Best Natural Skin Care

Natural Emulsifiers: Healthy Binding Agents in Your Products

Ingela — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:27:12 +0000

Most of us use our skin care and cosmetic products day in and day out without giving thought to how they were made. Or what they were made of. The process is a delicate one, and one worth knowing about as the end user.

A well-crafted beauty product is a balanced blend of function and style, a work of art. Many ingredients, useless independently, come together to create a masterpiece. Within this masterpiece, something has to function as the base, the foundation, the glue that binds all the rest of the ingredients together. In beauty products, the “glue” is an emulsifier, or binding agent.

Most skin care and cosmetic products are made up of five key parts: emollients, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservatives. This article will discuss the function of emulsifiers in common beauty products and what natural alternatives are available.

Synthetic Emulsifiers

All products need an agent that keeps everything together. The product base is a delivery method, but it’s equal as important as the other parts of the formula. Without it, other ingredients wouldn’t interact correctly. And without a proper emulsifier, your skin might react badly to a product.

Unlike some of the other ingredient categories (preservatives or emollients, for example), many synthetic emulsifiers are harmless to the skin. The waxes used as emulsifiers haven’t been shown to cause damage. These include:

Sorbitan Stearate, Laurate, Palmitate, and Oleate
Ozokerite, Ceresin, Silicone and Montan
Isopropyl Stearate, Laurate, Palmitate, and Oleate

You won’t find toxins or long-term damage in these synthetics, per se, but you may find you have sensitivities to them. Many are used in harsh cleaning agents and have been known to irritate the eyes and scalp. For those with delicate skin or allergies, these emulsifiers might be causing a reaction. Switching to natural emulsifiers is a good idea all around.

Simply put, natural emulsifiers are healthier for the skin.

The Dangerous Chemicals

Some synthetic emulsifiers, like those listed above, are derived from petroleum or hydrocarbon sources. Others have ties to more toxic substances and, though effective, can wreak havoc on your unsuspecting skin.

Try to stay away from dangerous chemicals such as the Alkoxylated Amides. These include TEA, DEA, MEA, and MIPA compounds. They have been shown to undergo nitrosation when coming in contact with the skin to form nitrosamines, or carcinogens.

PEG compounds should also be avoided, as they have been linked to the toxic substance dioxane. Skip these ingredients altogether to reduce your risk of irritation, allergic reaction, and even extreme consequences, like some forms of cancer.

Natural Choices for Emulsifiers

Fortunately, there are several natural emulsifying agents out there to hold your products together safely. Some companies use these emulsifiers, which are often derived from nuts, berries, and leaves.

Choose products that utilize plant waxes, such as Candelilla, Carnauba, Jojoba, or Rice Bran. You may also see Xanthan Gum or Quince Seed listed in your natural beauty products. These natural alternatives are much healthier for the skin and less likely to cause irritation. Obviously, if you are allergic to nuts, avoid using products with nut-derived emulsifiers.

Otherwise, you’re all set!

Natural Surfactants in Beauty Products

Ingela — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:19:43 +0000

When we think about what skin care products to buy, what’s inside them matters just as much as what they’re used for.

You wouldn’t buy a moisturizer made up of the ingredients for a facial scrub, so why would you buy a product that uses anything you don’t understand? How can you be sure what everything on that long, unpronounceable list of ingredients is going to do to your skin?

Within that list, most skin care and cosmetic products are made up of five key parts: emollients, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservatives. This article will discuss the function of surfactants in common beauty products and what natural alternatives are available.

What Surfactants Do

A surfactant is a category of ingredients found in many cosmetic products, especially cleansers and shampoos. Also called “surface-acting ingredients,” their purpose is to reduce the surface tension of a product, thus making it easier to spread.

These substances can dissolve oils and suspend dirt until it is rinsed away with water—a handy ability for cleansers, indeed.

Why Not Synthetic Surfactants?

The major problem with synthetic surfactants is how they’re produced. Surfactants are produced through a chemical reaction process called ethoxylation. Afterwards, they often become contaminated with the toxic carcinogen dioxane.

Extended exposure to synthetic surfactants that release dioxane into your skin can be harmful. Dioxane exposure has been linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies, and skin irritation.

Studies estimated that about 46% of the products they tested were contaminated with dioxane—so the threat is real and it’s out there. Are the odds good enough that you want to take a risk with your skin care products?

