Anti Aging
« Previous EntriesAll Natural Beauty Products, Their Ingredients & How They Work
Friday, July 9th, 2010
The benefits of all natural beauty products depend on what they contain. Here’s a look at some of the compounds you might see on the list of ingredients and the benefits associated with them.
Active Manuka Honey
Active Manuka honey can be found in some of the better body lotions, nighttime facial creams, under eye gels and deep cleansing masks. The benefits have to do with the antioxidant and the antibacterial activity.
Antioxidants of all kinds are beneficial to the skin’s health and appearance. They prevent and sometimes repair free radical damage, which dermatologists believe to be the primary cause of wrinkles, age spots and other visible signs of aging.
The antibacterial activity of Manuka honey will help heal pimples, scrapes and other injuries. It will help prevent those things from becoming infected. It can also help to prevent future pimples caused by over-growth of the P acnes bacteria.
All honey varieties have been used in cosmetics, but few have proven benefits. Manuka honey is tested for its antibacterial and antioxidant activity, before it is shipped. It is graded with a “Unique Manuka Factor”. A high UMF number is equivalent to a highly active honey.
You might think that all natural beauty products would contain manuka. In some cases, it is just not necessary or other ingredients are more beneficial. For example, daytime moisturizers do not usually contain it. As long as you use a nighttime cream that does, you can reap the benefits.
Maracuja
Maracuja is a kind of passion fruit. The tree is native to Brazil. All passion fruits have been included in skincare creams and lotions, because of the antioxidant and the moisturizing benefits.
Maracuja is unique, because it is very similar on a molecular level to the skin’s own oils, which are called sebum. Because of its similarity to sebum, maracuja balances sebum production.
All natural beauty products containing the ingredient will help prevent your skin from becoming too dry or too oily.
That also means it can be used by any complexion type; oily, dry or combination.
Babassu Palm Oil
The benefits of Babassu are similar to those of maracuja. It is one of the few moisturizers that can be used on oily and acne-prone complexions.
It is Babassu wax that is most beneficial, because the wax helps to prevent moisture loss. Most companies use paraffin for this purpose. But, paraffin should not be included in all natural beauty products. It is not close enough to human skin. So, it causes dryness and clogs the pores.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another antioxidant. People with acne typically have low blood levels of the vitamin. The same deficiency is seen in many different skin conditions.
If used on a regular basis, creams containing vitamin E can prevent age spots. Age spots are heavily pigmented areas. They are sometimes referred to as senile freckles. They are caused by free radical damage, typically due to excessive sun exposure.
All natural beauty products may contain a number of anti-aging ingredients or they may contain none. Check the label before you buy to be sure what you are getting.
Mother Nature Offers Solutions for Anti Aging Skin Care Products
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
The ingredients brought to you by Nature for skin care products include effective antibacterials and anti-inflammatories. The Earth Mother has also provided moisturizing, cleansing and anti-aging solutions. Here’s a look inside of Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet.
Acne is one of the most common problems. It affects nearly everyone to some degree at some point in their lives. If you suffer from acne, natural ingredients can help heal blemishes and prevent new ones from forming by fighting bacterial overgrowth and reducing inflammation. Ingredients to look for include active Manuka honey, tea tree oil, jojoba and Shea butter.
Eczema and psoriasis are less common than acne, but they do affect a great many people. Both are inflammatory conditions. Shea butter and Functional Keratin are the treatments of choice, because of their natural anti-inflammatory activity. Functional Keratin actually stops inflammation before it begins by blocking a biochemical pathway through which it occurs.
Everyone needs a daily cleanser. But, most of the cleansers on the market are too harsh. Practically all of them contain chemicals derived from petroleum. Cleansers and even plain tap water dries out the skin’s natural oils.
An ingredient brought to you by nature skin care for cleansing is tea tree oil. Manuka honey bars are also safe and gentle. A good rule of thumb to follow, even if you use a mild cleanser, is to only use a cleanser where dirt or grime is present. Scrubbing areas that are already clean is not helpful. It causes irritation and can do long term damage.
