The Best Skin Care Products For Healthy Skin

Anyone can have healthy skin. The best skin care products for healthy skin are those that aim to provide total care for the maintenance and promotion of healthy skin. All skin has problem areas. There isn't anyone who is born with perfectly naturally healthy skin 100% of the time. Rather, those who appear to have excellent skin often are the ones who use the reliable products for healthy skin promotion.

Healthy skin is skin that is well nourished, well moisturized, that is effectively exfoliated and well toned. Not everyone will use the same skin care products for a healthy skin because everyone achieves these goals differently. Sometimes it takes more than one. A combination of the quality skin products is more often than not required. Whether you have oily skin with chronic breakouts or you suffer from dry skin and flaking and cracking, the best skin care products for healthy skin can work in tandem with each other to offer you a well balanced skin care program.

By Name or Promotion

One of the most misunderstood aspects of acquiring a skin product for healthy skin is whether to purchase something that has a strong name in the skin care industry or is being heavily promoted and bolstered as the best skin care product. This is a tricky question and one that doesn't have a simple answer.

Often the skin care products that are thought to be the best products for healthy skin are those that try to carry a strong reputation once their name has been well established in the industry. They don't have to offer a lot of promotional materials to the public because most people already know them and already know that they are well known for creating some of the best skin care products in the world. There are times, however, when even the best of the best slip up a little bit and release a product that isn't top quality. Usually, those products don't stay out in circulation for very long and they are quickly pulled once public opinion has determined the product to be sub par. However, there is always that risk when dealing with a skin care company that offers their products based on name alone.

When a new skin care company releases a product that they are promoting as the best skin care product for healthy skin, often they will do a very heavy promotion period in order to gain the public's trust and offer consumers a great value for their products. In some cases, this has proven to be a very successful tactic and often the product line becomes a well known common household name in a very short period of time. Promotion may continue for years after that initial rush, but the basic initial promotion period is a game of chance for both the consumer and the company.

If the consumer risks their money on a new quality skin care product for healthy skin and the product turns out to be about as helpful as rubbing alcohol, then they have not only wasted their money, but have contributed to the company's ability to initially grow. The company, however, had better be able to back up its claims. Once consumers start purchasing the product based on the promotional push, they are inevitably going to have to plan for growth. If they plan for an assessed growth that would be accurate for the best skin care products on the market today, they need to hit that range. Otherwise, the company is likely to fold. They can only do this if they live up to their claims of selling the best skin care product on the market.

The Best of Both Worlds

Because most healthy skin is achieved by using one or more quality skin care products on the market for healthy skin, often consumers can find that sticking to heavily promoted products as well as well known name brand products can often be a winning bet. Once you find the best skin care product for healthy skin that works well for you, then your search is over and you should not readily try new products unless you are pretty well convinced that they have something that your current skin care line doesn't offer. Purchasing a newly released best skin care product on the market should be a fun experience that offers your skin a fresh glow, a healthy balance, and makes you feel as though you have just discovered the most fabulous little secret on the internet.

Author, Suzie Goldie owns the discount store where you can get the best skin care products online. There you will find a variety of skin care product types, ranging from acne skin, anti-wrinkle, anti aging skin, and more at low prices. Visit now for access to the best discount skin care products store online.

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Daily Skin Care Regime - Why is a Daily Skin Care Regime Important?

A professional skin care regime is one of the most important parts of maintaining your skin's health. Your skin is not a smooth surface like a sheet of glass. On the contrary, your skin is more like a riverbed, full of little lumps, bumps, crevasses and holes. You can give these dermatological names such as fine lines, pores, sebaceous glands, etc., but at the end of the day the fact remains your skin is far from a flat, smooth surface.

Because of this and because your skin is a living, breathing part of your body and fulfils several major functions including temperature regulation, immune defence, protection from the external environment, etc., you will need to look after it if you wish to have it work at its optimal level and hope to have good, healthy skin into your late 70's and beyond.

What about the type of products I should use for my skin care regime?

You should always choose natural skin care products as many commercially mass-produced skin care products utilise potentially toxic chemicals and highly modified 'natural' ingredients.

Wildcrafted Herbal Products hand makes a range of holistically-natural skin care products suitable for your particular skin type. These products are based on traditional naturopathic principles and utilize herbal extracts and essential oils to produce lasting effects.

Their products are designed to benefit your skin's health for the long term and include only the best ingredients suitable for your specific skin type.

