If you have been reading this site for awhile you know that I am a major advocate of plenty of safe sun exposure and all the healthy vitamin D that it will generate for you. And this is the time of the year that you can actually do that.
Unfortunately there is a dark side to sun exposure that you need to know about.
If you overdo your sun exposure it can increase photoaging of your skin, unless you proactively take steps to address it.
Fortunately there’s an incredibly simple solution to prevent this.
My team and I have formulated one of the world’s safest, healthiest, and most deeply penetrating moisturizers to counter the effects of photoaging and delivered them to you in a USDA certified organic cream that will keep your skin looking young for as long as possible.
This is not a sunscreen, but a moisturizer that helps you control the signs of aging.
If you have the right information there is plenty you can do to maintain or even help restore a healthy, youthful appearance. It is important to understand that you don’t ever have to look older than your age.
In fact, you can look years younger if you’re willing to give your skin – especially the delicate area around your eyes and lips – the attention it deserves and still get all the natural vitamin D you need without worrying about the toll it might take on your beautiful, youthful face.
The most relevant question of the day is…
Are moisturizers safe for your skin, or are they hiding bizarre ingredients –
toxins ready to sabotage your health… and your beauty?
You see, your skin is not only your largest organ – it’s also the thinnest. Only 1/10th of an inch separates you from all sorts of toxins. Your skin is highly permeable, allowing what you apply to your skin access to your bloodstream (and thereby to the rest of your body)…
Which is why I remind you not to put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t be willing to eat.
As you’ve heard before, beauty is more than skin deep. Pampering your skin with ‘beauty’ products laced with toxins is playing Russian roulette with your health. More on that in a minute.
But first…
Four Tips to Make You Quit Singing the "Dry-Skin Blues"
Is smooth skin a hopeless goal for you?
Not really. These four strategies can help…
- Hydrate your entire system with lots of water and high anti-oxidant green tea. During winter there’s a tendency not to drink as much due to cool temperatures. You may want to bring your water to room temperature to encourage drinking more. Or enjoy more warm green tea, like the Royal Matcha Green Tea sold elsewhere on this website.
- Eat a healthy diet of mostly raw foods, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids which produce a hydrating effect from the inside out, and antioxidants which help fight signs of aging. Winter might be a good time to increase your intake of Krill oil also, for its omega-3s -- and antioxidants such as Purple Defense and Turmeric.
- Take a revitalizing bath – in warm water, not hot! Himalayan salt baths are rejuvenating, and help dry skin to slough off. Hot water is damaging to your skin, so stick with warm water.
- Moisturize daily with non-clogging organic moisturizers such as coconut oil or body butter. These nourish your skin instead of clogging it, as many toxin-impaired moisturizers do.
It’s especially important to cleanse and moisturize before you go to bed at night, to remove impurities from your skin before your revitalizing sleep time. Just be sure your moisturizer isn’t tainted with toxins.
Why do I stress organic so much?
Because what you don’t know – or even what’s intentionally hidden from you – really can hurt you.
Continue reading to discover just how dangerous many moisturizer ingredients can be – even some very high-end (expensive) ‘spa’ products.
Be sure to check your products against the list of dangerous ingredients that follows.
Who's Watching Out for You?
When it comes to the beauty industry, anything goes…
And money reigns supreme. Which means that it’s caveat emptor – “buyer beware”. You need to be the captain of your own ship and know what’s in the products you use.
If you thought the FDA was watching out for you…
Well, let’s just let that idea blow off right now. They let the cosmetic industry, including skin care products, police itself (your tax dollars notwithstanding). The list of people trying to help you out is surprisingly small -- almost non-existent.
Currently, there are estimated to be more than 10,500 cosmetic and personal care products on the North American market. Of those products, the Environmental Working Group estimates that 99% of the products contain one or more ingredients that have never been evaluated for safety.
Who's Responsible for this Mess?
The cosmetic industry and their love of loopholes. Some of the biggies are:
"For Professional Use Only" -- This phrase allows cosmetic companies to remove harmful chemicals from their labels.
