I’m just about to enroll at university, and I have a confession to make: I have terrible skin, and I’m kind of panicking when it comes to meeting a bunch of new people with the skin that I have. The thing is, I’m a guy who was never really told how to take care of my skin. Turns out splashing water on it every night wasn’t good enough. I need to get serious about a skin-care regimen, and I want to keep it all-natural. How do I do that? What are some tips you have for products that will get me clear skin?
Skin care is essential. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and keeping it healthy is just as important for your long-term health as taking care of your heart. Whether whiteheads, blackheads, warts, or cystic acne, today’s embarrassing blemish can transform into a long-term problem. One of the best things you can do to keep your skin healthy is to develop a skin-care regimen, especially while you are young. But you have a galaxy of options to choose from, and so many skin-care products use artificial and synthetic ingredients. So how do you narrow it down? We’ve got you covered. Below is a list of four all-natural tricks to getting clear skin.
Rose oil
Pure rose oil is an essential oil extracted from rose petals, and one of the most sought-after products in skin care. Pure rose oil used for skin care, sometimes called Rose Otto, is produced through a steam distillation process (as opposed to rose oil produced for cosmetics, which is extracted using hexane). Water and rose petals are boiled for one to two hours, condensed, then boiled and condensed again. The final product is a pure essential oil with a powerful, floral scent. Rose oil moisturizes and preps the skin for the application of other products, whether that be makeup or moisturizer. It also reduces redness and swelling, great for people with sensitive skin and rosacea. This all-natural product is also great for the hair, because it adds shine and also has an intoxicating scent.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of the tea tree. Don’t let the name may fool you, though, these aren’t the kind of leaves for making chai latte. The tea tree is a shrub native to Australia, and its oil, pressed from its leaves, is used as a folk medicine to treat dandruff and acne. Tea tree oil is an astringent, and as such you probably shouldn’t use it by itself — it needs to be diluted with water or another oil. For best results, use it as a cleanser or for spot treatment. As it happens, tea tree oil also makes a great all-natural insect repellent when diluted.
Propolis
Propolis is a compound made by the common honeybee. Bees make propolis by mixing beeswax, the resins of conifers and poplars, and other secretions, and they use it as a coating for their hives, where it prevents the growth of bacteria. Because it has antibacterial properties, people frequently use propolis to treat wounds, canker sores, and even small burns, but that’s not all it’s good for. When it comes to skin care, propolis has become popular as a natural remedy for acne and common warts. Propolis is also an effective moisturizer, meaning that using it will have the double advantage of killing off harmful bacteria and rejuvenating your skin. Finally, propolis has been shown to help your skin recover from scarring.
Squalene oil
Squalene oil is derived from squalene, which is a produce naturally produced by our skin’s sebaceous glands. These tiny glands produce sebum, which lubricates and waterproofs our skin and hair. Squalene is one component of sebum. As we age, our body’s production of sebum slows down. The regular application of squalene can counteract wrinkles and age spots. Furthermore, it is a light, moisturizing product, which is great if you are undergoing acne treatment and need a counterbalance to other, more astringent products. At one point, squalene was derived from sharks, but modern science and technology has given us more more environmentally friendly methods to derive squalene.
