Author Archive for Sudha Kaviraj

The Anti-Aging Debate: the untapped powers of Organic Skincare

Published
by
Sudha Kaviraj
on June 16, 2008
in Beauty
. 0 Comments
by Sudha Kaviraj

We are no longer satisfied with growing older and wiser. Years pass and wrinkles become visible. In a capitalist, commercial world, we want to live longer, but not in the traditional sense of growing old and living longer.

In some way we all aim to redeem our youthful features whether it’s our faces or our bodies. Many people agonise over creeping wrinkles and crows feet. And lines around our eyes are an age giveaway to the opposite sex. So is it looking to the organic skincare for more natural, longer lasting alternatives?

Women invest in anti-ageing creams, moisturisers and cleansers and the range of skin care products available. It’s the play on the national consciousness that make us feel we need to look young. Glossy womens’ mags plaster screaming headlines about the latest celebrity to slip under the knife or visiting the clinic for a botox top-up.

Anti-ageing skincare has become big business. Euromonitor, found that the UK facial skincare market was worth 751m in 2005, growing to a massive 71% since 1997. The fastest growing category is anti-ageing products, which together with regular moisturisers account for 61.7% of total market sales.

Older role models are being employed by skin care companies, who have long been criticised for focusing too strongly on the younger woman. Dior recently signed 47 year old actress Sharon Stone for a new advertising campaign for its anti-ageing line Capture and Estee Lauder has re-engaged Karen Graham, erstwhile model and spokeswoman for Resilience Lift.

Anti-ageing products receive rave reviews for the amount of peptides, fruit acids, antioxidants or Coenzyme Q10 and Retinol which is basically vitamin A. But which ones are the best? You can pay up to 229 for a 30ml pot of the La Prarie Range but according to the latest scientific study from the US on beauty-counter anti-ageing products, expensive products are not the best. The best performing anti-ageing product is actually the considerably cheaper Olay Regenerist, 16 for a 30ml pot.

For those worried about ageing, a trip to the a good beauty expert will set you back about 100 but at least you will get a proper consultation and most people would leave with a bag of samples to try at home. There are a few organic, natural anti-ageing products on the market. Ren’s Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask is good for brightening dull or mature skin and decongesting blemish-prone skin but it’s probably not suitable for very sensitive skin. Plante System Intensive Anti-Wrinkle Cream is from a French organic range new to the UK. IT features an antioxidant-rich plant complex and lily extract which plumps the skin and works against age spots. It’s also paraben free and certified by Ecocert, the French organic body.

Neal Yard’s Organic Beauty Oil is an excellent age-defying oil too. Drizzle over your porridge or your salad and take it internally or apply onto your skin. This beauty oil is packed with nourishing omega fatty acids, essential nutrients and anti-oxidants that encourage the skin to regenerate naturally itself. According to the women’s magazine, Easy Living, Neal Yard’s skin-nourishing oils is the only thing that worked for one of the team’s persistent eczema.

Neal Yard’s Organic Beauty Oil has age-defying credentials. This beauty oil is packed with nourishing omega fatty acids, essential nutrients and anti-oxidants that encourage the skin to regenerate naturally itself. Drizzle over your porridge or your salad and take it internally or apply onto your skin. Neal Yard’s skin-nourishing oils is also a hot favourite. Argan oil is known for its anti-ageing properties. Argans’ anti-ageing skin softening properties are well documented. For centuries, Argan oil has been used by Berber women in Morocco who use it to nourish their skin, hair and nails. Not only does it help to reduce wrinkles by restoring the skin’s water lipid layer but it also cools and soothes inflammation. Its anti-oxidant properties contribute to the neutralisation of free radicals, particularly useful in the polluted Western hemisphere. Argan oil also helps to cool skin that has been exposed to wind and the sun and also protects it in cold weather.

About the Author:
Think before splashing out on any anti-ageing products, read Sudha Kaviraj’s article on how natural anti-ageing products fare better. Organicskintreats.com gives independent views on natural skin care.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

How do We Know What’s Organic and What’s Not

Published
by
Sudha Kaviraj
on May 18, 2008
in Beauty
. 0 Comments
by Sudha Kaviraj

When was the last time you went on the hunt for a home-made carrot moisturiser tucked away at the back of the health shop, now it seems the organic beauty industry is coming into its own.

Natural, pseudo-natural, botanical, natural mix products; it’s all puzzling for the consumer embracing the ethical lifestyle especially with so many ranges of natural organic skincare products to choose from.

Every skin care product on the market lures us with promises of instant radiance, brilliance, shine and youthfulness as we all attempt to keep those wrinkles and crowfeet at bay. But more of us are chemical-wary and going back to basics disillusioned by the hundreds of anti-ageing, chemically produced creams and lotions giving us that artificial boost.

