Herbal Skin Care
Aloe Vera Skin Care May Not Be Effective
Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Aloe Vera skin care creams are promoted for a wide range of uses. It has been used as a traditional medicine since, at least, 16th century BC. While some of the promoted uses are supported by scientific evaluations, others are not. Here are some examples of each.
What It Is Good For?
Some of the extracts have antibacterial and antifungal activity. It may be effective against ringworm, staph, strep, psoriasis and shingles.
The benefits vary according to the concentration included in the product. It is hard to evaluate a product, because the labels of aloe vera skin care creams manufactured in the US cannot reflect the antibacterial activity or if it was tested.
Although it is heavily promoted for healing burns and wounds, the results of studies concerning that benefit vary greatly. In some cases, benefits are seen, but in others, wounds are actually slower to heal.
Unproven Uses
There is no benefit for healing sunburn or preventing sunburn. Numerous studies have focused on that aspect; because of the number of “after sun” aloe vera skin care gels on the market. Volunteers did not find the gels soothing.
For some reason, it has become a popular ingredient in anti-aging creams and lotions. There are much better choices.
One of the primary causes of an aged appearance is free radical damage or oxidation. Antioxidants are the body’s defense system against oxidation.
While all plant extracts contain some antioxidants, which can help prevent and (in some cases) reverse free radical damage, the ones found in aloe vera are not that potent and have never been studied as anti-aging ingredients. In other words, while aloe vera skin care creams might be beneficial for some purposes, the area of anti-aging is not one of them.
Natural Alternatives
Many plant extracts have natural antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Some varieties of honey do, too, because of the flowers from which the bees gather their pollen.
One of the most “active” varieties of honey is manuka, a product of New Zealand. For blemishes, wounds, eczema, psoriasis and infections of all kinds, active manuka honey is a choice ingredient.
When it comes to antioxidants and anti-aging solutions, coenzyme Q10 has the most proven benefits. Found in all of the cells of the human body, coenzyme Q10 is known to prevent free radical damage like all antioxidants do, but it will also reverse damage that has already been done. That’s not something that aloe vera skin care creams can do.
Clinical trials have shown that coenzyme Q10 reverses sun damage and wrinkles. Lotions containing it soften and moisturize. Basically, it replenishes coenzyme Q10 levels, which normally decrease with age and due to sun exposure.
Another good alternative for anti-aging is avocado extract. It has been shown to increase the amount of collagen in the skin’s layers. Collagen is an important structural protein primarily responsible for the skin’s strength and firmness.
Aloe vera skin care products will not increase the skin’s collagen content. In fact, there are only uncertainties about what it “might” do. You always have better choices.
To learn about the skin care products that we use and recommend because they contain active manuka honey, COQ10 and avocado extract visit the Xtend Life website.
Herbal Skin Care Products
Monday, August 3rd, 2009Are herbal skin care products better for your skin’s health and appearance?
If they contain only natural extracts and oils from plants or nutrients like protein and antioxidants, they are excellent choices for your daily skincare regimen. But, sadly, most of them are only called “herbal” because of the fragrance.
Generally speaking, fragrances are not good for your skin’s health or appearance. They are among the most common causes of allergic and adverse reactions. Any kind of added fragrance, whether it is naturally occurring or chemically derived can cause a bad reaction.
The natural fragrances that you will often see in herbal skin care products are called “essential oils”. The name, itself, is misleading. But, concentrated fragrances have been referred to by that phrase since the days of the apothecaries.
Essential oils are often confused with essential fatty acids, which are nutrients, a primary component of the skin’s sebum, its natural moisturizer. Essential fatty acids can help nourish and replenish the skin’s moisture content. Essential oils do not contain fatty acids. They really aren’t even oils.
All of the herbal skin care products that I have evaluated contain essential oils. Some of them are:
- Rosewater
- Lavender oil (not really an oil)
- Linalool
- Lemon balm
- Orange blossom water
- Clary sage
- Oil of clove
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
They are usually created using steam distillation. Petals, leaves and other parts of the plants are mixed with water and sealed in the distiller. The resulting solution is water-based, but does not mix well with water. It is typically added to ethanol or actual oils for mixing purposes.
Any of those ingredients can cause allergic reactions when applied directly to the skin. Some of them are more irritating than others. For example, linalool is a common allergen.
The best herbal skin care products do not contain added concentrated fragrances. Instead, they have a slight pleasant scent due to the extracts that they contain.
One of the most beneficial extracts comes from wakame kelp, a kind of seaweed native to Asia. It was introduced to the West because of its high nutritional content and eventually found its way into a scientist’s laboratory.
Wakame had a reputation as a beauty preserver. Scientists wanted to understand if that was a “folk tale” or an actual benefit. They found that herbal skin care products containing wakame inhibit the breakdown of hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid acts to hold the skin’s outer cells together, making the surface smooth and tight. The skin’s level of hyaluronic acid normally declines with age. That decline is not the only cause of wrinkles and other signs of aging, but it is one of them.
Wakame works by inhibiting enzymatic activity that breaks down hyaluronic acid. So, gradually, the skin’s content begins to rise, again, eventually reaching that of a much younger person.
So, now you have a long list of ingredients to avoid when you are buying herbal skin care products and one to look for. But, there are many other beneficial extracts. You might want to learn about those, too.
To learn about the skin care products that we use and recommend (Click Here).