It used to be whatever the dominant beauty brands told us to buy; one could say almost a limited concept of taking care of our skin. Today, we are now facing interesting choices when shopping for beauty products.

Age Old Secrets
Nature holds pearls of wisdom that enhance life's splendors. Essential oils a perfect example and in their pure natural state is effective for all manner of things. Take Lavender, a very good relaxant and effective for those plagued with insomnia. Best of all, it is natural and therefore, not addictive.

Weve rediscovered plant oils. Research has shown that some plant oils have much smaller molecules allowing them to penetrate into the upper layers of our skin. This offers the skin not only moisture but the additional benefits of nourishment.

Age old secrets with todays technology are bringing us innovative formulas and rich blends. A perfect example is Green Tea Extract, a powder which is extracted from the leaves. Green tea offers us powerful antioxidants beneficial to human health.

Magic Potions
The skincare market is now the arena of a fierce battle between prestige and mass outlets. In the mist of this battle, the cosmetic industry now increasingly looks to the organic or natural skin care niche as the newest in a long series of "innovations" to drive their market, constantly repackaging "hope in a bottle."

Except, nature gives us an amazing array of botanical ingredients and essential oils that naturally protect and nourish our skin. Essential oils are made from the distillation of flowers and provide tremendous benefits to our skin. For centuries, plants and herbs have been used for the vitamins and nutrients they deliver to the skin.

Some natural skin constituents, such as: ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), hyaluronic acid (found in plant oils), vitamin E, collagen (new technology has produced collagen from soy and wheat), lactic (goats milk) and citric acids, can also be found in natural beauty products.

The skin recognizes these ingredients as compatible with those already in the skin, so there is minimal risk of a sensitive/allergic reaction.

Truth Serum
What we now know that to feel good about ourselves is by taking care of our looks - because beauty and health go hand in hand. Great looking skin arrives by limited sun exposure, good health and finding the right products for your skin. And, that the finest make-up in the world cannot disguise the effects of poor nutrition, lack of sleep, exercise, too much stress or emotional problems.

We also know that as more and more traditionally 'mainstream' customers begin adopting natural ingredients, the demand for efficacy data and documentation grows. Perhaps well start to see a list of ingredients in all skin care products. We can start with commercial soaps, which most are made of detergents leaving the skin dry.

Because after all with perfect beauty as an elusive concept; consumer education should therefore be an important part of this business.