Skin Health
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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.
Natural Moisturizers Shouldn’t Contain Mineral Oil or Petrochemicals
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Natural moisturizers are typically composed of plant-based or vegetable oils. Mineral oils are technically naturally occurring. But since they are derived from crude oil (used to make gasoline or petrol), they are probably not what you are looking for.
Mineral oils have been used traditionally in body lotions, while petrolatum has typically been used in facial creams. There is actually very little difference between the two. Petrolatum is white Vaseline or petroleum jelly. Mineral oils are simply a liquid version of those jelly-like substances.
Plant-based oils were the standard until petroleum jelly was discovered on some of the first oil rigs built in the US. Since they are basically byproducts of gasoline production, petrolatum and mineral oils are cheap.
As we are trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, some of us are also trying not to use products that contain fossil fuel byproducts. Cosmetics, creams, lotions and other skincare products are often packed full of them. If they don’t contain petrolatum or mineral oil, they often contain petrochemicals.
Petrochemicals are byproducts of gasoline production. There is no other way to describe them. They would be trash were it not for the fact that the carbon molecules are simple enough to be converted into many different things.
One would hope that natural moisturizers would not contain petrochemicals, but that’s not always the case. If the lotion or cream contains vitamin E, it could be derived from a petrochemical. Much of the vitamin E in the US is synthetic; derived from petrochemicals.
If only naturally occurring vitamin E is used, it is not necessary to add an artificial preservative like a paraben to the product. Parabens are derived from petrochemicals. They compounds also include a petroleum-based alcohol and are some of the most common causes of allergic reactions.
Natural moisturizers containing plant-based oils often contain naturally occurring vitamin E, simply because it is present in the oil. Some examples include avocado and grape seed oils. They are both effective for moisturizing and they both contain vitamin E.
Avocado oil contains vitamin A, as well. It is typically recommended as a nighttime moisturizer, while grape seed oil is recommended for daytime use. There are a couple of reasons for that.
Natural moisturizers containing avocado oil support and stimulate the skin’s own reparative processes, which go on at night. Studies have shown that use of creams containing it increase the skin’s collagen content.
Grape seed oil on the other hand has a unique filming ability that makes it a perfect choice for use under makeup. If you let it dry for 10 minutes or so before applying your makeup, the lightweight film will prevent makeup from clogging your pores. It also makes the makeup easier to remove at night, which means you might be able to use a milder cleanser.
Ideally, the naturally occurring oils would be added to antioxidants and other beneficial anti-aging ingredients. You might be surprised by what natural moisturizers can do for you, as long as they contain the right ingredients.
Choosing Organic Natural Skin Care Without Breaking the Bank
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Organic natural skin care treatments are becoming increasingly popular and increasingly easy to find. It is still important to do a little comparative shopping before you decide what to buy. It could save you money and save you from an embarrassing adverse reaction.
As far as price goes, you may have already noticed that organics cost more than conventional fruits and vegetables. Choosing organics is sometimes very important. But, sometimes it’s not important at all.
Avocados are an example of conventionally grown fruits that carry no risk. The only portions that could be treated with pesticides are the skins. The skins are thick. We do not consume them and they are not used in skincare products.
Only the nutritious pulp is used. There is no risk that the pulp will contain pesticides. So, there is no reason to pay extra for organic avocados.
Kelp is a food that is also used in some of the better skincare products. Wakame kelp is particularly beneficial as an anti-aging ingredient.
Kelp is seaweed. Growers are not allowed to use pesticides on seaweed and there is no reason to do so. The ocean provides natural protection against bugs and the weeds are prolific. They grow fast and require little, if any, tending.
So, you shouldn’t have to pay a lot for an organic natural skin care cream containing avocado or wakame extracts. Companies sometimes charge extra just because they claim to include organics. The only way to really be sure is to buy from a company that you trust, but comparing prices will give you an idea of who is overcharging and who is not.
When it comes to the oils included in organic natural skin care products, you want to look for cold-pressed varieties. Chemical solvents can be used to extract oils from grape seeds, Shea nuts and olive pits. Cold pressed varieties are extracted mechanically. No chemical solvents are used.
Cold pressed olive oil is referred to as extra virgin. In other cases, the label or the manufacturer’s information will simply indicate that the oils are cold pressed.
Since the oils come from seeds, pits or nuts, there is no reason to pay extra for so-called organics. If pesticides were used, there would be no way they could end up in the oils.
Honey is often included in organic natural skin care cleansers, night creams, body lotions and eye gels. The risk of chemical contaminants in honey is a real one. As bees gather pollen, chemicals stick to their legs and are carried back to the hive where they end up in the comb.
Finding out where the honey comes from is helpful. If the hives are located in heavily populated and polluted locations, there is no way a company can ensure that it is not contaminated.
A New Zealand mono-floral variety called Manuka honey is the best choice for organic natural skin care products. The hives are located on the tip of the South Island and surrounded by parkland. Lots of good skincare solutions come out of New Zealand. You might want to learn more about them.