Chemicals
found in beauty products can be damaging throughout their entire life cycle,
from the way they are produced and used by consumers, to the methods of their
disposal and their negative impact on the environment. There may not be a
fountain of youth, but the food we eat and how we treat ourselves can prevent
or even reverse aging. Your body needs the right nutrients to fight off damage,
and your skin is no different. Nutrients help the cells replicate and have more
energy. Processed foods, stress, toxins and low-nutrient diets will accelerate
aging. Protecting yourself from harmful chemicals while getting enough sleep,
relaxation and exercise will all help you maintain a healthy glow.
The truth of the matter
is: Skin care products aren't always good for everyone. Sometimes, they have chemicals
(mostly heavy metals) that may damage your skin. One safe way to take care of
your skin is applying natural cleansers, exfoliants, and moisturizers. You can
find these products at the store or make your own.
Applying unprocessed, whole-food
ingredients onto your skin, many that you likely even have already and cook in
your own kitchen will make you love your skin, even if you are someone who has
sensitive skin or has struggled in the past with clearing up difficult skin-related
problems.
So what are these skin
nourishers that give you the goodness of natural ingredients? Do they just moisturize
the skin or do they nourish and pamper it too? Most certainly the answer is in
the affirmative. Let's have a look at some of nature's wonderful skin
nourishers and see how you can use them to improve, soften, nourish and pamper
your skin.
The First thing is for you to drink plenty of water,
even with a small amount of dehydration, your body functions in a less optimal
way. The instant you're dehydrated, it will take a toll on your skin, causing
it to look dull, flaky, saggy and loose. Drinking a lot of water can help you
out and luckily it’s what you can have anytime at little or no cost.
Honey
Raw honey is
one of the best natural sources of nutrients, enzymes, vitamins and
skin-boosting acids. Benefits of raw honey include reducing breakouts,
providing moisturizing properties, containing antiseptic qualities, encouraging
wound healing, fighting allergies or rashes, and helping to reduce scars. Raw
honey is unheated, unprocessed and unpasteurized unlike most honeys available
in grocery stores. Therefore, it is able to keep all of its nutrients intact as
they’re not destroyed by processing. As an antimicrobial honey is particularly
suitable as a dressing for wounds and burns. It’s also been included in
treatments used to heal bacterial infections, dandruff, diaper dermatitis,
psoriasis and more. Honey also makes a great homemade natural skin care product
as an acne cure because it can be used in facial cleansers even on sensitive or
mixed skin types. Take half a teaspoon, warm between hands and spread on face
gently, leave on for 10 minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry. To use
it as an exfoliator for dry winter skin, try adding two cups of honey to a
bath, soak for 15 minutes, and then add one cup of baking soda for the final 15
minutes.
Figs
Take two figs
(anjeer) and mash them. Mix in with a little milk and gentle rub on the face
for one to two minutes. Wash the face with water and pat dry. This remedy will
help remove all the toxins on your skin and help it glow better the mildly abrasive nature of figs help keep
the skin healthy. Make sure you use this face pack regularly to reap maximum
benefits. Make sure it suits your skin. Try a sample of this pack on your hand
and see if it does not react.
Coconut
Oil
One of the most versatile skin (and food)
ingredients there is, coconut oil’s skin benefits include: strengthening
underlying epidermal tissue, removing dead skin cells, protecting us from
sunburns, and containing antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant
properties. Research even shows that coconut oil is strong enough to fight
chronic skin diseases characterized by defects in the epidermal barrier
function and cutaneous inflammation, including atopic dermatitis. Use coconut
oil on both your skin and hair to help cleanse, moisturize, remove makeup, heal
wounds or scars quicker, and prevent razor burn. Coconut oil used internally is
also beneficial for your looks. It contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
properties, plus loads of healthy fats that help nourish your gut and increase
immune function.
Healthy skin is just like any other organ in your
body: It continuously needs oxygen and nutrients to be brought to the cells,
and toxins need to be washed away. Therefore, coconut oil helping with hormonal
and digestive function is crucial for optimal skin health.
Tea
Tree Oil
Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) has been used for
hundreds of years in Australia to fight breakouts, redness and inflammation on
the skin. While many people react harshly to typical acne treatment ingredients
like acid, tea tree oil is usually well-tolerated and comes with few, if any,
of the nasty side effects when combined with carrier oil and applied directly
to skin. Tea tree oil uses include working as a natural anti-inflammatory,
anti-bacterial, antimicrobial and anti-fungal — its phytochemicals make it one
of the most versatile and popular natural skin care essential oils there is.
Tea tree’s volatile essential oils come from
approximately 230 different plant species, almost all of which are native to
Australia. The primary active ingredients responsible for its ability to reduce
harmful bacteria include terpene hydrocarbons, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.
Researches have observed more than 100 different chemical components and
volatile hydrocarbons that are considered aromatic and capable of traveling
through air, pores of the skin and mucus membranes to provide healing benefits.
It’s why tea tree oil is key part of the best home remedies for acne.
Banana
A common man's moisturiser and nourisher, never
underestimate this fruit. Mash a ripe banana and massage the skin with the
pulp. Even the driest of skins will thank you for it. Banana contains moisture,
potassium and vitamins E and C, which are responsible for promoting clear skin.
Use a ripe banana as it has more beneficial effects that unripe one.
