Many people are looking for alternatives to commercial cosmetics. Whilst the reasons may not be that obvious, they are quite disturbing, once you get to the bottom of what’s behind the curtains. Here are some of the top reasons.

Traditional cosmetic products contain dangerous toxins like heavy metals, phthalates and hundreds of others linked to cancer, hormonal disorders, fertility issues etc. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that approximately 70,000 chemicals are in common use across the world, with 1,000 new chemicals being introduced every year!
Women absorb an estimated 2.5 kg of chemicals a year just from the makeup they use. Most items we rub on the skin end up in our bloodstream, and are distributed throughout our body.
The skin is actually our largest organ, and it is highly absorbent.A large portion of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis comes through our skin, not just through the food.
Using chemicals on our skin is actually worse than eating them. When we eat something, the enzymes in our saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of our body. However, when we apply these chemicals on our skin, they are absorbed straight into our bloodstream and going directly to our delicate organs. They tend to accumulate over time because we typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down.

5. Even when the product is certified as organic (biological) it may still contain some controversial ingredients and preservatives.

For example, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is an approved ingredient by many eco and organic certification bodies even though nearly 16,000 studies mention the toxicity of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS is a surfactant used as foaming agent, detergent and emulsifier in thousands of cosmetic products and industrial cleaners.

So what to do, what is an alternative?

Luckily, most of the beauty and skin care products can be made at home at affordable price and far superior quality. The recipes can be found all around the web; I also post them regularly at http://foodinloveout.com along with many other natural beauty tips.

For those who don’t have the time or desire to go into the adventure of making the products, you can order them from our shop at http://www.ohloulou.com and we will be more than happy to produce them for you. Or look at the other shops making small batches of truly handmade and toxin-free products.

Our handmade beauty products are almost entirely made of organic, mostly edible ingredients like raw butters, unrefined cold pressed vegetable oils and pure essential oils.

This in essence means ZERO toxins, ZERO preservatives, ZERO dangerous ingredients.

Our products are delicate and pure and since no preservatives are added, they need to be carefully handled (kept at dark and dry place, the temperature usually needs to be below 25C).

Once you understand the need and importance for natural toxin-free products, staying true to them will be easy and rewarding.

Food On, Beauty In & Out

SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL ANTI-AGING REMEDIES ON PLANET

For centuries people have been seeking ways to stop or at least to slow down the process of aging.

For centuries the tales of “Fountain of Youth” have been recounted across the world and alchemists have sought to find a secret formula.

And today, more than ever, many people will try just about anything to stop the aging.

COSMETIC INDUSTRY’S MARKETING STRATEGY: THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE BETTER!

Cosmetic industry makes millions of dollars from myriad of expensive, “younger look” promising products.

The key marketing strategy appears to be “the more expensive the product, the better”.

As the results can’t really be seen overnight, the marketers are relying on inducing the judgment by increasing the price tag: “the product is very expensive so it must be good”.

Add to this some slogans like “Revolutionary”, “Advanced Formula”, “Results based on 1000 women saying” and you have a recipe for success in bringing many dollars to the mother brand.

No doubt, many cosmetic products do contain some good anti-aging components.

The issue is that they also contain many other unnecessary ingredients that are there to make the product look nicer (e.g water is added to make it smoother), smell nicer (“fragrance” is added which often translates to dangerous chemicals), last longer (additive and preservatives added to make the product stable on temperature extremes and increase the shelf life).

As a result, the super expensive “revolutionary” anti-age products from biggest brands end up containing a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, many of them hormone disrupting, cancer causing or at least controversial.

Add to this story the pricey cosmetic face lifts and surgeries that offer some temporary results and after some time, in some cases months, the wrinkles begin to re-appear bringing the desperate persons to the vicious circle of never-ending surgeries.

TURNING TO THE NATURE

The aging can’t be stopped or reversed. Accepting this simple fact should be the first and most important step in our quest to look younger.

However, although the aging can’t be stopped fully, the nature in fact offers some good answers in terms of slowing down the process of aging.

The essential oils (highly concentrated plant extracts) are one of the best kept secrets.

