Even if you've resolved to grow old gracefully, there's no reason not to use the best products possible to take care of your skin.

Developing an anti aging organic skin care regimen is an important way to appear more vital and youthful. In this article, we'll present some information about all natural skin care products for women in the UK who are interested in protecting and preserving the youthful vigor of their skin. Oxygen is a Key Ingredient Just as we need oxygen to breathe, the skin needs oxygen to stay clear and pure. Oxygen is thought to accelerate skin regeneration and decrease the rate at which skin loses the important components elastin and collagen. Oxygen also has anti-inflammatory effects, helping to calm and heal the skin. The best oxygen-containing skin care products are often handmade, and, because they do not contain preservatives, need to be refrigerated. Oxygen works to increase collagen density and skin firmness. Organic skin care products containing oxygen should also have a neutral pH that will not upset the skin's pH balance and cause irritation. Royal Jelly is Another Ingredient to Consider Royal jelly is an organic beauty product derived from bees. It has a creamy texture and strong antibacterial properties, so it functions as a skin protector. Royal jelly also has skin-soothing qualities and is sometimes used to relieve skin conditions like atopic dermatitis. In addition, it promotes collagen production and has a normal-range pH of about 3.5 to about 4.0, making it slightly acidic but still compatible with human skin. 

Finally, royal jelly is an anti-viral and anti-fungal agent Bella Gold Serum and is thought to help damaged skin cells rejuvenate. Aloe Vera is Also A Highly Desirable Ingredient in Organic Beauty Products Aloe vera is a plant that has been known since ancient times for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It works by increasing blood flow to speed healing. Aloe vera reduces the chance of infection and helps protect the skin from exposure to ultra-violet radiation. It's also an excellent treatment for frostbite, psoriasis, burns, sunburn, abrasions, skin lesions, insect bites and stings and hives. Aloe vera is a powerful addition to organic anti aging skin care products. It's amazing how many effective and beneficial anti aging organic skin care products are available in the UK. Why use chemically based formulations when organic products are equally valuable and widely available? Does Natural in Skin Care naturally mean Good? Although Webster defines "natural" as "not artificial, synthetic, [or] acquired by external means," it is the rare cosmetic ingredient that fits that description. Even water used in cosmetics is generally distilled, demonized, or otherwise purified. All along the continuum of "natural" products, choices have been made to emulsify, stabilize and preserve--to make the products smooth and creamy, keep them fresh, and give them an acceptable shelf life. 

Even if consumers want products that need to be refrigerated, distributors and retailers will not order them because of the added costs of shipping, storing and greater liability. A growing number of consumers who seek that kind of freshness have been firing up their blenders and following recipes for homemade treatments. Even these, however, call for essential oils, alcohol, glycerin, lanolin, etc., which are a long way from their natural origins. As reported in Strong Voices, the newsletter of the Breast Cancer Fund, "Approximately one-third of cosmetics and body care companies position their products as natural in one way or another . . . But, as you might expect, some companies are more natural than others" (Volume 7, Summer 2005). Most people who seek out "natural" products are looking for ingredients whose sources they recognize, and that is why many companies now list the source along with the scientific name of the ingredient, as in sodium laurel sulfate (from coconut), or lanolin (from wool). Turpentine comes from pine trees. My grandmother, born in 1901, swore that turpentine helped her arthritic hands, and she may have rubbed them with lard (from bacon) afterwards to keep them as soft as I remember. Perhaps lard and turpentine are "natural," but are they good for the skin, and along with that, what is the definition of "good?" Again, there are no simple answers. If you have found this article through the Eco-Mall, it is safe to assume that you seek out skin care that: (1) is friendly to the environment ("eco-friendly"); (2) does no harm to animals (commonly referred to as "cruelty-free"); and (3) does no harm to the human body and ideally does good (is "body-friendly"). 

