The World of Natural Soaps

The market of natural soaps is widening to include more and more people each day. There are still some people who think that natural soaps are only for those who have an ultra sensitive skin. Yes, there is nothing better than a natural soap for a person who has a sensitive skin but that does not mean that others won’t benefit from it. Natural soaps possess necessary essential oils which go into enhancing all skin textures.

There is a vast array of natural soap flavors to choose from. Tamarind, Aloe Vera, sandalwood, red wine, rosemary, mint, lemongrass, honey, mango, and chocolate- the list does not end here. It is just that all of them cannot be named in here. Natural soaps are further categorized as flower soaps, fruit soaps, herbal soaps, botanical soaps etc. Some natural soaps also act as scrubs. Take for example rice bran natural soap. The soap contains small granules of rice and bran and as such the soap as a whole works as a scrub. Likewise sesame natural soap acts as an incredible scrub. Cold pressed sesame seeds bring out a natural glow on your skin.

Just like a synthetic soap, natural soap is made from compounds but a natural soap is sans any animal fat, fragrance and detergent. It is the absence of these three ingredients that makes a natural soap have an upper edge over other commercial soaps.

Natural soaps are full of cleansing and moisturizing agents. They contain essential vitamin E extracts that help to bring out natural skin beauty. The essential plant oils contained in the natural soaps also helps to make it supple and smooth.

There are more reasons than one to use natural soaps. If you have not experienced the goodness of natural soaps till now, go and catch hold of a bar today!

The Interesting World Of Natural Soaps

The advantages of natural soaps do not need much detailing. You all know it is worthwhile to treat your skin with nature’s gifts rather than harmful chemicals. If a man is given an option to choose between homegrown vegetables and synthetic vegetables, there is no way the man will choose the latter. The same applies to beauty products. Natural products are far better than synthetic products.

Natural soaps most commonly use constituents like gel, beeswax, mud, fruit wax, Aloe Vera, lavender, canola oil, honey, plant oils and the like. They are usually antifungal and antibacterial. This makes them effective against major skin problems. Natural soaps also considerably lessen the chances of being hit by allergies. Moreover, natural soaps have a peculiar smell. The pleasing scent of herbs and botanicals makes natural soaps all the more in demand!

A truly natural soap is free from carcinogenic agents. Some natural soaps also act as natural insect repellants. Some unscrupulous manufacturers are befooling the customers by selling products under the category of ‘natural soaps’ which are nothing but sham. For example a product label says it contains ‘blueberry essential oil’. Just for your kind information, there does not exist anything like ‘Blueberry essential oil’!

If you are not using a natural soap, the soap you have hitherto been using is a mere lather producing agent. Most of us play careless when it comes to buying soaps. In future, however you must be extra watchful. Many people love to get these as presents. So, you may just buy them to give as gifts to near and dear ones.

If still, somehow you are not convinced with the advantages of natural soaps, try them for the sake of change. It will be a pleasant experience to break away from the monotony of commercial and synthetic soaps.

The Latest Trend Of Using Natural Soaps

It does not take much to make your skin happy. All you need to do is to eat properly and take care of your skin properly.

For most people, fragrance is the sole criteria while buying soap or any other beauty product for that matter. Fragrance is the most remote thing to be considered in a beauty product and hence measuring the quality of a beauty product by the kind of scent it gives off is the most unwise thing! By that it is not meant that you hit the best beauty store and pick the foulest smelling beauty cream, lotion or soap! No, no way! Fragrance should not be the yardstick to measure the effectiveness of any beauty item, as simple as that!

A very common case with most people is that as long as they don’t rub a bar of soap aggressively all over their body, they do not get feeling of having had a bath! If you are one of such a lot of people, beware!

The first thumb rule of skincare treatment is to treat your skin as very much a part of your body and just NOT to play harsh on it! Assuming that none of you uses a soap bar on the facial skin (even if it is an herbal one), you are now being acquainted with the type of soap you must be using on the rest of your body. A natural soap or a herbal soap, as some call it, is the best you can try to treat your bodily skin with.

While selecting any soap or surfactant, there are a few ingredients you must keep off from for example PABA, Triclosan, BHT and fragrance having said above. Natural soap usually contains honey, Aloe Vera, plant oils, goat’s milk, Shea butter, strawberry and lime extracts, antioxidants, vitamins and tea tree or chamomile extracts.

Anti Acne Treatments with Natural Soap

Acne is created when follicles, often called pores, get blocked. Sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets blocked and bacteria begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a microcomedone. The picture below is a microcomedone:

Acne is a problem but not an insurmountable one. Today, there are fast, safe and effective acne treatments available online. The most effective ones are natural treatments.

The truth is, increasing numbers of dermatologists are now recommending natural acne treatments as the best acne treatment plan to begin with. That’s because natural acne remedies and treatments can be more effective than medications. Chemical treatments can disrupt the balance of the skin’s healthy bacteria. Plus, these chemicals can be so harsh on the skin that the irritation is worse than the acne.

