Looking and feeling great is the most important thing for most women. Commercial products can do much to treat beauty emergencies, but the only effective, long—term solution is optimum health in body and mind.

Beautiful Skin

Women want to look good and by having a great complexion it is a huge beauty asset which will boost your morale. The skin is always on display to the world and is worth taking care of. Skin has a little acid mantle, which keeps out harmful bacteria, and it is not a good idea to use excessively alkaline cleansers, such as soap, to wash the skin, as these destroy the necessary acid balance. The condition of the skin is a good indicator of general health within the body.

Lifestyle

The condition of our skin is affected by our lifestyle and general well-being, including our diet, how much exercise we take, our work, our family and our mental attitude. In some way we are what we eat. The circulatory system carries the nutrients from our food around the body. Without some sort of a healthy diet the body’s cells receive insufficient nutrition.

Regular exercise is also another very important factor in your lifestyle. Without sufficient exercise it means that food nutrients are not transported around the body properly, and toxins in the lymphatic system are not completely eliminated. This can lead to cellulite and other problems in the body and with the skin. A diet which includes plenty of water, fresh fruit and vegetables will help to keep our bodies free from toxins and promote a clear, blooming complexion.

Environment can also affect our bodies. Most homes and offices are centrally heated, and this has a drying effect on the skin and hair. Keeping a bowl of water beside each radiator will help to increase humidity. Women who spend a lot of time outdoors should take care of their skin from excessive exposure to the sun, rain and wind. These are all equally damaging to the skin, and will promote wrinkles and early aging. Protect your skin from harmful ultra violet rays! Make sure you apply sunscreen, wear a hat, sunglasses, protective clothing and especially relax in the shade instead of in the sun.

Feeling happy with what you do is also extremely important. This is also effects your skin, hair and nails. When we are unhappy, e tend to feel negative about ourselves and are more likely to focus on our tiny imperfections. This can leave us feeling even worse and creates a horrible cycle which may lead to depression. With a positive mental attitude, on the other hand, we feel happier and more calm, our stress levels will decrease and we will look and feel healthier.

The Aging Process

Like all other organs, the skin deteriorates with age. Typically this is a characterized by the slowing down of cell regeneration, and the fact that dead skin cells gradually take longer to be discarded. As we grow older, our skin becomes less moist and loses elasticity. We are also more likely to develop more wrinkle lines in our face. As oestrogen production decreases during the menopause years your skin will start to thin out and dehydrate within the epidermis.

Many factors play a part in skin aging such as heredity, menopause, occupation, exposure to the sun and wind, poor diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, prolonged stress, insufficient sleep, even crash diets and excessive washing.

Aging is beyond our control, but we can help to minimize its effects by giving our bodies the best attention possible. Lifestyle factors need to be addressed and then backed up by a daily skin care regime with suitable lotions and creams, which can help to improve elasticity and the appearance of the skin, hair and nails.

Essential oils can be used successfully to combat the effects of aging. Research studies have shown that many essential oils have cell regenerative properties and essential oil products help to promote a much healthier, younger looking skin.