Looking for Natural Skin Products

Do you frequently browse the lotion aisle looking for the term “natural skin products” or shea butter on the labels of your lotions or body creams?  When you see shea butter or cocoa butter or ‘all natural’ do you ever flip the bottle over and read the actual ingredients?  Because of my daughter’s skin irritation, I became quite the label reader.  Although many lotions and creams may say “shea butter” or “cocoa butter”, nine times out of ten, the first ingredient is water, then a couple of other ingredients before you actually saw the listing of the shea butter or the cocoa butter.    Water may even account for up to 30% of the actual lotion, which is perfectly fine if you’re in need of a light moisturizer.

If you need something a bit heavier, that sinks in just as well and doesn’t leave your skin greasy or tacky, then try our whipped shea butter or our megamix whip.  We use natural skin ingredients which will leave your skin feeling smooth and moisturized.  Use our product alongside your regular lotion for extra moisture!

Check out our natural skin care products at www.neosoulessentials.com.   

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Kpangnan Butter "Golden Shea Butter"

Kpangnan butter, pronounced “pain-ya”, is also called golden shea butter or African nut butter. It is obtained from the African nut tree, which is found in the forests of West Africa. It is a golden yellow color, which is the reason why some call it “golden shea butter”. It is not, however, related to shea butter. Kpangnan butter is a soft, powdery type nut butter that melts into the skin and gives it a dry, silky feeling.

According to cyberlipid.org, this butter contains a high proportion of stigmasterol, a plant sterol. In skin application, this sterol may have anti-inflammatory effects and may assist in healing skin irritations such as eczema and severely dry skin.

Kpangnan is a lovely, powdery butter that plays well with other oils and makes a wonderfully soothing balm for the skin. We use it in our megamix shea butter whip and some of our clients have found it to naturally soothe their dry skin without leaving behind a greasy after-feel.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is not meant as a substitute for advice from a medical professional. We are only commenting on our own experiences and urge you to seek medical advice where applicable.

Sources:
Cyberlipid.org
http://www.znaturforsch.com/ac/v54c/54c0937.pdf
http://www.agbangakarite.com/newsletters/february2005.htm

Tags: shea butter, golden shea butter, kpangnan butter, eczema, dry skin, natural skin products

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Take Care of Your Skin

Most of us have read somewhere that the skin is the largest organ in the body.  We excrete wastes through our skin in the form of sweat and when our body is not “right” on the inside, most of the time it’s because what we are or are not putting in our bodies.

Water is the most important element for moisturized skin.  The more water you drink, the more hydrated your skin will become.  I notice that when my water intake decreases, my skin looks tired and dry.  Within a week of increased water intake, my skin looks  younger and has less dryness.

Topical emoillents can also help skin look younger and firmer.  No matter how you slice it, we must nourish the skin from the outside and the inside.. 

Do you have dry winter skin?  Are your store bought lotions not providing the long lasting moisture you need?  Most lotions are made primarily of water, which, in the low humidity of overheated homes and the cold of the outdoors, evaporated easily.  You might want to try an anhydrous (without water) product such as shea butter or cocoa butter.  Applied on top of all ready moisturized skin, the rich butter may serve to seal and protect the skin.

Neosoul.essentials offers many products such as our shea butter bar, megamix whip, and Eva’s Shea buttah whip for your moisturizing needs.

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Dry Skin Kitchen Remedies

In my brief experience with my dd, age 3, it seems that the best that we can do with eczema, short of prescription medication, is to keep it under control.  So, you may ask, what can I do to alleviate the dry and itchy skin of eczema?   During her worst outbreaks, I know that I have to apply some sort of emollient to my daughter’s skin at least twice daily and once before she goes to sleep at night.  Even then, I place a jar of Eva’s Shea Buttah Whip  or a Shea Lotion Bar on her nightstand so if her skin bothers her during the night, she can apply it herself.   Before I developed my formulas, (which do help and smell good too), I used quite a few things from my kitchen.  It’s all oil, isn’t it?

Please understand that I am no way giving medical advice and you should always consult with a medical professional.

Believe it or not, there are some kitchen cabinet remedies that you can use with your children or for yourself.    Crisco (or any solid vegetable oil) is comprised mainly of hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils.    Try applying a bit to a patch of dry skin – although it may not be the most attractive looking moisturizer, but it does work in a pinch.  You might also try canola or olive oil.  Try applying it after a bath or shower – a quick alternative to after bath oil.

Of course, you can always visit us at www.neosoulessentials.com for dry skin needs.

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What is natural?

What is natural skin care?

Many of you have heard the term but may not have been clear about its exact definition. In addition, there are numerous skin care products on the market that claim to be natural in one form or another, but the term is so vague that many consumers remain confused.

What is natural? Natural is not a term that is actually regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a New York Times magazine article (November 1, 2007), so it’s anyone’s guess what manufacturers term as “natural” and are putting in their products. As a consumer, your best defense is to read the label of whatever you are purchasing.

Neosoul.essentials was built on kitchen chemistry: we use ingredients that are readily available to the average consumer, either at a bricks and mortar store or via the Internet and for the most part can be mixed up in a kitchen – which is how our products are created! Most of our products are created from oils and butters normally used in foodstuffs, such as cocoa butter, shea butter (used for cooking in African countries such as Uganda), coconut oil, olive oil and the like. Check out our natural skin products!

We do use synthetic fragrance oils as well as 100% natural essential oils to scent our products. We also use FDA approved cosmetic colors in some of our products, but when you visit our website, you’ll see you have a choice between 100% natural and “nearly” all natural products.

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Virgin Coconut Oil

We love, love, love virgin coconut oil. Not only does it have the smell of fresh coconuts – a welcome escape from the dreary weather we have been having here lately – but it also is good for both the skin and the body.  Of course, we will be focusing on how good virgin coconut oil is for the skin.

First, what is it?.  Virgin coconut oil is what results from the pressing of the coconut meat.  Usually one things of virgin coconut oil coming from the Philippines, but the oil can come from Australia, India and other places around the globe. 

If you run a search for virgin coconut oil, you will find that seems to be touted as the miracle oil.  It helps you lose weight, cures infections, is an antioxidant, helps your heart, is antifungal, anti viral, etc. etc.  neosoul.essentials doesn’t make any claims to the nature of what it does to your body, inside or outside, we just report what works and has worked for us and our clients.

When applied to the skin, virgin coconut oil melts very quickly and sinks into the skin, creating a barrier between the skin and the elements.  As a natural antioxidant, it is said to prevent premature aging and skin sagging.  And as a massage/skin oil, it is said to nourish the skin and hair, preventing wrinkling and age spots. 

We here at neosoul.essentials use virgin coconut oil in our lotion bars, glycerin soap, megamix whip and our soon to come sugar scrub.  I often use the virgin coconut oil on my daughter’s hair – lends a wonderful shine – or as a quickie massage oil.  It smells wonderful and helps the skin.

Visit us at www.neosoulessentials.com.

Tags: shea butter, coconut oil, virgin coconut oil, natural, skin care, no preservatives

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Happy Thanksgiving

A happy holiday to all who are reading this blog right now.  I hope your holiday was enjoyable!

More information about natural skin care to come!

Tags: shea butter, cocoa butter, natural skin care, natural, olive oil, no preservativesPowered by Qumana