Studies show that the best acne treatment for more than 70% of acne suffers requires a plan that includes the right nutritional balance and the proper use of natural skin care products.

Here are three simple and easy things you can start doing to help you treat your acne:

1) Wash your face and body twice a day with proven natural acne soap – the soap should be designed exclusively for acne. The best acne treatment soaps contain powerful essential oils known to have antibacterial properties. Essential Oils like Rosemary and Lavender will provide the anti-abacterial properties you need to reduce your acne flare ups and additional ingredients like Aloe Vera and Comfrey will reduce inflammation.

The best times to wash are in the morning and then, again at night right before you go to bed. Wash normally, over scrubbing your skin can cause sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, the root cause of acne.
2) Eat a healthy diet. There is a synergistic connection between what we eat and improved natural immunities. Acne is caused by a proliferation of harmful skin bacteria caused by clogged skin pores as a result of an over production of sebum. Healthy skin bacteria “the good bacteria” will help keep harmful bacteria in check. A nutrition rich balanced diet is critical to treating acne fast and effectively.

3) Avoid any outside interference with your natural acne treatment program. Common mistakes when starting on a fast acne treatment program include the following:

Squeezing, rubbing or touching your blackheads and pimples :  Doing that will increases the sebum production. In addition squeezing will rupture the cells below the skin, causing more infections and sebum production underneath the skin. The result is worse acne.

Letting your hair cover your face :  Hair contains oils that can contribute to clog skin pores.

Wearing too much make-up : Just as your hair can block pores so can make-up, even more so. If make-up is a necessity there are many water-based make-ups available so choose wisely.

Not washing your pillowcases routinely :  Anything that comes into contact with your skin has the potential to contribute to infection or clog your pores. Clean pillowcases, bed sheets and clothes assure that you are not inadvertently sabotaging your natural acne treatment plan.

There you have it. The fastest way to treat acne and the best acne treatment to start begins with a high quality natural acne soap and wash normally twice a day. Commit your self to a healthy balanced diet to strengthen your skin’s natural immunities. Embark on a common sense plan to avoid anything that can interfere with your fast natural acne treatment plan.

Popular Herbs Used in Skin Care and Soaps

Popular Herbs Used in Skin Care and Their Benefits: Chamomile, Aloe Vera, Lavender and Rosemary

Today skin care and cosmetics are increasingly going natural. You may have heard that herbs and oils are commonly used in skin care and cosmetics; but, you may not know why or what purpose they serve. why, and what do the do? Four very common and popular herbs that are used in the form of oil or gels are chamomile, Aloe Vera, lavender, and rosemary. All provide unique benefits for the skin and body.

The benefits of chamomile for the skin and body range from calming effects to healing. Recent and on-going research has identified chamomile’s specific benefits as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-allergenic. Chamomile is most often recognized as an herbal tea; however, chamomile is present in many skin care products. Chamomile’s active ingredients extracted from the flower are essential oils and flavonoids. Essential oils help to calm and relax irritated skin. Essential oils have also been found to be beneficial to treat and sooth acne prone skin. Flavonoids – or plant metabolites- are rich in anti oxidants that help the body repair and heal damaged skin, as well as fight free radicals, which create damage to bodily cells. Chamomile has few side effects and is effective and beneficial to the skin topically or if ingested.

Aloe Vera contains numerous, minerals, vitamin, enzymes, and natural sugars that help with inflammation. Aloe Vera is commonly known for its healing

properties, which explains its popular use in skin care. Aloe Vera aids in the healing of skin burns and cuts and moisturizes and softens skin. Aloe Vera is used in skin care products to help with dry sensitive skin as the plant has unique healing and soothing properties. Taken internally, Aloe Vera has been found to regulate digestion, which in turn builds healthy skin from the inside out. Aloe Vera is available as a gel, spray, lotion, juice, cream and in the form of a capsule. Aloe Vera is most commonly found in soaps, cleansers, facial masks, skin care gels or creams.

Lavender has many uses in skin care that include aiding skin repair, stimulating cell growth, reducing inflammation, preventing scarring and pigmentation, regulating oil production, and reducing pain. Lavender also works as antiseptic or antibacterial agent and is considered an essential oil. Due to its extensive benefits to the skin, lavender is often found in soaps, cleaners, or facial masks formulated to treat acne prone skin.

Rosemary can be used as an essential oil just like chamomile and lavender. Rosemary and lavender are actually found in the same herbal family. Rosemary tones

the skin, helping to even out skin tone and texture, while reliving dryness. Rosemary strengthens capillaries and is good to use on aging skin. Rosemary is found in skin care cleansers, soaps, face masks, toners and creams.

