Natural Organic Skin Care
It's an Inside Job
When discussions about natural organic skin care come up, you'll often hear people say, "The key is to drink a lot of water."
Yes, drinking lots of water does help your skin, but the truth is that if you are a big meat and dairy consumer, you could chug-a-lug the entire contents of Lake Michigan and your skin would still look like hell.
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The bottom line is that when it comes to your skin, what you put in your body outweighs what you put on it. And the more natural and organic stuff you put on the inside, the more gorgeous you (specifically your skin) will look on the outside.
The S.A.D. is Killing Skin
The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is aging us on the inside and the outside. Meat and dairy are loaded with proteins, but they actually are not in any form the body can immediately use. In order to digest animal proteins, the body must first break them down into their component amino acids, and then rebuild them into proteins it can use.
This takes lots of extra effort and energy, (most of us don't have the time to lie around on the savanna all day) which over time wears the tissues of the body down. The effects of this wear and tear are visible on the skin and show up as wrinkles, blotches, pimples, and unhealthy color.
Moreover, this process of breaking down and rebuilding is not particularly efficient, which means that all the animal protein that is digested is not actually being absorbed and the tissues of the body - including the skin - are not getting what they need.
It Starts from the Inside Out
Basically, all the moisturizer in the world is not going to do you much good if you're filling your body with garbage. That's why people who eat lots more vegetables and fruits and avoid meat, dairy, sugar and empty carbs, tend to have better looking skin.
Here's the deal: Plant-based foods are truly the best form of natural organic skin care. They are loaded with the amino acid building blocks the body needs - in exactly the right form - to create proteins. And proteins, four of them in particular, are what skin needs to look young and vibrant.
The Major Players
So natural organic skin care really means giving the body the proteins it needs in their most optimal forms. There are four major proteins in your skin that affect its health and appearance:
- Collagen - Collagen helps to strengthen and tone skin tissue. This protein makes up about 25% of the proteins in the body and works with Keratin to keep skin supple and resilient. Degredation of collagen in the skin causes wrinkles.
- Keratin - Like Collagen, Keratin gives skin its strength and suppleness and prevents it from sagging. Decreased levels of Keratin cause the skin to look aged and less firm.
- Elastin - This protein gives skin its elastic quality and allows it stretch and then to return to its normal shape. Low levels of elastin cause the skin to look less toned and wrinkles become more prominent.
- Hyaluronic Acid - This protein may be said to be a double-edged sword - and I'm not just talking about its pronuciation. Although it is responsible for cell growth and renewal, which keeps skin looking young, it can be easily degraded by things like Ultraviolet rays, which can damage skin and make it look older. This is the one that really takes a hit when you spend too much time in the sun.
Natural Skin Care Guidelines
To keep these proteins at optimum levels in the skin, just follow a few simple guidelines:
- Drink plenty of water - 8 glasses per day
- Avoid animal products and sugar
- Eat plenty of green vegetables, preferably leafy and raw!
- Take steps to decrease stress
- Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night
- Follow a regular exercise regimen
- Do not smoke
- Stay out of the direct sun between 10 am and 4 pm.
- Avoid putting anything on your skin that is tainted with chemicals
- Follow a basic cleansing and moisturizing regimen with natural organic skin care products
The Best Natural and Organic Skin Care Products
Lavera
Lavera is now celebrating their 22nd year in business. Their natural organic skin care products are popular with many vegan and health-conscious celebrities, and they have been highly recommended in the New York Times Bestseller, Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. Their Faces skin care line is all organic, as is their "Trend" line of organic makeup. they have a dedicated line of organic anti aging skin care products, and one of the great things about their site is that they have a page that lists all their vegan products with easy access links.
Click here for product information and reviews
Green Organics
Based in Australia, Green Organics is dedicated to promoting natural organic skin care products that are chemical-free, cruelty-free, and use eco-friendly packaging. Green Organics uses manufacturers whose product development processes are nature-friendly - this company is certified by 12 different accreditation organizations for organic and carbon-neutral products. Green Organics stipulates that the only non-vegan ingredient used in some of its products, is natural beeswax, but they assure their customers that no bees are harmed during the collection process.
Click here for product information and reviews
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