Hype vs. Health

As seen in Bride's Time Magazine

In today's skin care market, there is a continuous introduction of the latest and greatest ingredient in skin care products. This highly financed "hype" can confuse the consumer and lead them into a frenzied state of pre-purchase decision-making. In preparing for your wedding day, you have plenty of difficult decisions to make, so let us provide some valuable information to help your skin look its best now and forever.

TIP #1: Educate yourself

Choosing the best skin care products is quite simple. First, you must be educated about the basic nutritional needs of the skin and what ingredients contain those nutrients. Then, you are able to make decisions about which skin care products are the best for your skin.

TIP #2: Use your knowledge to plan your skin care "diet"

When choosing skin care products, study the ingredient label to see that whole-plant ingredients are present and harsh preservatives and additives, like formaldehyde, are not.

The skin is an incredibly complex organ. It needs to be cared for and nourished in order to look its best. Like the rest of the body, the skin needs a daily diet of balanced nutrition from plants to stay healthy and vibrant. Look for these whole-plant materials on the ingredient labels of products you may want to purchase:

• Antioxidants to fight off free radicals that can lead to disease and cellular destruction
  Sources: Rosehip, seabuckthorn, Oregon grape and other herbal extracts
  
  
• Protein for healthy tissue development
  Sources: Soy lecithin and Silk amino acids
  
  
• Essential fatty acids for building and maintaining cellular integrity
  Sources: Jojoba, borage, shea butter, evening primrose
  
  
• Vitamins and minerals to support cellular strength
  Sources: Seabuckthorn, rosehip, calendula, MSM, zinc oxide, raspberry
  
  
• Water... water... water

TIP #3: Exfoliate

In addition to using healthy products, daily exfoliation is important, especially as your wedding day approaches. "Roughing" the outer layer of the skin either physically or chemically helps to stimulate the release of certain chemicals within the skin's tissue that, when combined with nutrients, rebuild and rejuvenate cellular integrity. When choosing an exfoliating product, be sure the ingredients do not tear or burn the skin. The perfect choices are pure jojoba beads for physical exfoliation and acidic plant extracts like raspberry and aspen for chemical exfoliation.

TIP #4: Take Special Care of Those Beautiful Eyes

Our final tip to help you look your best for your wedding day and beyond is to use only a light oil formulated specifically for the eye area. Oils hydrate the delicate tissue around the eye more effectively than creams for several reasons:

• First, natural oils penetrate quickly and completely with gentle massaging around your eye instead of rubbing and stretching the delicate eye tissue.
  
  
• Second, "patting" eye creams around the eyes can leave a residue that can clog the pores and leave eyes puffy and irritated. The unique texture of this tissue responds better to the molecular structure of all natural oils than to creams.
  
  
• Third, eye creams are often filled with petro-chemicals and harsh preservatives because of susceptibility to contamination.

Taking care of your skin can be easy, as long as you find skin care products containing the proper nutrients!

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