There are many other herbs used in skin care and cosmetics today-most in the form of essential oils or extracts- and all can have different or positive effects on the skin and body. Herbs and oils have been used to heal for many centuries and now are being utilized for safe, natural ways to treat skin conditions and maintain a healthy complexion.

by Tiffany Oney

End of Summer Skincare and Mild Soap Cleansing

By Van Le | Labor Day can be bittersweet since it offers an always-welcomed three-day weekend, but it also marks the unofficial end of summer. In other words, after one last frolic at the beach, it’s time to put away the swimming suits and flip-flops, and wake the winter coats and boots from their hiatus. The seasonal closet makeover is a no-brainer, but there’s another place that needs attention: your makeup and skincare cabinet. Towards the end of the year, your skin needs protection from cold weather and reduced humidity. Switching to winter-friendly products can keep your skin looking healthy and beautiful.

Hot, humid weather during the summer can cause pores to expand because sebum is more fluid in this environment. As a result, deep cleansers and foamy cleansing products are appropriate, since they are able to reach deep into the pores, eliminating dirt and oil buildups. During the winter, however, cold temperatures can lead to dry and cracked skin. Switch to a mild soap, and your skin will feel smooth and soft as opposed to dry and tight after washing. Products that contain natural moisture such as Aloe vera are also excellent, since they are not harsh on dry, winter skin.

Winter air literally sucks moisture from your skin, so moisturizing is a crucial step in winter skin care. Even more important to moisturizing is choosing the right product. Products containing mineral oil, almond oil, or avocado oil work especially well since they keep the skin hydrated without clogging pores. Flaxseed oil is another beneficial ingredient, since it is not only rich in omega-3 fatty acid, but also has the ability to hydrate the skin from the inside out. Moisturizing right after a warm shower will help seal in the water and prevent dry skin. Also consider using a humidifier in your room or office, since it returns the moisture into the air and help the skin stay hydrated.

Just because it is cold outside does not mean you should toss your sunscreen tube. Even when you can’t feel the heat, the sun is still emitting harmful UVA and UVB rays, so it still important to protect your skin. Apply a moisturizer that contains an SPF of at least 15, or use products containing zinc oxide, which acts as a natural barrier between your skin and the sun. Surprisingly, the sun’s reflective power on snow can be as high as 80%, so it is possible to be sunburned after spending a day on the ski slopes without sun protection. Moreover, don’t forget to help your lips battle harsh winter conditions with plenty of lip balm. Packaging is also important when deciding on a lip balm. Little tins and jars can spread germs since you are using your fingers to apply. Tubes can be a healthier and more convenient option. Remember to keep your skincare products readily available in your purse, car or desk so you can reapply throughout the day.

Winter skin care may differ from summer skin care in the type of products used, but the regimen for healthy skin is the same year round: cleanse, moisturize and protect.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU paper the Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare link to http://organicskincareinfo.net

Natural Healing with Aloe Vera

By: Van Le
The healing power of Aloe vera has been known for decades, dating back to the Egyptian era when it is believed that Cleopatra used it as a skincare remedy, and found in Greek history when it is believed that Alexander the Great used it to care for his army after battles.  Today, Aloe vera is widely used in many cosmetic products, anti-inflammatory creams, and some grocery store shelves even boast Aloe vera juice.

Aloe vera is a member of the succulent (water-retaining) plant family, and is also known as “lily of the desert” since researchers believe it originated in Africa.  There are over 250 known species of Aloe vera, and are relatively easy to care for, therefore increasing its popularity.  The spokes of Aloe vera plants are filled with a gel-like substance that is filled with a combination of enzymes, vitamins and minerals.  Dermatologists and cosmetic companies often extract the gel for use in their products.   Aloe vera is also considered an alternative treatment for high blood pressure and intestinal problems.

Aloe vera is a popular choice for the treatment of sunburn, since it contains a variety of enzymes and amino acids that are anti-inflammatory and speed up the skin’s healing process.  Many after-sun moisturizing creams contain Aloe, and for those who have access to actual Aloe plants, the gel can be applied directly on the affected area.

Aloe vera is a common ingredient in many cosmetic products, particularly anti-aging and anti-acne products due to its ability to generate healthier skin.  The combination of enzymes, vitamins and minerals in Aloe vera products increases oxygen flow, which toughens the skin tissues and provides protection from pollutants and dirt.  It also moisturizes the skin and increases its elasticity, which reduces wrinkles and signs of aging.  Used in conjunction with exfoliating products, Aloe vera can help control acne by helping shed dead skin cells and reduce redness.
Once Alternative, Now Mainstream

Not so long ago, herbal products or foods deemed “natural” were considered less than desirable by the mainstream public.  The Industrial Revolution not only changed the face of production and how we worked, it changed what we ate and used for our health.  Mass-produced, new chemical compounds in fancy packaging quickly replaced the ‘old-fashioned’ herbal remedies used by our grandmothers.

While Aloe vera never completely fell out of favor, by the 1970’s and 80’s use of medical plants and herbs to treat ailments and skin conditions was considered unconventional and provided mostly by naturalists and alternative therapists. In the new millennium, science and technology have not proven to be the miracle we were expecting.  Today, modern science is re-discovering what our already ancestors knew.  Aloe vera and similar natural treatments provide vital healing, nourishing and regenerative qualities that no chemical lab can re-create.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

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