Daily Skin Care Regime

Cleansing your skin

Cleansing your skin is one of the most important steps if you want to maintain a healthy, vibrant and youthful looking skin.

As well as providing the basis for an advanced skin care regime, effective cleansing can actually improve the quality of our skin, enhancing its radiance and keeping it looking younger for longer.

Thorough cleansing is one of the most important steps of a complete skin care regime. Cleansing of your skin should be done morning and night to ensure the removal of surface impurities, make-up, and stale skin oils. When regularly performed cleansing will enhance the skin's ability to breathe and maintain its other important functions.

One of the best ways to do this is to make cleansing your skin part of your daily skin care regime.

This is how you do it:

First, moisten your face with lukewarm water. Then apply a small amount of facial cleanser. Gently spread the product over your skin, using light, circular movements. At this stage, spend an extra minute massaging the product into your face to boost your skin's circulation and help decongestion.

Secondly, be sure to be gentle, your skin is a delicate organ and needs to be treated with care and respect.

Lastly, rinse off the cleanser, using lukewarm water and pat your face dry.

If you are still using ordinary soap, STOP. You are seriously compromising the health of your skin. Throw it away and start using a quality cleanser.

Toning your skin

Toning is the second step in your daily skin care regime. These days, women often leave this step out and yet it is just as important as the cleansing of your skin or the moisturizing. It is a must include step. The one or two minutes it takes are worth every second if you desire to have healthy, vibrant skin with a minimum of lines and wrinkles. Don't leave this step out.

You have just spent time cleaning your skin, ridding it of stale oils, makeup, dead skin cells and other impurities, now you have to tone your skin.

A quality cleanser may contain such ingredients as clay. This helps to remove dead skin cells and other impurities, but may not rinse off totally. This is why you need to use a quality toner.

Firstly, it removes every last bit of the cleanser such as the fine clay particles and other residues from the cleansing process.

Secondly it will close the skin's pores to protect it from further loss of moisture, which invariably happens when cleansing your face.

Thirdly it provides nutrients and restores the pH balance of your skin.

Now that is worth spending a minute or two, isn't it?

Moisturising your skin

This is the third part of your daily skin care regime and should also be done morning and night using a day crème in the morning and a night crème before retiring.

A quality moisturiser protects your facial skin from environmental damage, provides nutrients for the skin and prevents loss of moisture, thereby slowing down the aging process.

In addition, a moisturiser should help to maintain the acid mantle of your skin, which is part of your immune system and if the pH of your skin becomes too acidic or alkaline, the acid mantel is compromised.

Weekly Regime

To complete your skin care regime, you should set aside a few minutes once a week, preferably at the weekend to deeply cleanse and nourish your skin. Your weekly treats should include, the use of a Facial Mask and Exfoliation.

These treatments encourage cellular repair, step up collagen production and help strengthen, tone and firm up your skin.

Facial Clay Mask:

Using a clay mask will help to draw toxins from your skin, whilst moisturising and nourishing the skin at the same time. There are different clays that will work for specific skin types and choosing the right products containing the clay that is most suitable to your skin type is important. There are 3 basic clays: Green, Yellow and Red.

Exfoliation

Think of Exfoliation from this perspective. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, soothes the skin and improves its tone. Dead skin cells are the very top layer of your skin. Applying moisturiser to dead skin cells does not make sense, does it? So exfoliation, removes the dead skin cells, promotes blood circulation and helps to invigorate and prepare the skin to more easily absorb any moisturising product you apply.

Exfoliation also helps speed up the rate of cell turn over. Another word for exfoliation is scrubbing. Using a facial scrub at least once a week, makes your skin more receptive to creams and treatments. However care must be taken not to over exfoliate.

The aim is to remove any dead cells from the skins surface without disturbing the healthy cells beneath.

In conclusion, to follow a skin care regime is like taking out an insurance policy on the health and vitality of your skin. Can you afford not to follow a complete, daily skin care regime?

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it?s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005

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Natural Skin Care Products Are The Answer To Your Skin Care Problems

These days many consumers treat synthetic ingredients in their skin care as potentially harmful, and so they should.

If you are asking yourself whether natural skin care products are the answer to all your skin care problems? The answer is a definite Yes. I have not come across a single skin problem that cannot be addressed equally well using natural skin care products as using any other types. Admittedly, I've only been in practice for just over 20 years, however, so far I have yet to see a skin condition that cannot be treated using a natural approach, excluding of course emergency medical conditions such as severe 3rd degree burns over large parts of the body, etc.

