Makeup! Widely considered a secret weapon to looking your best, it’s on every media channel and promises the “world” in enhancements with a cocktail of revolutionary ingredients.
Sometimes we cannot even consider our lives without it. Neither can many billion-dollar cosmetic manufacturers. Yet, take a moment to banish all advertising from your mind to consider some harmful effects of makeup, poor use of makeup and healthier alternatives to beautiful skin.
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Avoid harsh chemicals:While mainstream makeup provides a variety of colours and finishes, it contains a brew of chemicals that can be toxic and harmful to your body. Skin serves as a barrier against harmful pollutants. Cosmetic scientists continue to improve the chemicals in makeup by making smaller and stronger particles. As a result, these harsh chemicals can be more easily absorbed by skin or can have a bigger impact on our systems – effectively bypassing our skin’s primary function: defense. Moreover, some of these chemicals can lead to skin allergies. As our body tries to heal and react to this chemical assault, new skin problems can surface.
Detox with natural makeup alternatives that use plant-derived colors. Although not available in a wide range of colours as mainstream cosmetic products, they are healthier for skin and body.(Did you know that of 1000 carcinogens that are banned in EU, Australia and Canada, only 9 are banned in the United States? Choose your skin products with care!)
- Toss expired makeup: How often do you toss out an old mascara or lipstick? Most of us buy loads of makeup and have drawers of them to keep our options open. A recent study indicated that 9 out of 10 women use expired makeup. Eye specialists have associated expired makeup or chemically loaded makeup to eye infections, redness, watery eyes and even allergies. Never use old, expired makeup even though it may look usable, which brings us to the next point – why does expired makeup still look usable?
- Go fresh: Organic or natural beauty products should have an expiry date that is not too far in the future. If your makeup is preserved to last years, then what kinds of harsh, synthetic chemicals are used to extend its shelf life so much? Would you consider eating a 2 year old preserved cherry? Decay is a natural process. Those chemicals artificially engineered to kill every type of organism from growing cannot be all that great for you either. Try natural or organic products that do not flood your body with chemicals you don’t need.
Ambushing your skin daily with many different products can cause your skin to react badly… say more breakouts, allergies or rashes.
However, using a few right products, can certainly get your skin healthy and glowing from within. It’s like food. We do not need to eat every nutrient every day. However, eating what we need when we need it, keeps our bodies healthy and strong. That works for your skin too. Beautiful skin is about identifying the right stuff that your skin needs, when it needs it and providing those ingredients. Health is beautiful. Healthy skin will glow naturally.
In terms of a skincare regimen, all you really need for naturally beautiful skin is a way to clean (remove grime and pore clogging dirt), exfoliate (remove dead skin cells), tone (restore skin pH) and moisturize (hydrate, sooth, regenerate).
Healthy skin, no fuss
- Minimal, yet effective: Use a gentle cleanser, toner and a great moisturizer. Massage skin – when you clean, when you exfoliate and when you apply your moisturizer. That way, you improve blood circulation and help lend a healthy tone and color.
- Exfoliate regularly: Exfoliation soughs away dead skin cells and allows new, young skin to shine through. Use a gentle exfoliating scrub that does not pull or injure skin.
- Read the ingredients in everything you buy and opt for natural products that have your favorite ingredients from mainstream products.
- It can be a daunting to go without makeup. If you’re not comfortable with the idea of going minimal, then don’t. Try natural makeup options to enjoy a glamorous look without harsh chemicals.
Let your beautiful skin shine through!
Sources: - (1) Huffingtonpost.com , (2) treehugger.com, (3)Blogher.com
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