Beauty ingredients and their functions (A – B)

“A”

Alfalfa - helps to promote hair growth.

Aloe Vera - this fleshy leaved plant has a cooling effect on skin. Especially beneficial to hair and skin, it may be combined to form shampoos, creams and hair oils.

Almond - belongs to the nut family. It has high nutritious value. Promote healthy teeth, bones and skin. It is an excellent skin cleanser, softener and provide nourishment. Widely used in facial scrubs and face masks.

Almond oil - rich oil with softening and nourishing properties

Alum - a sulphate of potash and alumina. Used as a styptic.



Amla or Phylanthus Emblica - helps hair growth, prevent premature graying and controls dandruff. It has excellent 'darkening' properties.

Apple - a lovely, juicy fruit. It contains vitamin A, C, potassium and pectin. Improves texture of the skin and can be made into cider or vinegar.

Apricot - golden, peachy looking fruit with high nutritional value. It can be eaten fresh or dried. Apricot is used in peel off facial mask.

Avocados - high nutrition content; rich in vitamins, minerals, and oil. The greenish yellow pulp may be eaten. It is also used in face masks.

“B”

Butter milk -'the residue' after butter has been churned from cream.

Banana - herbaceous plant edible with nutritious value. It can be used in face masks.

Barley - the grain of barley i.e., pearl barley is rich in iron and phosphorous. Widely used to soothe and cool the body system. Also used in face masks and as a beauty drink.

Basil- Tulsi is an aromatic culinary plant with medicinal properties.

Beer - made from fermented malt barley, sugar, hops, yeast and water. It can be used to set the hair.

Beeswax - used in the preparation of face cream.

Bengal gram flour - has smoothening properties. It is used widely in face packs and complexion scrubs.

Benzoin - 'gum' from Eastern tree used in medicine and perfumery. When heated it yields benzoic acid.

Benzoic Acid - used as preservative in the preparation of cosmetic creams.

Bi carbonate of soda - used to whiten teeth.

Black berry - 'the bramble'. A scrub with fruits.

Borax - a softener for hard water and an antiseptic.

Boracic Acid - acts as an antiseptic and checks excessive perspiration. Boric is the shortened form of the word Boracic.

Bran - the 'husk' of wheat and other grains. It has been separated in milling from the flour. May be used in face masks for its nourishing cleansing and boosting properties.

Brewer's yeast - rich in vitamin B and protein. It is used in cleansing masks.

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Sun protecting Skincare

Sunrays have dual effect on our body. On one hand it elevates mood, protects our bone by improving bone density and may be protecting against some form of cancer; but on the other hand the UV rays lead to premature aging of our skin. So the use of sunscreen lotion is essential to protect our skin from the ill effects, while enjoying the benefits of sun rays.

Are all sunscreen products are safe?

Chemical UV light sponges when applied repeatedly to the wide areas of the skin, they are absorbed and these oestrogen like chemicals are fond in the breast milk and the urine. This is not desirable. Check for the ingredients while buying your products and avoid those with the following chemicals Benzophone, Azobenzone, PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid), PABA esters, cinnamates and nano particles of titanium oxide and zinc oxides.


Go for reputed brands, those use natural ingredients to protect sun rays.

Other things you should do to protect your skin from sun:

Sun-protection fruit blend

All the fruits in this smoothie are fantastic antioxidants and the pomegranate juice also helps protect the skin from damage caused by the sun.

• ½ mango
• ½ papaya
• slice of honeydew melon
• 1 nectarine
• 3 apricots
• 12 black grapes
• Small glass of pomegranate juice

Slice and collect the pulps of all, deseed the grapes. Place all the fruit slices and pulps into a blender and blend them until they are well blended. Pour the blend into a glass and top off with chilled pomegranate juice, stirring well to combine. Relish the drink fresh. Pomegranate juice has been shown to extend the SPF of a sunscreen by as much as 20 percent.

Some exposure to sun is beneficial

Expose your non sun blocked skin to early morning sunrays for 5 – 15 minutes three times a week. This will give you the natural dose of vitamin D you require.


Use hat judiciously

Protect your face and the Décolletage by wearing wide brimmed dark colored hat between 11 am to 4 pm routinely. This will prevent age related pigmentation.


Care after a sun bath

Skin may some times feel sore after a sun bath. This can be soothed by applying cider vinegar by cotton swabs.



Better don’t use sun beds

UV rays from sun beds may cause the breakdown of folic acid in the body. This B vitamin seems to protect against some later-life diseases, such as dementia and cardiovascular disease. Using sun beds may also worsen age related pigmentation problems.


Using self tanners

If you are using any self tanners ,better use any organic one.
Fake tan and tanning moisturizers have been associated with DNA damage because of their active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA).