In an article I can across recently, entitled "Are Natural Skin Care Products the Answer To All Problems?", the author asks the following questions:

So, are natural skin care products the answer to all of our problems? What if a natural skin care product is not available for the treatment of a particular skin disorder? Are the synthetic skin care products so harmful that they should be banned?

The answer is No natural skin care products do not fix all of our problems. Maybe the author should have asked ...so, are natural skin care products to answer to all our skin care problems? - then the answer would have still been No, and neither do any other skin care products on the market today - natural or otherwise.

Not all skin problems can be treated using some topical application - Many diseases such as measles, chickenpox, herpes and many more are diseases, which as part of their symptomatology, have a skin component. To think that using natural skin care products or for that matter a synthetically formulated skin care product could treat this types of conditions is ludicrous.

Sure, combine your internal medication (natural or drug-based) with a good quality, natural skin care product to address the itching, irritation and redness, etc., but don't think for one moment that a skin care products is going to effect the chickenpox virus or any other infectious disease.

Similarly, skin problems just like any other long-term disorder have a multi-faceted complexity and require a systemic approach to treatment.

If on the other hand we are simply referring to dry, oily, mature or sensitive skin, than there is no need for synthetic chemicals. Nor is this the case in the treatment of dermatitis, psoriasis or similar conditions, unless they are of a genetic origin - then there is very little that can be done other than symptom control, which natural skin care products can do just as well as any synthetic equivalent, if not better.

You see most mass-produced skin care products, whether they are 100% natural skin care products or have a synthetic component, will not work on any condition that has an internal disease process involved. For example a hormonal imbalance may cause acne. This acne will persist until the hormonal imbalance is corrected.

Similarly, viral infections can cause skin rashes and they will persist until the viral infection has been addressed. Again, sure use a topical ointment or cream for the rash and yes, make sure it is a natural skin care product, because you don't need to introduce more chemicals into the body, which it may have difficulty in utilising and/or eliminating.

In the same article, the answers to the above questions states:

Different people have different answers to these questions. However, the reality is that due to presence of synthetic preservatives, it's really tough to find a natural skin care product that is 100% natural. There are natural skin care products that have natural preservatives, but their cost might be detrimental. Moreover, such natural skin products have a shorter shelf life and hence are not preferred by the manufacturers of natural skin care products.

Firstly, 100% natural skin care products are really not hard to find. There are dozens of companies that produce good quality, natural skin care products and they can be found using Yahoo, MSN or Google without much difficulty. Yes, they can be expensive, but they are no more expensive than similar, products containing synthetic chemicals produced by major brands such as L'Oreal, Lancôme, and others. In fact, most are a lot less costly.

Secondly, just because a natural skin care product has a natural preservative does not make them any more expensive. I should know, as we make a large range of natural skin care products and have done so for over 20 years. We supply customers all over the world, as well as our own patients, and over 80% of our customers have been long-term customers. Some of our products use natural preservatives such as Grape seed Oil or Wheat Germ Oil and neither of these oils are very pricey.

In addition, Essential oils are some of the most powerful antiseptic substances around, some are also have powerful antibiotic properties and if used correctly, they will preserve natural skin care products for at least 2 to 3 years without any trouble. Furthermore, many of our natural skin care and personal care product contain herbal extracts. Herbal extracts are by nature alcoholic and alcohol is a very good preservative. So you see, good quality natural skin care products do not need to have preservatives (synthetic ones) added to them.

This author further states:

Some people carry a wrong notion that since natural skin care products are natural, they cannot cause any harm to the skin. The suitability of a skin care product is not based on whether it is synthetic or natural. An unsuitable natural skin care product can harm you in almost the same way as a synthetic one. So, use natural skin care products, but be open to synthetic ones too (you might need them when a natural solution is not available)

Sure, we all know that nature produces powerful substances and some of these are the most potent killers if we are exposed to them - strychnine is an example that comes to mine, but any substance found in nature has the potential to create problems, some more serious than other. Why else would herbalist have to be trained for years if you could take any old tea and drink it to your heart's content?

Many people have allergies to all sorts of chemicals (I mean naturally occurring ones as well as synthetic ones). However, that is not the product's fault, these people unfortunately for them have a hypersensitivity to particular substances and their immune system needs to be treated. DON'T use a synthetic substitute - the natural substances are just as powerful as synthetic chemicals, why do you think is it that modern medicine still uses morphine-based drugs to treat severe pain? - there is no synthetic substitute that is more powerful a pain killer.

