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The history of natural skin care is a fascinating tale that has it’s roots in ancient Egyptian culture. Contrary to popular myth Cleopatra was not the first to experiment with herbal skin care formulas.

In 1000 B.C the Eygptians developed perhaps the first natural skin care treatment for dry skin. This was a natural treatment of bullock’s bile, whipped ostrich eggs, olive oil, dough and resin mixed with milk.

Cleopatra’s herbal skin care formula

Not to be outdone the Romans also practiced a form of herbal skin care. Cleopatra’s favorite was a natural skin care routine consisting of a mud pack made with crocodile manure. Very exotic!

If a Roman had acne, he spent hours baking a primitive natural formula. This was a mixture of beans and lupins, which he carefully applied to his blemishes. The use of toxic chemicals and industrial detergents in the name of skin care is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Though, the Greeks were in fact the first to experiment with toxins in skin care. This was to be the first departure from natural skin care treatments. The desire for a pale face look led to the use of lead paint. This mixture was successful for only a short time. The subjects got their wish for a pale face though it came at a price. They also lost their teeth and hair and got severely pitted skin.

Lead paint and beauty? You would think most people would have learned their lesson about using toxins in skin care. However, the use of lead paints continued into the Middle Ages. As hair and teeth fell out, eyebrows made from mousehair and cheek ‘plumpers’ made from cork became a necessity for beauty.

In the 17th century, the rosewater/urine facewash was introduced. This was a hybrid herbal skin care product mixed a known toxin. The resulting rosy glow, combined with cerise - a poisonous mixture of lead paint and cochineal - quickly replaced the urine facewash as the new trend. Combined with poor health and hygiene, the use of toxic cosmetic materials often spelled an early demise.

How far have we progressed? So, what have we learned. We are now in the 21st century, how far have we progressed with modern cosmetics and natural skin care product formulas? Well, skin care is now a $29 billion dollar a year industry. Therefore, due to modern advances in the cosmetic industry skin health must be at all time high right?

Not so fast, there are now over 80 known skin diseases everything from acne to lipoma to warts. Also recent phenomena such as psoriasis and eczema both are the direct result of chemical irritants and lithium respectively.

Is there a connection between toxins in cosmetics and skin diseases? That is the $29 billion dollar question.

Adam Waters exposes the hazardous toxins that lurk in mainstream and so-called “natural” skin care products with hard-hitting product reviews at http://www.natural-skincare-authority.com that cut through the corporate hype and spin. To find out how you can lead a 100% natural non-toxic lifestyle sign up for your free mini-course, Natural Skin Care Secrets.

With organic and natural products quickly gaining in popularity, attention has gone into the chemicals that are found in our everyday skin care products.

Whilst we may never really think of it, there are loads of chemicals dumped into our products which we automatically think are good for us. However, as time goes on we are realizing too often than not, that a lot of chemicals within our products are not as innocent as they first appeared to be. Not only that, but these so called natural products on the market are not always what they appear to be either.

So how exactly do we know which products to go for and which ones could be potentially harmful? The main way to tell if you are being conned, or if you are really buying something ‘natural’ is to read the labels on the back of the products!

The Ingredients to Avoid in Natural Products

Sadly some natural products do still contain some chemicals which may be harmful to our health. Most of us do not know what to look out for so the companies generally get away with it. After all if we are buying natural products they have to be good for us do they not? The answer is no, not always.

Imidazolidinyl Urea

Many people believe that Urea is good for them as it is sometimes found in emollients which help to provide moisture for dry skin. However, Imidazolidinyl Urea is definitely not good for you. It is found in most skin care products, yet it has often been found to create skin reactions such as contact dermatitis. So if you do notice this chemical in your natural skin care products, do not buy it!

Fragrance

Whilst this may seem harmless enough, fragrance can often contain many ingredients which are often not separately listed. So if you cannot see the ingredients listed separately, how can you tell that the chemicals are not harmful? It is always better to look for products which state ‘natural fragrance’ or the fragrance of essential oils.

Paraffin

Paraffin is another popular ingredient used in many skin care products. It is often used by manicurists who melt it and dip the hands into it. It is mainly used in eyebrow pencils, hair remover and cold creams, though it is also found in many other cosmetics. It comes from either coal or petroleum.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a detergent which often has a drying effect on the skin. This can cause irritation so it is best avoided.

Methyl Paraben

This one is extremely common and is widely used. It tends to often cause skin irritation.

Overall there are a lot of chemicals and potentially harmful ingredients listed in so called natural products; you just have to know which ones to look out for. If you do spot the ingredients above listed in your favorite cosmetics, opt for a better alternative. There are gentler alternatives for the skin including:

Potassium Sorbate
Retinyl
Sorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid

All chemicals tend to be bad for the skin so it is always better to try and avoid them. It really is shocking what goes into our skin care products and most people do not realize that their products can harm them. However, prolonged use of skin care products which contain potentially harmful ingredients can cause potential health problems as the ingredients soak into the skin and they can enter the bloodstream. It is always better to read the labels and know what is in your favorite products. That way, you can make a consciences decision whether or not you want to risk using the product. After all, knowledge is power!

Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great Skin Care Secrets from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk In seconds you can access 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on Skin Care by subscribing with RSS

Too many people leave the job of taking care of their skin until it is too late, speaking from a beauty standpoint. When wrinkles, age spots, irremovable eczema patches and sagging skin are staring back at you from the mirror, you have already passed the point of no return and if you want to change what you see, you will have to resort to drastic measures.

