Monday, August 30, 2010

Natural Cosmetic Ingredients, Really Effective?


Green tea, mushrooms, soy beans, is not only delicious but also healthy body. Today, a variety of cosmetic products incorporate such materials in the series of natural products. Really Effective?

Drinking green tea is one thing, rub it on the skin of another. According to experts. Since at least the length of the research is still needed to prove the benefits of food ingredients for beauty.

S Leslie Baumann, MD, an expert in cosmetic ingredients that scientific research is carried out by the marketing of beauty is still lacking. But he did not deny that the plants that contain antioxidants in the future will be the most important content in cosmetic products.

Several studies have indeed tested the efficacy of natural plants for beauty. For example, green tea and pomegranates are effective to protect the skin from dangerous sun rays. However, many natural beauty products that claim turned out to contain only a few natural ingredients that will not affect much.

"A drop of the active ingredients from plant extracts in cosmetic products weighing two ounces of almost no influence," said Thomas Bombeli, MD, a member of the International Society of Dermatology. According to him, many products contain natural ingredients and a small amount just for marketing purposes only.

In addition, consumers should understand that the label "natural", "organic", or "natural" is a marketing label that has not been regulated by the government. The experts also believe natural products are not necessarily better than synthetic products.

Some natural ingredients, according to Baumann, have side effects that need to be wary of. For example, essential oils, like rosemary, bargamot, or peppermint, that it can make sensitive skin irritation. "Coconut oil can also cause acne," he said.

Although beauty products made from natural claim to be effective for anti aging, but experts say the products are actually useful to prevent or slow down premature aging, rather than improve the condition of the skin is aging.

If you want to tackle the wrinkles that have already graced the face, Baumann suggested that choose synthetic products.

"Antioxidants work to prevent wrinkles, rather than eliminate the wrinkles that already exist," said Baumann. To improve the condition of the skin, retinoids and vitamin A derived from extracts of citrus fruit produced in the laboratory that should be chosen. "They work more effectively than if you wear a mask made of carrots alone," he said.