People across the world spend millions to keep their skin and hair in good condition and hoping to prevent having to go “under the knife” eventually. The beauty industry is a multibillion-dollar business, and most of the products are not your typical home ingredients, but commercial products, packed with chemical ingredients; some of which can often cause allergies and damage to your hair and skin. Look at the toxic sounding chemical names found in beauty products:
- Methyl, Butyl, Propyl, Ethyl Paraben
- Propylene Glycol
- Synthetic colors
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Synthetic Colors
- Synthetic fragrances
- Triethanolamine
- Diethanolamine
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- Behentrimonium Chloride, and more.
Scary! These toxins and chemicals in commercial beauty products can do plenty of harm. But were you aware that there are natural ingredients you probably have at home that should not be scorned at or under-estimated? Some of these products listed below have the capacity to make your skin and hair glow and shine with health from inside and out:
- Olive oil
- Almonds
- Avocado
- Green Tea
- Honey
- Oatmeal
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lemons
Olive Oil
Olive oil is not only a wonderful oil to consume and cook with, but it is an ancient ingredient often being used because of its beautifying abilities. Not only does your hair benefit, but your skin and nails, too. Olive oil has monounsaturated fatty acids to protect your skin from sun damage. If you want to enhance your hair and skin and your overall health, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day to your diet – period.
Avocados
It makes no difference whether it’s the fruit, the seed or the oil, avocados need to form part of your beauty routine – especially if you have dry skin. When you eat half an avocado every day when in season, you are protecting your skin. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology did a study in 2012. The report found that when avocado is eaten often, it bolsters the cells which protects them against harmful free radicals.
Green Tea
There are many health and beauty benefits when it comes to green tea. First of all, it has plenty of antioxidants that helps to prevent free-radicals from harming your skin caused by sun damage. This, in turn, helps to fight against the occurrence of skin cancer. Use this fantastic face mask a couple of times a week to hold back time and keep your skin healthy:
Mix 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon grounded green tea tea leaves and a touch of turmeric powder. Smooth this over your face and neck, allowing to stay on for about 20 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm.
Lemons
It’s amazing just how many beauty secrets lemons have. Full of vitamin C and brimming with antioxidants to prevent free-radical damage, lemons have the ability to boost collagen production in your skin, restoring elasticity. For your hair, lemons are known to combat itchy scalp and dandruff, balancing the PH levels of your scalp and supporting beautiful hair growth.
Just take 2 lemons, adding the juice to a cup of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with this, and then 5 minutes later, with clear water. Do this about twice a week for soft shimmering hair.
Coconut Oil
There are lots of nutrients found in this oil that support hair health, skin and nail health – general overall health. Coconut oil has plenty of moisture in it, protecting your skin from sun damage, reducing inflammation and revitalizing your skin. The oil penetrates deep into your hair, helping with its growth, gloss, and health. And for hair that has been chemically treated, coconut oil is sheer healing because of its hydrophobicity properties.
For your skin, smooth soothing coconut oil all over the body, waiting about 30 minutes before taking a shower, and then apply a light layer of coconut oil on your skin afterwards. If you do this daily, your skin will be nourished and supple.
Honey
Honey is the natural beautifier, healer, and tonic for the body. Composed mainly of glucose and fructose, there are amazing proteins, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and plenty to offer to keep your skin and hair in peak condition. Recent studies from the journals of Cosmetic Dermatology compliment honey saying how it has emollients and humectants in it to soothe and condition the hair, let alone keeping the skin young and wrinkle-free.
Raw organic honey even improves seborrhea dermatitis of the hair, preventing hair loss when applied on a weekly basis. For hair loss, take 2 tablespoons each of onion juice and honey and massage into your scalp, allowing it to stay on the scalp for about 30 minutes. Then shampoo as usual. For your skin, mix the same amounts of fresh lemon and honey and apply to your face and neck, allowing it to dry naturally before rinsing.
Oats
Here’s a great skin and hair mask:
Oatmeal and Almond Oil Mask
- ½-cup oats
- 1-2 tablespoons almond oil
- ¼ -½ cup milk
Mix all ingredients well, ensuring hair is detangled. Apply from your roots to your tips, leaving on for about 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal. Oats help to exfoliate the skin, getting rid of dead skin cells, and even dandruff, itching and combatting hair loss. As for your skin, it helps to reduce acne, soaking away the oil. It is also superb as a scrub for the skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar helps to treat dandruff on the scalp because the acidity makes it difficult for dandruff producing fungus to develop on the scalp. All you have to do is mix the same parts of water and apple cider vinegar adding to a spray bottle. After shampooing your hair, spray over your scalp leaving for about 15 minutes before rinsing. Do this twice a week to see amazing results. If your hair is thinning and you experience hair loss, spray ACV over the scalp, because it balances the PH balance of your scalp.
Conclusion
Seeing as our skin is our body’s largest organ and since our hair is our crowning glory, it makes sense that we should give them the best in attention and care. A lot of us are health conscious and are becoming more and more aware of what we put into and on our bodies. This same attitude needs to be heeded when we look for products to take care of our hair and skin.
The face creams, the body lotions and potions for our skin and hair are absorbed by our skin and our scalps – surely you don’t want to punish your body with toxic stuff? Consider going healthier with natural products – you will look and feel great and, well – healthy.
Remember that your hair and skin is really 90% of your selfie! And, both hair and skin are what you wear for the rest of your life!
