Is All Natural Skin Care
right for you?

 Isn't skin care one of the more annoying things to figure out? Jane tries product A, which works great, but causes Sallie to look like she bathed in poison oak. Fred (yep, a guy!) gives the same product a try and decides that while it's fine as shaving cream, well, that's about all it's good for.

And, of course, every last one of those products claims to be the very best.

So why do we react differently to these things? In a word, genetics. It's the same thing that drives the scientists in the drug companies nuts. They come up with a product that works great on cell cultures, but when they test it on people nothing happens. Or bad things happen. Or it works great for 90% of the test subjects, but that last 10% make up the list of side-effects you read in the fine print.

Some people, of course, will say that natural skin care products are the best choice when compared to those that use potentially toxic non-organic ingredients. They may be right, but remember that some incredibly toxic and allergenic substances are "all-natural." Remember that poison oak plant?

So let's tighten up the definitions a bit. When we say all natural skin care products I think we should add to the definition: no man-made chemicals, no toxic naturals, and extensive allergen testing has been done. Of course, they should be animal friendly in their testing and use 100% chemical-free organic botanical ingredients that are unaltered and undiluted.

Another consideration is that quality control standards count as much as the ingredients used. Proper quality control keeps impurities out.

Another thing to consider is how the product is preserved. Just what does the manufacturer use to keep bacteria from making a cozy home in those nice, yummy, organic ingredients? Most of the stuff used to protect and preserve the products (parabens are one such) are very safe, unless YOU happen to have a reaction to them...

One company that makes skin care products, USANA, uses no preservatives at all. They get by very nicely with careful packaging and careful product design, which makes for a great system to protect the product. Other companies add preservatives which are carefully tested. Chances are that if you react to a product it's NOT the preservative that you're reacting to, most likely it's an impurity or a botanical ingredient.

How you use your skin care products is just as important as which products you use, and what ingredients are contained in those products.

In your search for the best skin care regimen, remember to keep it simple and keep it pure. If your personal system is so complicated that you skip steps then it isn't doing its job and you wont get the best results. The products should be easy to use, compliment each other, and should always contain the highest quality ingredients for the best results.

The best place to find all natural skin care products is from online vendors who specialize in organic face and body care. Look for companies that are up-front about their ingredients, have the highest manufacturing standards, explain clearly why they believe their products are the best, and have the medical credentials to back up those claims.

As you know, your skin is the largest organ in your body and is only as healthy as your body.  Truly beautiful skin begins with proper nourishment for your whole body and that may require antioxidant (vitamin) and mineral supplementation. Look at any skincare website carefully to see if they acknowledge this and how they deal with it.

You'll find a whole assortment of all-natural skin care and beauty formulas are all over the web, including organic alternative formulas for acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and other common skin disorders.

Look for organic products that use essential oils, minerals, vitamins, and botanical extracts designed to nourish and protect the skin every day. Always keep in mind that many botanicals are highly allergenic and some companies might not pay enough attention to that.

When you try out a new product get the smallest size available, or a sample size and make sure your skin is happy with it. The last thing you want to do is follow the whole regimen right off only to discover that your skin doesn't particularly care for that particular formula. 
 
Other things that help the skin are the usual: take good vitamin and mineral supplements (not the grocery store stuff,) exercise regularly, avoid pollutants and toxic chemicals (such as smoking,) avoid excess exposure to the sun (though we do need some exposure for vitamin D, etc.,) and so on. Excess sun exposure, pollutants, smoking, harmful chemicals, and improper or inadequate diet, can cause skin to age prematurely and increase the risk of various chronic diseases.

Protect your skin, eat right, live a healthy life and give back to your skin everything that life takes from it every day. Your skin will thank you for it and it will show!     

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