In today’s fast paced lifestyle, skin care comes out of expensive tubes and exquisitely sculpted bottles. Many of them even claim to be organic, free of chemicals. A lot of them cost the earth, too, literally. No wonder skin problems are becoming pandemic, which is sad, because in our perpetual hurry we’ve forgotten that nature has the simplest, most effective and cost efficient care and remedies for your skin, most of which you can enjoy eating, too, without any side effects! Try out these simple top 5 natural skin care tips for summer, and you’ll be amazed at the almost instantaneous results – on your skin, wellness, and self-confidence!
Read Your Skin Signs
The skin is your largest organ, and has the largest number of nerve endings in the body. When it screams for attention, you’d better listen. If you ignore the warning signs, you’ll really pay a heavy price because unlike other organs, the skin is largely exposed – and since it also reflects the general health of your system, it is the index of your overall wellness. Most health problems, even mental disorders such as psychiatric illnesses, or renal failure or hepatitis manifest themselves on the skin or on vestigial organs such as hair and nails. So take care to examine your skin every now and then – ideally every day, before and after you bathe. You can soon learn to read your skin like… well, you’ll become your own expert at communing with your body. And just don’t see or smell: perceive, understand, and act.
Avoid the Synthetic Stuff
A little make up is harmless; lots of it has been proved harmful. And there’s nothing to beat the glow and beauty of a naturally healthy skin – reflecting the wellness of the whole – something no makeup on earth can ever achieve. Why use synthetic gels, artificial moisturizers and chemical deodorants and perfumes when you can find natural substitutes (originals?) for them?
Wear Natural Fabrics
Although most synthetic fabrics are tested for skin friendliness before coming to market, they are no match for natural fiber based fabrics when it comes to proper skin care. Natural fabrics breathe: they absorb sweat and keep the body cool, without irritating the skin. And natural fabrics that use organic dyes are best: they’re not only usually beautiful, but are also eco friendly, and do not damage your skin.
Watch What You Eat and Drink
And let’s face this right here: a lot of the junk that we eat and drink are not just useless, they’re also highly toxic and their effects can be felt directly on the skin. Look at your skin after a night of hard partying – if you really get the message, you wouldn’t do that again. Avoid smoking, drinking and gorging on junk food. Eat wholesome, homemade food as often as you can, and in the right portions, and you’ll find skin that’s the envy of your spa-cured buddies!
Remember Grandmom’s Formulas?
Grandmom was nature personified. Why would she insist on you having fruit and yoghurt with your meals when you, like Calvin, would make war with your natural food? Because she knew nature created these natural fruits and foods for this particular season. Nature has a timetable for what food is best for you, depending on season, region and race. Not everybody can always digest meat, nor can some others live on vegetables alone. So yoghurt and seasonal fruits such as cucumber, oranges, melons including watermelon, papaya, mangos, lemons and the humble banana are great in any form – juiced, pulped or eaten whole. Even the rind of citric fruits is great in removing dead skin and defoliating naturally, and the citric acid in them leaves your skin tingling with a feeling and fragrance no synthetic cosmetic can ever give you. In harsh summers, wash your hair once a week with a shampoo of curd and eggs. Try homemade soap nut (Acacia Concinna) shampoo powder for your hair. And have you forgotten Aloe Vera? Neem leaves in your bathtub are a great antiseptic. A leaf of basil in your cup of tea is a great mouth freshener, as well as an excellent digestive. Remember, grandma is always right!