Coconut oil is used in lotions, creams, serums, scrubs, shampoos and conditioners.  It is gently absorbed into the skin.  It does not leave the skin felling greasy or filmy.  Coconut oil is also a very hardy oil.  Some natural ingredients and oil break down easily.  This oil has a long shelf life, making it a better alternative to chemical products.  The fatty acids in coconut oil leave the skin softer and smoother.  It has also been shown to reduce signs of aging, such as wrinkles. 

Coconut oil is also good for hair and scalp.  It reduces itching and flaking on the scalp.  For hair it is moisturizing.  It penetrated into the hair to restore dry damaged hair.  It works very well on hair that has been chemically altered, such as lightened hair or straightened hair.

It can be difficult to choose the right skin cream because their are so many on the market.  Many creams that you can buy are full of chemical ingredients.  There are however natural ingredient that have been proven to work well at hydrating and protcting skin.  These natural creams are better for you skin. 

Chemicals are not good for the skin.  They can be harsh and irritating.  It is important to note that many skin care products are labled natural or organic, but still contain chemical ingredients.  You have to read your labels carefully.   You should avoid using  alcohols, petroleum or other chemical additives on your face.  These substances often clog pores and dry the skin. 

It is important to moisturize you’re the skin properly.  The elements extract away moisture from the skin every day.  This moisture needs replinished.  This is true for men and women.  Moisturizing the face properly will help reduce wrinkling and make skin look helthy and younger.

There are five types of skin:  dry, oily, normal, combination and sensitive.  Dry skin of course needs to be moisturized, but the other four skin types need extra moisture as well.  You may not realize that even oily skin needs moisturizer to balance the sebum production.  You will need to look for moisturizer that is formulated for your skin type.  It should be made with natural ingredients.  Good skin care companies can provide evidence and research on its product ingredients.

Emu shampoo and jojoba oil shampoo lead the pack for healthy hair! When it comes to shampoos most people simply buy brand names or many buy what is cheapest but very few people understand which ingredients truly make a shampoo good. The best shampoo that you can put on your hair does not just clean your hair but it also deposits vital nutrition to the hair root and the hair itself. Most shampoos do an amazing job of stipping the bad and well, the good from the hair and the result is serious hair, scalp and growth problems for the hair. Eventually you will have problems from the hair follicle root all the way to the tip of the hair.

So what should you look for in a good shampoo? Hair must have omegas to grow properly yet most of us don’t get omegas in our diet nor do we get them in shampoos. Topical omega 3’s in shampoos can be amazing for creating healthy hair and more importantly for truly great hair growth. This is especailly true with black hair growth shampoos. Jojoba oil does a great job of cleansing heavy build up, old residue from cheaper shampoos and just about anything else like the sticky gels and hair sprays that tend to build up around the hair follicle opening. A jojoba shampoo can get rid of all the build up on the hair follicle opening and around the root of the hair itself. But fair warning – look for a good jojoba shampoo as most don’t use enough jojoba oil to matter in their shampoo. The shampoo goes for emu oil shampoo. Very few emu oil shampoo products on the market use enough emu oil to matter.

Each person’s skin falls into one of five categories; dry, oily, normal, combination, or sensitive.  Each type needs to be moisturized.  Dry skin needs the extra moisture from a skin cream.  You need to be careful what you use on sensitive skin.  Synthetic and chemical ingredients can irritate any skin, but they are especially harsh on sensitive skin.   Oily skin needs moisturizing cream as well.  It will help normalize the skin and help prevent acne and blemishes.  Even skin that is considered normal usually trends more towards either oily or dry. 

There are some basic steps to creating beautiful skin; cleanse, exfoliate, protect and moisturize.  Everyone should follow these four steps.  Skin cream can both protect and moisturize.  It is a good idea to use a skin cream during the day that has protective sunscreen.  The day cream can also moisturize, but the night cream will probably do the majority of deep down moisturizing. 

