Facial nourishment

After you have cleansed, it is time for the next stage of skin care for your face and neck - nutrition. This is a necessary and very important moment, since nutritional compositions promote skin health, delay its aging and fading, and maintain it in good condition for a long time.

There are areas where the skin begins to fade earlier than others. These are mainly the corners of the eyes and lips, as well as the forehead. As a rule, women notice such problems only when age-related changes are already noticeable, that is, when small wrinkles and folds form in these areas. These are the statistics. And we advise you to pay attention to the condition of your skin already at a young age. You should use creams after 45 years with caution, because they can cause allergies, affect the endocrine system if they contain hormones, promote hair growth on the face, cause dermatitis, premature aging of the skin, swelling.

If you have chosen a cream for personal use, read the instructions very carefully and consult a specialist. When using the cream, be careful and pay attention to any changes. After using the cream, the skin should not become red or flaky. When this happens, there is only one conclusion: this cream is not suitable for you. If the skin's reaction remains normal, then it can be used further. However, there are a number of rules for using creams.

Firstly, after applying the cream to clean skin, do not leave it on for more than one hour, since the effect of the cream lasts exactly during this time, no more, all components are absorbed into the skin in about an hour.

Secondly, you should not leave the cream on your face that has already "worked out", you need to remove the excess with a napkin. If the cream is not intended for night use, it must be removed from the face, otherwise swelling under the eyes may form, and the blood vessels of the skin of the face may dilate.

There are certain conditions for using the cream. Namely:

• a very important factor is the condition of the body. You should not constantly rely on cosmetics alone. A good night's sleep (at least 7-8 hours), the correct work and rest schedule, and a balanced diet play a huge role. Depression, lack of sleep, fatigue - all this has a negative effect on the skin;
• thoroughly cleansed skin will become an excellent basis for further absorption of the nutrients contained in creams;
• creams should be applied before going to bed, as well as before leaving the house, but not less than 30 minutes;
• damp skin absorbs the cream better. It should be applied along the massage lines;
• the cream, even on dry skin, is applied in a thin layer. A thick layer is not necessary, especially if you are one of those people who develop bags under the eyes, facial swelling and frequent cases of skin irritation;
• Correct application of the cream is of great importance. This means that it cannot be applied to the skin immediately after you have opened the jar. The cream is still cooled, and this can lead to vasoconstriction. The effect of the active substances contained in the cooled cream is weakened, not expressed. In addition to everything, thick cream will lie unevenly. To begin with, it is advisable to rub a small amount of cream between your palms. The cream will warm up, become softer, and it can be applied evenly to the skin. You must act carefully, gently, in no case stretching the skin. You should not press hard on it either;
• there are no sebaceous glands around the eyes and the skin in these areas is dry, so it is simply necessary to apply cream to them. This is done as follows: from the outer corner of the eye, along the lower eyelid in the direction of the inner corner of the eye, while making light tapping movements with your fingertips. Then, along the upper eyelid, with the same finger movements, you should return to the outer eyelid. Here you can intensify the massage, since this is where "crow's feet" most often form. Finishing the massage, press on the eyelids with your joined fingers, then tearing them away from the skin, and so go in a circle;
• If you have coarse hairs on your chin or above your upper lip, you should not apply the cream to these areas;
• to prevent the skin from getting used to one cream, it should be periodically replaced with another;
• the appearance of signs of allergy on the skin after using the cream indicates that it can no longer be used;
• Vitamin A (retinol) is very useful for our skin, especially for dry and easily inflamed skin. Such skin is most sensitive to external weather irritants: wind, snow and sun. Carrots and pumpkins contain a large amount of carotene (provitamin A).

Once upon a time in ancient times, women became interested in cosmetics because it helped to emphasize the beauty of the skin, made it radiant and healthy. And in our time, interest in medicinal cosmetics has not disappeared, but on the contrary, has increased. And perhaps the most famous and widespread of such products is cream.

Cream is an English word, it means "cream". There used to be only one type of cream, which included such ingredients as spermaceti, almond oil, beeswax and water. This simple mixture was first made by a very famous doctor named Galen. The composition was called "cold cream", that is, "cold cream".

In ancient times, skin care was also carried out using various oils. One of the ancient men, Ovid, spoke about his recipe as follows: "... if a woman smears her face with such a medicine, the mirrors will shine brighter for her." Moreover, a vessel with oil was always located not only in women's rooms, but also in men's rooms. In different countries, they used the oil that was available in those areas.

For example, olive oil was used in the Mediterranean, and palm oil in Africa. Coconut oil is still very common in Oceania. It is added to creams and masks in modern cosmetics production. Coconut oil is obtained as follows: crushed coconut kernels are left in the sun for 2-3 days to ferment. Under direct sunlight, oil begins to stand out. Then it is mixed with other oils - castor and palm, as well as with animal fats, plants and herbs, ginger, mahogany and even metal dust.

In ancient times, the most common means were aromatic oils and ointments. To prepare them, vegetable and animal fats were mixed with herbal decoctions, incense and other healing substances were added. All these means were used to soften and cleanse the skin of the body and face. At that time, there was no soap yet, so people used various creams and ointments together with bathing. In Ancient Rome, a college was established that was tasked with producing cleansing ointments and oils. In Greece, noble people also had a whole set of similar cosmetic products for bathing.