Natural skin care products that have been properly formulated to target a specific skin care need, are safer, usually more effective and cost no more than their synthetic counter parts.

When ever you choose to buy a new product which you use on your skin be it a natural one or not, you should consider the following:

Always look at the ingredient list and see if there are any to which you may be allergic.
Before you start using a product apply a small area of your skin first to see if you have any undesirable reaction. You may be allergic to something in the product, which you are not aware of and this may or may not be a natural substance.
Know what the product does and what it is indicated for before you buy it.
Choose products to suit your skin type and your skin's needs.
If you are not sure, ask the manufacturer, write them an email or ring them up and ask them to explain or help.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you. Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it?s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005

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How and Why Should We Use Natural Skin Care Products

Introduction

The human skin is the largest organ of the human body. It not only has quite a complex structure, but also performs several life sustaining functions.

We can live without a Spleen, Gall Bladder, or an Appendix, and we can survive with only one Kidney or one Lung, but we cannot survive without our skin. As a result it is of the utmost importance that we take care of our skin.

Using natural skin care products is a good first step in providing the skin with the right nutrients and building materials to retain its health and functionality.

What Does Our Skin Actually Do for Us?

Our skin has many functions, most of which we are unaware of until something goes wrong. They include:

Regulation of body temperature;
Protection against the elements;
Sensation;
Excretion;
Immunity;
Blood storage and
Synthesis of Vitamin D.

If you want to read about these functions in more detail you can have a look at this article: "Anatomy & Physiology of the Skin".

In summary, these functions provide us with awareness of our surrounding climatic environment, protect us against some of the bacteria and other potentially harmful bugs in our surroundings, allow us to experience touch and feel, eliminate toxins from our body, store blood, and provide the means for our body to obtain vitamin D while protecting our body from the sun's UV-rays.

Considering these vital functions our skin has to perform, it is no surprise that we need to look after our skin and make sure it is given every opportunity to function properly and remain healthy.

Why You Should Choose Natural Skin Care Products?

With all the media and news reports warning consumers of the potentially toxic ingredients in many of the commercially available skin care products sold in supermarkets and department stores, this is an easy question to answer.

Firstly, many of the commonly used skin care products contain artificial and/or synthetic ingredients that the body has difficulties in eliminating, and as a result it tends to store these chemicals in its tissues. Research has shown that the accumulation of many of these substances can have serious health effects.

If you are interested in learning more about some of the toxic chemicals used in skin care products, please read the article " Potentially Toxic Ingredients In Skin Care Products". It will provide you with much information and research references for you to be able to identify what is in your skin care products and what should not be there.

Holistically natural skin care products do not contain artificial or synthetic ingredients. They should also not contain isolated, concentrated, natural substances, such as parabens (pseudo-natural preservative) and the like, that have been shown to be potentially hazardous.

How To Choose Natural Skin Care Products That are Safe and Effective?

This is where it starts to get really difficult. You see, many so called natural or organic skin care products are in reality nothing of the kind. Adding a minuscule amount of aloe vera to water does not constitute a holistically natural skin care product. It may be 'natural' or even 'organic', but it will not be effective and therefore is a waste of your money.

To have an effective aloe vera product for example, it requires at least 10% of the overall content to be aloe vera. Or, the aloe vera needs to be combined with several other active, natural ingredients that are combined to achieve a specific result.

The term 'Organic' is another area where consumers are being misled. Adding a single 'organic' ingredient and then calling the products 'organic', is quite simply wrong. You see the commercials on television and magazines every day... "xyz product contains organic this and organic that"... but no mention is made of the other ingredients that are contained in these products, many of which have been shown to be hazardous to our health.

There is yet another problem with natural skin care products, that is an area of confusion and potentially misleading. Just ask yourself what exactly is "natural"? What is actually meant by the term "natural"?

The word 'natural' congers up images of nature - pristine environments that make us feel good. A safe, natural environment that is conducive to health and a sense of wellbeing. Spring water, waterfalls, pristine lakes, a healthy salads, Rainforests, etc., are all images that we perceive as 'natural', or in other words 'good for us'.

The cosmetic industry has ceased on this and is using the word natural to instil in their advertisements a sense of wellbeing and the idea that this product is good for us. Unfortunately, one or two natural ingredients does not a natural skin care product make... Far from it, natural skin care products should not contain any ingredients that are not naturally sourced. This brings us to another problem with natural skin care products.

A naturally sourced ingredient, such as the various forms of paraben, may still be potentially hazardous. Just think about it - would you put arsenic or lead on your skin? No of course you wouldn't. But, they are natural, so what's the problem? Natural substances too can also be deadly poisons.

