Stretch marks, natural remedies

Natural cosmetics, like kings and queens Part 48, the ancient Romans, so vain but with amazing rituals for their body care

Tips, remedies, scrubs and do-it-yourself wraps to remove stagnation, fight stretch marks, cellulite and accumulations of fat, for a rejuvenated and renewed skin of the body.

We probably would have labeled them as vain, but in ancient times men and women devoted great care to their bodies. Often it was a question of hygiene and therefore of health, as in the case of the Egyptians, sometimes it was a precise desire to present themselves at their best, as for the ancient Romans where even the soldiers massaged themselves with oils and lotions. And this last aspect made Pliny the Elder go into a shock when he learned it but, all in all, as Julius Caesar himself said, th...

Natural cosmetics, like kings and queens Part 46, the almond tree and the myth of Acamante and Phyllis

Sweet almond oil counteracts stretch marks and ground almonds ca be an amazing skin peeling, here you can find small recipes inspired by almonds for your daily beauty.

A Greek myth tells that Acamante, son of Theseus, while traveling to the city of Troy together with the Greek army, stopped off in Thrace. It was there that Achamante met Phyllis, a Thracian princess. The two fell in love but Acamante soon had to leave to fight a war that would last ten years and ended only thanks to the trick of the astute Ulysses to give the Trojans a wooden horse that actually had Greek soldiers inside. After the war, all the heroes returned to their homes, all except Acamant...

Natural cosmetics, like kings and queens Part 43, the gift of the Indians

Rosehip oil is a powerful anti-aging agent, it fights skin blemishes, nourishes it and reduces scars and stretch marks, suitable for both face and body skin.

An ancient text written on a paper obtained from wild fig bark reports a legend narrated over the centuries by the Araucan Indians, a people of southern Chile. A long time ago, in the Andes mountains, lived a woman, famous for her dazzling beauty. Precisely for this reason the woman was kidnapped and enslaved by a nearby tribe. The woman's brother managed to save her. However, the woman was no longer the same and her body was covered with scars. Desperate, the brother asked the village shaman to...

Bixa orellana

Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, hypotensive and hypoglycemic, it can also be used externally to protect the skin from free radical damage and keep it elastic, useful against photoaging and stretch marks.

Bixa orellana, or achiote, is a shrubby plant of the Bixaceae family and is native to South America although nowadays its seeds can be found and purchased almost everywhere. From its seeds, in fact, a red orange dye is obtained, called annatto, widely used in cosmetics, such as lipsticks, or in food. The dye appears on the label with the initials E160b. But ground seeds are also an interesting, and healthy, culinary ingredient, especially when mixed with other spices. So let's try to understand ...

Shea butter

Emollient, nourishing, antioxidant, cicatrizing, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive, helps wounds heal faster, reduces eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis, including those of the scalp, combats stretch marks and makes the skin elastic, against irritation and redness. Thanks to the analgesic and anti-inflammatory action, it is also useful in case of back pain and pain in the joints and muscles.

Shea tree, scientific name Vitellaria paradoxa, is a plant of the Sapotaceae family very common in Africa. From its seeds, improperly called shea nuts, the famous shea butter is obtained, which is solid at room temperature. This butter is used both as a condiment in the African tradition and as a basic ingredient in various cosmetic products after removing all impurities. Today we talk about the uses of shea butter in cosmetics. Shea butter, cosmetic properties - Shea butter is emollient, repa...

Naturally beautiful Part 7, fighting wrinkles with gotu kola

Anti wrinkle, stimulates collagen production, helpful to prevent stretch marks and skin spots caused by damages of solar radiation.

Today we are talking about a powerful natural cosmetic, useful to fight wrinkles, signs of fatigue and skin damages caused by solar radiation, the centella asiatica. Centella asiatica, also known as gotu kola, Indian pennywort, Asiatic pennywort or Mandookparni, is a plant of the Apiaceae family. Native to Asia, the gotu kola is widely known and also used in the West thanks to its remarkable cosmetic properties proven by scientific studies. So, why don’t we try to take advantage of the centella ...

Dragon's blood

Powerful antioxidant, healing, anti-inflammatory and soothing action, useful in case of irritated, sensitive skin, wrinkles, stretch marks and scars left by acne.

Red and a bit magic, but no, it's not a real dragon blood. This resin is so named solely for its color but, in fact, it is the secretion of plants of different species, including Croton, the most studied, dracaena, pterocarpus and daemonorops, coming from tropical and subtropical areas. The blood of dragon is a known remedy since ancient times, Dioscorides, a Greek physician of the first century after Christ, wrote of this and in recent years even science has been very interested in dragon blood...

Cupuacu butter

Highly moisturizing and antioxidant, excellent product for sunburned or dry skin, with wrinkles, it also helps to soothe and treat dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, makes hair soft.

In the local language cupuacu means fruit of the gods and, given the incredible beauty properties of its butter, also demonstrated by science, this name is not exaggerated! Cupuacu, scientific name Theobroma grandiflorum, is a tree related to cocoa and native to the tropical rain forests. Through cold pressing of its fruits a butter, precisely the cupuacu butter, is obtained, which is one of the new ingredients used in the cosmetic field for the beauty of skin and hair. Cupuacu butter, propert...

Soy oil, powerful anti-wrinkle

Antioxidant and rejuvenating properties, fights wrinkles and stretch marks, soothes sunburned skin and helps prevent sunburn.

Soybean seed oil is a plant based oil that is obtained from soybean seeds, scientific name Glycine Max, through cold pressing or through chemical solvents. The cold pressing method is more expensive and the yield is lower, however, the product is of a higher quality, in particular from the point of view of the contained substances such as soy lecithin. The cold-pressed soybean oil, which we will discuss in this post, can be applied externally on the skin to bring important benefits. Soybean oi...