The skin care and organic beauty trend has turned into a craze. In Britain the organic market has almost reached 2 billion, with a 30 percent increase in the number of health and beauty licensees approved by the Soil Association; the New York Times recently highlighted sales of organic personal-care items reached $350 (176m) in America.

Organic skincare ranges are being endorsed by celebrities in the ecological overdrive. Over the past seven months, London’s large department stores have showcased the latest organic skincare range by Stella McCartney’s skin care range Care.

Likewise, the organic skin care range Nude, another hot new organic skin care contender, asserts itself as luxury organic skincare range. The range has been created by Bryan Meehan, the co-founder of the British organic store Fresh and Wild, who after selling Whole Foods for $38m in 2004, directed his investor nouse to the natural organic skincare market. Bono and his Ali Hewson are investors, expanding their portfolio of planet saving activities. The Nude range is also backed by the model Christy Turlington, who herself had once backed her own Ayurvedic skincare range, Sundari.

Organic skin care products have come into their own and now command consumers’ interest, but how do we know what’s organic and what’s not? The answer? The main chemical culprits are glycol, parabens and sodium lauryl sulphates. The organic skincare ranges to look out for when you head off on your natural organic discovery; at the top of the natural organic skin care ranges are probably Nude and Care.

Older ranges are also of high organic standard: Dr Hauschka, Spieza, Ren and Britain’s Organic Pharmacy. Liz Earle is probably one of the leading organic skin care veterans with her range. The Australian, Jurlique and A’kin are top quality too. Also the Ayurvedic organic skin care ranges drawn from the Indian science of addressing dis-ease within the body are of worthy mention too, these being Sundari and the Bharti Vyas range.

About the Author:
Before you purchase any organic skin care products, make sure you download Sudha Kaviraj’s easy guide to avoiding toxic chemicals in organic skin care ranges.

Be Smart and Wise Up to Organic Skin Care

Published
by
Sudha Kaviraj
on May 17, 2008
in Beauty
. 0 Comments
by Sudha Kaviraj

More and more people are choosing organic skincare products over chemical products in an attempt to be ecological and improving the quality of their health and subsequently their lives.

Our skin is the largest organ so it makes sense to take care of ourselves. Switching from a toxic range of skincare products and opting for more natural organic skin care products will increase the elasticity of our skin which is the key to maintaining youthfulness.

Some reports say a move towards natural and organic will not necessarily impact on our lives. However, there is an overriding argument that applying chemical based skincare products will age our skin. So why not preserve our youth, radiance and beauty and instead go for natural organic skin care products.

In a recent Channel 4 series, How Toxic Are You, punters were assessed on the number of chemicals consumed through the skin through the use of cleansers and moisturisers. Extraordinarily the research revealed how much we take our skin for granted and how oblivious we are of harmful gels, hairsprays, face scrubs, body moisturisers.

Chemical-wary consumers should watch for the some of the terrible nasties printed on bottles. A direct carcinogen, such has talc, has been linked with ovarian cancer. Coal tar dyes are commonly used in cosmetics and lipsticks. The words will inevitably jump out at you, words such as those ending in -nolamine and -thiazolinone. Make a note and look them up. By doing your own investigation into products that contain harmful products and comparing them with organic skincare products for example from the Organic Pharmacy, you will begin to feel the difference.

Next are the contaminants; words to look for end in -chlorine or dioxane which are found in different range of shampoos, hair conditioners, cleansers, lotions, and creams, besides household products such as soaps and cleaning products. High concentrations of surfactants or detergents such as ethoxylated alcohols, polysorbates, and laureths are both inhaled and absorbed through the skin. This is even more evidence to choose organic skin care.

Watch out for artificial colours. Blue 1 and Green 3 are shown to be the cause of cancer when applied to the skin or taken internally. Heavy metal substances are present in some artificial coal tar colours including arsenic and lead which are all carcinogenic.

Phthalates are commonly used to soften plastic which are commonly found in hair sprays, perfume and nail polishes and skin moisturisers. Research has revealed that these chemicals disrupt the hormones and are linked to premature breast development in young girls and interference with reproductive development of male foetuses. When you next go to beauty counters, there’s more reason to start your organic natural skin care routine which will reduce your chemical intake.

Parabens are a group of artificial preservatives and evidence shows them to penetrate the skin and appear in the blood and found in breast tumours. Similarly sodium lauryl sulphates which are present in skin care products are shown to be irritable to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and may damage the liver, lungs and immune system. Glycols are linked to depression and can cause dermatitis. There are many more but these are probably the main carcinogens responsible for disrupting your body. So before you splurge out on that new lipstick or moisturiser, investigate whether there’s an organic skincare alternative.

About the Author:
Do you know your parabens from your sulphates? By choosing organic skin care products, you’re making a healthier choice for you. Organicskintreats.com is a website dedicated to providing impartial reviews on the organic skin care industry.