"Hypoallergenic" -- No actual testing is necessary to claim that a product is "hypoallergenic", "allergy-free" or "safe for sensitive skin". Neither the FDA nor any other regulating body even requires the companies to prove these claims.
Harmful Chemicals -- Unless they are intentionally placed in the product, harmful chemicals are not required to be listed. It's no shocker that you never see these.
What Can You Do?
The cosmetics industry is a $50 billion a year business (in the US alone). They spend a remarkable $2 billion a year on advertising.
Even more appalling than that is the amount of chemicals you place on your skin every year. Women who use makeup daily absorb, on average, 5 pounds each year.
As with the Vioxx debacle, the FDA cannot actively act on a product until after it has already severely injured or killed many people. And because the cosmetic companies are motivated by their profits, they won't be pointing out the dangers of their products to you any time soon. Your only solution is to rely on your own skills of investigation.
Always Avoid Applying Potential Toxins To Your Skin…
Many people – even those who carefully select organic or gourmet foods to eat choose skin care products that can do serious damage to their skin.
Now, realize that I’m not suggesting you’d intentionally apply toxins to your skin. You simply may not realize the extent to which many common skin care products contain suspect ingredients with unrecognizable or unpronounceable names.
Do you ever put things onto your skin that you wouldn’t think of eating? I hope not...
You see, I believe that what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream and integrated into your body’s tissues. A number of these potential toxins have estrogen-mimicking effects that can wreak havoc on all your good health intentions.
And there are other potential problems too…
Why Do So Many Skin Care Products Use These Potentially Hazardous Ingredients?
Simple answer: because they’re cheap, readily available, and easy to dilute.
Are they in the products you currently use? It’s time to check. Go grab your containers of skin care products and check them against the following …
| Ingredient | Use | Dangers |
| Parabens | Heavily used preservatives in the cosmetic industry; used in an estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products. | Studies implicate their connection with cancer because their hormone-disrupting qualities mimic estrogen and could disrupt your body’s endocrine system. |
| Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum | These petroleum products coat the skin like plastic – clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins. They can slow cellular development, creating earlier signs of aging. They’re implicated as a suspected cause of cancer. Plus, they can disrupt hormonal activity. When you think about black oil pumped from deep underground, ask yourself why you’d want to put that kind of stuff on your skin… | |
| Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) | Found in over 90% of personal care products! They break down your skin’s moisture barrier, potentially leading to dry skin with premature aging. And because they easily penetrate your skin, they can allow other chemicals easy access. | SLS combined with other chemicals may become a "nitrosamine" – a potent carcinogen. |
| Acrylamide | Found in many facial creams. | Linked to mammary tumors. |
| Propylene glycol | Common cosmetic moisturizer and carrier for fragrance oils. | May cause dermatitis and skin irritation. May inhibit skin cell growth. Linked to kidney and liver problems. |
| Phenol carbolic acid | Found in many lotions and skin creams. | Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma, and even death from respiratory failure. |
| Dioxane | Hidden in ingredients such as PEG, polysorbates, laureth, ethoxylated alcohols. Very common in personal care products. | These chemicals are often contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane that’s easily absorbed through the skin. Its carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965, and later confirmed in studies including one from the National Cancer Institute in 1978. Nasal passages are considered extremely vulnerable, making it, in my opinion, a really bad idea to use these things on your face. |
| Toluene | May be very poisonous! Made from petroleum and coal tar… found in most synthetic fragrances. | Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage…May affect a developing fetus. |
So, having read the above, do you really think it’s OK to put these things on your skin?
No?
I don’t think so either.
Besides avoiding these hazards, there are some other steps you can take to create that young-looking skin you really want…
What Can You Do to Keep Your Skin Looking Healthy?
First of all, if you’re doing many of the things I talk about elsewhere on this website, you may have already noticed a major difference in the way your skin looks — as well as other aspects of your health.
Eating according to your nutritional type with plenty of fresh raw organic foods in your diet, and getting enough omega-3 fats are ways to improve your health on many fronts...
