A Natural Approach to Skin Care

More and more these days it seems everyone is wising up to the dangers of harsh chemicals and additives. This spreading awareness has lead to an explosion of new natural, chemical-free versions of almost every product we use in our daily lives, from household cleaning products and food to everything in between. This “all-natural” craze is currently dominating the beauty world, too, and for good reason. What could be more unappealing than putting impurities directly onto our skin? Luckily we’re here to break down some of the best-selling natural skin care products in this entry so that you can feel confident that you’re nourishing your skin with nothing but the best, as nature intended.

First off let’s talk about the most basic of skin care products: Soaps. While this beauty basic might seem boring on the surface, soap has a rich history and, let’s face it, nobody wants to imagine a world without it! Whether you’re more of a classic bar soap person or someone who prefers liquid suds, natural soaps are an awesomely affordable and simple way to eliminate a lot of the harsh chemicals we expose our skin to every day. Natural soaps contain none of the phthalates and parabens that commercial “soap” is full of. (Surprisingly most of what you’ll find on the shelves of your local store is technically ‘detergent’ and is not even legally allowed to be called soap on the label.) The problem is that commercial soaps nowadays are not only full of chemical hardeners and preservatives but have also been stripped of the natural glycerin that originally made soap such a wonderful and effective cleansing agent. Glycerin maintains moisture balance and leaves your freshly-cleaned skin feeling nourished rather than dry. It is removed from a lot of soap in order to reserve it for use in other, more high-end skin care products. Natural soaps are rich in glycerin, which is by the way a very natural byproduct of the soap making process. The ingredients you’ll find in most natural soaps are simple, healthy, and great for your skin. Some, like this Himalaya Botanique bar, showcase just what a soap should be, containing nothing but a saponified oil base and essential oils. Also check out the full line of Naked Organix Cleansing Bars and the Kiss My Face Olive Oil Bar. If you prefer your soaps liquid, this African Black Soap comes in a wide range of pleasing scents and boasts an impressively short and natural list of ingredients. Kiss My Face also offers a liquid hand soap.

Soaps and traditional soap-making eventually paved the way for big brand companies to start producing and marketing more specialized cleansers for the hair, face, and body. The natural health community eventually responded and now we are lucky enough to have available to us a wealth of all natural body washes, facial cleansers, lotions, and more. These often combine traditional herbs with powerful natural cleansers in order to bring you products that are just as– if not more– effective then their drugstore counterparts but with none of the caustic artificial additives. When it comes to body washes there is a huge variety. Some of our favorites include the Alaffia Everyday Shea and Purely Coconut body washes, the Giovanni CLEANSE and D:Tox lines, and the Desert Essence Organics body wash.

Facial cleansers can be sometimes overwhelming because they come in such a wide variety. The easiest thing to do in order to pick one that’s right for you is to first identify your skin’s unique needs. If you have trouble with blemishes try Alba’s Acne Dote Wash which utilizes salicylic acid derived from willow bark rather than the harsher lab-created stuff you’ll find in most products. If dry skin has you down try Himalaya’s hydrating face wash.

What about lotions? Let’s not forget about that crucial part of skin care! The tradition of moisturizers goes back almost to prehistory, when early man used castor oil made from crushed up castor seeds in order to keep skin from drying out. Australian Aborigines preferred to hydrate their skin with emu oil, extracted from a pad of fat on the foot of the bird it gets its name from. Ancient Greeks liked to use beeswax and olive oil on their skin, and ancient Romans were known to use honey or even a mask of mashed up bread and milk. Early Anglo-Saxons in England even had a less-than-pleasant habit of moisturizing dry hands and faces with lard and old wine. (Yuck!) All across the world and all throughout time there have been vast numbers of very unique remedies for dry skin. Eventually these lead to the creation of lotion as we know it, but with that (just as with soaps) came a chemical revolution that changed the game. Mass-produced commercial lotions are loaded with all kinds of chemicals and additives that can actually dry our skin out even more. Once again we’re lucky enough to have a recent resurgence in some of the natural remedies of the past and we today know that nothing keeps skin feeling soft and nourished all day quite like a lotion made from natural ingredients. Try Jason’s Aloe Vera Lotion and gel. Both have an extremely high percentage of pure aloe vera, which is superb at helping skin lock in moisture. Desert Essence also makes a huge variety of lotions, and in every scent imaginable. You’re bound to find one that suits you!

So, next time you need to restock your soap, face wash, body scrub, or just need to buy some lotion to ward off the dry summer air, consider browsing our huge skin care collection and finding a brand and product made with simple, pure ingredients that will make you (and your skin) feel good.
Disclaimer: All information provided on the blog is for informational purposes only and is not guaranteed to be correct.  AllStarHealth.com will not be held liable for any problems that may arise from the use of products sold on our web site. Always consult your physician before trying any new products. Placing an order at AllStarHealth.com signifies that you have read and agree to all of the policies listed on our policy page. Any and all legal issues pertaining to this web site shall be dealt with in the jurisdiction that AllStarHealth.com corresponds to.