FOR YOUR HEALTH: Natural Moisturizers

Nurture Your Skin the Natural Way

We all know the phrase, "you are what you eat." way. Why is it, then, that even the most diehard of natural foods fans often looks the other way when it comes to body care products? Most of the popular shampoos, makeup and skin care products today contain an alphabet soup full of artificial ingredients, some of which can actually be promoting the very conditions they are supposed to prevent.

Take skin moisturizers. They are vital for maintaining the elasticity and overall health of skin, especially as we age. They can also help overcome the effects of dehydration throughout the winter.

But what to use? Many of the fragrances in conventional mass-market moisturizers are made with synthetic ingredients and petroleum-derived products, which can actually irritate skin. In some cases, the combination of fragrance, preservatives and active ingredients prevents the moisturizer from penetrating to the deep layers of the skin.

Fortunately, there are some excellent natural alternatives. Look for products containing shea butter – a natural emollient derived from the nut of African trees, that gets rapidly absorbed without leaving a greasy feeling. Shea butter is thought to be effective not just in moisturizing, but in fading scars and blemishes, and historically has even been used as a healing salve.

One of our favorite shea butters is from Alaffia, which offers hand-made fair trade shea butter from Togo. Depending on the season, you might find facial care, body lotion, body wash, baby care and gift sets.

Another good choice is ShiKai Hand and Body Lotions, which contain not only shea butter but also borage oil, which is clinically shown to penetrate deep layers and plump-up skin to provide that youthful look.

If you have any questions or want other recommendations, be sure to stop by the Health and Body Care department and talk to one of our associates.

From a previous issue of Sprouts Farmers Market’s monthly e-newsletter. Hungry for more? Click here to sign up.