There is a moment in each of our lives when our skin is perfect: you look in the mirror and see dewy, moist skin that has no spots, wrinkles, dark circles or dry patches. There is nothing visible that even hints at wild nights out drowning your sorrows or wild nights in doing serious damage to anything chocolate-covered that comes within your reach.
Some very lucky individuals catch their skin at that precise moment. They have the right products to hand and they are able to preserve their skin in its optimum condition for eternity.
Unfortunately, the rest of us live on a different planet: a planet filled with plenty of distractions to keep us busy. That moment passes and we spend the rest of our lives trying to recapture it – to get our skin back to the way it looked ‘before’: before sleep deprivation, wrinkles, and before we found out (or cared) what SPF meant.
It’s at that point that we start paying more attention to skin care. A regular skin care routine that suits your particular skin type can make a big difference. Then you turn your attention to the skin care products you are using and you start to wonder:
- Are they as effective as they could be?
- Could a natural skin care product do more for me than a big name brand?
A quick look at the packaging on any skin care product can have you reaching for a chemistry textbook to decipher the contents. Yet how many say ‘natural,’ ‘organic’, or ‘all-natural’? Can this really be true when the ingredients listed include a whole lot of chemicals?
The short answer is ‘no.’ There are a lot of potential loopholes if a product company doesn’t want to list all their ingredients. For example, in some countries you can get away with calling something ‘organic’ if just one ingredient in the blend is certified organic.
What to Look for
Let’s clear up some of the confusion. What ingredients should you be actively looking for if you want a really effective skin care product that is as natural and harmless as possible? Here’s what can really make a difference:
- MSM – Methyl sulphonyl methane is a naturally-occurring form of sulphur that helps to maintain the health of our bones, teeth, skin and hair. For a real transformation, investigate taking MSM as a food supplement too.
- Top quality vegetable oils – vegetable oils are a vital ingredient of most natural and organic skin care ranges. These oils help to moisturise the skin and protect it from the elements. Some will sink deeply and quickly into the skin, others will be absorbed more slowly (and therefore offer more protection from the weather). Most of the vegetable oils used in skin care products will also have specific anti-ageing or anti-oxidising properties. They may also offer protection from the sun (Raspberry seed oil is particularly good at this). Look out for Argan, Pomegranate seed, Raspberry seed, Sea buckthorn, Kukui, Macadamia Nut, Tamanu, Rosehip, Evening primrose oil, Jojoba and Avocado oils. Some of the more exotic oils can tend to raise the price of the products, but the results are worth it.
- Essential oils – The essential oils most closely associated with skin care are lavender, geranium, cypress, frankincense, palmarosa, rosewood, myrrh, patchouli, neroli, chamomile, rose, tea tree and manuka. Most of these are well known for their various abilities at cleansing, balancing out hormonal or stress-related skin reactions, reducing inflammation and healing wounds or scar tissue.
- Aloe vera gel – Aloe vera can reduce the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn and help the skin to heal itself. It also has a significant effect on fibroblasts – the cells that make collagen in the skin. Aloe vera is able to speed up the rate at which fibroblasts work. Although fibroblasts produce less collagen as we age or are exposed to the sun, using aloe vera can help to halt or reverse the effects of sun exposure on the skin.
- Green tea extract – Green tea protects the skin by reducing inflammation and neutralising any free radicals that are present. It also contains strong anti-oxidants that have been attributed with slowing down the ageing process (although claims that it can reverse the ageing process may be more of an example of wishful thinking rather than fact).
- Vitamins A, C and E – these three key vitamins are found in most skin care products. Vitamin C is said to be able to reduce the effects of sun damage and may even reverse any damage done to the skin’s DNA as a result of sunburn. Vitamin A reduces fine lines, as well as helping to heal various skin conditions. Vitamin E is a strong anti-oxidant and moisturiser that helps to prevent the skin from drying out. It has also been attributed with healing various skin conditions and improving the appearance of stretch marks or scars. Vitamin E occurs naturally in many vegetable oils (Evening Primrose oil is a particularly good source of it).
- Shea butter – a rich moisturising substance that protects skin from weathering. Shea butter can help skin retain its elasticity, and soothes inflamed, irritated and dry skin types.
- Kakadu Plum - Kakadu plum has only recently started hitting the headlines as a potential cosmetic ingredient. It is one of the best, natural sources of vitamin C and is a very powerful antioxidant. As such, it helps to soothe irritated skin and can improve the skin’s general appearance. Shea butter products are a must for very dry or dehydrated skins.
- Honey – used for centuries for its health-giving, anti-bacterial and anti-septic qualities, honey is full of vitamins and minerals and is a great help in healing infected or wounded skin. As a skin treatment, raw honey (unprocessed, unpasteurised and unfiltered) is most effective.
Search for natural skin care companies who sell products in your area.
Originally published on Nov 17, 2011
