Natural Skin Treatment

 Our skin, like our entire body, is a machine.  Its purpose is to protect the vital organs, muscles, and bones underneath it.  To do this it must constantly revitalize by churning out new skin cells.  The skin has several layers. New fresh cells are generated in the lower most layers and slowly move toward the upper levels.  The movement takes about two to four weeks.

Skin cells should naturally slough off when they reach the upper layers. This doesn’t always happen.  Skin cells may get congested due to varying factors.  Sebum, the skin’s naturally occuring oil, may cause the cells to stick together is an example of this.  

Does this mean to scrub your tender skin till it glows red?  No.  However helping to get rid of some of those pesky dead skin cells can help with making our skin look healthier and be a better surface to absorb mosturizers and masks.  Keep in mind that if those moisturizers and masks are chock full of chemicals – the chemicals will be absorbed through your skin.  Try to keep your natural skin treatment care routine as chemical free as possible.

One over the counter product to try is Ecco Bella Leave-On Invisible Exfoliant and Blemish Remedy:

Here’s what one reviewer from Amazon had to say:

I’ve been using this product every morning for six months, and, coupled with a 5% benzoyl peroxide product at night, I’ve seen a significant improvement in my skin’s tone and texture. The benzoyl peroxide cream helps control my acne, and the salicylic acid/AHA complex in Ecco Bella’s product makes my skin noticeably softer, smoother, and more radiant. I’ve actually gotten a some compliments on my skin tone in the past few weeks — something that has NEVER happened before! Ecco Bella’s Blemish Remedy is a thin, yellowy-beige liquid. To apply, I press my index finger against the mouth of the bottle, flip it over and back, and then use my fingertips to spread the liquid around. I repeat this until I’ve covered my entire face. (I imagine you could use a cotton ball/pad if you wanted, but you’d probably go through the bottle fairly quickly.) I give it 10 minutes to really penetrate into my pores, and then I apply moisturizer/sunscreen and makeup. There is only one minor downside that I’ve experienced with this product: it has a strong “aromatheraphy” scent. To me, it actually smells a little like men’s aftershave. Luckily, the scent doesn’t linger. Some people will doubtless find it very pleasant. All in all, I highly recommend this product for those who are looking for an effective leave-on salicylic acid/AHA treatment. Additionally, Ecco Bella’s Blemish Remedy has no animal ingredients, and the company never tests on animals, making this product 100% vegan — a must-have in my book.

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Here’s a Homemade Recipe for your natural skin treatment exfoliator

Mix one tablesppon of sugar, one tablespoon of olive oil, and three drops of rose oil.  Massage over face and neck.  Rinse with warm water and washcloth.  Be aware to remove all of the oil from face. 

Acne is 

a) not just a teenager problem 

b) not connected to just certain foods like chocolate

Years ago, my pediatrician told me not to eat chocolate and spicy foods like tomatoes to avoid acne break outs.  Hopefully that sort of totally off the mark advice is no longer being given by the medical community.  However there is still a ton of misinformation out there about acne and how to care for it.

Acne breakouts can happen way after adolescence is over.  It also is not triggered by any particular food like chocolate. ( Thank goodness!)  However our skin is our finest barometer on what’s happening inside of our bodies.  This includes pyschologically.  Ever get a zit when you’ve been stressed out?  Acne could also be prompted due to an allergic reaction to particular proteins found in food.

The most common reaction to acne is to dry out the skin with harsh cleansers.  This is a bad move because stripping the skin of necessary oils tells it to make More oil.  Dry, flaky skin may result with congested oily skin below – and this equates to more zits.

To combat acne – especiallly with oily skin – use oil to cleanse it.   Oil with help to wash out impurities trapped in your skin and will spark your metabolism to output a healthy flow of sebum ( the skin’s natural moistruizer).This will helps pores to become tighter becasue elasticity will return to the skin.  

Here are some natural skin treatment  tips take care of acne-prone skin start with a gentle, nonfoaming or water soluble cleanser or cleansing oil.  Select and follow with a toner with a plant base, since plant derived alcohols help to dry pimples.  Try using something with tea tree oil, cucumber, or aloe to exfoliate the skin.  Use a moisturizer with skin healthy anti-inflammatory and antioxidants agents like chamomile, green tea, and/or tocopherol.  Finally, find a mineral sunscreen and use daily.

