Cup of green tea, with loose green tea

This 2019, more influencers and icons have joined the skincare routine craze. Skincare is one of the easiest solutions to relax and practice self-care. As several people all over the globe create their own procedures and regimens, you might be wondering who to follow or which one to stick to.

In creating your own skincare routine, there are a lot of factors to consider: the issues you personally encounter with your face, your own personal allergies, fragrances you prefer, and certain skin features you would like to highlight more. Instead of following what is trendy, why not create your own skincare mix?

Below is a list of ingredients you could try and learn about in creating your own step by step skin procedure. Through this well-researched list of alternative ingredients, you could create a better alternative to your usual regimen or skincare routines you only got online. Here are some of the alternatives you can try out for your next skincare routine:

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil in a jar, with halved coconut

Coconut oil is commonly used in cooking and making different meals healthier as it is a more organic alternative. However, the uses of coconut oil are definitely not limited to the kitchen only.

Also, coconut oil is used in creating house cleaning solutions to avoid chemically-induced products such as toothpaste, deodorant, sanitizer, and other home needs. Not only can it be used in creating safer alternatives to different daily liquids present in our homes, but it also has a lot of health benefits especially for hair maintenance and skincare.

It Works Wonders

For people in the nutritional field, coconut oil is popular for its composition that helps out in body regulation. Coconut oil is considered a type of fat which is extracted from dried coconut kernels. These fatty acids contain a series of varying percentages which helps out in different health-related aspects.

Besides it being a healthy ingredient, it also ensures that the skin is healthy and moisturized. By adding coconut oil to your next skincare face mask or routine, your skin is bound to have a more moisturized glow through its natural antioxidant properties. Given this, your skin will be less prone to having wrinkles as it will help hydrate your skin and body.

It’s A Microorganism Fighter

Coconut oil also contains one particular feature that not all skin care ingredients have. It prevents the growth of microorganisms because of the lauric acid content which helps protect your skin from bacterial infections. This is essential because most people can be very lax with the possibility of microorganisms growing on the face but thanks to coconut oil’s antibacterial properties, such threats have a lesser chance of damaging your precious skin.

Apple Juice

Two glasses of apple juice, with whole green apples

Apple juice or apple extract is considered a rare find especially when it comes to skincare regimens. This particular ingredient helps the face look healthier because of the antioxidants present in it. Adding apple extract to your skin care ingredients helps out in protecting your skin from radicals and gives your skin a more youthful and elastic glow. In addition to this, increasing the portions of apple extract helps in creating an alternative exfoliator for your skin making it more nourished, soft, and healthy.

It Has Amazing Properties

Apples are a really common food item which is found in any grocery store, popular among all ages in different parts of the world. However, knowing more about its composition can really help out in formulating the perfect skin care mix for you.

Apple fruit extract is really helpful for the skin because:

  • It is a natural astringent.

In a nutshell, this means that apple extract being added to skin care ingredients can help in ensuring one’s large pores become smaller to accommodate those with oily skin. As a natural astringent, it supports the skin in tightening the pores to protect you from further bacteria and germs to create a healthier and more youthful glow.

  • It contains vitamin C.

Most of us know that vitamin C is good for our health and with apple extract, you are also adding more of this to your skincare routine. This particular vitamin is essential for us because it prevents aging and helps us look younger than our usual age. It also keeps us from looking stressed which is something most young adults struggle with nowadays.

  • It’s acidity helps exfoliates.

Apple extract is known to have acidic properties which are helpful in ensuring skin exfoliation happens properly and safely. Apples contain alpha hydroxy which are known to break up proteins and other minerals responsible for holding one’s skin intact. By doing this, the face may appear to be brighter than usual and dead skin cells will also be lessened.

Shea Butter

Tablespoon of shea butter

Similar to coconut oil, shea butter is a type of oil rich in fat and is commonly used to treat different skin and hair problems. It is popular in different parts of the world because its extract is usually included in various beauty products like lotions, shampoos, creams, and more. Including it in cosmetic products does not only add to its health benefits but also gives a soothing fragrance which is really pleasing to the senses.

Where Did It Come From?

Shea butter comes from a shea tree which is commonly found in West Africa and sometimes Ethiopia. During the ancient period, shea trees and its different compartments have been utilized by African tribes for their different daily needs and wants. They usually put these in traditional jars to keep it for different emergencies involving the skin and the hair.

While the butter extracted from the trees are commonly used for beauty and health purposes, the barks of the trees were used to create coffins for respected people of old African tribes leaving each shea tree maximized to its utmost herbal potential.

As the shea butter gained more popularity in other continents, the traditionally extracted ingredient underwent a series of high-regarded technological advancements for it to be exported to more countries and attend to its growing market.

What Does It Do for the Skin?

Now that we know what and where did shea butter come from, how does it help the skin and other parts of the body?

