Natural Beauty Inside Out
By now, most of you are already aware that you should be looking for a sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. However, until the new rating system for UVA protection comes into effect, we can’t tell for sure if the sunscreen we purchase really offers protection as it claims unless we examine the ingredient list. So what are the effective active ingredients in sunscreens that will protect us from both UVA and UVB rays?
I first came across emu oil when a DIY ingredient supplier suggested that I mix it with seabuckthorn oil for better skin penetration. Subsequently, Susan of True Beauty passed me a small bottle to dab on my acne because of its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. It did help to calm my angry inflammed acne to a certain extent but I found the healing slow until I used it in combination with tea tree oil and saw better results, proving that emu coil is indeed an effective trans-dermal carrier for other ingredients. In addition, I used it a few times on my face and quite like how my skin felt with this oil. So recently, I decided to purchase a full bottle from Garden of Wisdom through a spree.
A big thanks to all who participated in my poll last Friday to find out how many of you are into natural or organic skin care products. I received 103 responses – out of which 23% use only natural or organic skin care products, while 63% use natural or organic skin care products whenever possible and 14% are not into using such products at all. Some of you also commented that not all natural or organic skin care products are genuine and may still contain some undesirable ingredients. Others commented that natural and organic skin care products may not be entirely beneficial – something I’ve discussed in an earlier entry are organic and natural skin care products useless?
Image from Crystalwood Naturals
If you’re into natural and organic products, you are probably aware that they do not use synthetic preservatives like parabens or urea-derivatives. So how do such products maintain their integrity to prevent microbial growth and spoilage?
Essential oils
Essential oils such as tea tree oils, ecalyptus, lavender, lemon, rosemary, sage, sandalwood are commonly used. Usually, they are used in conjunction with other natural preservatives because the percentage required to adequately protect a product from microbial growth generally exceeds the recommendations for safe amounts of essential oils to use in skin care products.
Viva Woman is an established international beauty blog based in Singapore with a keen interest in organic skincare and holistic beauty, as well as a regular edition of fashion commentaries. Established in 2006, this blog has also been listed as one of the top 10 beauty blogs.
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