You need to make sure and read labels to find truly natural products.  Don’t just believe broad claims of organic and natural.  Many products that make these claims may still have chemical and synthetic ingredients.   Some also contain perfumes that can be bothersome for people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity.  Everyone should avoid petroleum products which can clog pores.  And always stay away from alcohols as they will dry the skin. 

Natural products with proven ingredients are your best choice.  Look for reputable companies.  Many offer money back guarantees or 30 to 60 days.  Look for companies that can provide research on their natural ingredients and skin care products.

• Chamomile is well known as tea.  The chamomile plant is also used as an herbal remedy to treat muscle pain, cramping, and anxiety. 
• Echinacea was used by Native Americans long ago.  Today it is still being used help the body resist the common cold.  It is also helpful in boosting the immune system to ward off infection. 
• Ginseng is another ancient remedy.  Today it believed to help provide increased energy. 
• St. John’s Wort is an herbal alternative for treating mild depression and anxiety. 
• Garlic has been shown to naturally lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  It also has antibiotic properties.  Garlic can be taken in capsule, pill or powder form. 
• Ginger is often used to reduce nausea.
• Ginko Biloba is often taken to improve circulation and increase brain activity.

Your doctor should be consulted before any new medication or supplement is taken.  Some herbs do not interact well together and others may cause complication for certain conditions.  Even herbal remedies can sometimes have adverse side effects.

Stretch marks are in fact a series of small scars.  They appear when the collagen and the tissue below the skin surface is damaged from being stretched.  Weight gain causes the skin to be stretched and at some point the tissue below the skin can actually tear.  The healing of these tears is what causes the dreaded marks to appear.  Many women get stretch marks during or after pregnancy.  They often occur on the abdomen, breasts, thighs, and hips.  Body builders tend to get stretch marks from muscle that is built too quickly mostly on the arms or legs.    When the marks first appear they look red with slight indentions.  Later they fade to a white or silvery color.    

The only way to completely avoid stretch marks is to prevent rapid weight gain.  At times when that is not possible, as with pregnancy, it is important to keep the skin well moisturized. Stretch mark creams with vitamin e, vitamin c, lanolin, and emu oil can help with moisturizing.  Skin that is well moisturized will be more elastic.      

Laser treatments are one remedy for stretch marks.  These treatments are expensive though, and it can take more than six treatments to produce results.  There are ingredients that can be used in creams that can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks.  One good ingredient is Matrixyl.  It has shown promising results in stretch mark reduction when used all by itself.  Some natural ingredients like Vitamin e, aloe, and emu oil have been used for a long time to moisturize and prevent scaring.  Combining these ingredients in a cream or serum may make them work even better.    Skin penetration is increased when these oils and matrixyl are combined.  It takes several months of regular use for several months to decrease the appearance of stretch marks.

For many men getting older means the on set of male-pattern baldness, also called androgenic alopecia.  This involves hair loss in a defined M pattern. 

Men begin to loose hair when the level of dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, on the scalp is too high.  DHT attaches to hair follicles and decreases the amount of nutrients going to the follicle.  When this happens the hair follicle will gradually shrink and eventually be unable to grow hair. 

In order to prevent hair loss DHT levels need to be decreased.  There are a few ways that this can be done.  There are prescription drugs, such as Propepcia, that block the conversion of free testosterone in DHT.  However, these drugs can have adverse side effects.  Saw Palmetto can be a good natural alternative to these types of drugs. 

Saw Palmetto is a palm plant that is most often found in coastal North America.  For centuries, Native Americans have used this herb as a remedy for urinary tract disorders.  It is thought by many to be an effective alternative to treat an enlarged prostate. 

It is only recently that it has been found to treat hair loss as well.  Saw Palmetto has been shown to block the enzyme which converts testosterone into DHT.  This is similar to the way the prescription drugs work.  It is a completely natural ingredient and is readily available.  It can be taken in the form of supplements.   Saw Palmetto is a natural way to for men to stay healthy and help prevent hair loss.