If you look around your home, you will most likely find three products that are excellent for antiaging skin care. We all want beauty tips that we can act on without spending much money and these are both inexpensive and effective, if only in a limited way. The best part is that they’re natural remedies, instead of using “better living through chemistry”.
Beauty Tip #1: Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a famous remedy, having been documented as a favorite in ancient Greece. Julius Caesar fed his armies a concoction of vinegar and water because he believed this beverage would enhance their strength and preserve their health. Japanese Samurai warriors, Alexander the Great’s troops and even Marie Antoinette all raved about this marvelous liquid.
Be aware, though, that the vinegar sold in the traditional grocery is often so processed that it has little use as a beauty product. To get its full benefits, it’s necessary to use real apple cider vinegar which is a fermented creation from apples and apple juice. And if your cider vinegar is made from organic apples it will be even more potent and life-affirming.
Washing our face often destroys the “acid mantle” that is necessary to repel bacteria. This is because of vinegar’s antiseptic qualities which repel and destroy the ‘critters’ that trigger infection. Rinsing your face in water that contains a splash of vinegar will restore this powerful acid mantle.
Apple cider vinegar helps to dry acne and removes the sting from insect bites and is said to cool the pain of sunburn. It reduces peeling and believers claim that it can dissolve fatty deposits on the skin’s surface.
Beauty Tip #2: Use Honey
Everyone knows about honey and most people love it. It is a sweetener that has been used for thousands of years. Indeed, for centuries it was the ONLY sweetener available and, along with salt, was considered extremely valuable. Unlike normal white table sugar, honey is loaded with B vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids and minerals. And at only 64 calories per tablespoon, it isn’t calorically expensive, making it an excellent sweetener for weight-conscious gourmands.
What is less well known is that honey can have powerful effects on the human skin. Honey is antibacterial and so is excellent for treating wounds. When applied to acne or other blemishs, it can cause that zit to heal without the sometimes nasty chemicals in over-the-counter medicine. Honey helps tissue to regrow more rapidly, which shortens the time necessary for healing. Honey can even reduce the possibility of scarring after a wound.
Beauty Tip #3: Slather On The Yogurt
There are yogurt commercials all over the TV channels. We have learned much about the benefits of injesting yogurt with its billions of friendly bacteria which strengthen and promote healing and digestion. These bacteria additionally boost the power of our immune systems which are weakened by the constant daily assault of chemicals in our environment.
Yogurt is also wonderful for the skin because it contains lactic acid, a very popular inclusion in expensive skin care products. Lactic acid is one of the alpha hydroxy acids and Cleopatra supposedly bathed in goat’s milk to gain the benefits of this wonderful substance. These acids tighten the pores of the skin and make them less obvious. When mixed with dried peel from citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, limes & grapefruit – yogurt makes an excellent exfoliant.
These three natural remedies for what ails your skin are inexpensive, readily available and offer numerous health benefits. They are valuable both inside the body and when applied extenally. Be aware of their limitations, though. Most of us don’t have the time to use them every time we wash and protect our face. Yogurt is especially problematic because of its need to be refrigerated. Racing down to the kitchen before work every morning to grab cold yogurt out of the refrigerator is not a practical strategy. Likewise, honey with its stickiness, isn’t a wise option for most hurried morning commuters. Still, when time permits, these wonderful products of Mother Nature are valuable additions to any skin care regime.
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