Ingredients to Avoid

If you’re trying to weed out the synthetic surfactants from your personal cosmetic collection, there are a few that you should be on the lookout for:

Labels ending with –eth, such as laureth.
PolyEthylene Glycol (PEG) or PolyPropylene Glycol (PPG).
Amides, such as TriEthanolAmine (TEA), DiEthanolAmine (DEA) and MonoEthanolAmine (MEA).

Common synthetic surfactants include: sodium or ammonium lauryl or laureth sulphate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, sodium lauroyl, cocomidopropyl betaine, TEA or DEA or MEA compounds, PEG compounds Quaternium-7, 15, 31, and 60, etc., lauryl or cocoyl sarcosine, disodium oleamide or dioctyl sulfosuccinate.

Natural Surfactants

Instead of all the harmful chemicals that might introduce carcinogens into your beauty routine, go the natural route and stay healthier. For shampoos, natural saponins make much better foaming agents than synthetic alternatives anyway.

These, and other natural surfactants, can gently cleanse the hair, scalp, and skin without stripping the natural oils away. Your overall skin and hair health is preserved and improved, plus you’re eliminating all the harmful stuff and the potential after-effects.

Some options for natural surfactants include castile soap, yucca extract, soapwort, and quillaja bark extract. When searching the shelves for your new, healthy skin care alternatives, be sure to keep your eyes open for these surfactants in the ingredients list.

9 Useful Essential Oils in Anti Aging Skin Care

Ingela — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:59:06 +0000

In natural skin care, one of the best ways to get effective results without adding harmful chemicals is by using essential oils.

They are liquids distilled from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other parts of the plant—basically, the “essence” of the plant. Despite the name essential oil, they’re not really oily at all.

Instead, essential oils are clear or light amber in color.

Many Sources, Many Uses

Since essential oils are taken from plants, there are nearly as many types of oils as there are plants.

And of course, each type has its own unique benefits, just like spices you use when you’re cooking dinner. Essential oils are so simple and so natural that they are easily blended into almost anything.

In fact, essential oils are used in perfumes, aromatherapy, and even some foods. Some essential oils promote relaxation, calm migraine pain or anxiety, elevate the mood, and boost the immune system. In skin care, essential oils help achieve the results promised by cleansers, scrubs, moisturizers, and other products.

Common Essential Oils & Their Benefits

While you’re browsing the list of ingredients on your natural skin care products, you’ll most likely come across a few things followed by “essential oil.”

Whether it’s almond essential oil or geranium essential oil, the good news is that they’re great for your skin. But specifically, what’s the difference?

Here are a few of the most common essential oils found in skin care and their purpose:

Almond. Perfect for dry skin, almond is easily absorbed and provides lots of great nourishing moisture. Almond essential oil can also be used as a base for mixing other oils.
Avocado. This is a super healer, providing great moisture to the skin while it also lessens the appearance of age spots, sun damage, and scars. It also regenerates the skin, increasing collagen production and working as an anti-aging ingredient.
Carrot. For mixed skin types, carrot oil will help balance your dry and oily patches while also healing damaged skin. Age spots and wrinkles will also lessen in appearance with regular use of carrot essential oil.
Chamomile. This one’s an anti-inflammatory, so it will help soothe puffy eyes and neutralize redness in your skin. You’ll spot this key ingredient in many eye creams.
Green Tea. It’s great to drink but it also helps the skin with its antioxidant properties. In skin care, it will reduce redness while helping thwart early signs of aging. In hair care, it improves gloss and shine
Jojoba. Here’s one you’ll see a lot in shampoos and conditioners, as well as cleansers, makeup removers, and moisturizers. Jojoba is a natural wrinkle fighter and an antibacterial agent.
Lanolin. This is a great general moisturizer, added to many products for its emollient properties and the ability to leave your skin feeling soft and soothed.
Oats. Perfect for sensitive skin, oats reduce irritation. Its gentleness makes it a great option to sooth aging skin as well.
Rose. This super-oil does it all: it’s an astringent for oily skin; it reduced puffiness and edema; it helps tighten and firm the skin. Rose oil is also the most effective or moisturizing, so be prepared to see this one appear several times on several of your natural skin care products’ labels.

Choose natural essential oils in your products for results that really work. Look for the above mentioned types of essential oils and many others not mentioned as well, such as rosemary, seaweed, lavender, or ginseng. With essential oils in your cosmetics, there’s no need for harmful chemicals at all!