Applying this to skin care products, you might be looking for a product that is natural and contains AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), which we know help to remove dead skin cell layers which in turn helps to remove fine lines and wrinkles, revealing new vibrant skin.

Now, you could buy a product that lists as one of its ingredients AHAs, it might even contain AHA in its name, or you could buy a product that contains a concentrate called papain, which is a natural substance from the Papaya fruit. So, yes papain is natural and yes this product could, depending on other ingredients, be called a natural skin care product. However, papain is a concentrate and as such many people have experienced side effects because the papain is present in too high a concentration for some people.

A truly, holistically natural skin care product would not contain papain as an extract. Rather it would contain Papaya fruit itself. You see, the whole fruit still contains papain, however, it also contains other ingredients in the papaya that modify the excessively strong effect of the papain. Choosing such a product will, at least to a large extent, reduce any potential side effects from the papain, because the product is naturally balanced and contains naturally balanced ingredients that will benefit your skin rather than burn it.

The results of removing fine lines and wrinkles may take a little longer, but are overall better and you reduce the chance of 'burning' your skin with a concentrated AHA. Remember AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid and we all know acids burn our skin.

How To Use Natural Skin Care Products?

Following directions

This is actually a lot more important than most people think. Directions for use are a communication by the manufacturer of a product to their consumers about how to use and get the best results from a particular product.

It has been our experience, that most people who purchase our natural skin care products do not read the directions and use our products the same way that they have been using their previous brand. This however, may or may not be the correct way to use our products.

Properly formulated products contain ingredients in sufficiently high quantities to achieve a desired effect if used in accordance with the product's directions. Using more does not mean better or quicker results, rather using too much can have adverse effects or no more effect than the lesser quantity.

Conversely, if for example, the product's directions suggest that it be used 2 or 3 times a day using it merely once is not likely to produce the desired effect in most cases.

This is obvious when we think about taking medicine. We read the directions and take the drugs, herbs, or what ever, as prescribed and hopefully we get the desired result.

So why is it that we do this when it comes to taking medicine, but ignore it (for the most part) when it comes to using skin care products or other personal care products?

Reading the instructions carefully and following them ensures that a) you are not wasting your money, and b) you should get the desired results.

Good and Bad Reactions from Using Skin or Personal Care Products

There are several possible reactions you may experience. There are good reactions and negative reactions. Let's look at good reactions to begin with.

Good Skin Reactions to New Products

Herbs, essential oils and most of the other ingredients that you'll find in our range of products have a medicinal actions and are included for a specific purpose, that is, the formulations that make up our various products were originally designed to treat particular skin health issues. This intent, though we do not actively promote this, continues to this day.

As you probably know, there are three basic skin types; Normal, Oily and Dry. In addition, your skin may also be sensitive, prone to allergic reactions or under the influence of hormonal changes that are taking place in your body. The herbs and essential oils in our products are specifically chosen to normalize the skin given one of the skin types. The herbs and essential oils will have a therapeutic effect on the skin's structure and function in order to provide an environment under which your skin will start to function normally again.

Similarly this is relevant for sensitive skin that tends to react inappropriately to different stimuli. It is possible, for example, that an individual with sensitive skin who is using our products for the first time, will experience a reaction which they may see as being a negative reaction.

This however, may well be totally the opposite to what is actually taking place. You see, in order for your skin's health to improve, it has to change. This change may appear at first as a worsening of a particular skin issue and this will understandably be interpreted as a negative.

Under normal circumstances however, this type of reaction, if the products are continued with, will only last for a few days and following this time the skin will improve and end up much healthier. This process is sometimes referred to as 'A healing crisis', and is actually a good thing to happen.

It signifies that the ingredients are doing what they are supposed to, that is they are repairing and normalizing the skin's functions. This is a normal and in fact good reaction.

Bad Skin Reactions to New Products

Obviousely there are times when a new product may actually cause a bad skin reaction. Unfortunately a bad reaction often appears very similarly to a good reaction. So how can you tell the difference and what should you do?

The first thing to do when ever you purchase a new skin or personal care product is to test it to see if you have any adverse reactions to this product. Below is a detailed outline and links that will provide you with all the information you need to test a new product in order to determine whether or not your skin is going to react adversely to it or not.

