Showing posts with label ayurvedic facials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ayurvedic facials. Show all posts

Friday, 3 February 2012

FAIR SKIN CRAZE

Everyone wants to be fair at least in India! Fair skin, fair & lovely, fair & young, fair & beautiful, fair forever, fair & handsome etc. etc. seems only white color skin or light skin has become symbol of beauty. And the markets are flooded with fairness or whitening products, associated with them are many advertisements bombarding us 24x7 with products for 'improving skin complexion'.

Cosmetics loaded with chemical bleaches are often used to achieve these temporary results, however this can be harmful. The trend is to become fair in one sitting of beauty treatment, products that will give instant glowing skin, radiance whitening and brightening. Regular use of these products may seem to be beneficial, but the moment you stop using these products, your skin becomes sensitive, shows signs of aging, and reverse effects such as darkening, sensitivity to sun, uneven skin tone, age spots etc.

One dangerous trend is, our city streets, markets, malls,  are filled with so many beauty parlors, saloons, spa etc, some big some small, and the numbers are increasing. Many of which do not have trained staff, professional skin care experts or beautician. A license is needed to run a beauty parlor or saloon, but there is no license required to become a beautician and practice beauty treatments. Anybody can do a facial, or with little training can practice beauty treatments. One must be very careful as to who is judging your skin and how qualified he or she is. Recommendation from untrained beauticians
can be very harmful in long run.

To change the skin complexion given to us by nature and genes at birth is not possible. However the skin color can be improved or brightened by some efforts - daily care and protection. Herbal preparations & formulas can be of some help with regular use at least for 3 months. These formulas just help to remove tan & clear the skin by deep cleaning and toning. Helps remove uneven skin tone and nourishing and brightening the skin. But most important is protection. One cannot expect fair & bright skin going out in sun and exposing the skin to harsh sun, ultra violet rays, heat & pollution. A sun block is must. (Carrying an umbrella is also a smart option).

Monday, 26 December 2011

Ayurveda & Cosmetics

Apart from the medicinal properties, Ayurveda also has many benefits in skin, hair and body care. Plant extracts and natural substances have been formulated into cosmetic products, according to the Ayurvedic system, not only for the daily care of the skin and hair, but also for the treatment of many problems. One of the major benefits is that biologically active ingredients are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin and influence it at the cellular level.

The plant extracts and natural substances have always been part of cosmetic products since ages. However, pure Ayurvedic cosmetics are without any chemical and can be used not only for the daily care of the skin and hair, but also for the treatment of many problems. Since biologically active ingredients are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin and scalp they effectively influence and treat at cellular level. As discussed above, human body responds extremely well to natural substances, while it has an in-built resistance to synthetic ones. Though natural herbs have a mild effect, yet have powerful and specific healing properties. Similarly, Ayurveda uses natural fragrances of flower and herb extracts which helps calm the nerves and provide relaxation. There are thousands of products available in market and also over Internet claiming to be 'Ayurvedic Cosmetics' by their manufacturer but the fact is that majority of them contains harmful chemicals. Though there is no specific reference about Cosmetology in the Ayurveda, yet these products must follow on the basic principles of Ayurveda. These principles are:

- Ingredients used in Ayurvedic Cosmetics must be obtained naturally from vegetable sources like plants, fruits and herbs.

- Ayurvedic Cosmetics should contain herbs, extracts or essential oils only obtained through recognized traditional ayurvedic plants.

- No animal ingredients, mineral oils, pesticides, chemicals, or testing on animals is allowed.

- Artificial preservatives, fragrances or colors should not be used. Also, alcohol should not be included in manufacturing cosmetics.