They happen to be the safest, most effective and probably the least expensive “tool” to diminish the wrinkles and slow down the aging.

Essential oils work on a molecular level and can actually regenerate skin cells.

Some essential oils stimulate the circulation and oxygenate the blood encouraging the skin regeneration process.

As a result, continuous use of blend of essential oils will be far more effective and lasting than any cosmetic surgery or face lift. And far better than any expensive commercial cream for one simple reason: it does not require any of those unpronounceable (equals nasty) ingredients, preservatives or additives. The blend of carefully chosen essential oils diluted in a well chosen carrier oil will have a very long shelf life, provided it is stored in amber glass and away from sunlight.

In most cases a careful selection of few anti-aging essential oils (pick them from the list below) will begin diminishing your wrinkles in about a month.

The blends and serums, as expected, are used for face, neck and eye area or as a body rub. You can add few drops in your bath.

Remember to always use the therapeutic grade organic pure essential oils for optimum results.

The essential oils are relatively in-expensive especially when compared to big brands’ similar products, however some of the essential oils are pricey for a good reason: for example you need up to 4000kg of rose petals to extract 1kg of rose oil.

If you are not willing to experiment, you can buy our serums in our Oh Lou Lou! e-store Click Here.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WHAT YOU EAT MATTERS!

One thing should never be neglected: Food In, Love and Beauty Out! Foods rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins can actually slow down the aging. Unhealthy diet rich in sugar for sure aggravates the signs of aging. Habits such as alcohol and cigarettes will slow the process considerably. A healthy lifestyle and diet will improve the results of using anti-aging serums.

LIST OF THE MOST POWERFUL ANTI-AGING REMEDIES ON OUR PLANET

The following essential oils are some of the most powerful anti-aging remedies on the planet and using them in continuity may cut ten years off your look.

ROSA DAMASCENA ESSENTIAL OIL

Superb anti-aging oil • Scar Healing • Nurturing • Astringent • Helps in toning and tightening the sagging skin • Prevents early aging and wrinkles

FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-wrinkle • Regenerating • pH Balancing • Strengthening • Clears the skin from blemishes • Great for dry complexions • Helps smooth creases, wrinkles and scars

CARROT SEED ESSENTIAL OIL

Rejuvenates the skin • Softens wrinkles • Detoxifying • Protection from sun

GERANIUM ESSENTIAL OIL

Circulating • Healing • Toning • Firming • Oxygenating • Dermatitis and eczema relief • Great for oily and mature skin

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Cell Regenerator • Soothing • Reduces scarring from burns and wounds •Anti-age • Lighten the appearance of age spots • Treats acne

SANDALWOOD ESSENTIAL OIL

Rich in antioxidants • Anti-inflammatory agent • Helps to improve facial blood circulation • Detoxifier • Fights the formation of wrinkle-causing free radicals • Excellent addition to any anti-aging treatment

MANUKA ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-inflammatory • Rich in antioxidants that reduce damage from free radicals • Eliminates harmful bacteria on the skin • Treats acne

MYYRH ESSENTIAL OIL

Anti-inflammatory • Helps improve skin tone, firmness, and skin elasticity • Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles • Helps heal sun damage, rashes, and eczema • Moisturize dry, cracked skin

ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL

Cell renewal • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles • Helps healing wounds and burns • Clears acne and blemishes • Anti-bacterial • Improves blood circulation • Radiant skin

NEROLI ESSENTIAL OIL

Reduces fine lines • Tones sagging skin • Rejuvenating • Cell regenerating • Preventing and healing stretch marks • Antiseptic • Balances oil production • Shrinks pores without drying skin • Beneficial for oily, sensitive, and mature skin

FENNEL ESSENTIAL OIL

Antiseptic and stimulant • Soothes, cleanses and tones the skin • Prevents wrinkles and minimizes the appearance of fine lines • Reduces water retention/ helps reducing eye bags • Regulates blood circulation.

LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL

Astringent • Antiseptic • Anti-wrinkle • Detoxifying • Rejuvenates dull skin

PATCHOULI ESSENTIAL OIL

Promotes new cell growth • Softens fine lines & wrinkles • Beneficial against eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne

PALMAROSA ESSENTIAL OIL

Helps skin damaged by prolonged exposure to the sun • Combats acne • Lessens the appearance of acne scars • Anti-wrinkle • Cools the skin • Stimulates new cell growth •Speeds healing • Anti-inflammatory

CLARY SAGE ESSENTIAL OIL

Antioxidant • Reverses signs of aging • Helps to reduce excessive production of sebum • Tightens skin pores • Skin firming • Hormone balancing • Avoid if pregnant, or suffer from estrogen caused health issues

ANTI-AGING CARRIER (BASE) OILS

The essential oils are too concentrated and should never be used pure, that’s why they need to be diluted in carrier (base) oils. I list here some of them that by themselves have great therapeutic and anti-aging properties.

NOTE that Apricot Kernel, Sweet Almond, Hazelnut and Coconut oils can be used as a base oil 100%, whilst Rosehip, Jojoba and Evening Primrose are normally used as additions to the base oil up to 10 %.

LIST OF GREAT ANTI-AGING CARRIER (BASE) OILS

APRICOT KERNEL OIL

High in gamma linoleic acid • Rich in anti-oxidants & vitamins • Skin balancing • Improves the skin texture • Enables skin to retain elasticity • Makes skin supple • Great for normal, mixed and sensitive skin

SWEET ALMOND OIL

Anti-aging • Rich in vitamins that help delay the appearance of wrinkles • Moisturizer • Firms the skin • Soothes skin allergies and inflammation • Restores the normal PH of the skin • Glowing skin • Lightens dark marks supple • Great for normal, mixed and sensitive skin

COCONUT OIL

Rejuvenating • Helps exfoliating • High content of vit. E • Anti-viral anti-microbial Hydrating • Softening • Mild UV protection • Protects the skin from free radicals • Gentle and suitable for ALL skin types

HAZELNUT OIL

Rejuvenating • Hydrating • “Dry” oil • Softening • Mild UV protection • Antioxidant • Astringent • Pore shrinking • Acne-fighting • Toning • Reduces blackheads and pimples • Good for all skin types, especially oily and sensitive skin

LIST OF GREAT ANTI-AGING OILS (TO ADD TO BASE OILS)

ROSE HIP SEED OIL

Deeply penetrates into the lower layers of the skin • Regenerates cells and damaged skin tissue • Increases collagen production • Brightens and tones skin due to its richness in Vitamin C, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and retinoic acid (vit A) • Hydrates • Reduces scars • Reduces hyper-pigmentation • Helps heal burned skin and eczema • Suitable for all skin types especially mature, oily and problem skin conditions

JOJOBA OIL

Slows down the appearance of aging • Provides lasting (24h) hydration • Balances the production of skin oils • Effective in acne treatments • Nourishing (high content of vitamins and minerals) • Soothes burned skin • Suitable for all skin types including sensitive and problem skin

EVENING PRIMROSE OIL

Prevents premature aging • Treats inflammation, eczema • Enhances the epidermal barrier • Dilutes sebum production • Calms acne flare-ups • Skin hydrating skin • Astringent • Soothe skin irritations and inflammations • Rich in antioxidants • Lightens dark circles around the eyes • Good for all skin types including dry, psoriasis, eczema, damaged, and mature skin

Other great anti-aging essential oils to be considered: Galbanum, German chamomile, Hyssop, Orange, Oregano, Thyme, Vervain, Violet leaf and Yarrow.

CAUTION: Don’t use the essential oil blends if you are pregnant without consulting your health care or aromatherapy practitioner. Before using any blend, always remember to perform an allergy test before applying any essential oils or carrier oils to large areas of the body. Simply apply a drop or two to the back of the hand and wait several hours (not all reactions occur immediately) to check for any adverse effects. if the area the oil was applied is exposed to UV rays (sunlight). Use caution with citrus oils such as lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot, angelica, etc are these oils cause photosensitivity (skin pigmentation changes (dark spots)) during the sun exposure.