Test the Products to Avoid Allergic Reactions

Another important aspect to using any skin care, personal care or cosmetic products, whether they are natural or otherwise, is to test the products first in order to see if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

To do this, follow the steps described in our article "The Skin Patch Test", which will provide you with a simple, yet effective step-by-step test that you can easily do at home over a 24 hour period, to reasonably ensure that you will not experience major adverse reactions to the ingredients in products you want to use on your face, or anywhere else on your body. This test is simple and very effective.

Finally, before you purchase a product, look at the ingredients list and see if the ingredients are easily recognisable. As a rule of Thumb, if the ingredients are easily recognizable it is more likely that the ingredients are of a natural source and have not been excessively modified. If on the other hand you need a chemistry degree to understand what the ingredient is, it is likely not to be a holistically-natural ingredient. It may still be a natural ingredient, but it is likely that it has been isolated and is used in a concentrated, possibly even synthetic form.

For the most part, most 'natural skin care products' widely available in the market place are far from natural or that matter organic. Most have minimal quantities of some natural ingredient in an otherwise non-natural product and are referring to the one natural ingredient in the product, rather than the nature of the product itself.

Hopefully this article will clarify some of the confusion that exists about what is a natural skin care product and what is not, help you to choose natural skin care products that will actually live up to your expectations, and clarify why using natural skin care products is a healthier choice.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Find more information on natural and organic skin care in our Article Library.

© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2008

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Anti Aging - Skin Care For Youthful Looking Skin

Anti aging is a bit of a misnomer and I've yet to meet anyone who has turned back the hands of time. However, as we age our skin becomes depleted of nourishment and hydration which leads to pre-mature skin aging. Anti aging skin care products are formulated to renew and reclaim our youthful appearance. Through a combination of hydration, protection with antioxidants, and anti wrinkle creams and moisturizers, those of us in the baby-boomer stage of life can add years to aging or damaged skin.

Anti aging skin care begins with several fundamentals we should all follow together with the use of effective skin care products. Diet, fitness and health, together with maintaining proper hydration for healthy cell membranes and a bit of scientific "know-how", allows us to look years younger, slow or halt pre-mature aging, improve suppleness and smoothness, and somewhat "turn back the hands of time".

Keeping Your Skin Clean

As simple as this may sound, many skin problems result from lack of proper cleansing. Clogged pores can cause skin rashes, rosacea, blackheads and whiteheads, and prevent the proper irrigation of pores. Dermal layers require adequate moisture andcirculation; and nutrition can be hampered without proper cleansing. As part of a daily skin care regimen, using a facial cleanser in the morning and at night before bed is recommended. Avoid cleansers with harsh surfactants that may irritate the skin - this only worsens the problem and my offset gains from products formulated to treat or protect.

Oily or dry skin may need special attention, but a good, deep cleaning, removing makeup and pat drying are the first best steps towards protecting your skin from aging quicker than you would like.

Hydrating Your Skin

You have probably heard by now that our bodies are made-up in large part of water. Water is the primary component of skin cells, so it holds true that proper hydration is important. Moisture content directly effects healthy cell maturation and development, while improving circulation and delivery of nutrients. Maintaining adeqaute levels of bodily fluids is a must. As the doctor says, drink plenty of fluids and avoid liquids high in caffeine and sugar. Caffeine is a diuretic that acts to deplete fluids and sugar is known to increase metabolism, both flushing nutrients and reducing fluid levels. It goes without saying diet and regular exercise and stopping smoking (if you do) are hugely helpful.

Anti Aging Skin Care

Though anti aging covers a broad topic, to keep the conversation succinct and to focus on the most effective products, anti aging skin care can be categorized into a relatively small group:

Wrinkle Treatment
Antioxidant Skin Care
Age Spots
Dry Skin
Enlarged Pores
Body Firming
Spider Veins
Stretch Marks

Granted this is not an all encompassing list, but it covers many of the skin care issues we face as we age. Skin care is fundamentally developed to address symptoms, but effective products can remedy the causes as well. Let's take a closer look look at anti aging skin care and how it can help in our anti aging "quest".

Wrinkle treatment comes primarily in the form of wrinkle creams formulated to reduce the density and depth of wrinkles. Many provide added hydration that acts to reinforce and provide nutrients to cell membranes - improving the skin's health, while improving healthy cell rejuvenation. Argireline and Matrixyl are two of the most commonly used active ingredients. These peptide compounds act similar to BOTOX in that they relax facial tissue - smoothing wrinkled skin and eliminating fine lines. Many are somewhat temporary in nature, though consistent use will aid to further prevent wrinkles. Common in anti wrinkle eye and face cream, Argireline and Matrixyl are also effective for use on the neck (where my wrinkles started) and on the chest. Hyaluronic Acid is alo useful in wrinkle treatment. Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. It helps cells retain moisture and acts to plump and smooth. Used as an active ingredient in wrinkle creams, it has a cumulative effect in relaxing and smoothing wrinkles.

