Lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants and nutrients found in many green leafy vegetables. Including kale, spinach and brocolli. It is also found in egg yolks and the bright petals of marigold flowers.

Harvard researchers found that women whose diets are high in lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E have a reduced risk of developing cataracts.  Every time I eat carrots or egg yolks, I start to think about how they are good for my eyes.  Now it turns out they are also good for the skin.

Marigolds are already in bloom in California. Extracts of lutein from these petals are now used in skincare.

The latest research published last year in the Journal of Skin Pharmacology and Physiology states that lutein is also beneficial to the skin. Lutein improves skin hydration and elasticity, increases skin moisture and also enhances the skin’s ability to shield itself from the sun.

In skincare, lutein works best as a combination of topical and oral applications. Therefore some new skincare products have been introduced in combination with lutein.  Taking lutein supplements would also been beneficial too.

BIOELEMENT.  This beauty product contains lutein made with lutein from marigold petals.   Photo from Zappos. 2.5 oz for $49.50

Product Information:

* BIOELEMENTS® Lutein Indoor Protective Day Cream protects your skin against indoor environmental assaults that can cause dehydration, dullness and surface wrinkles.

* An advanced antioxidant moisturizer that provides high-impact hydration and restores skin’s protective barrier.

* Golden-yellow lutein, extracted from marigold petals, filters out the potentially skin-aging effects of blue rays emitted from artificial lighting.

* Sheilds skin from effects of low humidity, forced heat and stale, re-circulated air.

* Used daily, skin becomes visibly smooth, comfortably moist and perfectly hydrated. Radiance is restored and your complexion becomes less reactive to environmental irritants.

* Used daily, skin becomes visibly smooth, comfortably moist and perfectly hydrated. Radiance is restored and your complexion becomes less reactive to environmental irritants.

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Sea buckthorn sounds more like a sea creature. But it’s really a beneficial plant originating from the mountainous regions of Russia and China.  It is a winter hardy, deciduous shrub with bright orange berries.  The plant is mature for harvesting purposes at 4-5 years.

This branch is brimming with berries.  Photo from Z Natural Foods. They are also known as Seaberry, Siberian pineapple, or Alpine Sandthorn.

Sea buckthorn oil and powder is commonly used in skincare and soaps. It can also be taken internally as herbal medicine. The oil is full of are vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol). If taken internally, it is full of antioxidants and is good for your intestinal tract too.

Sea buckthorn oil is mainly used to promote the healing of skin such as burns and eczema. It also helps improve skin condition, especially with dryness and wrinkles. Sea buckthorn oil reminds me of other good oils such as Rose hip and carrot seed oil.

Last summer I saw real sea buckthorn bush at the International Fruit Orchard. I don’t remember if there was any fruit at all. Next time I visit, I will have to take a photo of it and try sampling some of the berries.

ln Europe the fruit is made into sauces or jellies and as a base of liqueurs. The juice is sour and has an orange passionfruit like flavor when sweetened. Blended with other fruits, or by itself, it makes a delicious juice. It is also used widely in Europe and Asia as a healing oil and for other medicinal purposes. - Raintree Nursery

They are suppose to grow well on fairly bad  or sandy soil. If possible, I would like to grow some of these at my mom’s backyard garden too. Across much of northern China, and in other countries, it is grown to prevent soil erosion. And it is also used in food and medical preparations.

Sasktchewan, Canada also has cultivated sea buckthorn that was originally brought over from from Siberia in the 1930s. Sea buckthorn oil from Saskatchewan yields a high quality product.

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This is the latest soap that just finished curing after 4 weeks. Time seems to go slower when you are waiting for them to cure. But if you just leave them alone and check back later, it’s really not that long!

In the beginning, there were some nice swirls. But now it’s pretty much in one color that looks almost light brown in color.

It’s a smooth skin clarifying soap made with Moroccan Red Clay.  The clay will help with the removal of impurities and toxins.  It’s good for those with oily or acne prone skin. 

It would also make a great shaving soap due to the smoothness of the clay. A shaving brush or facial scrub could be used to increase the later.

Other ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and grape seed oil.

I have tried it in the shower and noticed it’s a hard bar that turns smooth once it’s wet. The scent is also very light and refreshing, less of the lavender and more of sweet orange scent. The combination is very pleasant smelling handmade soap full of gylcerin that is a treat for your skin!