And need I mention exercise? Through exercise, your skin detoxifies impurities from your system – what you know as perspiration.
But beyond that, here’s a critically important issue you need to be aware of...
Just 5 Minutes Per Day Gets You on the Road to a More Youthful-Looking, Vibrant Face
Every day of your life, pollution, grime, and dust attach themselves to the surface of your skin.
If you don’t take a couple minutes daily to cleanse your face and unclog your pores, your skin may look sluggish -- instead of at its bright and shining best.
Cleaning your skin is important, just like keeping your internal organs clean and healthy is.
But here’s a caveat…
Take Your Own Hippocratic Oath for Skin Care ("First, Do No Harm")
It may seem like a cliché, but there are things you can do to prevent damaging your skin. Many of the visible signs of aging are caused by external factors that you can at least partially control.
These actions may be the easiest and least expensive things you can do to prevent damage to your skin, gain a more youthful appearance, and build a strong foundation for your pro-active natural skin care. Not to mention, creating a buzz about your new looks.
Please be aware that skin damage doesn’t always involve pain or immediate visible change, and can often go unnoticed for some time. But the cumulative actions you begin taking today can also improve your skin slowly over time. So get started today doing these simple things:
- Avoid or minimize damage from hot water and chlorine. Although taking baths and showers may seem like it’s health-promoting and relaxing, your skin may disagree – especially if you have chlorinated water, which is almost certainly the case (unless your water comes from a well).
Chlorine causes oxidative damage. The hotter the water, the more potential for damage – because the rate of chemical reactions increases with temperature. Hot water may cause your skin to age faster.
So what can you do? Adjust your water temperature to be a bit cooler, limit your showers to one per day, and decrease your soak time in the bath.
- Use gentle and safe skin care products – organic whenever possible. Your skin absorbs it all. Don’t compromise your health and the health of your skin by using potential poisons.
- Be very sure to remove your makeup each evening. It's a really bad idea to flop into bed, leaving makeup – not to mention environmental grime – on your face while you sleep. Take a couple minutes to remove it, and you’ll find your face looking and feeling younger.
Sleep on your back. Gravity creates a downward drag on your skin all day. Give your skin a break at night. By sleeping on your back, you reduce gravitational pull on your face. If you press your face to your pillow, you will likely experience increased puffiness in the morning.(Sleeping on your back reduces gravitational pull on your face. Be sure you remove your make-up before sleeping. Leaving it on during sleep creates extra stress on your skin. Use botanicals from nature for a nutritional approach to your beauty.)- Don’t smoke… for your general health’s sake, and for younger looking skin. Smoking causes free radical production, which is one cause of the signs of aging.
- If you will be in the sun for extended periods of time, use sunscreen with safe and effective ingredients, such as Mercola Natural Sunscreen.
- Limit exfoliation to twice per week and use a gentle exfoliator. Exfoliation refreshes your skin’s surfaces and brightens your appearance as it removes dead cells from the surface of your skin. But if you exfoliate too often or too aggressively, you risk damaging living cells.
- Apply your skin care products to warm skin in order to help your skin appear healthier. This maximizes absorption. If your skin is cold, use a warm towel to warm your skin.
- Never pull or rub your skin. Apply your skin care products gently, and lightly tap for a few moments to help your skin absorb them. Rubbing stretches your skin and can promote sagging and wrinkles. (Note: This principle includes leaning your face on your hand while sitting at a desk, which also stretches your skin.)
- Don’t expect overnight changes. Even if you start doing everything right today, don’t be discouraged with seeming lack of progress tomorrow.
It may take a month or even two to three months to notice changes. Plus, it’s quite possible that others will notice your increasingly youthful-looking face before you do.
Remember: it took years to get where you are today, so show patience when expecting changes and improvements.
Now that you’re taking these practical steps as well as choosing not to use dangerous and damaging products on your skin, let’s explore your skin care alternatives – organic food products from nature’s storehouse.
Nourishing Botanicals for Your Skin’s Healthy Appearance
Whenever you apply skin care products, it is ideal to use products from nature that nourish your skin the same way you nourish your body. Look for products that encourage rejuvenation and work synergistically with your own skin to support its efforts toward a healthy appearance.
