The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances (34 page)

Get a cucumber from the fridge, slice it one-quarter-inch thick, lie down, and place the slices on your eyes. Leave them on for at least five minutes. It’s a good idea to set your alarm clock if you’re doing this early in the morning. Cucumber has gentle whitening properties, and it’s also cooling and moisturizing.

Try green tea bags soaked in water. The caffeine in green tea is a diuretic; that is, it helps the body lose excess water. When applied topically, it may shrink the puffiness and help boost circulation.

Couch potato remedy: slice a raw potato, and then place it on your eyes and relax on your couch. Potatoes contain catecholase, an enzyme that works like a skin lightener. Make sure to use raw, not cooked potato.

Add some relaxing cardio to your workout. Woga can work wonders to dissolve under-eye circles. It takes a couple of months to see the results, but you may never need an under-eye concealer again.

Topical treatments may reduce dark eye circles. If darker skin under the eyes makes those unsightly circles more visible, try natural lightening agents, such as kojic, ferulic, and betulinic acids, bearberry (
Uva ursi
) extract, arbutine, niacinamide, vitamin C, and glucosamine. They will work gradually by training under-eye cells to produce less pigment and help make the pigmentation less visible. Natural skin lighteners are gentle but can take up to three months to bring noticeable results. Antioxidant products containing vitamin E are known to stimulate fibroblast activity in the dermal layer and help firm up the skin.

Some people swear by applying Preparation H with 0.25 percent phenylephrine. This well-known hemorrhoid ointment may help the capillaries constrict, causing dark circles to appear less visible. This is hardly a green treatment, but you may consider it as an emergency measure.

Sleep with your head elevated to prevent water from pooling around the eye area.

Dark circles under the eyes can also be the result of health issues, such as chronic allergies. Go to an allergist and get tested for allergies, especially to yeast, dairy, alcohol, and wheat. Cut back on caffeinated beverages, alcoholic beverages, diet sodas, and salt.

Green Solutions for Wrinkles

If you are looking for a one-step organic treatment for wrinkles, then, sadly, you won’t find one—not in this book and not anywhere else. Wrinkles are the result of hundreds of body processes, as well as our own actions. We can protect our skin from sun damage, quit smoking, and limit the use of toxic skin care. We can slow down free-radical damage, and we can eat well and supplement our bodies so our immune systems stay in peak condition. Unfortunately, we have little if no control over age-related processes, such as cell cessation and hormonal depletion, that result in reduced cell turnover, decreased fat and collagen content, and hormone loss. Environmental pollution also speeds up skin aging, and even if we move to less polluted areas, decades of living in toxic cities will eventually show up on our skin.

It would take another book to address every factor that makes our skin age from the green point of view; right now, let’s find out what we can do to slow down skin aging using organic, natural cosmetic products. Every wrinkle takes decades to develop, so it’s very unreasonable to hope that a smear of a cream will remove it completely and overnight. When you understand what can and what can’t be done using cosmetic products, you’ll be able to make informed choices and avoid spending money on products that are physically unable to live up to their claims.

What happens when we get wrinkles? Older skin has less fat in its dermis, which makes it look thinner and more transparent than younger skin. Facial muscles lose their shape and density, which causes facial features to sag and the skin to droop. Cell reproduction slows down, which shows up as an uneven skin structure and increased water loss. Skin cells lose vital elements such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and polysaccharides, which results in dryness and a parch-mentlike look to the skin. The skin’s support structures, collagen and elastin, deteriorate after decades of reckless sun exposure and hormonal changes, which results in sagging and wrinkles. Aging skin is more prone to allergic reactions, irritation, discoloration, and even acne because of the declining state of the immune system.

Aging skin is more prone to allergic reactions, irritation, discoloration, and even acne because of the declining state of the immune system.

A proper skin care routine can deal with some of these factors—but not all of them. Popular wrinkle creams claim they can restore collagen and elastin, rejuvenate and repair skin cells, and even reprogram the DNA to produce younger, healthier skin. No matter how tempting it is to resolve all the issues of aging with one clever potion, it’s impossible. Instead of wasting money on another “snake oil,” let’s see what we can actually do to delay the formation of wrinkles.

