There are many eye creams out there today that claim to be natural but what ingredients do you look for when buying a truly natural eye cream?
- All creams need to have some type of preservative to give the product a shelf life. Are these preservatives chemicals or is the product preserved using antioxidants, ascorbic acid and essential oils?
- What are the emollients used to do the job of moisturizing? Are they petroleum based products that wrap the skin in a film and keep it from breathing? Or, are botanical oils like shea butter, almond oil, or avocado butter used to hydrate the skin and allow it to breath?
- Where does the product get it’s scent? Many times fragrances are used which can contain up to 200 chemicals. Essential oils are the natural option because these oils are extracted directly from the plant.
Read the ingredients list on all products before buying and research these ingredients to see what health risks they may have on you and your family. The term “natural” is used in many skin care products but only by reading the ingredients list can you decipher if the product is healthy or harmful. A natural eye cream can have positive benefits to your skin if it is truly natural.
Natural Eye Creamly natural.
Fluctuating hormones are usually the cause of sensitive oily skin although heredity can be responsible too. With excess oil , facial pores can become clogged which can lead to acne. No skin care product will have a magical ingredient to stop oil production but there are natural ways to help control it.
Sensitive oily skin
- Gentle cleansing – Using a mild cleanser will remove the excess oil without stripping the natural barrier of fatty acids that protect your skin.
- Never over wash oily skin…twice a day is plenty.
- Cranberry extract and essential oil of lemongrass have antibacterial and/or anti-inflammatory properties to help with the oil.
- Exfoliate with a gentle facial scrub to remove dead skin cells, oil and makeup at least twice a week.
Be sure to test a new product on a small part of your face before using it liberally when you have sensitive oily skin. Keep all chemicals out of the skin care products you use as they can irritate the skin. Look for certified organic ingredients so you know the products you are using are clean and healthy. The less toxins, the better the outcome.
Olive oil body wash
Olive oil body wash or olive oil based soap is often times called castile soap. Olive oil soap has been around since the 1600’s. Saponification are chemical processes that produce soap from fatty acid derivatives. Vegetable oils and animal fats are the materials that are saponified. Many times “tallow”, which are fat renderings from animals, are used to make soap. Toxins and hormones are stored in fat and could end up in your soap!
Olive oil is used in place of tallow for bar soap, body wash and shampoo. This oil is mild and very hydrating to the skin. If you have sensitive skin, olive oil body wash will gently clean without drying or irritating your skin. Always look for certified organic ingredients to ensure the soap you are using is clear of pesticides and other toxic chemicals to irritate your skin.
As we age, wrinkles are inevitable. Aging causes eye wrinkles due to:
Eye Wrinkles
- Cells dividing more slowly.
- Less elasticity.
- Skin retaining less moisture.
- Less efficient oil secreting glands.
Other factors are also at play to further increase eye wrinkles:
- Over time… smiling, frowning and squinting cause wrinkles to be more prominent.
- Too much sun exposure causes premature aging of the skin.
- Smoking reduces the production of new collagen.
With all these negative factors, what are some positive natural wrinkle fig
hters?
- Skin creams laced with antioxidants of vitamin A, C & E protect the skin’s water and fat content and zero in on free radicals.
- Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols which can neutralize free radicals and may reduce thedamage they cause.
- Caffeine appears to offer protection in skin cells after they are exposed to ultraviolet rays. Caffeine also de-puffs, decreases swelling and increases circulation to your delicate eye area.
- Pure, organic botanical oils aid in hydration. Dry skin makes eye wrinkles appear more pronounced. Plump up the skin and make wrinkles less visible with skin lovingoils of cocoa butter, avocado butter and fruit oils.
Steer clear of beauty products that are laden with toxic chemicals. These toxins are harsh to the skin and also absorb into your blood stream causing health concerns. You can improve your eye wrinkles naturally with great results. Don’t forget to drink your water, it will hydrate your skin too.
