Just How Natural Is Natural??

Hey fellow beauty junkies. So while I was out absorbing the beautiful weather, I was thinking about all the yummy beauty products we apply onto our face and body every day, and started wondering just how natural are these guys?? A quick glimpse at the ingredients list can sometimes leave you quite shocked as you realise that some of these products are not as ‘NATURAL’ and innocent as we are led to believe. Don’t get me wrong, when I see a product promoted with lushous juicy fruits and beautiful waterfalls, something in my head pings and says “Oh this must be good for my skin”. But did you know around 50% of products applied onto the skin will be absorbed through ,, hummm, maybe I shouldn’t be so impulsive

Many products on the market claim to be ‘natural’ but I must warn you some of these are little more than traces of natural elements (minuscule amounts), mixed with laboratory made ingredients. The only way to really ensure your cosmetics are 100% natural – without chemical preservatives, is to whizz them up yourself at home. It’s great fun and they’re many natural ingredients out there with great benefits for you inside and out. A lot of the products I’ve made at home have shown some fantastic results, so I thought it would be a great idea to list a couple of well know ingredients and some of their amazing benefits to start you on your way, and get your creative juices flowing.

• Natural Yoghurt – contains lactic acid which is a natural exfoliate, cleansing the skin and is great as the main ingredient of a face mask. To this you can include:

– Oils like Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil or Almond Oil. These oils are great for dry skin adding moisture to the skin, especially Coconut Oil which is able to penetrate deep within the skin layers.

• Avocado’s – are another great base as masks for the face and hair, once mashed the natural oils within help nourish and moisturise dry skin or damaged hair.
• Egg Whites – these are great for those like me with oily skin, as when it dries it tightens drawing out all the dirt and impurities off the skin. Just whip up your egg whites add in some yoghurt to cleanse and nourish, you can also add some mashed strawberries which are great for counteracting oiliness. Another great ingredient for oily skin is clay; you can purchase this from many homeopathic stores, and is great for absorbing oils.
• Fresh Fruits are ideal for dealing with blemishes – Grapes, Plums, Strawberries the list is endless. Try boiling 5 – 6 plums (enough for 1 application), strain and leave to cool. Then add some Almond Oil and Rosewater to produce a yummy Blemish Facial Mask.
• Fresh Vegetables are fantastic for Refreshing the skin, especially during winter – Carrots, Cucumbers, Tomatoes… Just pop into a blender add an oil of your choice and voilà, a refreshing facial mask to perk up your skin.

Have fun making your own natural beauty products, mix and match ingredients till you find out what works best for you. Who knows you may come up with your own extraordinary creation, so let’s share our favourite homemade beauty products. xx