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Today I introduce Moroccan Red Clay used in skincare. Other common names of this clay is Rhassoul clay, Moroccan lava clay, red clay, and red facial clay.  This interesting clay is mined from the Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco. It is a reddish clay that feels very smooth and silky.

Moroccan Red Clay may look like dirt or rust, but it’s very good for the skin. And it also washes out very easily.

Photo from Camden Grey.

This clay has been used for health and beauty regiments for centuries. And it’s popularity is growing as more people become aware of it’s benefit.

This clay is especially useful to those with oily skin and acne prone skin. As the clay helps draw out toxins and impurities from the skin.

It is a great way to stimulate and exfoliate the skin in a gentle manner which leads to a smoother complexion.

When the clay is dry (powder form), it’s okay to store them in plastic containers. But when you are ready to mix it, use only glass, wooden, or ceramic containers.

To make clay mask, just mix a small amount with water into a paste. Apply to your face, body, hair for about 5 minutes if you have sensitive skin. 10-15 minutes if you have regular skin. Just rinse and follow with a facial toner or moisturizer.

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I first used Fullers Clay after trying Auromere’s Ayurvedic Herbomineral mud powder.

It’s scientific name is Calcium Montmorillonite.  Other common names are Oil Absorption Clay, Earth Clay, Bleaching Clay and Whitening Clay.

Fuller’s Earth is a naturally occurring sedimentary clay composed mainly of alumina, silica, iron oxides, lime, magnesia, and water, in extremely variable proportions.

Fullers earth is a mineral clay found through out the world.

Fullers Earth got it’s name from the workers who processed wool. The laborers were call “fullers” and they used the clay to soak up the oil from the sheep.

It’s an interesting clay that has many industrial uses. Found in laundry detergent, kitty litter, toothpaste, as well as cosmetic uses too. But the one used for cosmetic purpose are processed differently and considered to be cosmetic grade clay.

This is a great clay for facial mask. As it helps remove toxin from your skin. Leaving your face fresh and renewed. Fullers Earth is especially great if you have acne prone or oily skin.

And since it’s a “whitening” facial clay, it would offer gentle skin lightening effect on blemishes and brown spots. It may not erase all the spots in speedy time, but it would be gentle and easier on you skin.

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I first learned about rose hip oil from Aubrey Hampton’s book, Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care: Including A to Z Guide to Natural and Synthetic Chemicals in Cosmetics. The type of rose hip oil used in skincare comes from Rosa Mosqueta.  It is the wild rose found growing high in the Andes of Chile.

Common rosehip in autumn, which is very high in Vitamin C.  I have tried eating some of these and they are a bit tart.  Photo by Howard Vaughan, BBC Essex.

Rose Hip Seed Oil is used as a cosmetic oil and provides a good source of essential fatty acids for the skin. Which is helpful in healing burns, stretch marks, and scar. Rose hip oil contains a high amount of vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A. These help increase collagen and elastin levels which assist with cell regeneration. In other words, a great way towards having nice and smooth skin.

I’ve used Aubrey’s brand of organic Rosa Masqueta oil and thought it was nice. The oil is golden yellow and has no strange smell (unlike carrot seed oil). In the past, I have mainly used it for dry facial skin and scalps with much success. I don’t think I used it often enough as the small bottle lasted me at least a couple of years.

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I finally made my own face cream using carrot seed oil. As carrot seed oil helps tones the skin, reduces the formation of wrinkles, assist with cell growth and skin rejuvenation and help diminish scars.

The first batch I made did not turn out so good.  So I remixed it with more oils and it’s much better now!  It’s a small amount, but it should last me a couple of months. I put them in my old but clean beauty product jars and refrigerate.

The selection of oils I used are all good for the skin.

Apricot kernal oil is high in linoleic and oleic fatty acids.  These are good for those with sensitive, dry, or mature skin.  They absorb easily by the skin and doesn’t leave the skin feeling oily.

Avocado oil is also great for the skin, helps make the skin smooth and moisturized.  It has vitamin E, A, D and E.  It can also be used as a natural sunscreen.

And sunflower oil is rich in essential fatty acids. It is also easily absorbed by the skin with a light texture.  Great for all skin types.

And of course the Gotu Kola and Carrot seed essential oil I’ve been raving about at Cambree Notes for some time too.  Another great natural product your skin will love.

