Alternatives to Traditional Skin Care Products

Many people are switching from traditional skin care products to alternatives such as natural ingredients, red light skin therapy, rejuvenation, and so on. Some people do it for their own personal beliefs. Others are doing it to further protect the environment and an inexpensive attempt to keep commercialization from evolving so quickly. Many traditional skin care products have also shown several negative effects on the skin.

However, people have their own personal reasons for doing things. What we want to know is what are the alternatives to traditional anti-aging products that people are taking daily steps to incorporate them into their lives. While conventional products are easy to find if you live in the United States, that doesn’t mean they work better.

We have found some of the most effective alternatives to traditional skin care products that you can start trying right away.

Natural Facial Mask

When it comes to natural masks, there are tons of options; think: good to eat, good for your skin, good for you. You can apply most fruits (lightly crushed) directly to your face for a quick 5-10 minute mask. Here are some formulas with some of our favorite beauty superfoods:

Honey

Raw honey was valued for its healing properties in ancient civilizations. In Egyptian and Ayurvedic traditions, honey was used to treat wounds and skin disorders. Cleopatra swore in milk and honey masks, so we tend to believe it must be that good!

Honey has incredible antimicrobial properties and is packed with antioxidants. It is good for unclogging pores as well as hydrating dry skin. No wonder honey is found in so many beauty and skincare products! To use it as a mask:

• Use a teaspoon of high-quality raw honey and gently massage the entire face.
• Leave it for about 15 to 60 minutes.
• Rinse with warm or cold water and pat dry your face.

Turmeric

Is there something that turmeric cannot cure? It is a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient that heals and soothes the skin, a favorite of Indian women for centuries. Using it in a mask will give your skin a beautiful glow.

• Mix ½ teaspoon of ground organic turmeric powder with aloe vera or honey (and yogurt, if desired).
• Smear this to your face and neck in a circular motion.
• Leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with clean water and pat dry.
• Warning: don’t leave it on for long as turmeric will stain your skin.

Milk

Raw milk contains skin-friendly ingredients like saturated fat, protein, calcium, and vitamin C. Mix it with the moisturizing and antibacterial properties of honey, and you have the perfect cocktail for Cleopatra.

• Mix the milk, honey, and a small number of grams of flour to form a paste.
• Apply to the entire face and leave for 20 minutes. Let the package dry.
• Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Red Light Skin Therapy

Red light skin therapy becomes a popular alternative to traditional skin care products. It is a natural treatment that has been exposed to be safe and effective in a broad clinical research base. Light therapy provides safe, concentrated wavelengths of natural light to your skin and cells, without chemicals, UV rays, or excessive heat. These wavelengths of red and near-infrared light stimulate the mitochondria in your cells in the same way as natural sunlight, reduce oxidative stress, and increase circulation, so your body can produce more energy.

Making energy more efficiently throughout the body improves physical function, speeds up the healing process, and decreases inflammation and pain, as many researchers suggest.

Red light therapy alleviates acute and chronic inflammation by increasing blood flow to damaged tissue, and it has been found in many clinical trials that it also increases the body’s antioxidant defenses. This natural anti-inflammatory upshot of red light therapy, proven over the years, is key to its healing effects and to improving the appearance of the skin.

In addition to helping you produce more energy, improve your circulation, and reduce your inflammation, red light therapy also stimulates your own collagen production, for healthier, younger-looking skin.

Other Rejuvenation Treatments

Here are several techniques often used to remove fine wrinkles, scars, uneven pigmentation, and other blemishes.

Botox

Botulinum toxin injections, a category that includes Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin, are relatively affordable, carry little risk, and require no recovery time. And they’re effective enough to temporarily smooth out a wrinkled face, forehead, or neck.

Soft Tissue Fillings

Injections of soft tissue fillers under the skin can add height to the cheekbones, improve the jawline, decrease acne or surgical scars, restore the fullness of the cheeks and hollow eyes, fill the vertical lines, lips re-sculpted and fill the nasolabial folds.

Certain charges, like hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid, are eventually absorbed by the body. Others contain small beads of solid gel-suspended material. The gel is engrossed over time, and the beads make a scaffold for collagen development.

Chemical Peels

Peels are often used to treat age spots, wrinkles, discoloration, pre-cancerous growths of the skin, and superficial scars. An acidic solution, usually glycolic, salicylic, or trichloroacetic acid, is applied to the skin, dissolving the skin cells and removing the upper layers of the epidermis. The effects vary according to the depth of skin penetration, which is determined by the type and strength of the solution used.

Microdermabrasion

In this procedure, the doctor or esthetician will sand an area with small aluminum hydroxide crystals to create smoother skin. It is relatively inexpensive, and no recovery time is required.

Have you tried anyone these alternatives? Did you like it?