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Many people don’t realize just how harmful most skin care products are, with their chemicals, toxic ingredients and harmful additives they can cause more harm than good. If consumers were more aware, most of the popular products that are currently being sold would be boycotted. 
The truth is that most of the beauty products sold in stores, and produced and consumed by the masses are full of artificial ingredients; chemical colors, harmful fragrances, and fillers that are absorbed through the skin and can cause long-term negative effects on your health.  

Is beauty really worth all that?

Not only can the chemicals used in most beauty products damage your health, they can also be harmful to the environment in the ways that they are discarded and the fact that many are not biodegradable. So how can you sustain your beauty and take care of your skin without exposing yourself to harmful chemicals? The good news is that there are natural alternatives that can keep your skin youthful, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and even reverse the damage that has already been done. And because people are living in a culture where the public is beginning to demand more organic, sustainable, and natural alternatives to the commercially available products that currently saturate the market. 

The Hidden Dangers in Most Beauty Products

It’s unfortunate that in today’s world, companies are notorious for cutting corners, using cheap and potentially harmful ingredients and creating products that can ultimately cause damage to your skin. 
And with all of the marketing hype many of these companies use and the generic way they describe their ingredients, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re using, or if it has the potential to cause you any harm. 
And because of this risk, it’s important to understand that many of these harsh ingredients can be absorbed through the skin and potentially negate any positive effect they may offer.  

Why isn’t there more regulation? 

That’s a great question and to help you better understand, here are a few commonly known facts associated with most over the counter beauty products. 
1.    Regulation on most cosmetic and personal care products is very lax, and there are minimal hoops for these companies to jump through to get a product on the market. 

2.    If you take the time to review the labels on most store bought products it can make your head spin. Over the counter skin care products are full of chemicals and because of the porous nature of your skin, they absorbed easily. The simple fact is the skin care industry lacks government oversite. 

3.    Most skin and beauty products use inorganic compounds and petroleum-based ingredients as the basis for their formulation. When an ingredient is synthetic and chemically based it can actually clog your pores, causing your skin to lose its ability to breathe naturally and expel toxins which can lead to blemishes and advanced aging. 

4.    Many of the dangerous chemicals that are used in some of the most common skin care products use damaging parabens, artificial colors, and potentially harmful fragrances. In addition, there are harmful additives like toluene a common paint dissolvent and sodium lauryl sulfate which can cause kidney and respiratory damage.
It’s because of these issues that there are so many common products that people use every day that can damage our health and our skin. 
So if your goal is to keep your skin healthy, young and vibrant without the risks associated with some of these common synthetic ingredients then you have to look somewhere other than your local cosmetic counter.  

The Benefits of Essential Oils

Before we explore the use of essential oils as a beauty and skin care treatment it’s important to understand what exactly an essential oil is. 
For thousands of years, essential oils have been used by societies around the world to improve health and heal disease. Essential oils can be used for aromatherapy, cleaning products, beauty products and as natural medicine. 
Essential oil particles come from the distillation and extraction of different parts of a plant with a known benefit and the leaves, bark, resin, peels and flower can all be used in this process. 
In some primitive cultures, essential oils were made by soaking the plant in oil and then filtering the oil through some sort of straining device, most often a linen bag. 
The benefits derived from essential oils come from their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Essential oils are gaining popularity due to their numerous health benefits and due to the fact that they don’t carry with them harmful side effects. 
Essential oils are highly potent, steam-distilled plant extracts and although they are completely natural, they still must be handled and used with care.
Prior to using an essential oil you should do your research, understand its properties and make sure it provides the benefits you are looking for. 
There are also some oils that may interact with certain medications and/or medical conditions so it’s important to understand the risks.

Essential Oils and Skin Care

Essential oils offer significant anti-aging benefits for your face and skin. The anti-aging benefits associated with most essential oils comes from their high antioxidants levels and the fact that the oils can penetrate the skin's deepest layers. 
These properties stimulate collagen production and because the molecules are smaller they penetrate more deeply improving the skin's overall moisture and hydration levels. 
This, in turn, leads to a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles without the harmful effects of most beauty products available on the market. 
So if you’re looking for a way to avoid harsh chemicals like BOTOX and other chemicals used in medical procedures in an effort to preserve your youth, then using essential oils may be the perfect solution due to their rejuvenating, hydrating and antiaging properties. This makes essential oils a safer and more cost effective solution to repair the skin's surface, increase hydration and improve elasticity. 

Companies like Ovvio Oils offer incredibly high-quality products aimed at restoring your youthful and vibrant appearance without using harsh or damaging chemicals. You can check out their entire line of skin care products here.  In the second part of this series, we’ll explore the essential oils proven to help reduce wrinkles, build collagen and reverse the damage to your aging skin. Oils like Lavender, Peppermint, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Geranium and Ylang Ylang will all be discussed. These oils have proven skin and beauty properties and can not only keep you looking young but can also turn back the hands of time.