Imagine browsing through skin care aisles and finding that one, perfect product that boasts of all-natural ingredients. Serendipity, right? Then you go and read the label expecting to find a virtual salad but instead finding yourself reading benzoic acid, butyl stearate, and some totally unpronounceable names. You’re no botanist but you’re sure that those stuff don’t grow on trees. This is because most commercial items meant for skin care nowadays contain preservatives and other chemicals to maintain their consistency and shelf life. Problem is, most of these chemicals can actually irritate more sensitive skin.
What solution is there for this kind of crisis? Simple. Mix your own, homemade skin care line. There’s nothing to it as most ingredients are found in your fridge or fruit basket. All-natural skin recipes are easily found in the Internet or even in magazines. Usually, these skin care mixes are composed of a combination of one or two fruits. Combinations like these can include either the fruit pulp, fruit juice, or both. Milk, water or honey are usually added to smoothen the mixture. Add-ons such as oatmeal, wheat germ, brown sugar, and dried herbs are also included for more specialized concoctions such as a pimple treatment, flaking, and oily skin.
Skin care using natural ingredients offers great variety. There are facial cleansers, scrubs, moisturizing creams, and face masks. Don’t worry because indications for use are usually found with the recipes. The recipes indicate whether the mixture is for normal, dry, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin. Some are even more specialized as blackhead removers or whitening solutions.
Natural skin care routine have many advantages. First, the ingredients are easily available and the choices are great. They are also natural, thus, greatly reducing risks of allergies or skin irritations. Second, the ingredients are cheap, which translates into more savings more you. Third, you can modify the recipes to suit your needs. Since the risks for irritations are minimal, experimentations are relatively safe. Fourth, vitamins and antioxidants are naturally found in fruits, while milk and honey have restorative properties. Therefore, you get the same vitamins found in commercial products while limiting or eradicating chemicals.
As these skin care recipes use natural ingredients they require refrigeration and can only keep for a week. However, it is better to make these in small quantities or batches for immediate use. In addition, these recipes contain natural hydroxy acids and vitamins for direct and instant skin rejuvenation. Also, don’t forget to keep fit by exercising, having a balanced, healthy diet and regular sleep. With these pre-requisites and your new skin care solutions, you’re on your way to having the healthy skin that can top what science can offer. Now, that’s what you call natural.
Tags: Beauty5
Oct 03, 2009 | | Beauty
The skin is one of the largest organs in the body. The skin is an organ of the body just like our liver, kidneys etc. Most people think of the skin as simply a cover for the body and do not tend to associate it with the rest of the system. As with all of the other organs in our body, the skin has a variety of highly specialized functions to fulfill. Whilst there may be conditions in which the skin is specifically involved, it plays its part in every kind of illness. The skin may have to carry the burden of other ill-functioning organs when the system is under strain.
<b>The Structure of the Skin</b>
As mentioned previously the skin is one of the biggest organs of the body and a man has approximately 1.5 square meters of skin. The skin consists of two distinct layers. The outer layer is known as the epidermis and the layer beneath which is known as the dermis.
The outer layer (epidermis) is the really protective layer and is thicker in parts where protection is most needed, such as on the soles of the feet.
The under layer (dermis) is also designed to give protection, as well as provide a variety of other functions. In the dermis we find the nerves, blood and lymph vessels, together with the sweat and sebaceous glands and other specialized cells.
Our skin being one of the most important organs of the body, depends for its health on our whole internal system functioning well.
<b>The Digestive System and the Skin </b>
As the skin covers the body we do not relate it directly to the digestive process. However, to try and understand the true function of the skin and thus take care of it, we must recognize the fact that it is closely associated with the nutrition of the entire body. It is clearly evident, that the maintenance of a healthy skin is directly and extremely dependent on the dietary habits of an individual. Therefore, the state of the skin can be affected more quickly through this medium than in any other way.
The habit of overeating, especially of sugary foods, will affect the skin more dramatically and quickly then people would imagine. Conversely, ‘under eating’ certain types of food, thus leading to a deficiency in vitamins and minerals will lead to skin problems and disorders. If we do not eat a balanced diet and our diet is very lop sided, then this will lead to problems which will be shown on our skin. Crucially, all of these skin problems and conditions are end-results and need no direct treatment. More importantly they need tackling at their source i.e. in the disorders of the digestive system.
Therefore, the conclusion of this is that the health of the skin must be considered in direct relationship to the food that we eat.
Tags: Beauty5
Sep 30, 2009 | | Beauty
We all know that eating food products that contain synthetic additives is not good for our health, especially to our skin. It has been said that if you want to take good care of your well-being, then what you put on your skin can be just as important as what you eat or drink. According to reports, the chemicals we apply to our skin are absorbed directly into our bodies. It is estimated that an average woman absorbs as much as two kilograms a year per person from cosmetics and toiletries alone. Cosmetics are also becomingly madly high-tech, with NASA scientists developing creams and beauty labs dedicated to researching complex ingredients. These are all lovely for youth-seekers, but sometimes one longs for the simple life, and it’s high time to look for alternatives. And that’s probably the reason why there are a lot of people that are shifting to organic skin care products.
