Natural Facial Products with Antioxidants Can Repair Damaged Skin
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010The natural facial products on the market include cleansers, masks and anti-aging creams. Toners and astringents are available, too. But, most people really don’t need them.
What everyone needs is a good moisturizer. A recent study conducted by the University of Maryland showed that plain old tap water strips the skin’s protective oils. Doctors call the oils sebum.
Sebum provides protection, but also starts to smell bad, if it is not washed away on a regular basis. So, bathing is necessary. It’s just as necessary to follow each bath or shower with the use of a good moisturizer.
When you go to compare the moisturizers on the market, you will see that there is a huge difference in price. Cheap products go for less than a dollar per ounce, while expensive ones containing the anti-aging ingredients can go for as much as $100 per ounce. You have to wonder what the difference is. Let me tell you about it.
The cheapest products are not actually moisturizing. Most of them contain an ingredient called petrolatum. Petrolatum is nothing more than white petroleum jelly. You probably realize what petroleum jelly does to your skin. You certainly wouldn’t think that natural facial products would contain it. But, some of them actually do.
Glycerin is a much better moisturizer. It can be derived from plant fibers or from chemical compounds. You would probably need to ask the manufacturer in order to find out where the ingredient comes from. Some manufacturers provide a great deal of information on their websites. Their hope is to inspire confidence.
Other manufacturers provide very little information. There hope is that people don’t care about ingredients. A sales rep from one of the companies providing natural facial products told me that one day. No one cares what the ingredients are. I care and so should you.
Grape seed oil is an excellent moisturizer with a unique filming ability. This ability allows it to hold moisture in and keep dirt out of the pores. So, it is one of the dual purpose ingredients. Actually, it has another purpose. It serves as an anti-aging ingredient, because it has antioxidant activity. Antioxidants prevent and repair free radical damage.
If we’re smart, we will avoid some of the things that trigger free radical damage. Overexposure to the sun and cigarette smoking are two of the things that can easily be avoided.
But, we have to use antioxidant-rich natural facial products, because we cannot avoid everything that could damage our skin. That brings us full circle back to taking a bath.
If you live in an area serviced by a public treatment facility, the water that you shower in contains toxins. Many of them are used to control bacteria and algae levels. The toxins can cause increased numbers and activity of the free radicals naturally present in the skin’s layers.
That’s just one more reason to use antioxidant-rich natural facial products on a daily basis. Keeping free radical damage to a minimum will keep you looking younger.
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.
Grape Seed Oil as a Natural Skin Care Treatment
Saturday, June 26th, 2010Grape seed oil is a natural skin care treatment that is readily available and very affordable. Here’s a look at what it and others like it can do to improve your skin’s health and appearance.
Grape seed oil contains essential fatty acids similar to those that combine to create the skin’s sebum, a naturally lubricating and protecting fatty substance. We tend to over-clean, especially our faces, and remove too much sebum. Once the protective substance is removed, there is an increased risk of damage, which can eventually lead to wrinkling.
Grape seed oil helps to prevent wrinkles in several ways. The first is by moisturizing…replacing sebum removed during cleansing. The second is by locking moisture in and keeping toxins out of the pores with it unique filming ability. It dries to a lightweight invisible film a few moments after application.
Third is the antioxidant content. The antioxidants are probably just as important as the fatty acids. They help to prevent and repair free radical damage, one of the primary causes of cellular aging.
Grape seed oil has proven to be an effective natural skin care treatment for repairing the delicate area around the eyes. Elsewhere on the body, it has proven to be beneficial for reducing stretch marks. It supports blood vessel strength and helps to protect against the collagen breakdown typically accompanying the aging process.
Grape seed oil is a source of vitamin E, but the best anti-aging skincare products include an extra helping of vitamin E, because of the unique benefits it provides. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and helps to prevent age spots.
Vitamin E is a “helper” nutrient. It helps prevent vitamin A from being destroyed by oxygen. Vitamin A cream is a natural skin care treatment for acne and wrinkles. The concentrated synthetic acidic form is found in prescription creams for those conditions. But, it is too harsh for most people. The redness, itching and irritation caused by it are too much for most people to bear.
Plants and botanical extracts containing the naturally occurring form of vitamin A are less acidic. They provide the benefits without causing the irritation. Vitamin E helps to ensure that the nutrients are absorbed into the skin’s cells where they can provide the most benefit.
Vitamin E is also combined with coenzyme Q10 to make an effective natural skin care treatment for reversing sun damage and wrinkles. A nano-emulsion containing the nutrients helps to increase the production of collagen and elastin. The emulsion reverses free radical damage and prevents more from occurring when used on a regular basis.
Babassu palm wax, maracuja passion fruit extract, wakame kelp extracts and Functional Keratin are all good ingredients for improving the skin’s health and appearance. Some of the best anti-aging creams contain all of the good ingredients mentioned here. With daily use, they will make a dramatic difference in a matter of weeks. What more could you ask of a natural skin care treatment?
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