Protect the skin from environmental damage
.
Damage from the sun and free radicals resulting from pollution, an improper diet, and an overabundance of toxic chemicals in skin care products builds up in skin over time. This causes the DNA and RNA to stop skin cells from reproducing quickly, which slows skin cell turnover and thickens the layer of dead skin cells at the top layer of epidermis. Naturally derived or synthesized antioxidants, such as coenzyme Q10, idebenone, anthocyanidins and polyphenols from grapes, lycopene from tomatoes, super-oxide dismutase, vitamins C and E, and alpha-lipoic acid, when added to skin care products, can slow down and even repair the damage done by free radicals.

Protect the skin from sun damage
.
Loss of elasticity due to the deterioration of collagen and elastin, and the formation of furrows, crow’s feet, and brown spots on our face, necks, and hands, are largely due
to sun damage that builds up over decades. Sun exposure causes damage by twisting cell DNA, which in turn shows up as abnormal cell growth, inadequate blood and lymph flow, and collagen loss. Unfortunately, sun damage is irreversible. Prevent further harm by applying a mineral-based sunscreen daily, ideally in two layers: by topping the moisturizer with sunscreen with mineral foundation.

Exfoliate dead skin cells
.
This has nothing to do with regular scrubs or peels. Exfoliation of mature skin should be more gentle and consistent. As the skin gets older, dry, misshapen cells linger on its surface longer, creating a flaky, uneven appearance and increasing water loss. When you remove dead skin cells, skin functions improve, and cells can perspire better and receive more moisture and nutrients. Exfoliation with retinoids (vitamin A acids), ascorbic acid, or plant enzymes should become part of your daily skin care routine.

Moisturize, whiten, and heal
.
While moisturizers do not prevent wrinkles, the dry top skin layer can form microscopic cracks that make the skin more irritable and prone to inflammation. Using moisturizers with emollients such as phospholipids and lecithin, humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, and lipids from plant oils can help restore the skin’s intercellular matrix, filling it with essential building blocks. Healing and soothing agents such as kinetin, sea kelp, Indian frankincense (better known as
Boswellia serrata
), licorice, propolis, green tea, chamomile, and vitamin B5 (niacinamide) help the skin recover from environmental assaults.

None of these ingredients is a panacea. Some newly synthesized peptides and proteins help reverse some of the damage done to the skin and restore some of its functions, but I don’t want you to believe that even big guns, such as idebenone or plant-derived cytokine proteins (also known as epidermal growth factor), can permanently change the structure of your skin. Aging cannot be reversed, but it can be slowed down with smart and consistent chemical-free skin care, an organic diet, and an active, joyful lifestyle.

“Stay hydrated, attend the sauna, and exercise regularly to detox your skin and body, and avoid synthetic and toxic ingredients that cause health issues. The sun is very aging as well. Avoid excessive sun exposure. You cannot be too young to start protecting your skin with natural sunscreens. Every woman has beautiful features. You should try to enhance them through healthy exercise and healing sleep. ‘You look healthy’ or ‘You look pretty’ rather than ‘Your makeup looks great’ should be the ultimate compliment to aim for. And do not underestimate the beauty and appeal of a natural smile that reflects inner happiness and well-being.”

—Ulrike Jacob,
Laveré Skin Care

Green Solutions for Acne

Many believe that acne is simply an age-related rite of passage that does not need to be treated because you will outgrow it eventually. However, graduating from high school does not necessarily mean the end of acne drama. “Often, women are getting acne later in life,” notes Susan West Kurz of Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, who insists there’s more to acne than oily skin. “We try to look at the whole picture, consider a person’s eating habits, lifestyle, and age. Acne could also be an allergy to a certain kind of protein. Sometimes, when people cannot digest something, even psychologically, it shows up on their skin. We have known hundreds of people who were treated for their acne with cortisone creams and Retin-A, but all these treatments address only symptoms, not the real cause. When you just treat the symptoms, it’s the same as putting your hand on the yellow flashing light on your car’s dashboard. Wou try not to look at it instead of fixing the problem.”

Sometimes, when people cannot digest something, even psychologically, it shows up on their skin.

