Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out (2 page)

CONCLUSION

APPENDICES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NOTES

INTRODUCTION

In this modern world, is there a future for old-fashioned oatmeal scrubs, skin-firming masks with egg yolks and rye bread, and facial toners made of witch hazel and apple vinegar? In the age of the facelift, is there a place for meditation and stress-busting exercises? With all of the novel enzymes, nanoparticles, peptides, and vitamins at the disposal of today's dermatologist, shouldn't we all have glowing, youthful skin without a single blemish, wrinkle, or dark spot? Must our nightly slumber still be called "beauty sleep" if we can fix under-eye shadows with a magic gel? Do we still have to bother with herbs, clay, or oils in our bid to have gorgeous skin and lustrous hair?

Considering the astounding frequency of acne, eczema, der-matitis, hyperpigmentation, and hair loss we encounter today, it is clear that the cosmetic industry does not always deliver on its promises. Yet, somehow many of us still believe that all it takes to achieve glowing skin and lustrous hair is to slather on a potion that costs $20 a drop.

It is time to face the facts, ladies. During the last fifty years, the cosmetic industry has brainwashed women. We give away the responsibility for our manufacturers who make fantastic claims that are rarely (if ever) based on human physiology—or plain ol’ common sense. We are taught that we should rely on “magical” powers inside a glamorous jar or a futuristic-looking capsule, rather than on our bodies’ own
ability to preserve and improve our looks. If it’s that expensive, we think, it surely must work! We seem to think that we have the same skin type, skin conditions, genetic makeup, metabolism, stress levels, and health concerns as thousands of other women who are buying the same jar, at the same minute, across the world. Even sports shoes come in a wider variety of options than skin cleansers in a regular department store.

Just as our brain is capable of producing the most powerful antidepressant known to science—namely, the neurotransmitter endorphin—our body is perfectly equipped with its own cleansing lotions, rejuvenating potions, and powerful skin-lifting serums to maintain and restore our natural beauty. Inside our bodies, we have enormous powers to rejuvenate our skin, hair, and nails without having to resort to expensive, often toxic, and sometimes even dangerous cosmetic procedures. Scrubs, masks, and laser treatments are nice and often beneficial, but even the most expensive cosmetic intervention cannot yield the lasting beauty we are after.

In this book you will discover how to take care of your skin, hair, and body in a holistic way, and come to understand why this approach makes more sense than addressing each issue with an isolated topical solution. You will learn about the healing powers of nutrition, sleep, and stress-relieving methods when it comes to skin, hair, nails, or perhaps any “wobbly bits” you may be concerned about.

For those with an interest in holistic health, you will find chapters that offer a “whole-body” approach to nutrition, well-ness, health, and beauty. The advice is very practical and easy to follow. Just as it’s not necessary to be a botanical expert to grow dill or parsley on your windowsill, similarly it’s not necessary to be a nutritionist or a yoga expert to practice mindfulness, a beauty-boosting diet, and stress-relieving exercise. Most important, natural beauty should become the expression of your unique spirit and personality, which rules the way you treat your body and set up your mind.

As you read this book, you will learn how your skin absorbs nutritive and toxic substances, as well as what certain chemicals can do to your body and how to avoid the most dangerous ones. You will learn about the dangers of synthetic fragrances and parabens (preservatives), and you will understand why these cause allergies and increase your risk of heart disease, infertility, cancer, and other less invasive but still unpleasant health conditions. As soon as you realize that skincare products are food for your skin, you will be able to feed your skin right with “beauty meals.” I am sure you know the health value of a homemade stew made with organic vegetables versus a hamburger with fries from a fast-food joint?

QUIT THE FAST FOOD BEAUTY HABIT

Beauty products have a lot in common with the foods that we eat. There are wholesome, nutrient-rich lotions and potions (and you can make a lot of them at home) and there are “fast-food”
versions that you can find in any supermarket or pharmacy. These have little or no effect on overall health and well-being. At best, these blends of cheap petrochemicals and preservatives provide temporary relief from a specific discomfort. Maybe they make your skin feel less dry than usual. But the inner cause of dryness remains, so you reach for that plastic tube more and more often, and your skin itself makes no improvement.

