5 Ingredients a Deep Cleansing Mask Should Contain
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010A deep cleansing mask is a great natural skin treatment. If used every two weeks or so, it can help prevent pimples and blackheads, while supporting the skin’s ability to repair damage and regenerate tissue. The mask must contain specific ingredients in order to provide those benefits. Here’s a look at what it should contain.
Clay Extracts
Bentone Gel and kaolin are extracts found in certain kinds of clay. Clay masks have long been used for deep cleansing. But, in most cases, they dried out to a hard shell, which could easily clog the pores. The newer better masks contain ingredients that prevent the clay from drying out. We’ll get to those in a minute.
Both kaolin and bentone gel have mild drying properties. They help to absorb excessive oils, which are sometimes involved in the production of pimples and other blemishes.
They also have antiseptic activity, which means they help to clear up infections. A pimple is a minor infection.
Kaolin contains the minerals silica and aluminum oxide. The benefits of those nutrients include improved circulation and reduced inflammation. They also have anti-irritant activity.
A natural skin treatment containing kaolin and bentone gel is safe for all skin types, but should only be used on an occasional basis. If used too often, they could cause excessive dryness, which is something that you don’t want. It ages your face.
Active Manuka Honey
Manuka honey has antioxidant and antibacterial activity. It stimulates the immune system to heal blemishes more quickly. The ingredient can be found in some of the better nighttime lotions and under eye gels, as well as deep cleansing masks. The antioxidant activity de-ages while the antibacterial activity reduces the risk of pimples.
Allantoin
A natural skin treatment containing allantoin will feel soothing and reduce inflammation. Inflammation in the pores is one of the causes of pimples. If inflammation becomes chronic, it can degrade the skin’s collagen fibers. That’s one of the one of the causes of sagging and wrinkles. The skin’s collagen content decreases with age anyway. So, we want to do everything that we can to protect what we have left.
Shea Butter & Macadamia Oil
It is Shea Butter and macadamia oil that prevent the clay extracts from drying out on your face. The moisturizing ingredients provide other benefits as well. You will see a natural skin treatment for nighttime use containing Shea butter.
Both Shea butter and macadamia oil are quickly and readily absorbed into the skin. That makes them excellent choices as moisturizers. So, a deep cleansing mask containing them will also help reduce your risk of dryness.
Functional Keratin
Functional Keratin should be included in all anti-aging products. But, because it is naturally occurring, quantities are limited. You will only find it in the best of the best.
In clinical studies the protein has been shown to stimulate the production of new cells and fibers. It improves the skin’s firmness and moisture content with regular use.
So, in addition to using a deep cleansing mask on an occasional basis, it’s a good idea to use a natural skin treatment containing Functional Keratin on a daily basis.
All 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.
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