng shui, we have seven different finishes just for you!

Consider green lighting options. Some older kitchens still have overhead fluorescent bar lights. Yuck. Aren’t we a bit too old and discerning for that? We don’t all have the budget to add a new skylight (which would be the ideal green kitchen lighting) but you have options to make a few changes to the illumination in your kitchen, save some energy and update the look all in one swoop. You’ll be amazed at the difference good lighting can make.

Look into sustainable countertops. There are a number of sustainable, affordable options out there if you’re into getting new countertops. There are the reclaimed wood and recycled paper varieties like PaperStone and EcoTop. Recycled glass counters like Vetrazzo, EnviroGLAS and EnviroSLAB. Ceramic tile can be a good option if you take care when shopping (look for tiles made from recycled material) and use a low-VOC adhesive to lay the tile.

Invest in energy star appliances. You can get some really good models of fridges, microwaves, dishwashers, ovens and stoves out there that look great, don’t cost a ton, and can save you money on your house bills in the long run (and some even come with local or even national rebates for going green!). Make sure they rate well and save lots of energy (some models only barely save you enough to be considered Energy Star compliant, and I’ve avoid those), and recycle your old appliances with your local municipality (or donate them to Goodwill).

What are you doing to your kitchen this summer to improve how it looks and functions? Send us pics on Facebook and Twitter!

Up next time: redo your bathroom with a few key additions or changes and give it a whole new look and feel.