The heat is on this season! But with all the stretch marks from working out for that beach body, and scars collected from your adventurous lifestyle, your skin not only needs protection from the harmful rays of the sun, it also needs to be nourished with the best skincare ingredients.
Here are six natural ingredients you’d want to see in your bottles of skin essentials:
Vitamin A
Retinal, retinol, and retinoic acids (the three active forms of Vitamin A) are important for cell growth and production. They improve skin tone and texture and increase elasticity. Lack of Vitamin A will dry your skin. And with the higher than normal temperatures of the weather this season, you better have this on your bottle.
Vitamin E
A popular component of skincare products, Vitamin E is known for its anti-aging properties. Aside from that, it also works as a skin moisturizer, giving you smooth and supple skin. With all the activities you’ll do under the sun, make sure your skin is well-supplied with Vitamin E.
Rosemary
The fun and fearless female will need the medicinal properties of this popular herb. Rosemary reduces pain (analgesic) and swelling (anti-inflammatory) and blocks the sensation of pain (anti-nociceptive) as well. Play sports uninhibited in the sun and don’t let skin contact worry you from having a great time.
Lavender
For the urban wanderer, lavender will provide you much-needed relief from the smoke of the city. It works as an anti-pollutant by preventing bacteria growth. Soothing and calming, lavender oil can also help your skin from the stresses of the metro and even acts as a natural insect repellant.
Calendula
Calendula is a flower from the daisy family, commonly known as marigolds. Any active adventurer should put this on top of their list as it restores skin cells, heals damaged skin, minor cuts and wounds, and even clears these of bacteria. Feel free to use this when you do your outdoor sports and other recreational activities.
Chamomile
If you’re worried of your complexion after hours basking under the sun, chamomile may just do the trick. Its anti-inflammatory properties help lighten your complexion, giving you the glow you need. Feel refreshed as it cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes sensitive skin from hours of sun exposure.
Luckily, there’s one bottle that has all these ingredients. Bio-Oil, which prides itself as the top scar and stretch marks brand in 17 countries, is made of PurCellin Oil and a combination of plant extracts and vitamins. With all five ingredients in an oil-based concoction, it is oxygen-free – retaining the essential ingredients’ potency and maximizing their effects.
Bio-Oil is available at Mercury Drug, Watsons, and other leading drugstores nationwide.
Sources:
New study evaluates effectiveness of vitamins for the treatment of sun-damaged skin, American Academy of Dermatology, 2010, www.aad.org/media/news-releases/new-study-evaluates-effectiveness-of-vitamins-for-the-treatment-of-sun-damaged-skin
Stallings, Allison F., and Lupo, Mary A. “Practical uses of botanicals in skin care.” The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 2009, pp. 36–40.
Tabassum, Nahida, and Hamdani Mariya. “Plants used to treat skin diseases.” Pharmacognosy Reviews. vol. 8, no. 15, Jan.-Jun. 2009, pp. 52-60.
Frequently Asked Questions
MEGA recommends six natural ingredients for summer skincare: Vitamin A, Vitamin E, rosemary, lavender, calendula, and chamomile. It says the heat means skin needs protection from the sun and nourishment, and cites American Academy of Dermatology and journal sources in the article.
MEGA says retinal, retinol, and retinoic acids are the three active forms of Vitamin A, important for cell growth, and that they improve skin tone, texture, and elasticity. It describes Vitamin E as known for anti-aging properties and as a moisturizer for smooth, supple skin.
MEGA says rosemary has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-nociceptive properties. It says lavender works as an anti-pollutant by preventing bacteria growth, is soothing and calming, and acts as a natural insect repellant. These are MEGA’s descriptions based on its cited sources.
MEGA says calendula, a flower from the daisy family commonly known as marigold, restores skin cells and helps heal damaged skin and minor cuts. It says chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties, helps lighten the complexion, and cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes sensitive skin after sun exposure.
MEGA says Bio-Oil prides itself as the top scar and stretch marks brand in 17 countries and is made of PurCellin Oil with plant extracts and vitamins. It says the oil-based formula is oxygen-free, retaining potency, and that it is sold at Mercury Drug, Watsons, and leading drugstores.
