Why organic/natural products are better?

Lately we hear more and more about natural and organic skin care and cosmetics products, but why are they better than a synthetic? What are their benefits? Are they really good?

It's known that so many synthetic materials used in beauty products has preservatives, fragrances, sunscreen agents and emulsifiers which can risk our skin and health.

Marta from Truth in aging said it well: "One chemical requires another. So, the chemist puts in one ingredient and needs another to stabilize it, the stabilizer needs something to thicken, the thickener needs a preservative, the preservative will irritate so an anti-inflammatory is required and so on and so on."

It has become clear that the identical natural materials/substances made by cosmetic chemists don't quite behave the same as the agents of the real plants in which there is harmonious interaction.

The experience of recent years shows that the natural products (herbs, vegetables, fruits, beeswax, thermal water, thermal soil, etc) are less foreign and toxic for the body and they have less side effects than their counterparts which has produced in the laboratory.

Product Review: Cetaphil Eczema Lotion

Cetaphil has so much hype. Thousands of women rave about it and swear this is the best product ever. As an eczema sufferer I wanted to try out to see if those claims are true or not.

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene glycol, Sorbitol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Cetyl Alcohol, Arginine, Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 disulfate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Niacinamide, Sodium PCA, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate

Dietary/Nutritional supplements

If you are healthy, you will have healthy skin. So the first step what you have to do to be healthy is check what you eat.

Unfortunately due to pollution the soil has lost its energy and the plants only receive less than half of their required nutrients.

The fruits and vegetables are genetically modified in most cases which leads to us not being able to get enough vitamins.

So this is why it's very important to make up those vitamins and nutrients with dietary supplements.

Most illnesses can be attributed to prolonged absence of one or more nutrients, which triggers a degenerative process. The immune system becomes weak and disrupts communication between the organs and organ function.

The pharmaceutical industry has no interest in healthy people, because then their profit will cease.

Mica powder

Last week I got a question about what exactly Mica powder is and what I think about it.

Coastal Scents has Mica powders and their main ingredients are Mica and Titanium Dioxide. I checked the blue one: it contains Mica, Titanium Dioxide and Ferric Ferrocyanide.

Mica is a silicate mineral (Silicate minerals all contain silicon and oxygen). It is sourced from rocks, so it can contain trace levels of dangerous heavy metals. The FDA regulates the levels of heavy metals in consumer products and regulates the level of mica in products as well, so it's ok to use.

However....

Mica may cause respiratory irritation especially to those with asthma. ( It does effect the body if you inhale it.)

It can be quite irritating to sensitive skin, particularly those suffering from rosacea or eczema. So if you have sensitive skin (like me) it's better if you don't use mineral powder with mica in it, cause you will have blemishes for sure.

Kollath breakfast

Did you guys hear about Kollath breakfast? It's very healthy and gives all the nutrition what you need.

1. You feel full for at least 4 hours and you don’t overload your stomach
2. It stabilizes the weight: you won't be hungry before lunch and will therefore be able to eat less. By contrast, those who want to put on weight will find it improves their digestive system and helps them to put on weight
3. It eliminates constipation
4. This breakfast cleanses the system from toxins and because of this you won't be tired
5. It increases physical and intellectual efficiency
6. It improves the well-being
7. It improves the powers of concentration because the digestive system is not overloded (digestion uses 70% of our available nervous energy)
8. It improves the composition of the blood: the better blood circulation eliminates skin diseases (eczema, boils, psoriasis)
9. Hair becomes supple and shiny.
10. Nails become shiny and less brittle
11. It improves dental health and reduced the extent of periodontitis
12. It strengthens bones

Carrier oils (base oils) and Essential oils - What's the difference?

In some cream recipes I am talking about carrier oils and essential oils and I would like to give you guys some explanation about the difference.

Carrier oils (Base oil):

Carrier oils are vegetable (and some animal-based) oils that are used to dilute essential oils. (Before essential oils can be used in aromatherapy they must be diluted in a 'carrier', since they are too powerful to use neat. Essential oils can cause skin irritations or itching when used in undiluted forms.)

They carry the essential oil onto the skin. If it's a vegetable oil, then it's derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts. It it's an animal-based carrier oil, then it comes from the rendered and refined fat of the animal.

Carrier oils give the necessary lubrication to allow the hands to run smoothly over the skin and not 'drag' whilst massaging.

They contain vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

Emollients, Humectants, Emulsifiers, Preservatives

Just a quick information about synthetic and natural Emollients, Humectants, Emulsifiers and Preservaties.

Synthetic Emollients

• Synthetic alcohols (benzyl –, butyl-, cetearyl-, cetyl -, glyceryl-, isopropyl-, myristyl propyl-, propylene-, and stearyl-alcohol)
• Hydrocarbons (mineral oil, petrolatum and paraffin)
• Silicone Oils (dimethicone, cyclomethicone, copolyol)

Natural Emollients

Product Review: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

I remember when I first heard about Aveeno: I was so curious and I really wanted to try it.

Their claims are very promising:

• Active natural ingredients
• With Colloidal oatmeal and other skin protectants
• Help even skin tone and texture and bring out skin’s natural radiance
• Aveeno is the leader of in active naturals
• Existing natural ingredients that are clinically proven to deliver real skin care benefits leaving you with healthier-looking, beautiful skin
• Recommended by dermatologists and pediatricians for over 60 years
• 

  Sounds good, right?

  Then let's see the ingredients:

Face Map - What's your acne telling you?

Forehead

Outbreaks on your forehead can be caused by a toxin build up, usually related to poor digestion and lack of water. Drinking water helps to flush out the toxins in your body, so boost your water intake and have a look at the foods you are eating.

Remember, you should be having at least 8 large glasses of water every day. Minimise your intake of fizzy drinks and high caffinated drinks. Also look at switching to herbal teas, especially green tea! Keep a food diary and see if you can pinpoint what food groups cause your skin to break out, for example if you consume a lot of dairy and breakout, you could have a form of lactose intolerance, affecting your digestion.

Nose

What goes on, on your nose, is linked to your heart. A swollen and bulbous nose can be an indication of high blood pressure, so if you are someone who drinks many energy drinks throughout the day, cut back! (you should cut back on these anyway for your overall health) Eat slow energy releasing foods such as nuts and oats instead. To reduce your blood pressure eat less salt, more fruit and veg, maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle, as well as reducing your alcohol intake.