Let us examine "natural" skin care in light of each of these issues. Eco-Friendly An issue rarely addressed by the cosmetic industry is whether products are environmentally friendly. The LA Times2[2] has reported that consumer products, including cosmetics, pump 100 tons of pollutants daily into southern California's air, second only to auto emissions. These pollutants come not just from the propellants in sprays and aerosols, but also from fluorocarbons, ethanol, butane, acetone, phenols and xylene. Here's how it works: These chemicals evaporate, and when the sun shines they combine with other pollutants to form ozone, a primary component of smog that can cause headaches, chest pain and loss of lung function. This happens outdoors and indoors, which can severely compromise the air quality in our homes and offices. There is a class of chemicals called PPCPs (pharmaceutical and personal care products) that until recently have received relatively little attention as potential environmental pollutants. PPCPs comprise all drugs (prescription and over-the-counter), diagnostic agents (e.g., X-ray contrast media), nutraceuticals, and other chemicals, including fragrances, sunscreen agents, and skin anti-aging preparations. When phthalates, for example, get into rivers and lakes, they are known to affect the reproduction of aquatic species; and musk fragrances are known to bio accumulate.3[3] Skincare products may contain botanical ingredients grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are not friendly to the environment, and some may use genetically modified plants in their botanical ingredients. 

Cruelty-Free "Cruelty-free" is generally understood to mean that the products are not tested on animals; sometimes also that there are no animal-derived ingredients in the products. Taken literally, this would imply the absence of lanolin (from wool), beeswax or honey, dairy products, etc. Some labels specifically state there are no animal ingredients. Body-Friendly We suggest four criteria for evaluating "body-friendly" skin care products: • Toxicity • Occlusiveness • Comedogenicity • Effectiveness 1.Toxicity In our July article we discussed several ingredients which we prefer to avoid in skin care products. To recap, we listed mineral oils, petrolatum, propylene glycol, parabens, phthalates, SLS and SLES. We also called sunscreens into question. Toxicity (to humans) of skin care ingredients may be divided into three distinct categories:4[4] a. Carcinogenic, referring to ingredients contributing to cancer b. Endocrine-disrupting, which refers to chemicals that disturb the body's hormonal balance, and may interfere with its ability to grow, develop, or function normally. Endocrine disruptors may also be carcinogenic. c. Allergenic, irritating or sensitizing, meaning consumers may have allergic reactions or contact dermatitis (itching, redness, rash, etc.). Individuals with multiple chemical sensitivities may become very ill when exposed to certain of these chemicals. There are many "natural" skincare companies who include parabens, SLES, and other of these ingredients in their products. A general note about preservatives: By their very nature preservatives are toxic. They must be toxic to bacteria, molds and yeast to keep the products from spoiling. 

Another preservative that is gaining use as an alternative to parabens is diazolidinyl urea. This preservative has not been banned from use in Europe, although some authors claim it is carcinogenic because it is a formaldehyde donor. Although formaldehyde is a chemical which occurs naturally in the human body, formaldehyde in the gaseous state is a known carcinogen. From all studies we have read, diazolidinyl urea, when it forms formaldehyde, does not form formaldehyde gas. Nonetheless, when used in high enough concentrations, or even in low concentrations by persons who are especially sensitive to it, diazolidinyl urea-along with almost every other preservative-has been shown to cause contact dermatitis. There are also "natural" products who claim to use no preservative. Most of these contain grapefruit--or other citrus--seed oil extract. As mentioned in Part I of this series, cosmetic chemists I have spoken to insist that these citrus seeds would turn rancid if they were not sprayed with preservative; that that preservative is concentrated in the oil when it is extracted; that this preservative in the extract is what is actually preserving the skincare product; and that the preservative used is generally a paraben. There are also skincare products that are sold in sealed containers with airless pumps or sprayers. 

Although it can add significantly to the cost of a product, this type of packaging and delivery is highly desirable, as it keeps air and airborne contaminants out of the product and makes it possible to significantly decrease or even eliminate the use of preservative. Of the large list of possible cosmetic ingredients, a relative few individually pose high risk, but many people use an array of products every day. It may be that these risks are adding up, or that single ingredients react with others to create toxic combinations, known as synergistic toxicity. 2.Occlusivity The skin is the body's largest organ. The lungs breathe, and so does the skin, so to speak: The "breathing" skin provides an exit for toxins and chemicals--respiration in the form of perspiration. Lotions and salves that occlude this exit may initially soften the skin by keeping moisture from escaping, but may actually inhibit the overall health of the individual, besides weighing down the skin and causing it to sag and age.