Natural Skincare

Skincare is one of the largest consumer markets in the world. Every year people spend billions of pounds on helping their skin look its best, to minimise the effect of ageing, to protect it from UV rays, to prevent damage during shaving or by applying make up and other cosmetics to look its best. Although there thousands of products all vying for our attention and money there are a few basic principle that always apply.

Water

One of the best things to do for healthy skin is drink plenty of water. Creams and other products which appear to hydrate the skin from the outside will never be able to match the body’s ability to hydrate the skin from the inside.

Reduce your toxic load

The skin is the second organ of detoxification after your liver. The condition of your skin can be a reflection of how much of the toxins in your body are not being dealt with by your liver. Alcohol, cigarette smoke, car fumes can all increase the toxic load on your body and can damage your skin. Consider a detox to bring your skin back to its best condition however bare in mind that it may appear to get worse during the detoxification stage before it gets better.

Skincare Regimes

Your skincare regimes can have a huge impact on the appearance of your skin. Although we tend to start by deciding whether we have oily, normal, dry or “problem” skin it can be more helpful to think of these classifications as symptoms of skin which isn’t in its ideal state rather than a fixed characteristic.*

Terms

Cleanser 
A cleaner is used to remove oil and grease.
Moisturiser/Day Cream 
A day cream is used to moisturise and protect the skin and is normally lighter than a night cream. Depending on the ingredients the cream may be nourishing, rejuvenating or healing.
Night Cream 
A night cream is normally richer than a standard cream and can be applied to replenish your skin while you sleep.
Toner 
A skin toner is traditionally used as a final cleanse to clear away any traces of dirt or grease before moisturising. They are also refreshing and help to ‘tighten’ pores.
Facial Oil 
A facial oil is normally an occasional (weekly/fortnightly/monthly) treatment, often based on a blend of natural oils combined with rose.
Mud Masks and Face Packs 
A mask can be used to draw impurities from deep within the skin. It may lead to a poorer skin condition for a short time before the benefits are felt.

Did you know?

‘Natural’ skincare products need only 1% of natural ingredients to be called ‘natural’? That each year over 100,000 tons of man-made chemicals are included in ‘natural’ cosmetics! Up to 60% of any substance applied to you skin is absorbed? Annually a person using a standard beauty regime can absorb up to 2 kg of chemicals through their skin.

Always test any cream on an area of your body that us covered a few hours prior to using normally. This is particularly important for products that will be used on the face.

*Visit this article for a more in depth discussion about holistic ways to approach skincare.