Herbal Skin Care Basics

Centuries ago, herbal skin care was pretty much the only way to take care of skin. These days, herbal skin care routines have been replaced by synthetic and chemical-based skin care routines. Skin care products range from basic moisturizers and cleansers to specialized products that promise to reduce wrinkles, diminish fine lines, and revitalize your skin to give you a more youthful appearance. The question is how safe are all these chemicals we put into and onto our bodies every day and what can we do?

Although the thought of making your own herbal skin care products at home is nice, many people just don't have the time or knowledge it takes to make their own skin care products. Because of this, the commercial market for herbal skin care products is on the rise. You have to ask yourself, however, are these products really completely natural? In many cases, the answer is no, since many products contain some sort of chemicals anyway.

When you use products like lotions, creams, and cosmetics on your skin, the ingredients are absorbed into your body. This is why doctors use patches for things like Nicotine withdrawal, pain medication, and even birth control. By using herbal natural skin care products, you can reduce the amount of chemicals you put into your body.

Natural ingredients are known for their cleansing properties, antiseptic characteristics, and moisturizing abilities. Things like aloe, chamomile, and rosemary, are known to be good cleansers. Lavender, thyme, and fennel are great antiseptics and toners. Tea tree oil, beeswax, and cocoa butter are widely-known as moisturizers.

Aloe-containing creams, gels, and ointments are good for minor burns, sunburn, cuts, abrasions, wounds, and frostbite. Aloe is also found in many shampoos, soaps, sunscreens, skin creams and other cosmetics that are used to soothe, heal, protect, and moisturize the skin. Aloe Vera lotions are widely used for cleansing the skin. Many of the skin care products containing aloe vera are also fortified with Vitamin E and collagen to help maintain skin elasticity and lock in moisture.

Chamomile is an ideal ingredient for treating acne, irritation, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, hypersensitive skin and allergic conditions. Chamomile oil has also great wound healing properties. Using chamomile helps to reduce puffiness, cleanse pores of impurities, and helps reduce redness of the skin.

Rosemary oil helps cleanse and rejuvenate oily and dull skin. Popular in anti-aging creams, it has excellent toning effects on loose, sagging skin, and helps increase blood flow which in turn promotes healthy skin function. It helps to relieve puffiness and swelling, and promotes a glowing, youthful looking complexion.

Lavender helps the skin heal itself, stimulates cell growth, reduces inflammation, prevents scarring and helps balance oil production. It exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, bactericide and anti-inflammatory properties which makes it ideal for use in products that treat skin problems like acne, eczema, minor infections, oily skin, boils, burns, sunburn, wounds and psoriasis. Lavender also makes a great toner.

Thyme is considered to be a great antioxidant,astringent and a beneficial ingredient for improving skin tone. It's also a powerful antifungal and antiviral used to help keep skin free from fungi and viruses.

Fennel oil is used for soothing, cleansing and toning the skin, while at the same time improving circulation and fighting water retention and puffiness.

Rose extract and rose oil are great for promoting a youthful complexion with good tone, elasticity and an even color.

Tea tree oil can be used to fight and clear up acne, skin lesions and blemishes, cold sores, athlete's foot, sunburn, fungal nail infections and infected wounds, and at the same time it soothes the irritated and inflamed skin.

Witch hazel helps with controlling water loss, is a good astringent, an antioxidant, and helps reduce skin redness.

Avocado oil is easily absorbed by the skin and is used as an emollient. Its hydrating properties make it ideal for dry, dehydrated or aged skin. Avocado oil is also used to relieve the dryness and itching of psoriasis and eczema.

Beeswax is a thickening agent, emulsifier, and humectant. It has wonderfully emollient, soothing and softening properties and helps the skin retain moisture.

Cocoa butter is a rich emollient which is great for nourishing very dry and dehydrated skin.

Green tea is an antioxidant that helps prevents free radical damage, skin tumors and cancers. Green tea has been tauted as an effective anti-aging ingredient, anti-inflammatory agent, and helps fight collagen breakdown, which helps you maintain firm and elastic skin.

Herbal skin care products have many uses, as you can see. Whether it's skin basic skin care or treatment of skin problems like, acne, eczema and psoriasis there is an ingredient in nature that will help. Most herbal skin care products have no side effects, which makes them a better choice than synthetic products. Additionally, with a little time and effort, they can easily be made at home, which will save you money. You should keep in mind, however, that in some cases, some skin orders might need to be treated with clinically proven non-herbal skin care products.

Denise Villani is an author and the webmaster of several websites and article directories. Find more articles and information on investing by visiting skincarestuff.info SkinCareStuff.info.