Anybody and everybody wants to have a great looking and healthy skin. However, you do not need to search so hard for things that will make your skin beautiful. In fact, you will not have to go farther than your local grocery shop to get the right remedy.
Some of the chemicals like lacto-lycopene, soy isoflavones and vitamin C are used in order to make your skin firmer and reduce sagging in women above 40. Other commonly effective things are lycopene as well as extract of grape seed. Both these are antioxidants. Antioxidants are great protectors of skin capillaries. They ensure that the living cells are getting enough nutrients, this is important because these are the cells that eventually become your visible skin. Besides that, they also provide protection from breaking veins as well as early wrinkling. Keeping the capillaries strong enables them to supply oxygen to cells as well as remove waste from cells. The result is prevention of puffy, saggy, dull skin.
However, it is not necessary that you gulp down a bottle full of such supplements. You can in fact get them from natural sources. Several foods such as blueberries, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, apples, strawberries, cherries and plums are rich in antioxidants. If you eat them regularly then you can be sure to see improvement in your skin tone.
Besides these fruits, vegetables such as onions, non-green capsicum, artichokes, red cabbage, broccoli, Pontiac potatoes, asparagus, spinach, beetroot as well as sweet potatoes are all antioxidant rich.
Women need to be extra careful because they are more disposed to damage caused by free radicals and hence the presence of the early signs of aging.
Beta carotene is also a strong antioxidant. You can find it in green and leafy vegetables, carrots and fruits. It works to counter the negative effects of the free radical called singlet oxygen that appears post UV radiation exposure of the skin. Using enzymes, it counteracts this free radical effectively and prevents the skin from aging prematurely. Sunlight can destroy this beta carotene and hence, you should replace it after sun exposure.
Beta carotene also acts like a mild sunscreen. However, in order to get the sunscreen effect, natural sources are not enough, you will have to depend on a supplement.
While supplements can be expensive, they are sometimes helpful. However, they are not always reliable and hence, the best way to go is to rely on natural sources because they are quite abundant and they are 100% healthy too, without any side effects.
So what are these herbs or herbal skin care mechanisms?
Aloe vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.
A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea.
Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties. Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.
Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.
Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herbal skin care. Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin care. Some fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in shower gels (as a hydrating mix)
Homeopathic treatments and aromatherapies also come under the umbrella of herbal skin care remedies.
Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for treatment of skin disorders like eczema and psorasis. Most herbal skin care products don’t have any side effects (the most important reason for preferring them over synthetic products) Moreover, herbal skin care products can be easily made at home, hence making them even more attractive. So, herbal skin care could be the way to go. However, this does not mean that you totally discard the synthetic products. Some people go to the extent of debating with their dermatologist, if he or she suggests a synthetic product. You should accept the fact that some types of skin might need the usage of clinically proven and non-herbal skin care products.