When you understand the difference between “fast-food” and wholesome, natural beauty, you may decide to go a little longer on your way to a greener self. After you realize the premium you pay for packaging, storage, and transportation of conventional beauty products, not to mention their environmental impact, you will see the benefits of trying some easy recipes for organic, homemade skincare products. After you see how easy it is to make your own shampoo or body lotion, you will treat your skin and hair with more consideration and will shop for ready-made beauty products with more insight. You will become your own natural beauty expert. Add to that your newly gained knowledge of healing, beauty-promoting qualities of nutrition and stress relief, and nothing will stop you from becoming a true beauty, inside and out.

DETOX YOUR FACE

We all strive to look as best as we can. For some of us, money is not a restraint when it comes to the newest cosmetic procedure, or a scientific-seeming facial serum. For many others, it is an out-of-reach cure-all we regret not being able to afford. But what about health risks? Ninety percent of beauty products today are loaded with tongue-twisting chemical ingredients that promise instant results but have never been tested for long-term safety by reputable agencies. Even products labeled as “natural” and “organi” often contain synthetic additives that nearly nullify the benefits of botanicals and vitamins in the formula. Why should we risk our health in order to erase a wrinkle or fade a sun spot?

Choosing cosmetic ingredients that are effective yet harmless is not an easy task. Many antibacterial and antiseptic solutions, preservatives, alcohol, fragrances, silicones, and polymers used in conventional and natural skincare products may not be safe to use because of their allergenic and even carcinogenic potential. As the consumers, we have the right to know what is good and what is not working. Most often, if you cannot find a product that works for your skin condition, you can take the matter in your own hands and prepare the magic potion in your kitchen. it is very easy once you know how. sometimes making your own skincare is the most economical solution. Allbeauty treatments and solutions in this book are entirely natural and chemical free.

This book contains product recommendations of natural and organic products that work really well for all skin and hair types. There are many excellent all-natural beauty products you can find in health food stores, natural groceries, pharmacies, and online, and I only recommend the ones that I have tested myself, with positive results.

When it comes to beauty, you have to become your own beauty expert, because no one else knows your skin, your diet, or your lifestyle better than you do. Your skin and hair conditions change every day. Your diet and your hormones can make or break that sleek, shiny hairstyle you have been anxious to achieve. So you need to be watchful, learn how to respond naturally to your skin and hair changes, and recognize when you need to be gentle or proactive, when you need to be a little more aggressive, or when you need to simply rest and wait. This book will empower you with the essential knowledge you need to make the decisions that are right for you. This book does not rely on folk wisdom and “magical” cures of yesteryears. Your skin is not the same as the skin your mother had twenty years ago. Water was different; air and food were less chemically loaded; skincare was less toxic.

We all are witnesses that creams alone cannot bring us youth, yet we all know that mere anticipation of a romantic date can tighten our skin better than any mask and brighten our eyes
better than any eyedrops. An eight-hour sleep for a new mom can do wonders for her face. A meditation can diminish frowns and wrinkles. Falling in love can help us lose inches from our waistline, and brings that gorgeous glow to our cheeks that not a single bronzer can match.

In a real world, this amazing self-healing, self-beautifying capability of our bodies is undermined by the toxic environment we exist in. Contaminated water and air; synthetically enhanced, genetically modified, and processed food; artificial skincare; and pressures at work and home can wear out your looks, and age your skin and hair prematurely. This book explains why you should avoid parabens, aluminum, artificial fragrances and other estrogen mimickers as well as how they damage looks and health. Other environmental issues are raised, with a look at how slaughterhouse-and petroleum-derived ingredients in beauty products affect the environment. If you are unhappy with the current state of the unregulated beauty industry, its deceitful claims and self-admiring science, you will enjoy learning about self-reliant, inside-out beauty solutions that have very little negative impact on our amazing planet but have enormous positive effect on your health and state of mind.

