Ten Natural Skin Care Tips

Your skin is an important organ. It's not only there to cover your bones and make you look pretty. It's your body's first defense against intruders, a key player in maintaining a healthy temperature and allows you to touch and feel. So it's not simply wrapping paper for your insides onto which you can put just anything. Still, in the struggle to attain beauty, many women resort to harsh chemical treatments that are dangerous to the environment and sometimes actually damaging to the skin. There is a better way, ladies. Check out these ten eco-friendly and somewhat unusual skin care tips.

1. Cucumber to treat summer skin: Many people have noticed the use of cucumber in a variety of spa procedures but never quite understood the point. Well, cucumbers contain amino acids that tighten pores and refresh the skin. This vegetable can be used for several skin treatments including shrinking pores and minimizing eye puffiness. Check out this blog to see some cucumber beauty recipes.

2. Use tomatoes to help dirty and oily skin: The natural acids in a tomato loosen dirt from pores. This along with the tomato's concentration of lycopene, vitamin A and vitamin C make it an excellent treatment for acne and skin cleansing in general. A recommended tomato-based natural product is Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Complexion Soap or you can make your own tomato face mask.

3. Wasabi applied topically: Yep, wasabi isn't just good for sushi. It has plenty of health benefits for your skin as well. With its potent mixture of calcium, vitamin C, potassium, antimicrobial properties and more, Wasabi can promote oxygenation of cellular tissues as well as strengthen your skin's defense against free radicals. To get the most out of this spicy skin saver, you could purchase products like Lather's Lemongrass Wasabi Hand Wash or make your own wasabi massage oil with this recipe.

4. Use salt: Salt absorbs oil from pores naturally and is antibacterial. It's great for pimple prevention, cleansing and exfoliating. Plus, it's something that most families have on hand. Click here for some simple salty skin solutions.

5. Lemon juice, almond oil and honey for acne: Did you know this combination can create a pretty powerful natural astringent and also has anti-inflammatory properties? Take that, Clearasil! These ingredients are cheap, easily available and reviews say they work as well as or better than the chemical based popular products. Here is the recipe to make your own treatment, or if you're not the do-it-yourself type, try the Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions line.

6. Try some topical Apple Cider Vinegar: It's a natural toner, contains many vitamins and minerals, is an organic antiseptic and will re-balance your skin's PH. What's not to love? Here are some great recipes for apple cider vinegar based at-home skin treatments. A product recommendation? Try Ecco Bella Botanical's Mist On Toner.

7. Cool chamomile tea to ease rosacea: Chamomile soothes the skin and eases rosacea symptoms. The cool tea (don't apply it hot) will chill the heated skin as well, providing further relief. Boil chamomile flowers in a pot of water for 10 minutes. Then strain and allow it to cool. Use a cotton ball to apply the water to your skin. Jenulence's Soothing Chamomile Rose Toner is a good product to check out if you'd like.

8. Avocado to moisturize your skin: The natural fatty acids in avocados make them perfect as an organic moisturizer. Not only do they leave your skin feeling softer and less dry, but avocados have also shown an ability to prevent premature wrinkling. Try making your own avocado face mask using these instructions or try Derma E's Avocado/E Skin Relief Cream.

9. Remove blackheads with black pepper: Try not to sneeze at this, but black pepper naturally warms and deeply cleanses your pores. It's been proven effective against those nasty black heads when mixed with yogurt. For the instructions, click here. You can also try using the Molton Brown Black Pepper Scrub Bar.

10. Stand on your head: Yoga instructors will vouch for this; if you do a headstand regularly, it reverses gravity and allows your skin to be pulled in the opposite direction (the GOOD direction) reducing wrinkles. The increased blood circulation doesn't hurt either. It brings extra oxygen and nutrients to the area, further beautifying the skin. Read more about this here.

I hope you can all now give your body a break from the harsh unnatural and expensive treatments. These items can be obtained easily and work well. Do yourself, your planet and your skin a favor and give them a shot. If you don't like the results, you can just go back to what you were doing and use the remaining ingredients for food instead.

Additional Sources Not Listed in Article:

1. Planet Green: Fashion and Beauty

2. Beauty Secrets Revealed: How to Treat Rosacea at Home