And if you’re looking for a superb natural skin care line, then I have to recommend Xtend-Life, because of the results they’ve given me, check them out, and have a great day!

Acupuncture for Acne: Does It Work?

Ingela — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 09:45:51 +0000

With as many varieties of acne treatments as there are types of skin, how can you decide which treatment will work best for your own breakouts?

There are shelves of products claiming to zap your pimples, dozens of salons in every city offering miracle chemical peels and other services, plus books and websites touting home remedies with overnight success. Who can you believe? Where should you begin?

Acupuncture is another voice in the crowd of acne treatments today, but not necessarily one that comes to mind every day. Yes, acupuncture is that ancient Chinese treatment that uses needles to stimulate the body.

And yes, it promises to cure many things from headaches to hemorrhoids. But acne? I did a little digging to see if the acupuncture for acne claims really held up.

Alternative to Acne Medicine

Sometimes a dermatologist or general physician will recommend acupuncture to patients who are reluctant to treat their acne with medication. To be fair, some medications can have risky side effects and other dangers, so it makes sense that not everyone is prepared to go that route.

By the same token, laser surgery and other treatments, like chemical peels or facials, might not be a first choice for some people. As an alternative, acupuncture treatments are not medicinal or chemical in nature and have no health risks.

The major benefit to trying acupuncture is its lack of negative side effects. You’ll take no medication, undergo no risky procedures. Yet many people question the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments for acne.

While a few studies have reported success, others have been inconclusive. Modern doctors find it tough to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture, but evidence does exist that it could work. And it might work for you.

How Acupuncture for Acne Works

Traditional Chinese Medicine treats skin problems with a holistic viewpoint, considering the physical, emotional, and environmental factors surrounding the individual patient before treatment.

For acne acupuncture therapy, specialists will focus on the heat and dampness that effects the organs and channels of the lungs, stomach and spleen – considered the source for acne troubles.

Every organ in Chinese medicine is associated with specific functions and a connection to the skin’s surface. The lungs, stomach and spleen are pinpointed both because of their functions and the locations of their connections to the skin. Specifically, these three organs are connected like this:

The lungs are “in charge” of the skin, so most skin diseases are treated through the lung in acupuncture therapy. It’s also related to the pores, which become clogged and infected in patients with acne, resulting in a breakout.
The stomach is a warm area of the body and can gather additional heat. This extra warmth may result in pimples along the stomach channel to the skin (around the chest and face). Dampness in the stomach is connected to oily skin as well.
The spleen helps with the digestive process, thus controlling the amount of energy emitted throughout the body and ridding excess dampness. If there is a problem, dampness accumulates and can cause oily skin and pimples.

Outside factors will also be considered by the acupuncture specialist, who may recommend additional behavior, diet, and exercise habits to take up or avoid along with your sessions.

Traditional Chinese herbs may also be provided for your treatment. Typically, these do not carry the same risk factors as modern Western remedies. Following all of this advice as a complete treatment will help you achieve better results with acupuncture for acne.

A Downside to Acupuncture?

Perhaps the only downside to receiving acupuncture treatments is the cost. Most insurance plans do not cover acupuncture because it is outside the traditional realm of medicine. And many acupuncture specialists can charge a hefty amount per session. Without a guarantee of success, you might be reluctant to pay the high price tag.

Still, no medical procedure offers a guarantee, only a potential solution. Acupuncture as a treatment has no lesser or greater “guarantee” than any other treatment. Keep that in mind while making your decision.

Common Concerns About Acupuncture

Most of us have never visited an acupuncture specialist, but we might have an idea what it looks like from television shows or movies. If the unknown about this traditional Eastern treatment is holding you back from trying it, here are some answers to the common questions you may have.

By educating yourself about this alternative therapy, you can make the decision for yourself about whether or not you would like to try it.