Apple
Cider Vinegar
An extremely
versatile and inexpensive natural skin care product, apple cider vinegar
benefits include helping to kill pathogens (like bacteria), clearing skin
problems caused by gut issues, cleansing the skin and helping to stop acne,
plus providing antifungal properties. The use of ACV for skin problems dates all
the way back to Hippocrates (460-377 BC), considered “the father of modern
medicine” and a believer in the use of anti-fungal ACV and raw honey for
cleaning ulcerations and treating skin sores. It also contains highly
beneficial acetic acid and certain vitamins like potassium and magnesium that
make it a detoxifying agent when consumed internally, since it boosts liver
function and helps balance.
Avocado
The healthy fruit
with aphrodisiac properties works wonders for dry skin. Mash an avocado and
apply it onto a clean skin, slowly massaging it. Leave it on for a minimum of
15 minutes before you wash off with milk and then water. Full of healthy fats,
vitamins and antioxidants, avocadoes are great for your skin health. Using
avocado oil is also one of the best options to keep your skin healthy. Eating
avocadoes is also one way to help your skin glow. An ultra-moisturizing fatty
fruit, the benefits of avocados include containing vitamins A, D and E that are
able to penetrate the skin. It helps soothe sunburned skin, can boost collagen
production and treat age spots. It also works to reduce inflammation of the
skin when applies topically and can do the same internally when eaten. Whip up
a Homemade Avocado Face Mask with fresh avocado combined with essential oils,
honey or carrier oil to replenish hydration and leave skin feeling dewy.
Almond
You may use pure almond oil or almond paste, both
are excellent sources of Vitamin E, providing nourishment for your skin
externally. For dehydrated and dry skin, first massage the face with one
teaspoon almond oil and then make a paste of 10 almonds mixed with a little
milk and scrub it gently onto the skin. Wash the face with milk and then water.
Not only will this help patchy skin but will give the skin an youthful texture,
something we are all in constant search of.
Olives
Olive is known as an excellent source of vitamins.
Take three to four mashed olives and apply it onto the skin and let it dry.
Wash off with cold water and pat dry. It will help restore the skin's natural
pH. Olives or olive oil has long been known for their health and skin benefits.
Olive oil is packed with anti-ageing antioxidants and hydrating squalene,
making it amazing for hair and skin health along with nails.
PapayaI
You’ll be
amazed at the goodness of this humble fruit and using it time and time again on
your skin in various treatments, will give positive results. Take mashed papaya
and massage it onto the skin for five minutes. Wash the skin with milk and then
water and see how clarified and soft your skin feels in minutes. Papaya
nourishes the skin; thanks to the presence of vitamin A and papain enzyme, it
helps remove dead skin cells and inactive proteins, thus rejuvenating your
skin.
Aloe
vera
This modest plant can be grown practically
everywhere - gardens, pots, terraces, etc - and is an excellent rejuvenator for
undernourished skin. Scrape out the gel from the leaf, mash it and massage onto
the skin. Let it sit there for 10 minutes and wash the skin with cold water and
pat dry. Your skin will be rejuvenated naturally. Aloe vera soothes your skin,
especially in summers when it faces the sweltering heat.
Sea salt comes loaded with tons of minerals and
nutrients like magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium that it absorbs from
the sea water where its produced. Many of these minerals are the same ones
found in our skin cells and within our bodies, which is exactly why real sea
salt can help balance, protect and restore the skin.
Use real Himalayan or Celtic sea salts in homemade
facial masks, toners and scrubs with other skin-boosting ingredients like
coconut oil, lavender essential oil and raw honey. The salt contains
anti-inflammatory properties to soothe skin and calm breakouts, remove dead
skin cells and irritation, balance oil production, and help the skin retain
moisture levels.
Make your own homemade scrub by mixing two teaspoons
sea salt with four teaspoons raw honey, then apply the mix evenly to clean
skin, rub it gently, let it stand for 15 minutes and rinse. Similarly, sugar
scrubs are similar, and both types are gentle enough to use several times per
week to prevent clogged pores and help with cell turn-over and renewal.
SUMMARY
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Eat foods with antioxidants:Antioxidants are the
best resources your body has to fight disease and aging by reducing damage and
inflammation. Inflammation is a leading cause of wrinkle formation. Some of the
best sources of antioxidants include: Blueberries, Pomegranates ,Acai berries,
Goji berries, Spinach, Raspberries, Nuts, Seeds, Purple grapes,Dark chocolate
(70% or higher of cocoa content) AND Organic green tea.
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Have a rainbow-colored plate of food: Free
radicals form in our bodies and cause major damage to our cell structures. The
different nutrient-rich foods we eat neutralize them. You need to consume the
widest variety of antioxidants you can to fight off the different kinds of free
radicals. Think about what colors you've missed throughout the day, and try to
incorporate them into your next meal.
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Eat organic foods:This curtails consumption of
aging toxins.
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Limit your sun exposure:Small amounts of daily
sun produce vitamin D and are beneficial, but too much sun will damage your
skin. Don’t forget to wear your sunglasses, and use zinc or titanium dioxide
sunscreen.
Ø
Opt for natural skin products: Many skincare
products contain harsh chemicals. When choosing moisturizers or makeup,
research the ingredients in them the best you can to confirm that they're safe.
Ø
Own a plant: Indoor pollution levels can be even
higher than outdoor levels. A plant in your home or by your desk at work will
act as an air filter.
Ø
Get enough vitamin C: A diet rich in vitamin C
leads to fewer wrinkles. Researchers have found that skin exposed to vitamin C
for long periods of time can produce up to eight times more collagen!
The Brain Behind this Blog
