INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you are struggling with excess oil and acne, you may want to talk to a dermatologist about retinoids. This type of medication is one of the most prescribed treatments for acne and excess oil production. You can get an oral retinoid, like Accutane, or topical medications, like tretinoin, adapalene (which is now available over the counter), tazarotene, and isotretinoin. Oral retinoids are generally more effective than topical ones. However, your doctor will most likely prescribe a topical retinoid before trying an oral one to minimize your side effects. You may experience side effects like dry skin or sensitive skin, and some drugs, such as Accutane, may have serious side effects. Excess oil production can be caused by an excess of androgen hormones. If this is why your skin is oily, the doctor may prescribe you an androgen inhibitor, such as spironolactone and cyproterone. These medications can help reduce the amount of sebum your body produces. These medications may be either oral or topical. If you are a woman who has excess sebum production, you can try taking a birth control pill. For some women, this can help reduce the oiliness of their skin, but for others it might make it worse. Talk to your doctor about this option to determine if it is right for you. Birth control may help reduce the androgens in your body, which can help reduce your body’s sebum production. Another procedure you may want to try to help your sebum production is light and laser therapy. Photodynamic Therapy and Diode Laser Therapy can work to decrease oil production from your sebaceous glands. Many people use light or laser therapy with other treatments to really reduce their sebum production. However, keep in mind that some medications can make you sensitive to light, so you may not be a candidate for light and laser therapy if you take one of these medications.  This is a good option for people who cannot use medication to treat their oily skin, such as pregnant women. These treatments are non-invasive and fairly safe. You need to get multiple treatments to get the best results. These treatments can be expensive.

SUMMARY: Get a prescription for retinoids. Talk to your doctor about androgen inhibitors. Ask your doctor about estrogen containing contraceptives. Undergo light and laser therapy.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: As soon as you realize that you've accidentally come into contact with poison ivy, wash your skin very thoroughly. Use lots of warm, soapy water. If you can, wash within the first 30 minutes of touching the poison ivy. If you're still outdoors, find a stream or creek. Place the affected area in the running water for at least 10 minutes.  You should also wash underneath your fingernails. If you're washing up at home, wash all of your clothes and shoes or boots as well. A poison ivy rash can easily spread by simply scratching or touching. If you've come into contact with poison ivy or have a rash, do not touch anywhere around your eyes, mouth, or genitals. All parts of a poison ivy plant (even dead plants) contain an oily allergen called urushiol. This causes a rash or blisters if it comes into contact with your skin or you breathe it in. If you do get a rash around your eyes, mouth or genitals, you should see your doctor immediately. If you have blisters from the poison ivy, never break them open since this increases your risk of infection and scarring. Instead, soak your blisters in a bath with a solution of Burow's solution. You can buy a product containing this solution of aluminum sulfate and aluminum acetate at a drugstore or pharmacy. Soak the blisters for 20 minutes at least two or three times a day. Soaking in Burow's solution acts as an astringent which can reduce the size of the blisters and help dry them out. Fill a sock or nylon knee-high with steel-cut oatmeal. Tie the filled sock onto the tap of your bathtub. Run a cool bath so that the water runs through the oatmeal and into the tub. Soak in the oatmeal bath as long and as often as you like.  Studies have shown that oatmeal is great for soothing your rash and relieving itchiness. The less you scratch your rash, the sooner it will dry up.  You can also purchase an oatmeal bath product that you simply mix into your tub. Soak a clean cotton towel in cold water and squeeze out the extra water. Place the cold cloth over the rash for as long as it stays cool. When it warms up, simply run the cloth under cold water and wring it out again. You can do this as often as you like.  To make an astringent compress that dries out the rash, brew a pot of tea. Soak a clean towel in the cooled tea and apply it to your rash. When your body temperature is higher, your rash may seem itchier. Applying a cool compress can make the rash less itchy and soothe your skin.

SUMMARY: Wash your skin. Avoid touching the rash. Soak in an astringent bath. Soak in a bath. Use cool compresses.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Deadheading means trimming off blooms when they first begin to fade. For rosette salvia, the flowers will usually fade towards the middle of the summer and begin dropping seeds. Plan on removing any flowers as soon as they begin turning to a dull green or brown color.  Trimming the flowers causes the salvia to bloom a second time. Normal salvia blooms are colorful, so you can easily see when bright blue or violet flowers begin fading. Examine the highest pair of leaves on the salvia stems. You should see 2 small buds emerging for the leaves. Using a sharp pair of shears, trim the stem right above the leaves and buds. These buds branch off into secondary flower spikes.  Rosette-type salvia plants grow stems out of a circle of leaves close to the ground. Tall flower spikes form on these stems. Rosette salvia plants include Woodland Sage, Caradonna, and May Night Sage. The second round of buds will fade by the end of fall. Prepare the salvia for winter by locating the basal foliage, which is the circular cluster of leaves on the ground. The salvia’s flower stalks grow out of it. Snip all of the remaining stems right above these leaves.  After trimming the stalks, only the leaves and possibly a small amount of stalk should remain. Be sure to take out any dead plant material you notice, since it can prevent light from reaching the bottom of the plant. Rosette salvia plants are hardy, but pruning can leave them exposed to cold temperatures. You can protect them by spreading an organic compost, followed by an organic mulch like pine bark. Spread these products as far as the pruned salvia reaches, but avoid letting it touch the plant’s stem.  You can also cover the plant with fleece or leaf-filled garbage bags and a tarp. Weigh these items down to keep them in place. The first frost happens around fall when the temperatures drop below 32 °F (0 °C).

SUMMARY:
Deadhead the flowers when they fade in summer. Cut the stems down to the new buds. Cut the stems to the ground in fall. Insulate the plant if winter temperatures drop below 20 °F (−7 °C).