Will Acupuncture hurt? The idea of needles poking into your skin might be scary. Acupuncture therapy does not hurt any more than a slight pinch. Practitioners are trained at placing the needles without pain, by tricking the skin into thinking there is only pressure on the skin, not a very tiny needle.
Can I get an infection from Acupuncture needles? Acupuncture needles are different from injection needles you’ll encounter at vaccinations or a blood donation. Not only are they smaller, but they are also designed to gently push aside skin tissue, instead of tearing it, which eliminates the risk of infection.
What kind of Herbal Treatments are involved? Your acupuncture practitioner might recommend traditional Chinese herbs – sometimes a mixture of 6 to 10 different types – which you boil and drink like a cup of tea each day. They might not taste great, but when used in conjunction with the acupuncture therapy, the herbs will help rid the body of dampness and boost your success.
How long do treatments take? Acupuncture for acne treatments will be done in a series of sessions for about four weeks. This time frame is long enough for your body to adjust to the new conditions within itself and show the effects on your skin.

So… Does Acupuncture Cure Acne?

Treating your acne, whatever method you choose, takes some commitment on your part. There’s no wonder cure, no miracle drug, no overnight solution. If you choose acupuncture to cure acne, chances are good that you’ll see noticeable changes in one month provided you follow the directions and attend all your sessions.

To determine if Acupuncture is the right treatment for you, consult your physician or a dermatologist for more information. They’ll give you some advice and refer you to an acupuncture practitioner they trust.

There are also many other treatments available, such as the completely natural acne treatment kit from ZenMed, which I highly recommend from doing a lot of research on acne treatments.

Natural Preservatives in Beauty Products & Your Skin: A Healthy Combo

Ingela — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:56:03 +0000

Not too long ago, the skin care industry was buzzing with news about preservatives. Women stormed cosmetic counters, angered to hear that chemicals like formaldehyde were inside their products.

And who wouldn’t be upset about disturbing news like that? Suddenly, users of beauty products everywhere wanted to know exactly what’s inside their products and why.

I completely agree with them—consumer skepticism keeps companies honest. And it keeps natural products on the shelves, available to all of us. Inside these products, natural preservatives do exactly the same things these chemical options promise, just without the harmful side effects.

Most skin care and cosmetic products are made up of five key parts: emollients, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservatives. This article will discuss the function of preservatives in common beauty products and what natural alternatives are available.

What Are Preservatives?

Simply put, skin care companies put preservatives inside their products to keep them from spoiling. After all, who wants to store their skin cream in the refrigerator?

Preservatives, whether chemical or natural, are meant to protect the other ingredients of the product from decaying, growing discolored, or going bad.

Preservatives determine your products’ shelf life—but that doesn’t mean you can store them poorly or for unreasonable amounts of time.

Even with preservatives, keep your skin care and cosmetic products in a cool, dry place and only for as long as the company recommends.

Why All the Chemicals?

Chemical preservatives are typically cheaper to put into beauty products, which explains why many cosmetics companies turn to them. They also give products a longer shelf life than some organic ingredients do. But cheaper and more effective doesn’t equal safer, and some chemical preservatives can be very harmful to the skin.

When reading your ingredient lists, here are some of the common artificial preservatives to look out for and avoid:

Imidiazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea. These can cause contact dermatitis and may release formaldehyde at certain temperatures.
DMDM Hydantoin. This ingredient can be highly toxic as well, since it contains formaldehyde. It may also induce skin irritation for some. You’ll find this mostly in shampoo and deodorant products.
Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Parabens. These are the known “bad guys” that many people know about now. They can cause severe allergic reactions, skin rashes and irritation.

Also look out for 2-Dromo-2-Nitro-Propane-1, 3-diol, Benzalkonium Chloride, Quarternium-15, Chloromethylisothiazolinone, isothiazolinone, hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Butylated hudroxyanisole (BHA).

Natural Preservatives

On the other hand, seeing these items listed in the ingredients is a good sign: tea tree essential oil, thyme essential oil, grapefruit seed extract, bitter orange extract, and honey suckle flower extract.

Switching to natural preservatives in your beauty products can reduce your risk of skin irritation, allergic reactions, and even some forms of cancer. The toxic chemicals and carcinogens found in chemical preservatives, while they do increase product shelf life, just aren’t worth all the risk.

I’ve been using Xtend-Life’s skin care products because I made the choice to treat and protect my skin the healthy way. Try these products and other natural alternatives for yourself and see the benefits—both short- and long-term.

Natural vs. Chemical Emollients in Beauty Products

Ingela — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:59:06 +0000

Read the ingredients list on any product in your skin care and cosmetic collection and you’ll probably go cross-eyed. Today’s beauty products are often filled with chemical and synthetic ingredients that are hard to pronounce and hard on your skin.

