Why buy Organic Skincare?

Having a bad hair day? Well a bad skin day can take a lot longer to fix I can tell you.

Your skin is the largest and most visible organ you have since it covers the entire body. Having attractive, healthy skin starts from the inside and reflects on the outside. The first step towards taking proper care of your skin is to determine what type of skin you are in right now.

Looking both inside and outside our bodies it would seem common sense to reduce the cocktail of chemicals around us whenever possible. They are present in household cleaners, furniture, and pollution from cars. There seems to be no escape from damaging our skin so where do we start? The food that we eat is perhaps the most obvious start or reducing the number of chemicals and pesticides in our bodies. However, for those of us who use them, skin and body care products are another very direct point of contact between ourselves and the world of invasive chemicals.

If you have changed to organic eating habits, you might be wondering about an organic solution for skin care. The cosmetics, perfumes and cleansers that we use contain chemicals that are easily absorbed through skin, or through our lungs when we inhale the perfume. These chemicals then rapidly enter the bloodstream. Should this be a concern?

People choose organically produced foods because they believe these foods are safer. So if you treat your skin with chemically produced substances that have also been proven to affect lab animals in negative ways (even though testing cosmetics on animal labs seems to have reduced), the same negative effects will happen to your skin. Natural or Organic skin care is the care of the skin using ingredients such as herbs, roots, and flowers. They are combined with natural oils and waters. These ingredients do not include chemicals that may be harmful to your body or be the reason of certain unwanted side effects. The body shops founder realized these decades ago and built a multinational company that has recently been sold to L'Oreal.

Which types of food are good for our skin?

Avoid too much fat and grease. A diet full of variety is the most beneficial for our skin. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals responsible for maintaining skin integrity. Protein is also a key player. Some important nutrients are vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A deficiency can cause dry, scaly skin.

Look out for the labels!

Many labels have long lists of chemical names, some followed by the phrase derived from… (some natural substance). This is grossly misleading for consumers who are looking for genuine natural products.

However, the term certified organic is governed by a number of internationally recognized bodies. In Australia the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) is the largest and the Soil Association in the UK. Searching for products with the logo of a certifying body on the label is the only way you can guarantee the organic authenticity and integrity of every ingredient in the product. This can then truly be called a natural product.

Source http://www.guidemegreen.com

Winter Skin Savers

Do you have the winter skin blues? Is the itching and flaking driving you crazy? Don't worry; you can take steps to protect and soothe your body's largest organ. With proper care, healthy, glowing skin is achievable during winter. Whatever your age, follow these helpful guidelines throughout the season.

No matter how dark your skin, you still need to protect it from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays. Choose a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or more. Sunscreens containing Titanium Dioxide tend to leave darker skin tones looking 'ashy'. A sunscreen gel is preferable and it absorbs invisibly into your skin.

I know it's tempting, but taking long, hot showers drain essential moisture from your skin, leaving it dry and lacking in water content. Limit your showers to about 5-10 minutes. (Tip: Use a leave-in conditioner, so you don't have to spend as much time washing your hair, but still be able to keep it conditioned.)

Wash your hands and face using lukewarm, not hot, water.

This winter, opt for a non-foaming cleanser which cleanses but does not strip away your skin's natural moisture barrier. You don't want that squeaky clean feeling you get with cleansing gels, which can leave your skin feeling dry and taut.

Invest in a great hand cream: it will help to keep your hands soft and smooth. If possible, avoid washing your hands frequently. Apply hand cream to your hands immediately after washing them to seal in moisture.

Your lips have no natural defense against the elements. Wearing a lip balm with SPF is essential even during winter months. Your lips tend to dry out faster during this time of the year, so make sure to re-apply as necessary. Licking your lips can cause them to dry out faster, too. As the saliva on your lips evaporates, so does your lips' natural moisture.

In general, and especially during winter months, avoid skin care products containing Alcohol. Not only is Alcohol an irritant, but it is drying, too.

Instead of ex foliating with AHAs, (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) wear a good water-based moisturizer to hydrate your skin and keep it from flaking. AHAs can be a great way to de-flake the skin's top layer, but they usually tend to dry out your skin. If you plan to use them anyway, don't overuse them.