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Beauty:  Hylauronic Acid (Hyaluronan)- this video from Youtube deserve it’s own post. Connie Chung reports from Yuzuri Hara, Japan. It was first broadcast on November 2, 2000 on ABC.

There is a town in Japan where people live into their 90s and beyond. In this particular small town of Japan, they don’t farm rice due to the terrain.  Instead they grow potatoes, the sticky white potato (konyaku) and small taro roots (satoimo). The diet of local root vegetables are rich in Hyaluronic Acid The villagers also eat very little meat and eat mostly starchy food and green veggies. They also continue to do what they do, whether it’s farming or chores despite their old age. That I think is also the key to a long life and happiness.

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The oil is mainly obtained from wild carrot seed.  Oils are usually “steam” distilled in France, Hungary and India.  The plant has hairy leaves and little white lacy flowers with purple centers.

Carrot seed oil is one of the premier ingredients in natural skincare due to it’s healing properties.  Carrot seed oil helps tones the skin, reduces the formation of wrinkles, assist with cell growth and skin rejuvenation and help diminish scars.

These properties make it a great addition to face creams for women over 30.  Small amounts could be used alone in a neutral base cream.  It can also help balance both dry and oily complexions.  It is also helpful in removing liver spots on aging skin.

From my Aura Cacia Carrot seed oil bottle:

Skin Nourishing:  1 tsp jojoba oil and 5 drops of carrot seed oil.

Restoring Mist: 1 oz distilled water and 9 drops of carrot seed oil.  Add to mister and spray on face.

Ananda Aromatherapy also suggested the following health uses of Carrot Seed oil:

Recommended by some natural health professionals taken internally, one drop per day during liver cleansing.  Traditionally has been used as a skin rejuvenator, liver and kidney detoxify, and digestive tonic.  Carrot seed oil may help with conditions of dry and mature skin, jaundice, hepatitis and other symptoms of a toxic liver.

Retails for about 12 ml for $12 or more, even $17.50 for 12 ml at Esoteric Oil.  This price is quite expensive for a small bottle of oil.  But the benefits of this skincare oil is worth it.  If only there were some wild carrot plants growing in my part of the world, I would love to make my own oils.

I had initially wanted to include this in my handmade “carrot seed” facial soap.  But I think I rather make it into a skin nourishing oil and apply directly on skin.

Photo from Ananda Aromatherapy.

Updated 8/21/09:  This oil smell so strong!  Enough to give me a slight headache.  It smells like strong pine or cedar.  It is recommended that this oil blends well with wood (e.g. Cedarwood, Sandalwood), citrus (e.g. Bergamot) and spice (e.g. Cardamom) oils.  I did try adding lemon e.o. to my mix, but still could not compete with it.

Eye cream recipe from Snowdrift Farms.  Now that I have smell the carrot seed oil, I’m not sure I want to try this cream.  Unless I add Bergamot.

Eye Potion No. 17

Medium weight undereye cream

Oil Phase

1 oz. aloe butter
1 oz. wheat germ oil
1/2 oz. rose hip seed oil
1 oz. evening primrose oil
2 1/2 oz. avocado oil
35 drops Phenonip

Water Phase

8 oz. (by weight) distilled water or rooibos tea
35 drops wheat protein
2 oz. emulsifying wax

Nutrients Phase

10 drops carrot seed oil
5 drops sea buckthorn
15 drops Vitamin E natural

Melt oils and stir until they are just liquid; add Phenonip. Combine e-wax with water and melt slowly in microwave (or in a double boiler over very low heat).
Do not allow water to boil. Add wheat protein.

I also got a free full size bottle of hand and body lotion from Wei East. The promotion is called “Free Body Give-a-Wei“. Just enter the coupon code “perfection” before checking out the items in the shopping cart. Normally they charge $2.92 for shipping, but if you order other items then it’s combined shipping. Or in my case, my kit included free shipping for both.

I have tried many lotions and I have to say this is a great lotion. It is non-greasy and goes on very easily.  I love that is soaks right into your skin. It’s very moisturizing and your hands feel soft for several days too. I have even used it on my feet (heal) and find that it works well too.

The only thing I don’t like is the scent.  I would say it’s has a classic floral scent. It’s not too bad and you eventually get use to it.  But for me, it needs to be more uplifting. Citrus or mint is always a good option for me.

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