Organic skin care is an area of the organic movement which has made real progress in recent times, and where previously, there were few options. But now, there is a fairly wide range of grooming products available out there. Organic skin care products are becoming increasingly popular due to concerns about chemicals used in many products. Studies have found that up to 60 percent of creams or make-up applied can penetrate the skin and get into the blood stream. Whether or not this causes health issues, it has alarmed some people and unsurprisingly, the organic health and beauty market is growing rapidly, with sales increasing around 20 percent every year.
In the last few, years organic beauty products have seen a tremendous growth in popularity and demand, since organic skin care products are the ideal option for people who cannot apply chemically enhanced products.
One can find several standards of the word ‘organic’ as related to skin care and health products. There are accredited certifying organizations trying to set regulations for what constitutes a 100% organic product. How does the consumer know what organic really means? Because we buy organic-labeled skin care and health products, we automatically expects these goods to be 100% free of synthetic and artificial ingredients. But the tremendous growth witnessed by the organic sector in the recent years has also given enough chances to some traders to promote and sell non-organic products as organic. So, products marketed as “organic” can still consist of potentially hazardous artificial ingredients.
Products labeled as 100% organic should not include synthetic ingredients at all nor entail the use of artificial products during the manufacturing process. product. Thus, the amount of natural ingredients in cosmetics, and other organic skin care products should still be scrutinized.
So, before shopping for organic skin care products, do a bit of research work about the brand. Always go for brands that are committed to provide guaranteed and efficient skincare products so that your skin gets only the best. If we were shocked to discover the dangers of many substances used in our every day make-up, shampoos and bath and shower products, why shouldn’t we give ourselves and our Mother Earth a favor, let’s go organic!
Tags: Beauty5
Sep 29, 2009 | | Beauty
Do you have acne ? Acne maybe the scourge of adolescent years, but it can follow people into middle age and beyond.
Acne is really a catchall term for a variety of symptoms such as pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. It’s a condition where the pores of skin become clogged and the person gets inflamed and non-inflamed lesions.
So what’s the cause of all the clogging ?……
Heredity – at least for the most part. Acne is genetic – it tends to run in families, it is an inherited defect of your pores. If both your parents had acne, three out of four of your brothers and sisters will get it too.
Factors that can aggravate an acne outbreak are :- Stress, sun exposure, seasonal changes, and climate can all precipitate an acne attack. Certain types of makeup and taking birth control pills can also cause a breakout.
Change Your Make-up
In adult women, make-up is the major factor in acne outbreaks, especially oil based products. It’s the oil that causes the problem. The oil is usually a derivative of fatty acids that are more potent than your own fatty acids. Use a non-oil-based make-up if you are prone to acne.
Read The labels.
Cosmetic products that contain lanolins, isopropyl myristate, sodium lauryl sulphate, laureth-4 and D & C red dyes should be avoided. Like oil, these ingredients are too rich for the skin.
Wash Properly.
Wash your make-up off thoroughly every night. Use a mild soap twice a day and make sure you rinse the soap entirely off your face. Rinse six or seven times with fresh water.
Use Less Make-up.
Whatever make-up you use, try to cut down on the amount you put on.
Leave Well Alone.
Don’t squeeze pimples or whiteheads. A pimple is an inflammation, and you could add to the inflammation by squeezing it, which could lead to an infection. A pimple will always go away in one to four weeks if you leave them alone.
Know When To Squeeze.
Most pimples are best left alone, but there is one kind that you can squeeze to help get rid of it. If the pimple has a little central yellow pus head in it, then a gentle squeeze will make it pop open very nicely. Once the pus pops out, the pimple will heal more quickly.
Attack Blackheads.
You can also get rid of blackheads by squeezing them. A blackhead is a very blocked pore, and a gentle squeeze will help rectifty this.
Give Dry Skin Extra Care.
Dry skin can be sensitive to some over the counter skin treatments, so please use these treatments with care. Start with the lower strength products first, and then increase the concentration slowly.
Stay Out Of The Sun.
Acne medications may cause adverse reactions to the sun, so minimize you exposure until you know what the reactions going to be.
Use One Treatment At A Time.
Don’t mix treatments, use only one at a time because they may cause an adverse reaction if mixed together.
Stop The Spread Of Acne.
Apply acne medication about half an inch around the affected area, to help keep the acne from spreading. Acne moves across the face from the nose to the ear, so you need to treat beyond the inflamed area. Most people make the mistake of treating only the pimples and not the outlaying areas of skin. This is wrong.
Tags: Acne,
Beauty5
Sep 27, 2009 | | Acne, Beauty