Instead of removing oil using concentrated foaming cleansers and drying lotions, holistic skin care experts rely on oily extracts of healing and antibacterial medicinal plants. “Your skin is responding to oil in a homeopathic way: if you put oil on the oily skin, it will help loosen impurities and refine the pores. It also sends a message to your skin that it is producing enough oil,” says Susan West Kurz, “and your skin responds by slowing down its production of oil. So, if you overcome your prejudice against putting oil on oily skin, you will notice that your skin produces less oil. I remind people that you can’t clean an oily substance with water because these two substances do not mix. People who remove oil from their skin often get dry, flaky skin on top and congested oily skin below. But if you put oil on a congested oily complexion, it will loosen impurities trapped in your skin and direct [the] metabolism to produce a healthy flow of sebum again. Oil also helps reduce the size of pores, because when your skin is blemished, your pores are enlarged. Oil flow is reestablished in a healthy way, and pores diminish, because elasticity returns to the skin. Oils are highly antioxidizing, and as your skin is healing from the blemishes, oil also helps prevent any kind of scarring and other problems associated with acne-prone skin.”

If you have suffered with acne since your teenage years, past outbreaks have left lots of postacne brown spots and maybe even scars. To fade them and prevent new acne blemishes from arising, you should use a mild daily exfoliating product such as Santa Maria Novella Sulfur Soap or almond-based, anti-inflammatory Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream. Don’t forget about sun protection, which will help prevent further postacne hyperpigmentation. Avoid inflammation by strengthening your skin’s own defenses. Enrich your daily skin care regimen with antioxidants, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory substances.

There are many easy, natural, and inexpensive ways to treat acne. Because acne-prone skin is usually thicker and oilier, acne sufferers tend to overindulge in strong foaming, often abrasive, cleansers, caustic astringents, and oil-free moisturizers. This triple whammy leads to increased sensitivity, new breakouts, and faster skin aging due to a broken skin barrier, which results in increased moisture loss.

To successfully battle acne, you need a consistent and effective green skin care routine. Here are some general guidelines for taking care of acne-prone skin naturally:

Cleanse gently
.
Wash your face with a nonfoaming or lightly foaming water-soluble cleanser that does not sting or leave the skin feeling dry in the morning, and double-cleanse with a cleansing oil and a foaming cleanser at night. Cleanse only twice a day. Frequent or vigorous cleansing will increase irritation and inflammation but will not promote healing of your acne blemishes. You may replace the second cleanser with an exfoliating product containing alpha/beta hydroxy acid. Use scrubs only if you have no blemishes but want to fade postacne hyperpigmentation.

Choose a toner
that contains witch hazel, tea tree oil, chamomile, aloe, cucumber, calendula, and fruit acids to gently exfoliate the skin. Plant-derived alcohols and clay can help quickly zap blemishes. To quickly soothe inflamed acne lesions and prepare your skin for a healthy night’s sleep, apply milk of magnesia for a few minutes before going to bed. Use an unsweetened and unscented magnesium hydroxide solution— the common laxative and upset stomach treatment. Apply it with fingertips or a cotton ball, leave it to dry, and wash off with tepid water.

Wear a daily moisturizer
with antioxidants and botanical anti-inflammatory agents such as chamomile, green tea, panthenol, provitamin B5, tocopherol (vitamin E), licorice, calendula, raspberry, rice and oats, seaweed (algae), evening primrose oil, arnica, and echinacea. Choose lightweight fluids and serums instead of oil-free moisturizers. One product to try is Suki Moisture Serum, which is formulated with organic chamomile, echinacea, and calendula in a lightweight oil base. It quickly soothes inflamed, fragile skin thanks to a high content of antioxidants, and it is suitable for sensitive, oily complexions that have trouble tolerating conventional oil-free lotions with benzoyl peroxide.

Zap zits with topical treatments
.
Tea tree oil is a traditional acne remedy that can be used directly or diluted with a toner or a mask. Apply a vitamin C powder directly onto blemishes. To treat larger areas affected with acne, mix 1 scoop of Philosophy Hope and a Prayer vitamin C with two
or three drops of your favorite facial or body oil. The vitamin C will not dissolve completely, so this treatment is best left on overnight. Please note: this concoction may sting.