Here are some recommended products to try:

Mild Exfoliator

Dr.Hauschka Cleansing Cream

Facial Moisture Serum with Blue Chamomile and Echinacea This serum is recommended for oily, combination, and normal skin during times of summer and blemishing. Suki’s pure, potent, unadulterated mositure serums balance oil production, ease skin problems such as eczema, acne, rosacea, and other chronic conditions, & replenishes without clogging your pores.

To Combat Pimples (Apply vitamin c powder to pimples.  Add with body or facial oil)

Philosophy Hope and Prayer with Vitamin C

Mix it with ANY Moisturizer! HOPE & A PRAYER, a morning treatment, was originally formulated for the MEDICAL MARKET for the treatment of ALL SKIN TYPES. It is the FIRST AND ONLY HIGH POTENCY, guaranteed stable Vitamin C product that can be used alone or mixed WITH ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE products to instantly convert them into a state-of-the-art Vitamin C formula

Vitamin E is a multi-purpose supplement that can be easily incorporated into many beauty routines. The vitamin is in part composed of two chemical compounds called tocopherols and tocotrienols.  In lament’s terms these chemical compounds are naturals for fighting off free raicals.  As a result, vitamin e is an anti-oxidant that can help to fight a lifetime of pollution, smoking and sun exposure.

Used topically, this vitamin is a keen ingredient to heal wounds and replenish the skin.  And the best of all in my opinion – help to prevent stretch marks!  

It’s recommended to use natural vitamin e instead of the synthetic version to reap its full benefits.  Be advised the natural version may cost a little more but it will be worth it.  Buying the softgels will make it easier to add to lotions or body oils.

To  add an antioxidant boost to your homemade lotion, punch a small hole in a softgel (a sewing needle is good to use) and squeeze out the contents.  Blend it with a base lotion.  Two 400 IU vitamin e per ounce of lotion or gel will suffice.  Be careful not to use too much because the oil can tend to leave a yellowish residue on the skin, clothes and linen.  

The oil oxidizes slowly. Make sure to use it all within one month.  Or just plan ahead and make only a week or two amount at a time.  

The oil from the capsule also makes for great impromtu mosturizer for chapped lips.

Mineral makeup – doesn’t it just sound healthy?  In truth that mineral foundation or organic blush could be just as bad for your skin and health as standard makeup.  Just because a cosmetic  label reads “natural” or “all-mineral” does not mean it will be a healthy choice.   For example paraben preservatives and synthetic fillers are often used in cosmetics that are labeled natural.  There no hard fast rules for what can be called “mineral” makeup – just as long as the primary ingredient is considered to be a mineral.  

Most of the makeup claiming to have minerals are ususally comprised of a few different elements.  One is titanium oxide, it is a white mineral that occurs naturally.  It can be found in its purest form in white beach sand.  Titanium oxide can serve as a base color and  sunscreen in mineral cosmetics.  Zinc oxcide is another common ingredient and can be found in nature as well.  Zince helps to ward off bacterial inflammation and quicken wound healing.  Iron oxides and mica are often used minerals in makeup as well.

Added to the mineral mix in many products are a litany of potentials pore-blockers and questionable preservatives.  For example the list can include parrafin, aluminum starch, talc, glycerin, buylated hydroxytoluene, and triethanolamine.   As with all consumer products, it’s vital to read exactly what’s in the mix in your makeup.

Here’s a list of some mineral makeup lines to consider for your natural skin care treatment routine.

Youngblood Cosmetics

Does not use colorants, synthetic additives, or preserves.

Name Your LinkLaura Mercier

Does not use colorants, synthetic additives, or preserves in minerals line.

From their website; “Laura Mercier Skincare is a collection of products that are formulated to address everyday needs with minimal time and effort. Laura Mercier Skincare products actually “read” and adjust to each individual’s skin needs. So extremely gentle, balanced and free of common “anti-aging” ingredients and fragrances that anyone can use them.”

Bare Minerals

Some of their mineral powders contain paraben preservatives but are free of additives.  From the Bare Minerals site:

Bare Escentuals uses only the finest ingredients in our products. Made with crushed minerals from the earth, 100% pure bareMinerals:

• is free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other potential skin irritants
• is free of fillers and binders
• is weightless
• provides adjustable coverage—from light to full
• will improve the condition of the skin over time