Healthy Skin Care Products You Should Choose For Your Skin
The skin care market is flooded with topical lotions, potions, and serums promising relief of dry, itchy, red, blotchy, you-name-it problems of your skin. But as I mentioned in the last blog, there are several ingredients to be wary of that many of these topicals contain. Today I’m going to talk about what ingredients you should consider and why, according to Dr. Trevor Cates, an expert in naturopathic skin care.
When thinking about skin care ingredients, we want to make sure that whatever you put on your skin isn’t going to compromise its main functions of providing a healthy barrier against microbes that can cause infections, protecting against harsh environmental factors, and isn’t going to decrease the normal healthy bacterial flora. Normal healthy skin bacteria help modulate the immune system, shifting it to a healthy TH1 immune response and away from an unhealthy TH2 response. A higher TH2 response is associated with more allergies and more self-attack on the body itself which results in autoimmune diseases.
Another factor to think about for skin care is pH balance. A lower, more acidic pH helps healthy bacteria adhere to the skin. Many skin care products have a higher pH and this in turn dries out the skin, leading to a loss of the healthy bacteria.
Below is a list of healthy skin care ingredients recommended by Dr. Trevor Cates.
Resveratrol: a strong antioxidant
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric Root): a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, it can decrease itching and improve wound healing
Arnica Flower Extract: an anti-inflammatory that can help reduce swelling, bruising, and dark undereye circles
Argan Kernel Oil: rich in vitamin E and fatty acids, it helps restore moisture and softness. It is also an anti-inflammatory
Sweet Almond Oil: high in fatty acids, it helps improve moisture and improve skin barrier function
Coconut Oil: a strong antioxidant that helps prevent moisture loss. It is also a strong antimicrobial
Sunflower Seed Oil: calming and soothing
Cranberry Seed Oil: an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-itching, and emollient
Glycerin: increases moisture
Sodium hyaluronate: supports collagen and elastin, improves moisturization
Some of the skin care brands I personally love that refrain from use of the chemicals we don’t want and include the ingredients we do want include The Spa Dr., Weleda, Honest Company, and Mad Hippie.
Jamie Berner, ND
References:
Cates, Trevor (2019). More Than Skin Deep: A Dermatological Perspective.
www.TheSpaDr.com