Natural Skin Care
Natural skin care involves using the products of nature to manufacture a cosmetic. For example, herbs, roots and flowers are the common ingredients of most natural skin care products.
The use of natural skin care products dates back to ancient Egypt and China although some of the ingredients used then were rather exotic, for example black ox blood, fly dung, and donkey’s liver.
There is more to natural skin care than just cosmetics. One must follow a diet high in fiber, water, fruits and vegetables. Natural skin care adherents also believe that a sedentary life style contributes to aging skin and other skin problems as it causes the poor circulation that results in the accumulation of toxins in the skin. So exercise is important too.
Our grandmothers used natural cosmetics extensively and many recipes in early cookbooks call for natural ingredients such as honey, cinnamon, rosewater, and witch hazel.
Honey was a popular ingredient for moisturizing and protecting the skin from environmental damage. A paste of honey and cinnamon was mixed and applied at night as a skin softener and also a treatment for acne.
Jojoba oil, safflower oil, rose hip seed oil, and shea butter were all used to soften the skin. Today
many of these are popular spa products as many spas have turned to featuring natural products in their beauty treatments.
Women with sensitive skin often seek out natural skin care products. However, it is important to remember that natural and non-allergenic are not
synonymous. One can be just as allergic to natural products as to chemical ingredients.
Women with sensitive skin need to be equally careful in testing natural skin care products on small areas of their body such as their arms just as they need to do for chemically formulated cosmetics. In fact, sensitive skins may fare better with chemically formulated non-allergenic cosmetics than with naturally derived ingredients.
2009 | Uncategorized
