What’s In The Bottle?
Author: Alayna Fries
Source: isnare.com
Do you ever think about what is really in that pretty bottle you purchase at the beauty counter?…What ingredients make up your skin care products?
I want to share with you about what some manufacturers are doing to the skin care products. You may think your skin care products are the best for your skin, but for the most part are bad and they are doing little good for your skin. When you buy your products to use in the comfort of your home, you may find that you can’t even pronounce the weird names on the label. You may have no idea what they are and probably never heard of them in your entire life. You believe it is okay to use these products because you may have been told that the product is great for you skin. You may have been told it will make you have flawless and fabulous skin and it will make all your skin symptoms disappear.
But then when I found out what was in them, WHOA!!! By my very own experience, I was shocked to discover the information I found about the ingredients I was putting on my skin everyday.
Do you know that most of the skin care products on the market today are full of crap?
I am sure what you discover will shock you as well. I personally found a huge company, claiming their product was Dermatologist recommended and that it won’t clog pores. Then I turn it over to read the ingredients, and found that it contains sodium tallowate, otherwise known as animal fats. Animal fats are known to clog pores and cause acne.
The Skin Care Industry has conducted surveys concerning natural products. These surveys proved that customers prefer all natural products on the market. There has been a heavy increase of natural products on the market, which is good, but what bothers me about this is many of these products are far from being natural. They may contain some natural ingredients or essential oils, but they still contain many harmful toxins and chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, and urea. This can be very misleading to you when you are out shopping for the best product for yourself. Let me suggest you don’t allow these skin care products to go on your skin and in your body! You understand that these products do get absorbed into your body through your skin, don’t you?
Many skin care products on the shelves are loaded with toxic, harmful, synthetic ingredients and they are very damaging to the skin, let alone your health.
Here are some others you have to watch out for…..
EDTA (Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic Acid) is a preservative found in skin care products. It’s primary use as I understand is to keep the product from experiencing changes in color and keeping the product in tact. Which in and of itself does not sound like a really bad thing, my problem with this acid is it can cause redness of the skin as well as enable other toxic chemicals to enter more freely into the bloodstream. Other known hazards of this ingredient are that it prevents the regeneration of the new skin cells.
Glycerin is a fake moisturizer that is derived from propylene alcohol, which as I will discuss as a drying agent. Glycerin is in products claiming that they will hydrate the skin, but it actually does the opposite. My understanding is that glycerin steals or draws moisture from the inside of the body, so it will make it feel like it moisturizes and hydrates, but it really isn’t moisturizing the skin. Once the product is absorbed into the skin, it again becomes dry, it is simply a “quick fix.” What happens when you run out of this product? What does your skin feel like then? Is it still soft and supple? Let me suggest that you consider a product that will promote the natural balance of oils in your skin and body. Look for the ingredient Vegetable Glycerin, this is an emollient naturally extracted from vegetable oils. In my opinion, I think you should give the hand and body lotions up. Throw them out, you will be very happy you did. You will experience softer hands and a softer body. I do.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) This is another one of those acids that scare me. I say this because of the skin damage that may result from long term use for exfoliation purposes. Continued use for exfoliation, can break down the skin’s protective barriers. I say this because I understand it takes more than just dead skin cells off while exfoliating. In my opinion, if you feel you need to use alpha hydroxy acids, do so at your own risk.
Petrolatum this is an ingredient that can actually interfere with the body’s own moisturizing mechanism and can lead to dry skin and cracking. This ingredient is found in moisturizers and lip balms to protect them from chapping and sunburn. The skin can become sensitive to the sun if you use petroleum based products. Think about it like this, what happens when you put french fries in a fryer full of oil, they cook. Do you want to cook your skin? If so, pile on the oil and take a walk in the sun.
The manufacturers say that by using these petroleum based products you can achieve amazing, moist skin, and the dryness will go away. What you may find is that by using these products, your skin tends to become drier than when you began using the product and your symptoms may worsen. Your skin may have been simply over exposed to the ingredient. It also promotes acne and slows down normal cell development.
All of these synthetic ingredients I have discussed to this point are found in most skin care products, so you may want to look at your very own skin care products, and see if you recognize any of those ingredients I mentioned, so you can see what I am talking about.
Are You In Love With Lavender?
Author: James Calvinbr
Source: isnare.combr
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Lavender has become the most popular aromatic herb and has been labeled as the queen of herbs. In fact, the year of 1999 was named as the year of lavender. Lavender is one of the most used aromatic herbs that has been cultivated and used throughout the centuries. In ancient times, the Egyptians used lavender as incenses, perfumes, as well as in mummification process, while the Romans, Arabians and Greeks used lavender as an offering to the gods. True lavender which is found in the French and Mediterranean Alp is considered to be the most effective of these aromatic herbs, as they tend to render a better quality essential oil. This lovely aromatic herb can be found growing in altitudes of 6000 feet. In todays society, lavender is used as an essential oil, both topically and internally, for a host of ailments and can also be used as a cooking ingredient for consumable foods.
Lavender contains actions and properties that are used to treat many conditions such as: aromatic (as the most widely used and enjoyed), carminative (to relieve flatulence), antibacterial, antiseptic, nervine (to calm the nerves), expectorant, stimulate, cosmetic, and antispasmodic. Lavender has been known to prevent some childhood infections and to soothe temper tantrums in some children. Some of the most common uses of lavender are to treat burns (from minor to scalding), eczema, grazes, cuts, inflammation, dermatitis, headaches, migraines, fainting, nausea, insomnia, bacterial infections, boils, acne, arthritis and rheumatism. Lavender oil is a non toxic germicidal agent containing linalool and linalool acetate that plays an important role in the healing processes.
