5 Natural Ingredients That Do Wonders for Your Skin
Natural Ingredients – Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to worry about the potentially harmful effects of the chemicals in your skincare products? From irritation-causing parabens and moisture-stripping sulfates to inflammation-causing alcohols and more, the average cleanser, toner, or moisturizer isn’t always as good as it claims to be.
It’s also somewhat ironic that the selling point of most skincare products is a certain natural ingredient, the absence of which would leave you with little more than a mix of liquid chemicals.
That’s not to say all of them are bad, but it’s worth looking into some natural alternatives. Here are 5 that can do wonders for your skin.
Natural Ingredients For Your Skin
1. Coconut Oil
This popular plant fat is considered to be one of the most versatile natural skincare ingredients. Whether ingested or applied topically, coconut oil can provide a healthy layer of moisture in addition to anti-inflammatory benefits.
Many people use it to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, as well as general dryness. Coconut oil can also be used for acne thanks in part to its medium-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to eliminate acne-causing bacteria. Opt for virgin coconut oil for the best results.
2. Beeswax
Whether you want to stave off dryness, heal scarring or reduce inflammation, try using beeswax for your skin. This underestimated ingredient has several powerful qualities that make it suitable for a range of applications.
For instance, the presence of Vitamin A in beeswax makes it capable of speeding up the healing process of stretchmarks and scars. It can also soothe the skin and prevent itching.
Since beeswax is a humectant, which means that it can lock-in moisture, it makes for a useful anti-aging product that can diminish wrinkles.
3. Tea Tree Oil
Among the myriad of applications that tea tree oil is touted to be effective for, skincare is one of the more well-supported by science. This includes an ability to combat oily skin and improve your overall moisture balance.
Tea tree oil’s natural anti-inflammatory properties make it great for relieving itchy skin as well. It’s for the same reasons that the essential oil can be used to reduce pain, redness, and swelling. Mixed with some witch hazel, tea tree oil can serve as a powerful weapon against acne.
It can also be used to remove dead skin cells and chemicals from the scalp.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
The fermentation process that turns apple cider into a vinegar creates acetic acid, a compound that features antibacterial and antifungal properties.
This is partly why apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be used for skincare.
By mixing up a tablespoon of ACV with a quarter cup of water, you can create an effective natural face wash that removes dirt, oil and toxins from the surface of your skin. While there’s currently less evidence to support it, some people use ACV as an anti-aging product and others to treat acne. ACV can also work as a chemical exfoliant.
5. Sea Salt
You might have heard about how swimming in the Dead Sea can provide a range of benefits to your skin. As it turns out, sea salt can help to reduce the symptoms of some skin conditions.
Moreover, you can take a sea salt bath to relieve muscle aches and improve blood circulation. For a powerful natural exfoliator, mix sea salt with other ingredients like essential oils and honey. This makes for an effective way to detoxify your skin and clear out any debris from the pores.
What’s great about these products is that you can mix and match to create some potent concoctions. Don’t hesitate to get creative and see what you can come up with.
Featured Image Source: Photo by Chris Jarvis on Unsplash