Do you want flawless skin?
Cosmeceuticals are a category of skin care products with biologically active ingredients that offer medical benefits.
What should you look for in your skin care?
Since the cosmeceutical industry is not regulated and toxins can be labeled "natural, botanical and organic" I'm going to focus on certain natural antioxidants that nourish and protect the skin from aging. Oxidative stress creates free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that result in skin damage.
Vitamin C is my number one choice to protect against free radicals. Personally, I take up to 6000 mg per day orally and I administer I.V. pushes into the bloodstream. You can also add vitamin C powder to a cream or carrier liquid (avocado or coconut oil) and apply it to your face before bed. Vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis, lightens the skin naturally, protects against the sun and is an anti-inflammatory.
Soy contains phytoesterols and small protein serine protesase inhibitors. Soy proteins repair damage in the epidermal barrier. The proteins in soy reduce the appearance of brown spots and enhance skin elasticity. You can eat edamame and or mash it up with a carrier oil and use it as a facial mask for 15 to 20 minutes.
Feverfew from the daisy family is great for treating fevers, headaches and arthritis. In clinical studies with human skin cells feverfew is a significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant. Feverfew extract must be purified to remove parthenolide which can cause photo-allergic reactions.
I drink black coffee daily, but you can use the outer layer of the coffee plant which contains polyphenol compounds that are antioxidants. Coffee berry is stronger than green tea, pomegranate extract and vitamins C and E.
Green tea extract contains catechins, ECG, GCG, ECG and EGCG. These polyphenols are potent anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatories and anticarcinogenic. You can drink 4-8 cups of green tea per day as a cancer prevention or add it to a carrier cream or oil.
Licorice is used for dermatitis, skin lightening, eczema, itching, cystic acne and skin irritations because it contains a flavonoid called liquirtin.
Acai berries are high in essential fatty acids and rich in phytosterols. Acai oil helps skin cells absorb moisture, decreases skin infections and acts as an antioxidant.
Pomegranate is a weak estrogen, an anti-oxidant and possesses antiviral properties. It enhances the SPF rating of sunscreen up to 25% after taking it orally. Make pomegranate spritzers. I put Weleda's pomegranate oil on my face religiously at bedtime. It keeps my face supple and youthful.
These are a few ingredients that you can play with or look for in your future cosmeceutical products. If it's edible, it's usually safe.