Inhaling lavender has a sedative effect for both human and animals, with a calming effect that closely favors the calming effect of the peppermint and geranium plants. This may be the reason why these aromatic herbs are favored for a variety of uses from treating depression and sleep disorders to treating premenstrual syndrome. Lavender is widely used for external purposes as in beauty and bath products. These products are often available in gift baskets that make a wonderful gift for any occasion. A gift of Lavender is surely to be greatly appreciated by all who receive it. Lavender is also used in aroma therapy products and treatments and is available to specifically treat depression and created for sleep pillows.
Lavender is the most popular gift item that can be purchased separately or in gift baskets. Most of the gifts available as aroma therapy gifts are made with lavender essential oil and dried lavender buds such as the bath bomb fizzer, a lavender sachet made to hang in a closet or placed in a drawer, bath oil beads, bath crystals, hand and body lotions, soothing herbal sea salts, and bar soap. The beauty products range from a variety of skin care products to body sprays and hair care products. All made for the sole purpose of creating a sense of peace and promoting relaxation.
Lavender is also used in home cleaning products and for many recipes as well. Lavender has found its way throughout history into the homes of many historical figures. Queen Victoria had insisted that her furniture and floors be cleaned with lavender to freshen up the rooms in her home. Queen Elizabeth I of England used to enjoy drinking lavender tea as a way to relieve her migraines and other maladies. In World War I, the nurses treating injured soldiers would wash their wounds with a lavender wash as an antiseptic wash.
Lavender has become an amazingly versatile herb for cooking at home and in upscale restaurants. These fresh edible flowers are wonderful for enhancing the flavor and appearance of food everywhere. As a member of the mint family and in close relation to sage, thyme and rosemary, the flowers of and leaves of Lavender can be used freshly cut and the buds and stems can be dried before use. Lavender works best when used with other herbs such as savory, fennel, oregano and its other mint cousins sage, thyme and rosemary. Lavender should be used sparingly because of the powerful aroma can make a dish taste bitter, almost like eating perfume. So next time youre cooking up a storm, why not add a sprig of Lavender to the mix and enjoy?br
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Get The Glow, But Remove The Shine – Homemade Facial Skin Care Recipes For Oily Skin
Author: Rose Smithbr
Source: isnare.combr
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Dont you just hate it how one part of your face is oily and shiny, while another is dry and flakey? It seems almost impossible to be able to clean both zones equally. Soap just makes the dry areas drier and lotions make the oily areas even greasier. So whats a woman to do?
The problem may lie in the facial cleansing products that you are using. While they may work well for your T-zone, the chemicals in the product may actually be removing too much of the natural oils from the rest of your face. Thats the evil of manufactured skin care products. Anyway you look at it, its practically impossible to buy a completely natural skin care product made from pure organic ingredients. They have to add some chemicals in order to stabilize and preserve the product for a certain shelf life.
The good news is… the solution to your problem may lie right in your own kitchen cabinets.
Homemade natural skin care products dont contain any additional chemical ingredients that could potentially irritate or harm your skin. The only prospective problem may lie in people who are allergic to certain food ingredients. This is easily overcome by substituting the offending food or ingredient with another similar ingredient. For example, if you are allergic to strawberries you could substitute a cucumber instead.
Not only do homemade skin care products cost a lot less to make, you can easily experiment with what works best for you without breaking the bank. Lets face it, some of the products on the market cost a small fortune! I know it frustrates me to buy a product for $20 and find out it either doesnt work or I cant use it because it makes me break out. Its much easier to head off to the kitchen, mix up a small sample batch of something and give it a try.
You will find that some recipes have to be mix up just prior to use as they dont store well, but the majority of recipes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week allowing you to mix up a small batch to save yourself some time. The following recipes are great for people with combination/oily skin that tend to break out with acne and blackheads. Why not give these a try and see how they work for you?
Facial Cleanser For Normal to Oily Skin
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp glycerin
1/2 cup distilled water
Mix the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a jar and place the jar inside a double-boiler pot (do not use direct heat on the jar). Bring the water in the outer pot to a boil and heat the mixture until it is clear and has thickened. (If it thickens too much, add a bit more water). Remove from heat and let cool. This is a good all-over facial cleanser and should keep for 7 to 10 days.
Green Tea Skin Toner
1 teabag of green tea
1/2 cup boiling water
Let the tea bag steep for 2 to 3 minutes in the hot water. Remove the tea bag and let the water cool. Pour into an empty toner bottle or something similar with a small opening. Use with cotton pads like you would regular toner. If you wish to, you could also add a 3 or 4 drops of tea tree essential oil. Tea tree oil is a great antiseptic for pimples, while the oil helps to moisturize the skin.
Facial Scrub (Good for blackheads)
1 part baking soda
1 part water
Mix together into a paste. Gently scrub blackheads for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse off. Use once or twice a week.
Natural Scrub For Oily Skin
1 part sea salt
1 part lemon juice
Mix into a paste and gently scrub face for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse off. Interestingly, you would think this would be very drying to your skin, but Ive found it actually leaves your skin feeling clean, refreshed, and soft. Use once a week to remove dead skin cells.
Deep Cleansing Mask
1/2 of a peeled, pureed cucumber
1 tbsp plain, natural yogurt
Mix ingredients together and apply to the face (avoid eye area). Let dry for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Use once or twice a week to remove dead skin cells and refresh your skin.
As you can see, making up your own natural homemade skin care recipes can be quite simple and convenient with the right ingredients in the house. After all, if you have to run out to buy some cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc., why not just stock up on what you need to make your own facial skin care products instead? At least youll know exactly whats contained in each product. Just remember to throw away the old stuff after 7 days and make a fresh batch for the following week. Your skin will thank you for it.br
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