The potentially dangerous ingredients listed above concerns me greatly. And you know me to be passionate about changing the existing health paradigm. So it should be no surprise that I considered it imperative to locate a wholesome source of skin care products for you.
- Sweet Orange Oil
A valuable herb that originated in India. This essential oil is refreshing, fruity, tangy – as if you've just peeled a fresh juicy orange. It lifts your spirits at the same time it calms you. Its light and airy aroma is cheering, refreshing and uplifting, at the same time contributing to your tranquility.
I'm sure you know oranges are rich in vitamin C. They also contain bioflavonoids like hesperidin that continue the work of vitamin C. In other words, the hesperidin complements the antioxidant effects of vitamin C.
But the oils found in the orange peel also contain a phytonutrient called limonene which does some remarkable things for you, like providing antioxidants.
The oil of the sweet orange is rich in nutrients that promote skin rejuvenation … plus its refreshing, fruity scent is uplifting and cheery -- at the same time as it leads to tranquility.
Sweet orange oil is considered an excellent skin tonic and supports rejuvenation, so it has an important role to play in Mercola Skin Care.
You'll find sweet orange oil in Mercola Skin Care Organic Citrus Cleanser, Organic Sea Buckthorn Anti-Aging Serum, Organic Cupuacu Day Moisturizer, and Organic Sugar Exfoliator.
- Calendula
Calendula is a versatile herb with fiery red and yellow petals, similar to a marigold, although a different variety from the marigolds you commonly see in gardens.
Calendula dates back to the days of the ancient Egyptians. Yet even today it remains one of the most popular herbs for supporting healthy-looking skin. When mixed with other oils such as olive oil, calendula becomes even more nourishing.
It's widely used to moisturize and soften all skin types, rejuvenate your skin and reduce the appearance of the natural signs of aging.
Relaxation is an additional benefit of calendula.
You can enjoy the spicy-sweet bitter-warm aroma of organic calendula in Mercola Organic Skin Care toner, anti-aging serum, and night moisturizer.
LavenderLavender is the most popular and widely-used essential oil, enjoyed by both aromatherapists and individuals. It's very versatile, with many different uses.
Lavender's smooth and sometimes sweet floral aroma has a definitive calming effect, helping you forget about everyday stresses in your life.
Try it in Chamomile Toner and Organic Acai Night Moisturizer.
Lavender is widely used and widely treasured for its skincare benefits and calming influence. Check it out in the Mercola Organic Skin Care toner and night moisturizer.
- Chamomile
Chamomile is considered by many to be the world's most soothing herb. Its sweet, herbal and fruity scent promotes relaxation.
Not only that …it also soothes your skin. And it's generally regarded as safe — with few or no known side effects.
Constituents include the bioflavonoids apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin.
Chamomile is included in the Mercola Organic Skin Care cleanser, toner, and anti-aging serum.
But these aren't all the special ingredients in Mercola Organic Skin Care products. In fact, this is just a fraction of the story…
In My Opinion, Plant Oils are Far Superior to Petroleum Oil
Not only do you receive benefits from aromatherapy – you also obtain natural and refreshing plant oils and butters that your skin will delight in.
No petroleum products allowed … because I want you to look and feel at your greatest each and every day of your life, to fulfill your purpose and to enjoy all the people and events of your life. And you can do that by using true nutrients that help keep your skin looking its best.
Let's look at a couple of these special, exotic oils here – more details will follow on each individual product page.
Discover Today How the Many Marvelous Qualities of Sea Buckthorn Oil Promote Your Youthful-Looking Skin
Legend has it that before the 12th century, certain Greek warriors released some weak horses to die, but they came back looking better than ever.
The turn-around was traced to the whole berries of a scrubby shrub called Hippophae rhamnoides, which means "tree that makes the horse shine".
Native to Russia, northern China and northern Mongolia, sea buckthorn's seeds produce thick reddish-orange oil with the viscosity of syrup.