Antoxidant skin care should not be overlooked. Free-radicals produced from naturally occurring oxidization destroys cells - and are especially fond of skin cells. Antoxidants are common in many fruits and vegetables. In particular, Green Tea, Idebenone and coffee. All three have found themselves as popular ingredients in anti aging skin care. Green Tea in particular is promoted in both consumables (tea), moisturizers, and topical serum applications. Free-radicals, in a nut shell, lead to pre-mature skin aging and can be accelerated if you smoke or are over exposed to the sun. Using an antioxidant as part of your anti aging program is a great step in the right direction.

I turned 50 last year...mmm...I still feel 30, but I've started noticing some things on my skin that I only linked to my grandmother - age spots. As we age melanin pigment in our skin loses its ability to protect from sun damage, thus dark, brown or age spots appear. Bleaching or skin whitening creams can be effective reducing the appearance of age spots, but should be used with care. Many whitening agents make skin sensitive - and sensitive to the sun. Also, use should be confined to the age spots themselves, unless used in light(er) formulations for overall skin lightening.

Dry skin is the hidden villain of aging skin. As we age our skin naturally loses moisture, the ability to retain hydration, and this leads to amplifying other skin problems such as, wrinkles, rashes, and psoriasis. Using a nightly cream that moisturizes is the best advice. Avoid the sun, drink plenty of fluids, and attempt to eat fruits and raw vegetables if possible. As mentioned, many products utilize Hyaluronic Acid to aid moisture retention. Often found in face applications, it is also used successfully in body lotions and creams. In the past couple of years, Emu Oil has also become a favorite in anti aging skin care. Emu Oil is known to penetrate into the dermis and subcutaneous skin layers and is super-moisturizer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties as well as being an antibacterial. It has carrier benefits allowing it to "carry" other anti aging ingredients deeper into the skin - improving their effectiveness. Like Hyaluronic Acid, it can be found in body lotions and creams for the eyes and face.

Enlarged pores create havoc on the face. A result of heredity, clogged pores, or excessive oils, enlarged pores accumulated dirt, oil and dead skin cells. Often they lead to rough skin, bacterial infections, blemishes, swelling and irritation, inflammation, or acne and rosacea. Daily and effective cleansing usually helps reduce pore size and irrigates bacteria-laden pores. Light use of makeup or using mineral makeup that does not irritate the skin and cause inflammation are recommended. Many skin care products use either Emu oil or Alpha Hydroxy crystals to clean bacteria and reduce pore size. Both are effective active ingredients and when used in concert, help clean and clear your complexion and make skin pores smaller.

Ah...if you're still with me, there are just a few items to cover - but, they are the top-three on the countdown list. Let's start by discussing body firming lotions. Again, I know you're tired of hearing this, as we age our skin loses elasticity and elastin fiber production drops. So?...well, this causes loose skin. Outside the more obvious causes of lack of exercise and diet, collagen production and elastin development diminishes. Combined with depleted hydration, you get a one-two punch for loose and sagging skin. To get skin tight, body firming lotions use a complex of ingredients that firm and tighten skin, improve hydration, and nourish for optimal cell reproduction. Many body firming lotions use Collagen III, Emu Oil, a firming peptide complex, and nutrients and amino acids that act together to firm sagging skin. Particularly useful on the arms, stomach, neck, and legs, these lotions tighten skin while adding moisturization.

Spider veins are generally the result of several common occurrences - weight gain, pregnancy, having work responsibilities that require you to be on your feet a lot, or often from sun exposure - especially facial spider viens. Considered a result of damaged or weak veins and capillaries, spider veins occur when damaged valves allow blood flow to get in, but not get out. Weight gain and gravity complicate the problem and in some respects may contribute to the problem. Anti aging skin care focuses on two results. One, healing or strengthening the vessel walls. There are several active ingredients considered useful in helping the vessels and restoring healthy walls, but Vitamin k is consider the most effective currently. Two, you can cover them up. Repairing spider veins usually requires a spider veins cream or a spider veins treatment. In fact, I had several facial spider veins removed from below my eyes and at the top of my nose with laser treatment - the result of too many days in the Florida sun growing up, per my dermatologist. But, I have had great success using a cream enriched with Vitamin K and have experienced measurable and noticeabole clearing since use. But, back to covering them up. Many folks have begun using spray-on pantyhose (men and women) to add some tint and color to their legs as the warmer seasons approach. Many spray-ons are formulated to not run when wet or to give you a weird coloring. Often available in a variety of shades, they can be chosen to give you a hint of color that matches your body without being noticeable.