Chemicals such as dimethicone and TEA are very common, so you may see these and others over and over again on different product labels. Some companies will follow these chemicals with a list of herbs, natural extracts, and essential oils to make the product seem natural. But in reality, it’s not natural at all.

Most skin care products are composed of five parts: emollients, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservatives. This article will discuss the function of emollients in common beauty products and what natural alternatives to look for when shopping.

The Purpose of Emollients

Emollient ingredients are usually listed first in a product’s ingredients, so these will jump out at your right away. When we say a lotion is water-based or oil-based, these are the emollient agents that are at work inside a product. Mainly, emollients are responsible for preventing dryness of the skin and protecting it like a barrier.

Water is the best natural emollient, but it evaporates quickly and becomes ineffective. To resolve this problem, many companies have combined chemical emollients with water or “natural” oils to extend a product’s effectiveness. This is not necessary, since several natural alternatives might work much better.

Natural vs. Chemical

Natural emollients will absorb into and nourish the skin. They’re also biodegradable. Your skin can metabolize these ingredients easily with its own enzymes so there is no by-product. You could actually eat natural emollients if you wanted to.

Chemical emollients, on the other hand, will often sit atop the skin and leave it feeling greasy. They’re not biodegradable and have been shown in some studies to accumulate in the lymph nodes and liver. Wherever these chemical emollients breakdown, inside or outside the body, they leave harmful effects behind them.

What Chemicals to Avoid

This is where it gets complicated. There are so many synthetic emollients to look for that it can be very confusing. Basically, there are three main groups of chemical emollients. Here’s the bare minimum of what to be on the look-out for:

PEG Compounds, which may contain toxic by-products and can cause allergies and dermatitis.
- Look for anything that contains the phrase benzyl, butyl, cetearyl, cetyl, glyceryl, isopropyl, myristyl propyl, propylene, or stearyl
Hydrocarbons, which contain carcinogenic acid and mutating chemicals. They may also cause acne.
- Look for mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin
Silicone Oils, which can clog the pores like a film of plastic wrap and have caused tumors on lab animals (though no studies on humans have been conducted).
- Look for dimethicone, cyclomethicone, copoplyol

These are the big ones to keep your eyes open for. Once you get in the habit of reading ingredient lists and picking out the bad guys, it will get easier to remember them all!

Natural Alternatives to Look For

If it’s easier to look for the natural versions instead, this list is much smaller and easier to remember. The main natural emollients are mostly plant oils, such as jojoba, avocado, and rosehip. Other natural emollients include shea, cocoa, and jojoba butters.

Not only are these safer and healthier alternatives in the long run, but they actually work better than their chemical counterparts!

Use this information to make smart choices about what products you put on your body. I personally have chosen Xtend-Life’s skin care products. They rock completely and my skin seems to agree.

Have a great day!

How To Find the Best Natural Makeup for Dry Skin

Ingela — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:02 +0000

With so many cosmetic options available in today’s market, finding the best makeup for dry skin might seem an impossible feat.

Aside from a trial-and-error journey down the makeup aisle, how can you really know how well each and every product will work?

At least you can definitely do some background work before you start buying and trying. Narrow down the playing field; find the best option for your skin.

But how do you even get started? I have a few tips to point you in the right direction on your hunt for the best makeup for dry skin.

Researching Natural Brands

The internet is a great place to start when you’re gathering information for just about anything, makeup included. Start by looking for companies that use all natural ingredients and substitute harmful chemicals with safe alternatives derived from nature.

The best makeup for dry skin doesn’t have to be filled with chemicals, so just do your homework to find companies that can promise moisturizing makeup and natural ingredients. Believe me, they’re out there!

One of the great resources I found was the website for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, where cosmetic companies commit themselves to “improve the safety of cosmetics and personal care products and to provide better information about product ingredients so consumers can make informed decisions.”

Download a full list of companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, then choose the brand name and makeup you like from there. Every ingredient of every product sold by these companies is available for you to see, so you can buy with confidence.

What to Look for in Dry Skin Makeup

When you have dry skin, you need different things from your makeup.

For example, you’ll need a creamy formula that goes on smoothly and evenly.

