Beauty in a Bottle
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine 2009 issue
What exactly is in your beauty loot? With the onset of eco-friendliness and health scare these days, organic ingredients have replaced most of the chemicals used in cosmetics. Here’s a list of the natural ingredients to look for. Just like in milk products, it pays to “Check the Label” because these are the things that put the “beauty” in your beauty products.
Organizing the Organics
• Tea Tree – Used in the form of essential oil, it treats skin conditions like cold sores, itchiness, insect bites, and acne. Mostly found in hair products, it effectively fights excess oil, kills head lice, and yes, it stops dandruff from coming back!
• Lavender – Ah, Mother Nature’s wonder plant. Aside from its ability to relieve stress, calm the nerves, and promote better sleep, lavender also has anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, and analgesic properties.
• Peppermint – While its menthol content fights bad breath and supports proper digestion, skin products that contain peppermint soothe the muscles and stimulate the senses. Its powerful aroma also provides an energizing jolt.
• Eucalyptus – The first thing that comes to mind is probably Vicks Vapor Rub, which is commonly used to provide instant relief to clogged nose and cough. Products with eucalyptus oil improve blood circulation and soothe headaches, bronchitis, rheumatism, sinusitis, and fever. In terms of skin care, it fights inflammations, eruptions, and wounds.
Ingredients your skin loves:
• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) - reduces fine lines and enlarged pores, lightens age spots, treats irregular pigmentation
• Beta-hydroxy acid (salicylic acid) - exfoliates skin, improves color and texture, treats acne
• Hydroquinone - lightens age spots and dark spots related to melasma or chloasma
• Kojic Acid – a very effective lightening agent that controls melanin production
• Retinol – reduces fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin color, texture, and tone, and helps increase the skin’s hydration level.
• L-Ascorbic Acid – a powerful antioxidant that improves collagen production and lightens scars and wrinkles.
• Hyaluronic Acid – dubbed as the “Fountain of Youth” because of its ability to ‘reverse’ skin aging. Used for the treatment of wrinkled skin.
• Copper Peptide – famous for its regenerative and antioxidant properties, it increases the production of elastin and collagen. It softens, smoothens, and firms the skin faster.
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid – also called the “universal antioxidant” because it penetrates all parts of the cell, this “miracle in a jar” provides the best protection against free radicals that damage the skin.
• Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) – brain food that can be found in salmon, anchovies, and sardines. Products with DMAE help in reducing wrinkles and fine lines.
Moisturizers are Investments
Ladies, there’s a reason why it’s called a ‘moisturizer’—it helps retain moisture by providing lost collagen and elastin that make the skin plump, smooth, and young-looking. Here are the ingredients you should look for in a good jar of moisturizer:
Emollients – lubricates the skin and makes it silky smooth.
Examples of proven safe emollients:
• silicone
• shea butter
• petrolatum
• cocoa butter
• cholesterol
• myristates
• palmitates
• stearates
• triglycerides,
• plant and mineral oils
Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMFs) – retains moisture by binding water to the epidermis. It also repairs the skin by breaking down the hardened cells, therefore exposing the skin’s natural water binding layer to keep the skin moisturized.
Examples of NMFs:
• elastin
• lipids
• ceramides
• lecithin
• amino acids
• urea
• glycogen
• fructose
• sucrose
• collagen
• hyaluronic acid
• glycerin
• glucose
• polysaccharides
• glycosaminoglycans
