Even the best-reviewed and most popular body and skin care products often have significant amounts of harmful toxins, chemicals, artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives and stabilizers. These can easily be absorbed through the skin’s pores and cause a range of negative long-term health effects.
Is using such mass-produced, chemical-laden products worth the risk of developing health issues such as hormonal problems, irregular periods, infertility, allergies, and even cancer.
Especially when there is an alternative?
Women all over the world have been using natural skin care products for centuries…perhaps each of us should start using them also.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate natural ingredients as part of your body care and skincare regimens.
More and more OTBC (over-the-beauty-counter) products are being added to brand lines regularly….a great plus for those of us without the initiative, time, and money to make every single item in their house from scratch.
When shopping for OTBC products, follow the same rules that you would follow for a healthy diet…hunt for unprocessed ingredients, without any harsh chemicals or anything artificial. Basically, the closer a given product is to actual nature, the better that natural skin product will improve your skin’s health and appearance, help your body absorb antioxidants, enhance your skin’s UV resistance, and stimulate your immune system.
The following is a list of unprocessed, whole-food ingredients often found or included in natural beauty products. Many of these ingredients are already in your own kitchen, so I have included a link to a recipe for each ingredient on the list also.
1 Almond Oil…
- Great for…used to naturally treat skin rashes, acne, and dryness… anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties…great carrier oil for essential oils because it blends easily with many different smell
- Recipe…Natural Moisturizing Almond Body Wash from Blooming in Bedlam
2. Almonds
- Contain…an abundance of proteins and vitamins
- Great for... hydrating, softening, and gently exfoliating even the most sensitive skin
- Recipe…Honey Almond Facial Scrub—Rubies and Radishes
3. Aloe Vera
- Contains…more than 75 potentially active ingredients including anti-inflammatories, vitamins, and minerals
- Great for...treating sunburns, skin diseases, infections, fungal diseases, wounds, burns, frostbite, psoriasis, cold sores, inflammation, redness, and itching
- Recipe…Soothing Body Butter with Aloe Vera–Modern Hippie
4. Apples
- Contain…malic acid
- Great for...exfoliating
- Recipe…Apple Pie Body Scrub–She Knows
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
- Great for…helping clear skin problems such as acne
- Recipe…Apple Cider Vinegar Scrub for Rejuvenated Skin–IMBB
6. Argan Oil
- Contains…vitamin A and vitamin E, various antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids, and linoleic acid
- Great for…moisturizing skin, boosting the shine and health of your hair, and helping to heal skin irritations such as acne, bug bites, eczema, and psoriasis
- Recipe…Organic ARGAN Oil Scrub–Feelgood Style
7. Avocado
- Contains…vitamins A, D and E
- Great for...sunburns, age spots
- Recipe…Avocado Body Scrub–Bold Sky
8. Baking Soda
- Great for…using for deodorant and bath soak…brushing teeth…exfoliating
- Recipe… Homemade Baking Soda Scrub–The Homemade Experiment
9. Citrus
- Contains…AHA
- Great for…exfoliating
- Recipe…Citrus Salt Body Scrub–Paula Deen
10. Coconut Oil
- Contains…antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant properties
- Great for…strengthening underlying epidermal tissue, exfoliating, preventing sunburn, cleansing, moisturizing, removing makeup, healing wounds or scars quicker, and preventing razor burn
- Recipe…Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub–New Leaf Wellness
11. Coffee
- Contains…caffeine, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties
- Great for…exfolianting, decreasing puffiness around the eyes, eliminating debris and excessive oils from the face, repairing damage caused by the environment and pollution
- Recipe…Coffee Body Scrub with Coconut Oil–The Coconut Mama
12. Gram flour
- Great for…exfoliating, banishing age spots, and evening out the complexion
- Recipe…Gram Flour Body Scrub–DesiViva
13. Honey
- Contains…18 amino acids with antiseptic and antibiotic properties…also rich in vitamins and mineral, nutrients, enzymes, and skin-boosting acids
- Great for… moisturizing your skin, reducing breakouts, fighting skin allergies and rashes…and healing bacterial infections, dandruff, diaper dermatitis, psoriasis, wounds, and more
- Recipe…Brown Sugar Honey Body Scrub–Simply Shellie
14. Jojoba Oil
- Contains…polyunsaturated wax
- Great for…burns, sunburns, chapped skin, sores, scars, dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, and wrinkles
- Recipe…Homemade Body Scrub–Dr. Axe
15. Lemon Juice
- Contains…Vitamin C and alpha hydroxy acid
- Great for…exfoliating, cleansing the skin, and curing acne
- Recipe… Lemon Sugar Scrub–To Simply Inspire
16. Milk
- Contains…lactic acid
- Great for…exfoliating, draining out the impurities from your skin, rejuvenating skin cells, and providing a natural glow to your skin
- Recipe…Milk and Sugar Body Scrub–DIY Beauty Diva
17. Oatmeal
- Great for…exfoliating sensitive skin
- Recipe…Sugar and Oats Body Scrub–Curious Nut
18. Olive Oil
- Great for…dry skin
- Recipe…Sea Salt and Olive Oil Body Scrub–Simply Stacie
19. Pineapple
- Contains…vitamins and enzymes
- Great for…loosening the dead cells, removing the substances that clog pores on the skin, softens wrinkles and revealing fresher, younger, healthy-looking skin
- Recipe…Pineapple Sugar Scrub–Style Me Pretty
20. Rice
- Contains…antioxidant, exfoliating, emollient and anti-inflammatory properties
- Great for…exfoliating oily or sensitive skin, opening skin pores, absorbing excessive oil, cleansing, and moisturizing
- Recipe… Grounded Rice Body Scrub–Viva Woman
21. Salt
- Contains…trace elements and minerals such as sodium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and calcium
- Great for…exfoliating and moisturizing
- Recipe…Salt Scrub–Trip Savvy
22. Sea Salt…
- Contains…tons of minerals and nutrients like magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium
- Great for…exfoliating the rougher parts of your body, such as elbows and feet…and helping to balance, protect and restore the skin
- Recipe…Salt Scrubs–Tree Hugger
23. Shea Butter
- Great for…moisturizing dry skin…reducing flaking, redness or peeling
- Recipe…Moisturizing Body Scrub–A Delightful Home
24. Sugar
- Contains…glycolic acid
- Great for…exfoliating, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles
- Recipe…
- Source…
25. Tea Tree Oil
- Contains…essential oils from approximately 230 different plant species
- Great for…acne, breakouts, redness and inflammation on the skin.
- Recipe…
- Source…
26. Yogurt.
- Contains…alpha hydroxy acid
- Great for…exfoliating
- Recipe…
- Source…
