Natural Skin Care Products

Many creams and skin care lotions on the market are now made with nourishing elements, leaving out the harmful products that in the past were plentiful. But nevertheless it is important to familiarize yourself with the ingredients so that you know what to look for and what to avoid.

In choosing a cream, you must make it a habit to read the label it tells the whole story. The ingredients are listed in the order of highest contents first, and least amount last. Thus, if you see a jar that lists collagen among the first three ingredients grab it! If it has a fragrance first and collagen last, or if lanolin and mineral oil are first put it back.

Things to look for at the top of the list on a label are any moisturizing ingredients, like water and aloe juice, collagen and elastin (natural proteins that keep the skin resilient), and sodium PCA (a natural moisturizer also found in the skin) the so called active ingredients. You don't want to use products with a high content of mineral oil or lanolin because these oils stay on top of the skin; they don't nourish it, they asphyxiate it, preventing your skin from absorbing moisture from the air. Another hint: Don't be put off by long names like propylparaben or methylparaben, preservatives that are in most creams to keep them from spoiling. If your creams don't have these additives, buy them in small jars and tubes, because their shelf life is short, and you don't want to have to throw away a half full container.

Herbal cosmetics have become extremely popular in the last few years. There are now dozens of firms manufacturing and selling 'natural' cosmetics and many thousands of enthusiasts are making their own cosmetics at home, either with ingredients they have bought or with ingredients they have picked in the wild.

To a certain extent I can sympathize with this enthusiasm. Herbal cosmetics are sometimes cheaper than the ones made by huge, international companies which have massive advertising and marketing bills to meet. And there is something rather attractive about being able to get back to nature and make your own cosmetics.