Dry skin needs makeup that can provide even coverage heavy enough to hide blemishes but light enough not to exaggerate any dry patches. To achieve this delicate balance, here are a few things to look for:

Choose water-based formulas that use oil so your makeup won’t dry out your skin
Opt for a liquid foundation over a powder or compact, since liquids go on smoother and help you get an even texture on your face.
Skip any “matte” products.
Try to find formulas that say they’re “moisture rich” or “hydrating.” Of course, read the ingredients before you buy and try!
During warmer months, switch to a tinted moisturizer for lightweight coverage that’s not too thick. This will help your dry skin while also evening your skin tone.

Where to Look for Dry Skin Makeup

Now that you know what to look for, you just need to know where to shop!

Many major retailers, on the Compact list and elsewhere, can offer you great options for dry skin makeup that’s natural.

Try Sephora’s Natural Makeup page for some leading brands or visit All Natural Cosmetics, a site dedicated to natural cosmetic and personal care products.

Happy hunting!

How to Find a Top Anti Wrinkle Cream: A Simple Formula

Ingela — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:52:26 +0000

Do you want a top anti wrinkle cream, but don’t know where to look and how to find it? I’m not gonna say it’s easy to find a facial cream that reduces wrinkles, but it can be simple if you know what to look for.

What is a top anti wrinkle cream anyway? I’d say it is a product that effectively smooths out your wrinkles, not just by covering them up, but by supplying your skin with vital nutrients. It is a cream that makes your skin healthier, not just better looking.

All Natural

Many synthetics chemicals found in skin care products can make your skin age faster and cause adverse side effects. Some are harmless while others are risky, so a simple solution is to avoid them all together and go with all natural products instead.

Nowadays they say that the best anti wrinkle creams are the ones with ingredients that you can eat, and I couldn’t agree more. Your skin is your largest organ, and plenty of the things it comes in contact with will be absorbed by your skin and body.

Proven Anti Wrinkle Ingredients

Most wrinkle creams claim to be super effective and the new wonder of the world, but nearly all of them are pretty useless. What you need to look for is clinically proven effective ingredients – formulas that have been tried by humans and given noticeable effects when it comes to eliminating and preventing wrinkles.

A top anti wrinkle cream should contain ingredients that stimulate your growth of collagen and elastin, because they are responsible for the firmness and smoothness of your skin. You also want something that boosts your levels of hyaluronic acid in the cream, as this is important for keeping the skin youthful.

A couple of proven ingredients I like for this are Xtend TK and Phytessence Wakame, but I’m sure there are others out there as well. Natural vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, and grapeseed oil are other highly recommended anti aging ingredients.

The Right Amounts

In order to find a top anti wrinkle cream you need to know if there is enough effective anti aging ingredients in it. You see, many companies do everything to save money and increase profits, even at the expense of their customers.

It is best to find a trustworthy company that adds the optimal amount of each ingredient, no matter the manufacturing costs.

My Two Cents

One example of a top anti wrinkle cream that I use is a day cream made by the company Xtend-Life. It is very rich in antioxidants, active anti-aging ingredients, and is made completely of natural goodies.

I really like the way my skin feels when I use it, it’s the one I use daily. You can find a lot of great skin creams, but make sure you do your research before you buy anything, because there are a lot of shady vendors out there!

How to Minimize Stretch Marks: 9 Effective Techniques

Ingela — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:39:23 +0000

Would you love to know how to minimize stretch marks and prevent them from showing up? Here you’ll find a list of tips and tricks for combating stretch marks.

Before you dive in the techniques for how to minimize stretch marks you’ll want to think about why you have them in the first place. If you know the underlying cause, it is much easier to know what to do about them.

There’s a variety of causes of stretch marks such as:

Hormonal changes/growth spurts like in pregnancy or puberty
Rapid weight gain or weight loss
Nutritional deficiencies causing weaker skin cell walls
Loss of collagen and elastin from aging
Rapid muscle gain causing the skin to stretch

Anything sound familiar? It’s not always so easy to know what the cause is for you, for example you can have a nutritional deficiency a long time without ever knowing about it.

Here’s the list of techniques for how to minimize stretch marks. I think the first two are the most important to start with, the rest are in no particular order.

1. Nourish. Feed your skin properly with antioxidants from berries, dark leafy greens, veggies and fruit. With enough healthy fats you make your cell walls stronger, from say fatty fish, cold pressed olive oil, coconut, and avocado. This will boost skin regeneration and the growth of collagen and elastin.

2. Hydrate. It really is true that your skin needs a lot of water. Water improves skin elasticity, and without it your skin can get dry and age faster. It might not be the yummiest drink according to everyone, but whatever works, right?

