Skin Care And Aloe Vera Gel

 Skin Care and Aloe Vera Gel

ver the past tWo decades, skin care

has advanced at a rate rivaling that

of technology. Just as it used to be

enough for cell phones to simply make

phone calls, it used to be enough for skin

care products to simply cleanse, tone and

moisturize. Those days are long gone. As

baby boomers started showing the first

signs of aging, they demanded more of

their skin care products. They insisted on

multi-tasking formulas that could reduce

fine lines and wrinkles, firm sagging skin

and make dul| complexions lustrous

again.

Recently, the cosmetics performance bar

has been raised. Now, it's not enough

to simply minimize the signs of aging.

Today's savvy customers want to prevent

one of its main causes--skin-degrading

pollutants-before it takes its toll. That

trend is evidenced by the flood of mass

market and natural anti-pollution skin care

products hitting the shelves in recent years.

Unfortunately, in the rush to incorporate

the latest new fad ingredients into their

formulas, many manufacturers have

overlooked one of the simplest and most

effective anti-pollution agents available:

Aloe Vera.

Aloe Vera has been known since ancient

times as an effective burn and wound healer

and a soothing moisturizer, properties that

have been verified by modern scientific

investigation. However, recent research has

revealed Aloe deserves a place in pollution-

fighting skin care products because it acts

as an effective barrier to polutants, reduces

oxidative stress created by pollution-

generated free radicals, activates the

body's detoxification system, and restores

immune suppression caused by ultraviolet

B (UVB) rays. Best of all, Aloe works both

topically and internally, making it ideal for

both cosmetics and dietary supplements

positioned for anti-pollution and detoxifying

benefits.

20

Canary in a Coalmine

Remarkable in design, the skin forms an

almost impermeable barrier between the

inside of the body and the outside world.

That barrier keeps unwanted guests- such as

pathogens (microorganisms, or components

of these organisms, that cause disease) -

OUT, while locking necessary nutrients, such

as water - IN. Unfortunately, sometimes

prowling molecules penetrate the barrier.

In fact, according to researcher Lowell A.

Goldsmith, the skin is "a target organ for

pollution and allows the penetration of

exogenous agents into the body."

As the body's largest organ, and the one

with the most direct contact with the

environment, the skin may be the first place

to shown signs of damage from indoor and

outdoor air pollution. In other words, it acts

as the body's canary in a coalmine (refers to

serving as a warning to others).