Organic Skin Care Products Sierra Vista AZ

The Beauty Pantry

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By Hillari Dowdle

It’s getting easier every day to find clean and green skin- and haircare products as more and more brands introduce sophisticated formulations that feature the best of nature’s bounty with minimal chemical residue. You can now go organic with virtually anything you choose to spray on, rub in, or lather up with.

Unfortunately, the price of these products continues to climb, forcing many a cost-conscious girl to become highly selective in her choice of lotions and potions. But being frugal needn’t compromise your beauty regimen, says Renee Loux, eco-beauty expert and author of Easy Green Living (Rodale, 2008). These products are nice she says; they can even be amazing. But gorgeous skin and lustrous hair don’t necessarily carry a high price tag. “You can do a lot at home to transform your skin,” says Loux, “simply by using the things you have on hand in the kitchen.”

As an “eco-advisor,” Loux helps companies and spas go green, and she well knows what constitutes good natural skincare. “The highest quality ingredients in any organic line are always labeled ‘food-grade,’?” she explains, “which makes perfect sense, since your skin has the capacity to absorb up to 60 percent of what you apply to it. If you’re not willing to eat it, why would you put it on your skin?” When you go straight to the source—that is to say, the honey jar or an avocado—you know what you’re getting and where it came from, Loux adds.

Kitchen staples can’t solve every skin problem, of course—certain products are well worth the cost (see “When to Indulge” on page 31)—but they work for maintenance. “You can reach right into your pantry,” says Loux, “and pull the ingredients for an awesome facial.”

Honey
A potent “nutraceutical,” honey can work as a simple mask to heal the skin and draw moisture to it. “For millennia, people have been using honey as an antimicrobial agent, and it really works to kill bacteria on the skin,” explains Lisa Benest, MD, a holistic dermatologist practicing in Beverly Hills, California. “Honey’s moisture-retaining quality gives it definite cosmetic benefits.”

Loux recommends applying a thin layer of honey to your face, then sitting in front of a fan for 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. “When the air blows on your face, you get an incredible warming effect,” she says. “Honey is rich in minerals that nourish the skin, and enzymes to help slough off dead cells. It’s a balancing mask that’s good for every skin type.”

Don’t worry about finding expensive imported honey—it doesn’t have to be “fancy” to work. But do seek a source close to home. “Buying locally sourced honey is a fantastic way to support local agriculture,” Loux says.

Olive oil
Many Mediterranean women—most famously Sophia Loren—credit their youthful, glowing good looks to olive oil. Loren added it to her bath, and rubbed a few drops into her skin every day. Indeed, this simple pantry staple can offer big benefits for skin and hair...

Author: Hillari Dowdle

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