Water, fats and oils, which were the basis of creams for ancient cosmetologists, are also used in modern preparations. Creams have healing properties due to all sorts of preparations, vitamins and biologically useful substances introduced into their composition. The most common component is lanolin. This is a natural wax identical to fats. It is added to creams and ointments to give the composition softness and elasticity. Lanolin is well absorbed, it does not leave a greasy shine. It enhances blood circulation and metabolism in the skin, which becomes elastic and velvety to the touch.

Lanolin is derived from the fat extracted from sheep's wool. It is an excellent moisturizer. However, people with very sensitive skin should be aware that lanolin can cause rashes and irritation.

Kaolin is an indispensable preparation in cosmetics. All mud masks are made on the basis of kaolin. This is finely ground clay, which is very useful for the skin. A clay mask narrows the pores, creating a film effect on the face. The recipe for making such a mask is as follows: the clay must be dried in the sun so that it is saturated with solar energy. Then finely beat with a hammer, sift through a colander, which turns out to be flour-powder. Remember that the smaller the particles of this clay flour, the more tender and pleasant to the touch the mask will be. The ground clay must be dissolved in water to obtain a not very liquid gruel, but it should not be very thick either. Then take a small piece of gauze and apply it to your face, having previously cut out holes for the nose and eyes. Now apply clay to your face over the gauze.

It is convenient to do this procedure lying down. It is advisable to put another piece of gauze on top and cover your face with a woolen scarf. You need to lie like this for some time, thinking about something pleasant. If you feel a tingling or tight feeling, do not be alarmed, continue the procedure. After removing the mask, wash your face with cool water. The skin will become healthy, elastic and refreshed. You can use the mask quite often.

Elastin and collagen are very important components in the production of creams. They are structural proteins of the skin. Almost 75% of the dry weight of the skin is made up of these substances, thanks to which it acquires elasticity and flexibility. Using creams containing these preparations, we protect the skin from moisture evaporation and exposure to atmospheric phenomena. If collagen decreases with age-related changes, then wrinkles form on the skin and it loses elasticity. Modern medicine has found many ways to combat wrinkles. One of them is subcutaneous collagen injections, which prevent the appearance of wrinkles and folds on the face.

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is part of connective tissue. Hyaluronic acid forms a film on the skin surface that prevents moisture from evaporating.

Tyrosine is an amino acid. It is found in some creams. Tyrosine increases the formation of melanin in the skin. This is a coloring pigment, without which our skin would look very pale.

It is also necessary to mention fruit acids. There are a number of fruit acids, which include citric, malic, lactic, tartaric and glycolic acids.

Some acids are used in medicine to treat skin diseases - such as acne, dandruff, eczema. Fruit acids can eliminate intense skin pigmentation, as well as the first wrinkles.

Nowadays, the industry produces a variety of creams, which, by the way, can be prepared at home from natural products. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did not have the opportunity to use industrial cosmetic products. They had to prepare creams themselves, they were "their own" cosmetologists. From generation to generation in some families, beauty recipes were passed down. Women came up with new recipes and, having tried them for a long time, passed them on to their daughters. Nowadays, when the cosmetic industry is developing intensively, many women nevertheless continue to prepare creams themselves. Often they are much more effective and give no less good results than creams bought in a store.

To prepare a particular cream, you need some knowledge. Different components have different properties, each substance affects the skin in its own way. There are some rules for their use that you need to know. Making cosmetics takes a lot of time and effort, but the work is worth it. Do not doubt that the compositions you get will be no less useful. The main thing is not to forget that creams made with your own hands have a very limited shelf life. Homemade creams retain their medicinal properties for only a couple of weeks. They should be kept in the refrigerator. Make cosmetics in small quantities. If the cream has been lying on the shelves of your refrigerator for more than two weeks, throw it away without regret.

Cosmetologists always keep cream recipes a secret. We want to tell you about some old recipes, carefully kept by specialists. And you will be able to prepare these products at home.

Cream with beeswax for aging skin

Ingredients: 5-6 rowan and nettle leaves, 10 currant leaves, 1 bunch of parsley and 3-4 rose and jasmine buds, 1 tablespoon of margarine, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of beeswax, 1 teaspoon of retinol (vitamin A).

Method of preparation and application. Grind all the plant ingredients with a knife. Melt the margarine and combine with the leaf pulp, add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. The resulting homogeneous mass is the cream. This preparation is very useful for people with dry, aging skin.

Cream with calendula

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of oil extract of dried calendula flowers, 2 teaspoons of beeswax, 1 teaspoon of corn oil, 1 teaspoon of glycerin.

Method of preparation and application. To prepare the oil extract of calendula flowers, pour them with vegetable oil and leave for 1 week in a dark place, stirring occasionally. After that, melt the beeswax in a water bath, add the specified amount of the obtained oil extract and corn oil to it. While the solution is hot, add glycerin to it and stir until it cools completely. The cream is ideal for dry skin.

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