3. Wise skin care. Choose your skin care products wisely. Most regular stretch mark and anti wrinkle creams are filled with petroleum by products and chemicals. Instead look for skin care that nourishes the skin, rich in antioxidants and healthy fats. If you want to reverse a loss of collagen, then it’s good to use things that stimulate your collagen production.

4. Massage. This not only relaxes, but also increases the blood circulation and helps the regeneration of the skin. This can be extra healing if you use something good like coconut, jojoba, or almond oil to rub in while massaging.

5. Skin brushing. Just like when massaging, skin brushing boosts your blood circulation and facilitates healing of the skin. You use a special soft brush and make slow circular strokes on the skin.

6. Exfoliate. Through exfoliation, the act of eliminating dead skin cells from the top of your skin, you increase the growth of the skin cells underneath. Exfoliate regularly with a natural product, and your stretch marks will fade faster.

7. Mask. Have some extra time on your hands? Make your own deeply nourishing skin mask from things in your kitchen. Coconut is awesome for healing the skin, whether it’s coconut milk, butter or oil. Put a thick layer on your stretch marks, and if you have some vitamin E capsules, you can empty one in the mixture for even better effects.

8. Essential oil therapy. You add drops of essential oil to plant oils and use it as moisturizer. Essential oils can help increase the growth of skin cells and nourish the skin. Some great essential oils are rosehip oil, lavender oil, and helichrysum oil. Never apply pure essential oil straight on your skin though, it must be diluted with plant oil.

9. Super healing food. Some foods and supplements help in healing and regeneration. Check these out: active manuka honey, MSM, royal jelly, and noni juice. I think omega-3 supplements deserve to be among these as well.

I hope this has shown you that there are plenty of ways for how to minimize stretch marks. You don’t need to use every stretch mark remedy out there though, it is best if you find something that’s right for you and stick to that.

If you rush from one remedy to another then you’ll never get any results, because they need time to work.

How to Prevent Sagging Skin: 5 Important Steps Revealed

Ingela — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:45:19 +0000

There are lots of ways for how to prevent sagging skin when you start looking. Let me show you the most important steps you can take to prevent sagging skin.

Sagging skin can be caused by aging as well as rapid weight loss. If you are in the process of losing a lot of weight then try to do it in a slow and steady pace, and know that with time your skin will catch up.

When you get older, the amount of collagen and elastin produced in your skin is reduced, and this causes sagging skin. But if you know how to prevent sagging skin, you can avoid all that.

1. Nutrients

The first thing you want to look at is if you are feeding your body all the nutrients it needs to create healthy firm skin. Your skin needs a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and fats to stay youthful.

I always supplement with a purified fish oil supplement, because I know it can be hard to get all the omega-3 I need from my diet alone. Eating lots of healthy fats from fish, coconut, nuts, and olives does help keeping your skin firm and plump.

2. Hydration

Another important thing for preventing sagging skin is proper hydration. The firmness of your skin largely depends on if you have enough water in your body, so make sure you drink lots of water every day.

And try to make sure it’s pure water, because a lot of the tap water all around the world has chemicals and other substances in it (yes, even the U.S, Canada and UK).

3. What to Avoid

Now let’s look at what skin care you are using. Your regular anti aging moisturizer is probably full of petroleum by-products and synthetic chemicals. Those are things you want to avoid to keep your skin as firm as possible.

There are other ingredients you should look out for, such as parabens, fragrances, dioxanes, acrylamides, and so on. There’s a whole slew of them out there!

4. What to Use?

Natural things that are great for making the skin firm are for example grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, and natural vitamin E. Basically you want to look for something rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and pure fats that do not clog your pores.

Ingredients that increase the growth of collagen and elastin in the skin also help to prevent sagging skin effectively. Xtend TK is a good option; it stimulates the growth of skin cells and moisturizes deeply.

5. Exercise

One last tip for how to prevent sagging skin is exercising your body. It increases the blood circulation, gets rid of toxins, and keeps your skin elastic and firm. Lifting weights for half an hour a few times a week is great for this purpose, but any exercise you enjoy is great.

Massage and skin brushing are also good ways to increase the blood flow and keep your skin firm.

If you like to follow a healthy lifestyle then preventing sagging skin is pretty simple. All you need to add is moisturizing with a natural skin care product regularly to be sure to keep your skin nice and firm.