Benefits of Natural Ingredients

Once you know what works for your skin, you can make a new beauty product in seconds.Because a home-mixed product is less expensive, you should not feel guilty when using it often and on areas in need, like hands, neck, and decollete, which age even faster than the face.
If you try to combine more than three or four active ingredients, you may end up with a product that doesn’t blend well, separate after just three days. All your efforts go directly down the drain!
According to Dr. Sivak, a cream with added actives will last as long as the shelf life of the starting cream If you add more than three active ingredients, limit the shelf life to six months. Make sure you use good-quality actives. If a botanical extract was not prepared properly, it can add a large load of bacteria and mold to the cream, and no amount of preservatives will be enough to cope with that.

A Few Words of Caution
Just as you can suffer adverse reactions to conventional cosmetics, natural, homemade lotions and potions can also trigger sensitivity. Avocado oil, essential oils, glycerin, lanolin, a simple tincture of benzoin, sweet almond oil, and wheat germ oil have all been known to cause irritation in some people. Be aware that when you are under stress, your skin may be more sensitive than usual.
With many active ingredients, it’s important to use the exact amounts as specified by the manufacturer.
Make sure you use ingredients that are fresh, and, of course, organic whenever possible. As a rule of thumb, discard any ingredient or carrier that has developed an odd smell, discoloration, or has become foggy and uneven in texture.

Almond (Sweet) (Prunus amygdalus dulcis)

Sweet almond oil is used in moisturizers, hair conditioners, and body oils for its great emollient properties. A green beauty mainstay, sweet almond oil is prized for its high content of fatty acids that appear to be close to skin’s own sebum Almond meal makes a very gentle skin exfoliant rich in minerals and vitamins. Sweet almond oil is commonly available in health stores and online. Beware of bitter almond oil, which has a disputable safety record.

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloe has been used as a first aid remedy for wounds, irritations, skin infections, and burns since the era of ancient Egypt. Cleopatra used aloe as a skin rejuvenator. Aloe is rich in polysaccharides, galactose, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, and even natural antibiotics. You can buy aloe juice or extract in health food stores, or you can grow aloe plants at home and squeeze the juice to use in your beauty preparations.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Alpha-lipoic acid is also known as lipoic acid. This naturally occurring substance works as a potent antioxidant that stimulates cellular metabolism and protects cells against the destructive effects of free radicals. When taken internally, lipoic acid is effective against liver disorders and diabetic neuropathy. Recently, Thai biomedics found that alpha-lipoic acid could stave off skin cancer by
decreasing skin inflammation Earlier studies showed that alpha-lipoic acid could increase cellular energy, decrease UV-induced damage to skin, and even neutralize heavy metals (Ho et al. 2007).

As a cosmetic ingredient, alpha-lipoic acid is both versatile and economical. It can be added to toners, moisturizers, and sunscreens. It is available in health food stores in capsules and online as a fine yellowish powder. It can be dissolved in most base products in the following proportion: 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid to 1 ounce of base product, keeping the concentration of alpha-lipoic acid in your preparation under 3 percent. Please note that it may not dissolve easily, so start slowly and blend thoroughly. As with any acid, ALA can sting when applied topically, so if your skin is on the sensitive side, always perform a patch test. Start with a lower concentration of ALA and build it up as you become handy in mixing your DIY products.

Apple (Pyrus malus)

This popular fruit is used in cosmetics in the form of juice or concentrated extract that is a source of alpha hydroxy acid. Apple juice is used in exfoliating peels and masks. Apple juice contains the phenolic compounds quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B-2, which may be cancer-protective, as it has demonstrated powerful antioxidant activity.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

Apricot kernel is rich in oil that is believed to have anticarcinogenic properties. In the seventeenth century, apricot oil was used in England against tumors and ulcers, and Laetrile, an alleged alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. Crushed apricot kernel is commonly used in face and body scrubs.

Arbutin

This glycoside, which is similar to hydroquinone, prevents the formation of melanin and is used as a skin-lightening agent. Arbutin is extracted from bearberry plants, and it is also found in wheat and pear skins. In November 2007, Korean scientists found that a new arbutin compound, arbutin-beta-glycosides, synthesized from bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana, inhibits melanin production in melanoma skin cancer cells by up to 70 percent (Jun et al. 2007). However, since arbutin is very similar to hydroquinone, it may pose the same carcinogenic risks. German microbiologists found that intestinal bacteria can transform arbutin into hydroquinone, which may promote the formation of intestinal cancer (Blaut et al. 2006). Until science knows more, it may be advisable to use arbutin-containing compounds with caution.

Avocado (Persea americana)

This tropical fruit contains more fatty alcohols than any other fruit known to man Avocados are rich in potassium and vitamins B, E, and K. Avocado oil is a highly effective emollient and can be used in many cosmetic products and home recipes.

Azelaic Acid

This acid is found naturally in wheat, rye, barley, and Malassezia furfur (also known as Pityrosporum ovale), yeast that lives on normal skin. Azelaic acid is effective against acne when applied topically in a cream formulation of up to 20 percent. “Azelaic acid 15 percent gel represents a new therapeutic option for the treatment of acne vulgaris,” wrote acne expert Dr. Diane Thiboutot, professor of dermatology at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, in her 2008 study on this exciting new green beauty ingredient, adding that “most physicians (81.9 percent) described an improvement in patients’ symptoms after an average of 34.6 days” (Thiboutot 2008). Another important benefit of this plant-derived acid is its activity against excessive pigmentation, including melasma and post-acne brown marks. As if it weren’t enough, azelaic acid wards off free radicals, reduces inflammation, appears to be virtually nontoxic, and is well tolerated by most complexions.Green Beauty Recipes