Finally, whew, stretch marks. Though not necessarily at the top of the anti aging list, they are a common problem that folks like to address, especially as they age and become more "aware" of their bodies or pass through the child-bearing age. Stretch marks are often result from childbirth, pregnancy, weight loss and gain, and are common among body builders. Simply, stretch marks are just that, marks created when the skin stretches faster that the skin can keep-up. Elastin and collagen are not able to reproduce quickly enough to counteract the stretching and the result is scarred and torn tissue. Underlying the obvious, stretch marks core issue is elasticity and hydration. There's that word again. True, though. If you are experiencing weight gain or are pregnant, using a stretch mark cream developed to add moisture and hydration has been shown to significantly reduce or even prevent stretch marks. If you already have them, as the title of this article suggests, there are several options. Again, a stretch marks and scar cream helps increase collagen and elastin fiber production. If used with ingredients that stimulate healthy cell reproduction, consistent, disciplined use can often marks and scars. An alternative is to use soft light laser therapy. Low-level lasers emit light waves in oscillations that have been shown to stimulate cell growth and increase circulation. Used for many applications such as scars, burns, sores, and blemishes, low level "soft light" lasers have been shown effective.

Anti aging is a goal we all have and can be effectively dealt with using anti aging skin care. The reduction or elimination of wrinkles, smoother, softer clear skin, protection with antioxidant products, a firmer, tighter body and the elimination or fading of spider veins and stretch marks is possible with the right skin care products. Though it's a lot to consider, a skin care regimen focused on cleansing, moisturizing, and treating will to give you substantial short-term and long-term benefits.

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Skin Care Information, Tips and Advice

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Herbal Skin Care

The Best in Skin Care

Today skin care is taken to a new level, and many people consider herbal skin care to be the best choice when considering natural skin care. These natural skin care products provide revitalizing nutrients and anti-oxidants that help keep your skin beautiful and ageless. Herbal skin care contains all natural herbs, with no added preservatives and no additional oils. Some of these products are known for their anti-aging properties, making this type of skin care the very best in keeping you looking young and giving you the most beautiful skin you have ever had. Herbal skin care is not only used to improve the look of your skin, but it also improves the health of your skin, special nutrients help moisturize and revitalize your skin leaving you with a clean, clear and beautiful finish.

What Makes Herbal Skin Care So Special?

Today there are many skin care products out there and buying the one for you can get a little confusing. But, with all the products around today one of the truly best choices are the herbal skin care products that do not add any animal fats, excess oils, or anything that might cause irritation for people with sensitive skin. Since everyone has a different skin type, herbal skin care is perfect because it can provide each skin type with the nutrients it needs to stay beautiful.

Most of these skin care products also provide a powerful sunscreen to protect your delicate skin from harmful UV rays. Most people do not realize how sensitive their skin is from the sun, a good sunscreen is important to keep your skin protected from cancer causing UV rays, and most cosmetics and skin care products do not carry enough protection in their formula. You can even grown many of the herbs used in these types of skin care products in your very own garden. Chamomile, lavender, sage, and lemon balm are all easily grown in your home garden or even in a few flower pots.

Herbal Skin Care and the Health of Your Skin

Herbal skin care helps your skin function properly. With all that your skin goes through in one day, you need something that will replenish and renew your skin. UV rays, stress, and pollution - all of these result in damage done to your skin. Natural skin care contains vitamins that heal your skin and leave you looking your best. Your skin is ever growing and changing, and it needs the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep it healthy, just like any other part of your day to day life you should take special care when it comes to your skin.

Natural skin care products can be found at your local beauty supply store or online, but be sure to read the labels carefully, so that the ingredients are all natural, and contain no added preservatives or unnecessary oils or fatty acids. Some companies that sell these products claim that they are 100% natural, but it is a good idea to read the labels so that you are absolutely sure that they are completely and 100% natural. Remember that skin care is important and you should never neglect to care for your skin properly. It will keep you happy, healthy, and beautiful for years to come.

Katya Coen provides information on herbal skin care and dry skin care for SilkISkin - your guide to skin care.

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