The time to begin a skin care regime is now, before those wrinkles take over, before your cheeks are sagging and before you look like you remember your grandmother looking! Putting off skin care is no better than putting off quitting smoking or exercising, so if you care about your health you need to realise that today is the day you can prevent unwanted skin conditions!

Most skin problems are rooted in one of two things: improper daily routines and poor diet. Both of these factors are easily put right, assuming that you have the willpower to succeed with your skin care plan and retain that youthful exuberance.

First, stop for a moment and consider the way you have been treating not only your skin, but your entire body. Have you been eating well, incorporating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy oils and pulses into your diet? Or have you been lazy when it comes to cooking, usually calling out for take out or heating up a packaged dinner? What about when it comes to hygiene, are you usually structured about washing and caring for you skin? If you have not been doing your best to take care of the whole of your body, your skin will suffer in the long run. If you want to protect it from the effects of aging, you will need to make some lifestyle changes.

Foremost, your diet needs seeing to. You know full well which foods are good for you and which are not, so stop making excuses and throw out all the junk in your cupboards. No more junk food, hydrogenated fats, processed sugars or microwave dinners for you! From now on when you go to the grocery store, head directly for the fresh produce section and stay there until you have selected as many different colours of vegetables and fruits as you can.

Pigmentation represents different vitamin and mineral contents in the foods, so have fun with the shopping and be sure to load up on the fresh stuff. Next, get yourself some brown and wild rice, whole grain pastas and granary bread. Vitamins are essential for all the chemical reactions that occur inside your body, and without them you will have a difficult time digesting your foods and extracting energy from them. Fibre is important for bodily cleansing and once you maximise your intake you will notice great improvement in the condition of your skin.

Once you have paid due attention to your diet, it is time to think about the way you topically treat your skin. Harsh soaps are to be avoided, because they strip natural oils from your skin and leave it dry, itchy and flaky. Select a PH balanced soap, and be sure to wash your face at least twice a day. Keeping your skin free of grime and bacteria will ensure that you develop fewer imperfections that can scar and look embarrassing. After cleansing, apply a rich moisturiser that will lock the water into your skin cells and stand up against sagging, wrinkling and other signs of aging.

Skin care is simple, but it starts from the inside out. Today is the day to start caring for your skin, so stop putting it off! Tomorrow may be a day too late.

Keep YOURSELF looking and feeling great with these great Skin Care Secrets from http://www.NaturalElements.co.uk In seconds you can access 36 beauty topics that will keep you looking younger and more radiant. You can now get the very latest information on Skin Care by subscribing with RSS

Are you having trouble with skin tags? If you are, I’m sure that the first thing that you’ll want to do is find a cure and remove these bothersome skin tags from your body. Skin tags are most commonly found in and around the eyelids and eyes, under the armpits, and in the groin area. They are definitely curable, and there is medication to remove them without scarring, and that medication is on the market now.

In explanation, a skin tag is is simply a growth of skin that protrudes from the body, particularly in wrinkled skin; that is why they are more common in older people and tend to accumulate around the folds of skin, as well. The technical name for skin tags is achrocordon or cutaneous papilloma; they can range in size, and most times they are the same color as the flesh, but sometimes they can be discolored growths a bit different from the skin.

The best thing about them, though, is that they can be cured, and one online store that sells a plant-based oil to cure and remove them is available online at Healing Natural Oils, amoils.com. The price of a small bottle of this natural healing oil is approximately $30. Consult the official website for this healing oil for skin tags for further information.

If you have the embarrassing problem of experiencing pimples or acne, then you will want to find out all that you can on the seriousness of this problem, which occurs in people of all ages, so one myth to put away now is the myth that acne occurs as a natural phenomenon in teenagers around the time of puberty. There is one reason that puberty is the prime age to develop acne for many people, and that is because acne is caused, many times, particularly in women, because of fluctuations of hormonal changes, which women experience particularly in their twenties and thirties. That is one reason why women in their thirties, forties, and fifties still experience a problem with periodic outbreaks of acne, over 50 percent of all acne sufferers, and men count for 25 percent of all adult acne sufferers.

First of all, you need to know the real cause of acne and the various kinds of acne that are considered to be non-inflammatory and those that are considered to be seriously inflammatory. Going to the website at the Proactiv official site online is very much an education in the physiological cause of acne. Below are a few of the different non-inflammatory and inflammatory types of acne, as well as one of the most effective ways to control and subdue acne outbreaks, which is to use the formula that is perfected by the doctors at Proactiv, which is now touted as being one of the most effective anti-acne medications used on the market today by people who are infamous and those who experience fame, such as Vanessa Williams. The Proactiv Solution official website cites these different types of acne:

1. The non-inflammatory closed comedo, or whitehead.
2. The non-inflammatory open comedo, or blackhead.
3. The mildest form of inflammatory acne is the papule, appearing on the skin as a small, firm pink bump.
4. The pustule is a small, round lesion, unlike the papule; they are clearly inflamed and contain visible pus.
5. The nodule or cyst. These types of lesions may leave deep scars and last for weeks or months. The nodule or cyst is the most severe form of acne lesion.
6. Acne congoblata. This type of acne appears on the chest, buttocks, and back. Acne congoblata may appear both as pustules and nodules. This type of acne is rare but extremely serious, and there may be a severe bacterial infection with it.

For more information on how acne is caused and for Proactiv’s Solution benefits for controlling acne, go to the official website at Proactiv.com, for a thorough explanation.