HOLISTIC WAY OF BEAUTY

Are you one of those people who own a moisturizer for the face, a lotion for the oily T-zone, a cream for the eyes, another cream for the neck, a rich balm for the hands, and maybe three or five different masks that are diligently applied every night? Do you own separate creams for your feet, hands, bottom, and belly area? Do you treat your hair with at least five different products every morning, starting with shampoo, followed with a conditioner, straightener, volume-boosting foam, hair spray, and maybe a serum for split ends? Do you apply an antiperspirant topped with a spritz of a fragrance?

I bet you said yes to at least some of these questions. If you did,
welcome to the world of synthetic beauty, where each and every skin area is treated in isolation from the rest of the body; where hair is simply a pretty accessory that needs to be dyed, glossed, ironed, and puffed; where nails are as glossy as your gel extensions permit; and where skin problems are managed with layers of expensive serums and acid peels, without real understanding of what’s causing all those blemishes, spots, and wrinkles.

But there is another kind of beauty. It is called holistic beauty. The key word here is “holistic,” a novel approach to beauty and well-being in general. Based on
holos,
a Greek word meaning "whole, entire," holistic health stresses that all aspects of our existence—psychological, physical, and social—should be taken into account and seen as a whole. Unlike symptomatic health, where symptoms are treated and not the whole body, holistic principles of well-being use natural diet, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, relaxation, meditation, and alternative medicine practices such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage therapy to achieve the optimal state of well-being.

When it comes to beauty, holistic principles view our skin, hair, and nails not as visible body parts that need constant cleansing, polishing, painting, exfoliating, and dyeing to keep them pretty, but as integral parts of our well-being that can be improved with nutrition, relaxation, and probably a detox if exposed to synthetic toxins or suffering from congestion and possibly adverse conditions. Holistic beauty treats the face, body, hair, and nails as parts of the whole picture. Healthy skin and hair begin with the healthy liver, healthy bowels, healthy ovaries, and of course the healthy mind.

The holistic way of beauty teaches us to be proactive, not reactive. Instead of rubbing an expensive and potentially toxic cream into your wrinkles, let’s try and prevent visible signs of aging with focused nutrition, supplements, sun protection, and stress relief. Instead of rubbing our skin with prescription medications to stop hair loss, turn to vitamins, acupuncture, and massage. Don’t spend a fortune on gel nails if you can grow your own with simple
changes in your diet and self-massage. Here is how holistic beauty interconnects all aspects of alternative medicine:

1. HEALTHY MIND.By adopting a positive mind-set, you will be less likely to make unhealthy choices in your diet or beauty regimen. When you stop falling prey to clever marketing and celebrity pressure, you will be able to fully concentrate on how your body feels and what you truly need to look and feel beautiful.
   
2. HEALTHY EMOTIONS.As you learn to stress less over minor things, you will enjoy a relaxed, glowing complexion with fewer blemishes and spots triggered by chronic stress. Nasolabial (nose to mouth) folds and forehead frowns will diminish, not because of expensive creams and injectable fillers, but thanks to relaxed facial muscles, improved circulation, and better sleep.
   
3. HEALTHY SKIN.When you stop being too demanding and anxious about your looks, clear skin and glowing hair follow. By eliminating unhealthy, toxic chemicals from your beauty routine and re-placing them with natural alternatives, you are in-vesting in the best health insurance possible—inside and out.
   
4. HEALTHY APPROACH.Equipped with knowledge about the healing powers of stress relief, healthy sleep, and natural skincare, you will become your own natural beauty expert who does not rely on store-bought kits and tools to deal with beauty di-lemmas. Using simple natural ingredients and a little patience, you can deal with any cosmetic trou-ble, be it dry skin, blemishes, weak hair, brittle nails, or even cellulite.