  • Treats Dry Skin

Shea butter contains properties which act as a natural moisturizer for the face. It also ensures that the face is hydrated for a long time to keep it from being dry, wrinkled, and scaly. Through its fat content, it is able to provide better penetration for the skin to lessen clogging of pores and make it look naturally soft.

  • Fights Acne

Who does not hate pimples, right? Shea butter acts as an excellent healing solution for growing acne, insect bites, rashes, and any blemish that appears on the face. Its fatty acids and plant sterols create its healing powers which make it effective any time of the day as long as applied properly.

  • Reduces Razor Irritations

A lot of people use razors to shave off unwanted facial hair. However, doing this often can lead to a higher chance of skin irritations and other issues. With this, shea butter can be a helpful aid in reducing these irritations as it acts as a moisturizer which softens and soothes irritated bumps n the face. As you apply it to an irritated area, the chances of getting scars of cut bumps are less likely as well.

Raw Cane Sugar

Raw cane sugar

Believe it or not, raw cane sugar plays an essential role in providing optimum care for your skin. It’s more than just the typical food sweetener but it’s also an effective additive you might want to include in your skincare routine.

Raw cane sugar contains natural glycolic acid which helps improve the skin’s condition. It moisturizes the body without the use of any harmful toxins and through it, the skin becomes more revitalized and cleansed. If religiously used, the skin will look soft and glowing in no time.

What Makes It So Beneficial? 

Raw cane sugar is definitely a must have because it is accessible and less harmful to the environment.

Besides this, it also acts out as:

  • Equalizer for balancing skin oils
  • Blemish eliminator
  • Natural hydrating ingredient
  • Eco-friendly moisturizer
  • Extra nourishment for the skin without clogged pores

We all know that skincare can be a really challenging routine to maintain given everyone’s

busy schedule and lifestyle but with accessible and easy-to-use ingredients like this, the

skin we desire is more achievable now!

Aloe Vera Juice

Fresh aloe vera

Aloe vera is known to help solve itchy and flaky scalps, especially in tropical countries. However, aloe vera can do more than just hair magic as it helps with skin issues as well

There are a lot of skin conditions that commonly occur in young adults and usually, herbal remedies are used to treat them. One of which is the aloe vera gel which is recommended because of its consistency and accessibility. It helps heal the skin from different skin ailments that may involve bruises, irritations, and many more.

Aloe vera helps in softening dry skin and balancing out oily skin. Because of its special herbal properties, it is commonly used to ensure that the face looks rejuvenated in order to add some moisture to one’s face. Although one has to ensure that applying aloe vera may not be applicable to infected skin because it might make the healing process worse.

Argan Oil

Bowl of argan oil, with argan nuts

Behold, one of the top and most recommended skin care ingredients of all time. Argan oil is very popular to a lot of skincare enthusiasts because it is a really effective product which is commonly found in cosmetic products worldwide. To add to that, it’s considered as one of the most skin-inclusive ingredients because its composition is not too heavy, nor too light, making it suitable for a wider range of skin types.

What Does It Do for the Skin?

As mentioned, argan oil is really popular because of the series of skincare benefits. Argan oil is a naturally produced plant oil made from argan tree kernels mostly found in Morocco. It also serves as a great alternative to chemically-made beauty products since it contains less toxic components. 

Argan oil helps in lessening acne breakouts because of the vitamin E present in it and it helps in controlling the skin’s oil production through proper regulation of sebum levels.

Through these benefits, there would be less irritation and fewer breakouts happening for the face which contributes to better skin hygiene in the long run. More than this, argan oil is also sure to protect your pores from clogging unlike other beauty and skin care products.

For those new to the skincare hype, this is a good thing because the product sinks in properly and is well-absorbed for proper utilization and premium results.

Green Tea

Cup of green tea, with loose green tea

Ever tasted green tea-flavored food products? Usually, a common favorite for desserts, this China-originating ingredient which was populated by other Asian countries as well, does not only work wonders in the kitchen but even for the world of beauty as well.

Not Just For Drinking!

It’s nothing new when one talks about the different healing abilities of green tea, especially by people who would like to maintain good health. It contains a high amount of antioxidants which help promote good health for the brain and the heart.

However, the delightful health benefits of green tea go beyond the typical teacup which we see on TV. It’s also quite as effective when used on the skin, which is why it is starting a breakthrough in different cosmetic products especially in the world of skin care.

Green tea, besides being a soothing liquid to drink, also helps in soothing the skin to give it a more natural appearance. It contains a special antioxidant which helps in reviving dead skin cells to reduce having a dull-looking face as one grows and ages. Applying green tea regularly on the face helps in anti-aging and radical damage and if partnered with a healthy lifestyle, the results can be really astonishing.

There you have it! Seven exciting additions to your next skin care routine. Hopefully, this list helped in ensuring that you match the ingredients you put on your face to cater to your own personal needs and skin problems. Remember to take care of yourself. Happy skin, happy life!