Natural Skin Care Ingredients which can Make or Break Your Skin

How scientific are we these days? Most rational folks believe in it as far as engineering, the climate, space, and medicine are concerned. But for stuff to put on our ourselves, especially our faces, we become skeptical and suspicious and rather than trust chemists manufacturing bio-chem ingredients, we prefer to ancestral concoctions or make our own. Chances are that ancient wisdom sometimes doesn’t work as many natural ingredients are incredibly allergenic. With that in mind, experts help evaluate ingredients that ensure beautiful hair and skin, and isolate ones to be avoided.

A)   Use Lavishly

• Milk and yogurt

Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I loved their milk baths, while experts recommend milk applications on the face for breakouts or dryness as milk can calm down the skin. Research reveals that cow’s milk helps the skin cells grow under clinical conditions. Milk contains Lactic acid, which is an AHA or alpha-hydroxy acid that moisturizes, exfoliates, and reduces the effects of sun damage on the skin. Milk fermented into yoghurt gives more benefits, as research and trials show thatyogurt masks improve skin brightness, elasticity, and moisture.

• Oatmeal

Oats contain antioxidants -which also protect us from UV rays- water-retaining beta-glucans (sugars), cleansing saponins and anti-inflammatory molecules. That means that the scientists and even our Moms know that it is effective, soothing and good for the skin. The labs prefer to make colloidal oatmeal, ground into tiny particles that soothe eczema or other inflammatory and itchy skin conditions and plain old dryness. Home-made recipes put rolled oats in a mixer for more or less similar benefits. However, use gluten-free oats if you have celiac.

• Turmeric

It turns every surface it touches, a bright shade of yellow, but this amazing root is very rewarding and worth the effort. Topical use of turmeric is effective in treating sun damage, psoriasis, acne, hair loss and more, all thanks to it’s  active ingredient curcumin. Turmeric is fairly inert and has massive antioxidant properties.

• Argan oil

The Moroccans, since centuries, have used this nut oil on their skin, on their hair and in their grub. Argan oil is replete with the protective lipid, squalene and vitamin E, and helps with sunspots and skin elasticity. It restores both skin and hair and you could use it for deep conditioning and adding moisture to your hair. So scour Pinterest for the best argan oil brands and recipes.

• White and Green tea

Experts favour using tea for skin care as there are very few remedies that are easy and awesome-smelling as putting old tea bags on tired eyes after a long night. The pretty hue it gives all lotions and potions, makes it look like it came from a fancy spa. Tea has antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which is makes it effective in treating acne. Tea extracts help protect skin from the harsh sun and pollution. Studies reveal that the application of caffeine to the skin increases blood flow, which sounds promising.

B)  Try at Your Own Risk

• Honey

We absolutely believe experts, but honey-based masks may not suit everyone. Actually, experts disagree over the benefits and safety of slathering honey on your face as the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of honey are said to soothe irritated skin. New Zealand’s Manuka honey is widely hyped, while some other types of honey have anti-microbial properties. Using honey to repair wounds has made a recent comeback, although Propolis an active ingredient in honey, can cause allergies.

• Coconut oil

Almost all home skin and hair treatments includes coconut oil as it feels silky and soft and lab-approved for being effective in combating dry skin and some bacteria strains. It has natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties besides being very absorbent. Using oil on the skin can block pores while the risk of a dormant allergy turning into a major one because of regular use, cannot be ruled out. People with a sub-clinical allergy may not exhibit symptoms for ages, till the immune system threshold of tolerance is finally breached.

C) Always Avoid

• Citruses fruits like lemons and others

Mild acids found in citrus fruits naturally add vitamin C to skin and exfoliates it, but might irritate the skin and increase sun sensitivity. The resulting burns was probably not something you wanted when you added lemon to your face mask. Lemon juice (pH around 2), added to your skin’s acid layer (pH of 4.5 to 5.5), could really mess it up.

• Essential oils

Ylang-ylang, tea tree, lavender, rose, etc. all smell great, and most Pinterest-approved recipes contain at least one of these essential or carrier oils. But dermatologists never endorse using these oils directly on the skin as these cause allergic reactions including breaking out in rashes.

Handle with Care

With advice from an entire bevy of DIY beauty gurus, but all of us prefer to avoid flaky, dry rashes. Have fun making your own skin treatment once in a while but for your daily care, leave it to experts.