Since its discovery, it's been revered for its nourishing and rejuvenating properties. And no wonder …
Sea buckthorn seed oil is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition. It provides protein, plus over 100 nutrients, such as linolenic acid, vitamins E and A, carotene, polyphenols, flavonoids, and trace elements including iron, copper, manganese, and selenium.
Moreover, scientists are always on the hunt for antioxidants. They found a real gem in sea buckthorn oil.Its rich content of flavonoids, glucosides, phenols, terpenes, vitamins E, A, and C, beta-carotene, and trace elements (iron, zinc, selenium, manganese) are all antioxidants with very low molecular weight that neutralize free radicals. Collectively, they are even far more beneficial than alone.
Cupuacu Butter – The 'New Kid on the Block' in Skin Care
Cupuacu butter is rapidly gaining attention as an exceptional moisturizer, with remarkable water absorption, rich content of sterols, and overall nutritive benefits.
Cupuacu is a small tree from the chocolate family that's native to the northern Amazon in South America. The fruit is about the size of a cantaloupe, and is prized for its creamy, exotic-tasting pulp.
The fruit, which ripens in the rainy months of January through April, is used to make jam, fresh juice, ice cream, and tarts. It is by far the most popular fruit in the Amazon.
Like chocolate, the fruit has a large center seed pod, loaded with "beans". Unlike cocoa, however, cupuacu does not contain caffeine.
Cupuacu butter is softer and creamier than cocoa butter and has a mild aroma. It absorbs water more effectively than lanolin (used in many skin care products).
I believe it provides protective benefits against UV-A and UV-B over-exposure. It also offers high levels of essential fatty acids. These fatty acids, plus its rich phytosterols, give it the ability to promote skin elasticity and improve skin moisture.
Its incredible creaminess promotes a special softness and smoothness to your skin, and boosts its natural moisture and elasticity.
Cupuacu is believed by many people to be stellar for its help in reducing the appearance of the signs of agingu …
More Breakthrough Secrets from the Amazon Rain Forest
Another exotic rain forest berry, the acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry, was recently proclaimed the "World's #1 Super Food" on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
The Yanomami Indians harvested and revered the acai for centuries as a food that "holds unique power" (as reported by NBC Today on 5/13/2003). By that, they referred to the energizing properties of both its fruit and oil.
Acai berries were announced as the "World's #1 Super Food". Shouldn't it be part of your skin's care?
During the past three to five years, the acai was discovered by the Brazilian elite and then North Americans, who ate the fruit as a frozen slush.
These small purple berries – each with one large seed – dangle in clusters from the 25 foot high acai palm tree in its native Brazil, and other parts of Central and South America.
Acai oil is cold-pressed from the seeds of the acai berry, and is deep golden to light brown with a mild yet pleasant fruity aroma. When the berries are picked, they're processed under cold and air-free conditions to yield the freshest, purest oil possible.
Acai possesses an amazing nutrient profile … an impressive combination of omega-3, omega-6 and omega 9 essential fatty acids, phytosterols, vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, E, and C, minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, and essential amino acids.
Vitamin C is famous for its immune support properties, but did you know it can help rejuvenate and revitalize your skin?
What's more, acai oil is rich in anthocyanins, phytosterols and phenols, which are also antioxidants.
In fact, its content of anthocyanins is reported to be an astounding 10-30 times higher than the anthocyanin content of red wine grapes.
But these facts alone aren't what made acai the "World's #1 Super Food". It's the ORAC value of the acai – its antioxidant value. acai is a more potent antioxidant than mangosteen, prunes, pomegranates, cranberries … nothing even comes close. The acai berry boasts the highest per unit value of antioxidant power (ORAC) of any edible fruit in the world.
Acai oil's rich array of nutrients, anti-oxidants and other benefits make it a remarkable ingredient for use in anti-aging personal care products. Studies indicate that the phenols in acai oil act as antioxidants.
Acai is an excellent emollient and an effective moisturizer to treat dry skin and help reduce the appearance of the signs of aging. It also absorbs into your skin quickly.
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