What is Natural skin care?
Do you know the best way to care for your skin naturally?
Put simply, ‘natural skin care’ is caring for your skin in a natural and chemical-free way. ‘Natural skin care’ advocates enabling the skin to take care of itself (without any assistance from synthetic materials/ chemicals). ‘Natural skin care’ is about inculcation of good habits in the way you lead your day to day life. A lot of natural skin care measures are actually the same as those for body care in general.
So let’s see what these natural skin care measures are.
Well the first and the foremost natural skin care measure is – ‘Drink a lot of water’. Around 8 glasses of water is a must every day. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, in a natural way. It helps in the overall upkeep of the body and promotes good health for all organs (not just skin).
General cleanliness is another inexpensive way of natural skin care. Daily shower, wearing clean clothes and sleeping on a clean mattress/pillow are all part of general cleanliness. After all, clean skin is the key to keeping the skin disorders at bay.
Regular exercise is the next thing on the cards. Exercise increases the flow of blood that helps in getting rid of body toxins and keeping you healthy. Exercise also helps in beating stress which is the worst enemy of good health.
Healthy food and eating habits are also recommended for natural skin care. Some type of food (e.g. oily food) is known to cause acne and should be avoided as much as possible. Your diet should be a healthy mix of various nutrient providing foods. Raw fruits and vegetables are known to provide freshness to your body and help in getting rid of body toxins.
A good sleep is also instrumental in maintaining good health and in beating stress. As a natural skin care measure, a good sleep delays slacking of skin.
Beating stress is another natural skin care therapy. Stress causes overall damage to body and health. Drinking a lot of water, getting a sound sleep and exercise has already been mentioned as stress busters. Indulging in a warm bubble bath, listening to music and playing your favourite sport are also good ways of beating stress. Yoga is yet another way of beating stress; it is fast gaining popularity amongst the masses.
Avoiding excessive exposure to sun (by wearing long sleeved clothes, hat and umbrella etc), is another natural skin care strategy. Sunscreen lotions are also recommended as necessary.
A lot of traditional and home-made natural skin care products/ measures are also known to be very effective. Such measures are not only natural and easy-to-follow, but also relatively inexpensive.
Besides that, a lot of natural skin care products are available in the commercial market. These include things like lavender oil, aloe vera etc., which don’t have any side effects.
What natural skin product is right for you?
The packaging might be pretty, but it won’t do a thing to alleviate troubled acne, reduce fine lines, smooth wrinkles, or replenish moisture and oils to dazzle your complexion. When it comes to cosmetics as with most other things, it’s what’s inside that counts.
If you feel overwhelmed by the scores of product choices available today, and the ‘miracles’ each repute to do, becoming more familiar with terms used in cosmetology and their true meanings might be helpful in distinguishing which products are and are not right for you.
Cosmetic companies are required to accurately divulge all the contents in their products, listing them in the order of concentration, from the most to the least. Certain cosmetic terms, however, can be confusing and misleading to the average consumer; terms such as ‘all natural’ and ‘fragrance-free’, for instance.
While ‘all natural’ does mean that ingredients used were derived from natural sources like plants and other organic material, use of the term applied to cosmetics is not regulated by the FDA. Some cosmetic companies not concerned with accuracy or with reputation often mislead consumers by applying the term to their product.
Products that advertise they are fragrance-free may still use fragrant plant extracts to mask offensive odour resulting from unrefined materials used. These extracts can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. Fragrance-free, then, can mean only that the product is devoid of any ‘noticeable’ aroma. ‘Irritant-free’ is a more reliable term to look for in a product.
Alcohol-free products may be free of ‘grain alcohol,” which is drying. However, other forms of alcohol such as lanolin alcohol or cetearyl alcohol may still be used. The wise cosmetic consumer will select products based upon ingredient content and performance, not upon packaging or brand. Higher-end cosmetics will not necessarily work better than those that cost less, and one brand’s product may be excellent, while another product by the same brand ineffective. Therefore, ‘brand loyalty’ will not necessarily benefit the consumer.
Many department-store cosmetic companies have been merged together. In all probability, cosmetic purchases bearing three different ‘brand names’ might in actuality all be distributed by the same cosmetic company. In fact, over 75% of department store cosmetic lines are presently owned either by Estee Lauder or L’Oreal.
The short and sweet of it is to forget the hype. Everyone’s skin is different. Find out what works for you, and stick with it. Following a daily skin-care regimen tailored for your skin type, using tried and true products, will give your face a healthy glow like none other.
The market in beauty products has grown significantly in the last 25 years but in the last 10 years there has been an increasing interest in the ingredients contained within the lotions, creams and potions we apply so liberally to our skin – the largest organ of our human bodies.
What goes into Skin Care Products?
Many main stream manufacturers still include a range of not so natural ingredients in their products:
– Waste products from the petrochemical industry
– Lead and other heavy metals
– Products extracted from animal carcasses
Many of these ingredients are given scientific sounding names. While the cynic may say this is a deliberate attempt to confuse the consumer, a more charitable view is that this is done in pursuit of accurate labelling.
As a result of the heightened awareness of health matters and the confusion concerning ingredients and labelling, a new sector of this lucrative market has arisen.
But just how natural is natural?
Many consumers require natural ingredients but are not prepared to accept the necessary compromise in product performance. A classic example is with the ingredient Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. This is a synthetic washing powder derived from coconut oil and it appears in a wide range of shampoos, bath products, toothpastes and liquid soaps. It is what gives these products the luxurious bubbles and lather to which we have all become accustomed. A number of studies have suggested that this ingredient is harmful and many consumers now seek products containing an alternative.
Manufacturers then developed Sodium Laureth Sulphate, which is considered less irritating than Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. When this was condemned, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate were substituted. Once again these are synthetic washing powder developed from coconut oil, and they are still considered to be an irritant. Some studies have also suggested they may be carcinogenic.
Unless consumers have knowledge of bio-chemistry it is almost impossible to discern what ingredients are natural and what are not. The SLS saga is but one example of this confusion.
It is ironic that a number of “natural” manufacturers aggressively promote their products by denigrating the products of competing companies – despite the fact that the ingredients they contain are essentially the same.
Consumers need to make themselves aware of the real meanings behind the mysterious names on their cosmetic bottles and jars and educate themselves about the various aliases they are likely to encounter.
Depending on the reasons for wanting to purchase natural products, some ingredients may be more acceptable than others. Take Lanolin for example. Lanolin is extracted from the fleece of sheep. It has been shown to contain numerous chemicals used to kill parasites that may live on the sheep. Many eczema sufferers find that treatment with lanolin based products – despite the chemicals – helps to reduce symptoms. The benefits of Lanolin treatment outweigh the disadvantage of potential contaminants. This is a value judgement that individuals will need to make.
Of course, one of the best ways to ensure that your products are natural is to make them yourself. There is a growing number of companies providing organic based ingredients to facilitate home manufacture of products. Natural cosmetics are surprisingly easy to make in the home using nothing more than regular kitchen equipment. This may be an alternative worth checking-out
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