Natural Beauty Remedies

If you're not quite ready for Botox or dermabrasion or anything else so harsh, there are some natural remedies you can try for wrinkles and for taking care of your skin overall.

Each function and part of the body relies on specific chemicals to keep it active and healthy, and each part of the body needs different elements for it specifically. For instance, muscles are made up of mostly protein, and so anyone looking to build muscle needs to eat an adequate amount of protein.

Fiber is necessary for the digestive system, and fiber binds to food and makes it easier to digest and move through the intestines. Persons without an adequate amount of fiber in their diet will typically experience constipation, bloating, and other digestive problems.

So it is with our skin. There are certain elements that help keep it healthy and vital, and we'll discuss these here.

VITAMIN E OIL

Vitamin E oil is thought by many to be a magic trick for skin and a very important part of any skincare regimen. It's natural and good for the skin overall. Vitamin E is an essential part of skin's composition and keeps it moisturized and flexible. A lack of vitamin E in your system will result in dry skin, whereas an adequate amount will moisturize and hydrate your skin.

You can use vitamin E oil in caplet form by taking one every day, or you can use vitamin E oil directly on the skin. This oil is typically sold at any pharmacy in small jars; many people use a small makeup wedge or sponge to blot the oil on their face. You can even do this under your makeup, but is especially important at night.

Foods high in vitamin E include:

Wheat germ
Almonds
Sunflower seed
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Hazelnuts
Peanut butter
Peanuts
Corn oil
Spinach
Broccoli
Soybean oil
Kiwi
Mango
Spinach

Try increasing these foods in your diet to see if this does not help your skin.

WATER

There cannot be enough said about water and your skin's health overall. This hydration from the inside will help keep your skin soft and supple. A lack of water only means dry skin.

Think of your skin as being like a sponge. When the sponge is wet, it's soft and supple. When the sponge is dry, it's brittle.

Adding moisture from the outside is important, but probably not as important as being adequately hydrated from the inside. When you don't have enough water in your system, not only will the body keep from sending moisture to your skin but it may very well absorb some of the hydration on your skin for other vital organs. By depriving your body of adequate water supplies, you're just starving your skin.

If you can't really drink water throughout the day, try these tricks:

• Have a half a glass of water before every meal. Make it a part of eating, just as you would taking vitamin pills or other medication. Half a glass should be manageable enough for everyone.
• Keep water bottles in your refrigerator. Usually if they're cold enough they're more palatable.
• Try drink mixes such as Crystal Light or sugar-free Kool-Aid.
• Most fruit juices are very high in sugar content, so add just one cup of fruit juice to a gallon of water. This gives your water some taste while cutting down on the amount of sugar you would normally get.
• Try eating foods with more water in them. This includes water-based soups (not the creamy varieties) and chili.
• Fresh fruit is a great source of moisture and hydration. Those that are very juicy are going to be the ones with the most moisture content. Try:
• • watermelon
  • cantaloupe, musk melon
  • apples
  • oranges
  • berries of any variety, but especially blueberries and strawberries
  • tomatoes (yes, tomatoes are technically a fruit, not a vegetable)
  • onions
  • peppers
• Leafy green vegetables are also very good for adding hydration to your system. If you don't get enough leafy greens in your diet, here are some simple ways to add them:
• • Have a small salad with every dinner, regardless of what else you're eating. Even a few bites of lettuce with dressing helps.
  • Add some spinach to an omelet.
  • Make sure all your sandwiches have lettuce and tomato on them. You can also try spinach as well.
• Sometimes we avoid drinking water because it's not right in front of us. Have water bottles at your desk at work; keep one in the refrigerator so that you always have a cold bottle ready.

All of these remedies are good for adding hydration to your skin through your diet and by increasing your fluid intake overall. Whatever you need to do to add water to your diet, try it.

EXERCISE

We've already touched on why exercise is so important for your skin's health, but let's consider this again.

When you exercise, you are making your heart beat faster and therefore it pumps more blood to your entire system. Of course your blood is circulating all the time, but by exercising you are bringing fresh, warm blood to your entire body. This fresh blood is full of nutrients that your system needs, including your skin.

Blood also acts as a filter for impurities. The body has built-in "janitorial" work that it does, and the blood helps with this. Dead cells are washed away by the circulating blood, as are other agents such as free radicals. This fresh blood also means more white blood cells, which are the cells that fight disease and impurities.

When you exercise, your heart is also pumping harder; the blood pushes itself to the top of your skin layers unlike it does when you're at rest. You are therefore getting fresh blood, oxygen, nutrients, and hydration to every layer of your skin when you exercise.

You may notice your face and other areas of your skin turning red when you exercise; this is the result of that increased blood circulation and is a good sign. Of course you don't want to overexert yourself when you exercise, but when your face turns red like that during exercise it means your blood is doing its job.

Exercise also loosens your muscles and increases your breathing rate. These too allow oxygen to move more freely through your system and benefits your skin. When you lift weights or move around during exercise, you are helping your skin become more pliable and are keeping it elastic and flexible.

This increase in your breath rate also means more fresh oxygen in your system that is also being applied to your skin. This oxygen too is a necessary nutrient to your body and your skin, and also helps to rid your skin of impurities as well.

HOMEMADE MASKS

Making facial masks are a great way of trying natural remedies for your skin. Because they are typically made from ingredients you get right from your supermarket, they are easy enough for anyone and are usually very effective in adding moisture back into your face and reducing redness, breakouts, and so on.

The simplest mask might be a paste made from a little oatmeal or cornmeal and water. You rub this gently into your skin, allow it to dry, and then wash it off.

Here are some other simple recipes:

Mash together 1/2 of a banana with one tablespoon honey and two tablespoons sour cream. Apply this gently to the face - don't rub it in - and let it set for about 10 minutes. Wipe it gently with a damp cloth.

Combine half of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of yogurt and one teaspoon of honey in a blender. Mix until a paste. Apply to your face and let dry, then gently wipe with a damp cloth.

Avocado is great for the face and is the main ingredient in many salon or spa treatments. Made half of an avocado with a fork and apply it to your face. Let it set for about 20 minutes and then wipe off with a damp cloth.

Cucumber is another great ingredient for the face and is also used in many salon or spa treatments. You can puree 1/2 of a peeled cucumber in a blender with a tablespoon of yogurt or honey. Apply to the face and let it set for about 20 minutes and then wipe with a damp cloth.

The acidic properties in strawberries make them a great ingredient as well. You can add a handful of them minus the stems in a blender with a teaspoon of honey or yogurt. Apply to face and let set for about 15 minutes and then wipe with a damp cloth.

Mix 1-1/2 teaspoons of honey with a carton of plain yogurt and a teaspoon of lemon juice; add an egg and blend well. Apply this to your face and let set for about 15 minutes before wiping off with a damp cloth.

Homemade facials are not that hard to invest yourself. If your skin reacts well to honey, add it to some avocado or whatever your recipe. If the oatmeal scrub leaves you looking fresh and radiant, repeat this every few days. Remember that your skin is unique to you and will react to different treatments, so don't hesitate to try some new things.

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