Tips for Natural Skin Care
Our skin is the reflection of our health and vitality, physical, mental and emotional wellness. Radiant and glowing skin indicates good health, a positive attitude, and vibrates self-confidence. On the other hand, dull and blemished skin shows an unhealthy body, a stressful lifestyle, and carelessness toward one’s personality.
Who doesn’t want to look good, good looks start with good skin. You may think it’s not such a big issue; there are several products in the market to make the skin beautiful and glowing in a jiffy. But as you use them, you must also be realizing that it is not so. These cosmetic products produce temporary effects on the skin, have lots of side effects, and are very costly and not suited to all skin types. Then, what’s the way out? Here’s where we come to our topic of discussion, to care for the skin in a natural way that is natural skin care.
Natural skin care is not just about using skin products produced without chemicals; it’s an ongoing process of a result of healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and off-course right skin products to be applied directly.
First of all, the natural way of caring for the skin starts with some lifestyle changes we need to take care of.
Getting enough sleep: ‘Beauty sleep is not just a saying; its meaning goes far beyond that. As with the rest of the body, for healthy skin, sleeping adequately is a must. At least 7 – 8 hours of sleep (hours vary from person to person), ensures a relaxed mind and body, normal blood flow, takes care of all wear and tear during the day, energizes you, and brings the glow back in the morning.
Dark circles around the eyes, blotchy skin, and a lifeless appearance of the face are all side effects of not getting enough sleep. So switch off that TV, log off your laptop, and get from the party on time to catch a good night’s sleep.
Get Moving: Now that you’ve got enough sleep, it’s time for some exercises as well. Be active, walk, jog, exercise, hit the gym, do stretches during office hours too, take the stairs, and do anything to keep moving. Inactivity affects the skin by promoting bloating and puffiness, cellulite, and loss of muscle tone. Exercise also helps us to relax and de-stress, both necessary for healthy skin.
Drink lots of water: Water helps to detoxify the body’s system, bathes the cells, eliminates waste products, helps in digestion, purifies the blood and the list goes on and on. The point is to have at least 2 liters of water a day, avoid carbonated and sweetened drinks and have fresh juices and soups as an additional source of fluids.
For shiny and smooth skin, drinking honey mixed in warm water in the morning helps a lot.
Secondly, a natural way of caring for the skin is by eating right. Let’s discuss some basic points:
Have lots of fiber: Eating food that is rich in fiber helps good digestion and constipation is taken care of. This eliminates the root of many skin problems like acne, psoriasis, spotty skin, etc. we must have lots of fruits, fresh veggies, whole grains, and salad. The idea is to cut on processed food and fast food because these contain almost no fiber. Eating things in their natural form is the mantra to get the most benefit out of it.
Cut on excess sugar: The more we take sugar, the more sugar enters our bloodstream. Over some time, this results in a process where the glucose molecules damage protein molecules by sticking to them. This causes damage to collagen, cartilage, and ligament, thus forming wrinkles. So, the next time, you are adding a second spoonful of sugar to your tea/ coffee or going to bite on your favorite sweet…think again!!
Get some good fats: These are the fats needed to build cells, membranes, hormones, etc. Lack of good fat can lead to eczema, acne, and dry skin. The sources get these fats are cold-water fish, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, and nuts; also you can try fish oil supplements.
Apart from these basic dietary requirements, we need to have a balanced diet containing Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, Fats, and all essential ingredients which comprise an adequate diet. This is vital for a healthy body and mind along with smooth, glowing skin.
Last but not least, we come to the most interesting part of our discussion. Natural skin care products, are to be applied regularly for best results. According to the classic definition of natural skin care products, these are products found and used in their natural or raw form without any chemicals and manufactured in such a way as to preserve the integrity of the ingredient.
There are many products, which can be bought from the market, and manufactured by reputed companies. But the best is to spend a little time and prepare some easy recipes for taking care of common skin problems and daily cleansing and toning.
Skin Care Tips:
· Stop using soap on your face (if possible, on your body also). Use gram flour and milk to make a paste. Apply it gently and rub a little, then wash it off with water. Believe me, it’s much better that any soap!!
· Massage body with mustard oil 10 minutes before bath, and then take a warm bath. Your skin will be moisturized and smooth.
· Massage your body with milk. Milk moisturizes your skin naturally.
· For daily cleansing, mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4-5 drops of milk, then apply on the face and body. After 10 minutes, take a warm bath.
· Warm honey and mix with lemon juice, then apply on the face. Let it dry, and then wash it off with warm water. It refreshes and cleanses your skin.
· For preparing natural bleach, mix lemon juice in milk. Then massage it on your face and body. It bleaches your skin naturally.
· To remove sun tan, mix cucumber juice with tomato juice, rub on the skin, and wash off with cold water.
· Mix milk cream with flour, apply that paste onto your skin, then wash off to get smooth skin.
These are the basic ways of caring for skin naturally. The glow and radiance that comes with the natural care practice are for all to see and are everlasting. Just remember: Beauty is not skin deep…still it starts with the skin!!
