Skin Care - Beauty is More than Skin Deep

We have all heard the saying beauty is skin deep, well as far as skin care goes this is not true. Skin care starts from within & depends upon your diet, digestion, hormone levels, stress levels & your nutritional health. For total skin care you need to build quality skin from the inside out.

Your skin is your biggest organ, it is to you what the shell is to a turtle. It is your own personal house, your protective layer between you & the outside world. It is up to you to keep your house in order, you need to have a daily routine to take care of your skin which in turn will take care of you. You should never underestimate the importance of skin care, it is your first defence against disease & infection and it protects your internal organs from injuries.

Skin care is not just for women, it is for men & young adults as well. It is an important part of personal care more important than just for good looks, it is a sign for all to see how healthy we are.

We all need to maintain the beautiful skin we were born with, your daily regime should begin with a proper cleansing by washing your face with water & a mild cleanser to remove dead skin cells off the skins top layer. Next some gentle exercise to increase your blood circulation to get more oxygen to your skin. You should protect your skin from the sun, particularly at risk is the area around the eyes so wear good quality sun glasses to stop you from squinting which can cause lines & wrinkling. You need to hydrate & moisturize regularly & make sure you drink plenty of water especially after exercising.

We would all like to think that we are looking after our skin by eating a healthy diet & exercising regularly. We know that eating organic foods & fresh fruit & vegetables can help us prevent toxins entering our body but did you know that harmful chemicals & toxins can enter our bodies in other ways ? Your makeup, moisturizer, eye creams etc may contain harmful chemicals that are absorbed through your skin. There is approximately six pounds of skin on your body which is a porous membrane through which toxins & chemicals can be absorbed. Dust, dirt & pollutants can enter our bodies through our skin, do you really want to add to these chemicals & toxins by using skin products that contain harmful ingredients ? Why not use all natural skin care products ?

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that 884 chemicals used in personal care products & cosmetics are known to be toxic. The chemicals & toxins found in most commercial skin care products also have an adverse effect on the environment. In a US geological survey scientists showed that a variety of chemicals from personal care products were among 95 wastewater pollutants found in US waterways.

The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) in the US classifies cosmetics into categories but does not regulate them, cosmetic manufacturers may use any ingredient in their products and market them without any government approval. Whilst several toxins are banned many others including carcinogens are allowed in cosmetic production. Many commercial cosmetics have regularly been found to contain toxic chemicals. Many skin care products will claim to contain natural ingredients and/or expensive vitamins & oils, but how can you be sure the product you are using does not contain harmful ingredients ? Read the label ? Well yes but can you honestly say you understand what all the ingredients on the label are ? many of them are probably unpronounceable chemicals which you have never heard of.

This is where you should beware, a general rule of thumb is that if you have never heard of any of the ingredients then the product is not made from natural materials. Look out for ingredients such as cranberries, grapeseed extract, olive oil, green tea and many more. If you are unsure of any of the ingredients do some research, look up the ingredient on a web search & find out exactly what it is & whether it could be harmful to you or your skin. You would not dream of eating any food containing harmful ingredients or toxins so why let these toxins enter your body through your skin care product ?