So; if there was ever a time to embrace natural beauty and body care products its now. We are incredibly blessed to have a wide variety of these products as an affordable option in New Zealand now, with some beautiful effective products made by companies that whole-heartedly are behind supporting your health!
Here's some fast facts for you...
1.8kg is the average amount of lipstick a woman ingests over her lifetime.
11% of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal-care products that the U.S. government has documented and publicly assessed for safety.
1,110+: The number of ingredients banned in cosmetics in the European Union.
10: The number of ingredients banned in cosmetics in the United States.
20% of personal-care products that contain at least one chemical linked to cancer.
22% of cosmetics contaminated with possible cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane.
$160 billion: Amount spent annually on skin- and hair-care, makeup, cosmetic surgery, fragrances, health clubs, and diet products.
Sources: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, The Environmental Working Group, The Economist
Photo Credit: Oh Natural
What drew to me to Oh Natural was that firstly the founder; Jenna Mullinger is deep believer in promoting taking care of ourselves with natural goodness, inside and out. Coupled with a passion for organic skincare and makeup this online store is a one stop shop that offers exceptional natural skincare, makeup and wellness brands that covers organic skin care, natural hair care, make up products as well as superfoods and healthy snacks options. All products are toxin-free products from trusted brands, so you have total peace of mind that what is used on the outside is only adding to your health. For your next beauty purchases check out Oh Natural
Oh Natural kindly sponsored the Mount Taranaki Ascending Project and participants Kimberlea, Clare and Jill were so happy to win a voucher each for the Oh Natural Store and couldn't believe how many beautiful products they had to choose from! The rest of the team were super stoked with their Hurraw Lip Balms! Perfect protection for training at the beach.
Inside and Out Beauty Nutrients
Beauty is more than skin deep so embracing a wholefood diet that sustains your energy levels during the day and provides nutrients in optimal amounts for that outer glow as well.
Recent scientific research shows us that there are various vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which our skin especially loves. The list below only covers a few of the important one's to eat regularly for glowing, youthful skin, strong nails and hair.
Zinc
Is an essential trace mineral vital for wound and skin healing. Acne and white spots in the nails are linked with low zinc levels.
Zinc controls oil production in our skin and it's needed for a strong immune system, helping to fight the bacteria that can cause spots and infections.
Zinc is needed for our taste buds to work properly and plays a role in vision and smell.
The food sources of zinc include pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecan nuts, beef and eggs (the yolk).
Selenium
Is another essential trace mineral, helping maintain the elasticity and suppleness of our skin.
It is a vital antioxidant, which protects our cells from damage from toxic free radicals and help prevent skin cancer by protecting our skin from damage caused by over-exposure to UV light.
I encourage the consumption of two organic raw (or activated) Brazil nuts per day to meet your selenium quota. Other sources include garlic, mushrooms and brown rice.
Silica
Another trace mineral that strengthens our body’s connective tissues (muscles, tendons, hair, ligaments, skin, nails, bone and cartilage)
If you are low in silica, wounds will take a lot longer to heal and skin is less smooth and supple. Silica helps in creating glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are the vital part of structural tissue.
Hyaluronic acid is a commonly marketed in face creams (this is a well-known GAG!) It is proven to help re-generate skin cells, and increase the skin-hydrating retinoic acid.
Food sources of silica include leeks, strawberries, mango, celery, asparagus, cucumber and green beans.
Vitamins A, C and E (think ACE to help you remember how good they are for our skin)
Vitamin A is vital for maintenance and repair. Our skin becomes dry, flaky and dull without it.
Think orange or coloured foods for high Vitamin A content like kumara, pumpkin, carrots, kale, apricots and mangos. Vitamin A and E are fat-soluble so eating healthy fat like avocado, nuts, seeds or coconut oil, can boost its absorption. Think a colouful fruit platter with coconut yoghurt, mango and avocado salad etc
Omega-3 Fats
As essential fats, we don’t produce them in our body, so they must come from our diet everyday!
Omega-3 fats are needed for skin repair, suppleness, maintaining a healthy moisture content and for the structure every cell wall in our body.
Typically the Western world's diet is rich in omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, from eating processed grains, processed meat and vegetable oils regularly, and low in omega-3 fats. For smoother, younger looking skin incorporate a higher amount of omega-3 fats in the form of ground flax seeds, walnuts, oily fish, chia seeds, olive oil and avocado.