Your snacks may help to protect you from the ill effect of sunrays


Food containing beta carotene, lutein, the antioxidants like Vitamin C protect the skin from sun damage. Rely on oranges, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin E in these foods also help to reduce the redness caused by the sun exposure.

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Daily skin care is required after 30!

Skin renews itself and repairs the damages in night. Before 30 you may not require special care but after 30 an intensive replenishing management is required to maintain youthfulness of the skin.

Basic principle of applying cream at night

Remember not use excess quantity of your night care products. Use only the quantity, which can be readily absorbed by the skin. Wipe away any excess quantity by tissue paper after 2 minutes.


Home made night care oil for your face

For cleansing use the home made cleanser for sensitive skin.

For making the night care product of your own use the following:

1 tsp each avocado and wheat germ oil
1 capsule evening primrose oil
4 drops essential oil of lavender
2 drops each essential oils of myrrh and frankincense
1 drop each essential oils of cypress


Pour all the ingredients in a dark glass bottle. Drop the essential oils into it. Shake well to mix. Store it in a cool and ark place. To apply, massage the oil on freshly cleansed damp skin.


Massage your feet to ensure good sleep

The relaxation and good sleep at night shows on the face in the morning. To ensure good sleep massage the feet with warm colorless sesame oil before reclining to bed.

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Defy your age by these simple steps:

What happens to the skin with age?

Age starts to show its effect on skin from 30s onward. It slowly loses its color and vibrancy and early signs of wrinkles and sagging sets in. Pores of the skin enlarges and capillaries break down around the nose and cheek. From 40s spots start coming on forehead, cheek, upper lip hands and legs. Sun exposure, stress, pollution, wrong food and life style selection all increase free radicals in the body and aging process start faster. Still we can do many things to maintain the vibrancy and radiance of youth to 40s – 50s and even more.

Let us see, what can be done to preserve youthfulness

Breathing and diet:

Breathing exercises by Yoga promote higher flow of oxygen to the skin and increase the tone. To fully utilize the workout of yoga take antioxidant food regularly in your meals. Rely on colored vegetables such as tomatoes, carrot, spinach, broccoli, plums, kale, blackberries etc. These foods have high Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity (ORAC). Add vitamins to your diet; in other words be vitamin conscious. The most important vitamins for your skin are A, C, and E. Deficiency in vitamin A results in flaking skin. Anti inflammatory action of vitamin C is essential for healing and regeneration of the skin cells and their plumping. Vitamin C act best along with its companion Vitamin E, which has a great immune stimulating action, encourage circulation to increase the radiance of the skin. When taken together, protection from hazardous rays of Sun is doubled. From now onwards look for Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) and Vitamin E ( Tocopherol or, Alphatocopherol) in the label of your food.

Don't forget water:

The more dry is the skin more chance of getting wrinkle faster. This can easily be prevented by ample intake of water at least 3 litres per day. This will flush out toxins, plump your skin, add gloss to your hair.

Understand the value of exercising:

Skins of the people, who exercise regularly heal more faster than their sedentary counterpart. Target at least 30 minutes free hand exercise every day to preserve the youthfulness.

Learn to use moisturizer:

Apply body oil or, moisturizer after bath or, shower, while your skin is still little wet. In that way you can seal the moistures in your body and protect yourself from the drying condition like wind or, air-conditioning.

Use fats judiciously:

It has been proved by researches that the skin of those people, whose skin age prematurely lack in essential fats, which moisturize the skin from inside, elevate mood and reduce inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acid should be abundant in your food. Sea fishes like Mackerel, Sardine, Flaxseed, avocados, olive oil and nuts are reach sources of it. You can add nut, seed or fruit oils to your body oils or moisturizer too to get maximum effects.

Avoid stress:

The effect of stress become clearly visible on your skin very fast as pimples, pale complexion, puffy eyes, and frown lines. Yoga, regular exercises and judicial food intake can relieve stress to a great extant. Positive attitude books, and tapes also help to boost your morale and shed stress.

Say no to smoking:

Skin of smokers above the age of 30 ages twice faster due to sun exposure than non smokers. Excessive productions of freeradicals are the primary reason for it. "Smoker's skin" is a distinct entity which denote a gray complexion, dilated pores, wrinkles and delay in healing. Smoking constricts thee blood vessels thereby reducing the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the skin, destroys the collagen and produces wrinkles fast.

Don't miss the chance of a beauty sleep:

Our body restores during sleep. Proper sleep is absolutely essential for regeneration and restoration of the damaged cells. Growth hormone spurt during sleep helps to renew our skin, hair, bones. The first evidence of lack of sleep is appeared below the eyes and ultimately ends up with a dull complexion.

Chose your skin products correct for your age:

Consult a beauty therapist to chose your product. A woman at age of 30 need different management and products than a woman nearing or after menopause. Judicial use of beauty products helps long way to preserve youthfulness for long time.

This article is republished in India Study Channel

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