Everyone needs a daily moisturizer, too. People who feel they suffer from excessive oiliness often miss this step. Without it, they are increasing their risk of wrinkles.
An ingredient created by nature for skin care that helps with moisturizing oilier complexions is Maracuja. It helps to regulate the production of sebum, which is the skin’s natural moisturizer. Maracuja is a passion fruit extract.
Another ingredient that balances sebum production is Jojoba. It has been used for many problems that negatively affect the skin’s health. It is more like liquid wax than oil. It moisturizes without causing greasiness and is particularly beneficial as a body lotion ingredient.
Many of the solutions already mentioned are beneficial for fighting the things that cause an aged appearance. Shea butter helps to fade wrinkles, stretch marks and scars. Functional Keratin is sometimes hailed as an anti-aging miracle ingredient.
But judging by the latest research, the most effective solution created by Nature for reversing wrinkles and preventing them is coenzyme Q10. You may not recognize the name. It is an antioxidant present in all of the cells of your body.
There are particularly high concentrations in the heart. But, research has shown that the concentration starts to get lower after we pass the age of 20.
It may take a little longer for the years to reduce the concentration present in the skin’s cells. But, it is known that older cells contain less antioxidant molecules and more free radicals, which sets the stage for aging to occur.
There are many other Mother Nature skin care solutions. Take the time to learn more about them. It’s important for your skin’s health and appearance.
The Best Wrinkle Creams Contain No Petrochemicals or Synthetic Ingredients
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Identifying the best wrinkle creams is not that difficult, once you know which ingredients to look for. Obviously, you want a cream that contains proven effective ingredients, not one that has proven to cause allergic or adverse reactions.
All trans-retinoic acid or Retin-A has long been viewed as the most effective anti-wrinkle cream by dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. But, there are warning labels all over the bottle. It is known to cause adverse reactions that include redness, itching and irritation. There is concern that it may cause cellular mutations. There’s also no reason to take the risk.
All trans-retinoic acid is a synthetic acidic form of natural vitamin A. It is created in the laboratory using petrochemicals. This may be the reason for the adverse reactions. It could be the acidic nature of the compound that causes redness, itching and irritation. In its natural vegetable form, vitamin A is non-acidic.
Researchers have shown that plant extracts containing the naturally occurring form of vitamin A are just as effective as Retin-A. But, there is no risk of side effects.
The best wrinkle creams contain avocado oil because it is rich in vitamin A and other nutrients. It is particularly beneficial when used at night and has been scientifically proven to stimulate collagen production. Researchers have been able to measure an increase in the skin’s collagen content after just a few weeks of use.
A synthetic form of the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 has been developed and may soon be released. You might wonder why companies choose to use synthetics when naturally occurring compounds are available. The answer is simple. Synthetics are cheaper.
Petrochemicals are byproducts created when petroleum is distilled and converted to gasoline. They are very cheap and readily available. Since they contain carbon, all kinds of molecules can be created from them.
The best wrinkle creams do not contain any petrochemicals. They do contain the naturally occurring version of coenzyme Q10, because it has been shown to reverse wrinkles and sun damage when applied topically on a daily basis for three months.
Research and development teams believe they can speed the results by combining coenzyme Q10 with other active ingredients, including natural vitamin E. The R&D teams like vitamin E for another reason. It effectively preserves natural oils like avocado. So, there is no need to use artificial preservatives.
Artificial preservatives are among the most common causes of allergic reactions. Dermatologists have known that for years. It should be obvious that the best wrinkle creams do not contain artificial preservatives. In fact, they contain nothing artificial. Every ingredient included in the cream is safe enough to eat.
Although the big companies will say otherwise, there is really no reason to use synthetic ingredients, allergens, toxins or irritants. It is true that natural ingredients are only available in limited quantities. They also cost more.
You can expect to pay more for the best wrinkle creams, but they don’t cost as much as you would pay for something with a designer label. And unlike paying for a designer name, paying for good nourishing skincare products is a worthwhile investment.