If you have sensitive skin, using an unscented bar soap is a better alternative. The less ingredients to irritate your skin the better. Even if the bar soap is organic and scented with pure essential oils, they may still bother your skin if you have super sensitive skin.
Many soaps are created with sodium laurel sulfate which can dry and irritate the skin. Read the ingredients on all skin care products before buying. The soap should be made with certified organic botanical oils and as few ingredients as possible. If your skin adjusts well to the unscented bar soap and you want to try a scented soap, the scent should come from essential oils and never from synthetic fragrances which can include over 200 chemicals.
Unscented bar soap
Why use an organic bar soap? Here are three good reasons:
- Certified organic ingredients are free of pesticides, fertilizer, antibiotics, genetically modified organisms and yes, sewage sludge.
- Only organic essential oils are used to create the wonderful aromas in the soap. Never any synthetic fragrances which can contain over 200 chemicals.
- No toxic chemicals of any kind, especially sodium laurel sulfates, which are very harsh to the skin and are present in most soaps.
Organic bar soap should gently clean and never strip your skin of their natural oils. Take care to read all the ingredients in the bar soap you buy. A mild bar soap
Organic bar soap
free from chemicals will pamper your skin and keep it healthy.
Natural shea butter has been used for centuries by African people to protect the skin from the harsh sun, wind, heat and salt water. Shea contains healing properties including vitamins, minerals, proteins and unique fatty acids. It also helps restore skin elasticity and is an excellent moisturizer for the skin.
This healing butter can also be found in soaps, lotions and creams. Many times essential oils are added to create different aromas. Most shea is refined to take out impurities and odors. Many companies use chemicals like “hexane” to refine which removes most of the healing properties. Certified organic shea is refined using earthen clay so impurities are removed but most of the healing properties remain.
Natural shea butter can help with dry skin as well as rashes, sunburns, bug bites and scrapes. You’ll notice smoother, softer and healthier skin.
Natural shea butter
Do you ever wake up with puffy eyes? There are ways to reduce eye puffiness naturally. Eyes get puffy due to fluid accumulating under the eyes giving it that swollen appearance. Age also plays a factor in that the tissue around your eyes weakens and becomes thinner and less elastic. Allergies can also be the culprit. Here are a few tips to reduce that puffy look:
- Start the day with a splash of cold water to get the circulation moving.
- Rest green tea bags moistened in cold water on your eyes for 15 minutes. Green tea contains a natural anti-inflammatory.
- Apply a chemical free eye cream with caffeine. Caffeine de-puffs, decreases swelling and increases circulation.
Salty foods, lack of sleep and exercise will further aid in causing the eyes to look swollen. Prop up your head at night with an extra pillow to help create
some drainage and reduce eye puffiness.
Caffeine to reduce eye puffiness
If you have dry skin around the eyes it is probably due to the fact that this skin is 5-10 times thinner than the rest of the face. There is almost no oil production in this delicate eye area. As you age, you may notice this area become more problematic.
It is important to use a chemical free, nontoxic eye cream daily to lubricate & hydrate eye skin. Many eye creams today contain unhealthy chemicals which can further dry out the eye area. Using healing botanical oils like avocado butter and cocoa butter moisturizes while letting your skin breath. Apply at least an SPF 15
Apply nontoxic eye cream for dry skin around your eyes
sunscreen to the eye area to protect against sun damage. Whatever your skin type, it’s important to protect and hydrate to keep the dry skin around your eyes looking healthy.
Avocado butter is naturally high in vitamins and is excellent for moisturizing skin. It is ideal as a massage butter or body balm. Avocado oil is rich in fatty acids, is very stable and has a long shelf life. It is a nourishing oil for dull, dry skin and skin problems like eczema and psoriasis.
Look for this hydrating butter in face lotions and body lotions. Many times it is blended with other botanical oils to further aid in moisturizing your skin. Look for certified organic avocado butter to keep your skin care products as clean and pure as possible.