Natural cosmetics, like kings and queens Part 10, camellia oil

Beauty oil with an anti-inflammatory and soothing action, useful in case of acne and sensitive skin, anti aging, moisturizing and nourishing properties to treat mature skin and with wrinkles, helpful as a body oil to counteract stretch marks, cracked skin and calluses, apply on the scalp to prevent dandruff, itching and seborrheic dermatitis and against split ends.

It is said that the women of the Japanese island Ooshima have always a fresh and young skin and wonderful hair. Their secret of beauty? The camellia oil, obtained though cold pressing of the seeds of the plant camellia japonica, called also common camellia, of the Theaceae family. Camellia is very appreciated for its ornamental role thanks to its flowers that bloom between January and March, characterized by an intense color from red to purple and rose. Camellia oil is an amazing product for ski...

Sea buckthorn oil, cosmetic use

Vitamins, fatty acids, precious antioxidants, anti inflammatory and healing action, useful against wrinkles, stretch marks but also to soothe irritations, eczema, dermatitis and acne.

From the fruits of the sea buckthorn, scientific name Hippophae rhamnoides, it is possible to obtain, through cold pressing, an oil with interesting cosmetic properties for the beauty of the skin that becomes healthy and luminous. This oil, according to scientific studies, (Zielinska et al, Lipids Health Dis, May 2017), is rich indeed in vitamin C, group B, carotenoids, polyphenols, tocopherol or vitamin E, highly antioxidant, and unsaturated fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid, a type of omega...

Macadamia nut oil

For mature and acne prone skin, able to nourish and balance the sebum production, tonic effect and useful to prevent stretch marks, gives vitality to dull hair.

In the previous post we have seen the properties of Macadamia nuts, a type of oily fruit with a taste that reminds that of coconut, an anti-inflammatory action and a protective role on the cardiovascular system. From Macadamia nuts an oil is extracted, this oil may be used both for cooking, thanks to the high content in monounsaturated fats, the good fats for the heart, and the high smoke point, around 210 °C, but also, and especially, in cosmetics. In the article of today we will speak about th...

Avocado oil, cosmetic use

For the beauty of skin, nails and hair, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, as proven by scientific studies increases collagen and helps the healing of wounds.

From the pulp of the fruit of the avocado tree, scientific name Persea americana, you get an oil suitable for both food and cosmetic use. In this post we will talk about how you can use avocado oil to take care of your beauty in a natural way. In fact, this oil is rich in vitamins, such as A, C, D and E (Tzu-Kai Lin et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018), essential fatty acids and antioxidants. It has powerful moisturizing, elasticizing and nourishing properties and is ideal for dry, toneless and mature sk...

Tamanu oil

Plant based oil with a demonstrated healing action, able to nourish the skin, shows an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, against wrinkles, stretch marks, eczema and acne.

Studying the INCI, the label that, by law, should report all the ingredients used in a cosmetic formula, has made possible to observe that, unfortunately, a lot of substances contained in creams, serums, shampoos and conditioners are really useless to the skin, sometimes they are even dangerous. These ingredients are inserted in the cosmetics in order to make the products creamy, thick or to give the impression that the skin becomes smooth but, actually, they don’t bring any nourishment at all, ...

Rosehip oil

Healing and regenerating action on the skin, fights wrinkles, scars, skin spots and stretch marks.

Rosa canina, also known as rosehip, belongs to the Rosaceae family, it is a very common wild rose used in bushes and on the edges of the garden for its ornamental role. But rosehip isn’t just pleasant to see but it is also an essential ingredient for our beauty, as ancient Egyptians and Greeks well knew and appreciated. From this rose a very versatile oil is obtained, this oil is useful for all types of skin, is rich in vitamin A, C and E, antioxidants, anti inflammatory substances and fatty ac...

Pomegranate seed oil

Powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, proven by scientific studies, protects the skin from damages to DNA caused by exposure to solar radiation, acts against wrinkles and stretch marks, for a healthy, elastic and young skin, protects and revitalizes stressed hair, against split ends.

The pomegranate, Punica granatum, is a plant belonging to the Punicaceae family. It produces fruits rich in beneficial properties both for health and beauty. In this post, we will see what the pomegranate, and in particular the oil obtained by pressing its seeds, can do for skin and hair. Pomegranate seed oil has been studied a lot by science, it is indeed a very valuable product, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, phytosterols and punicic acid that give to the product anti-inflamm...

Snail slime

Vitamins, proteins, amino acids to nourish the skin, against aging processes, wrinkles and skin spots, antiseptic properties useful in case of acne, for a luminous and smooth skin, elasticizing and healing action, against stretch marks.

In order to move and craw easily snail produces a gel, the snail slime, that is also helpful to attach better to the surfaces and to heal wounds caused by moving. But snail slime is also a very powerful tool that we have to counteract acne, wrinkles, worry lines and crow’s feet, skin spots and stretch marks. In fact snail slime has smoothing, elasticizing, healing, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties and these benefits were already known by Hippocrates, a Greek physician of the fifth century...

Sweet almond oil

Soothing, moisturizing, elasticizing and nourishing properties, useful to counteract stretch marks, also helpful in case of chapped and irritated skin, or in case of itching, burns and eczema, perfect as a massage oil alone or combined with essential oils based on the need.

Sweet almond oil is a plant based oil obtained, as the name suggests, from the cold pressing of sweet almonds, the seeds of Prunus dulcis. This oil, thanks to the presence of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, E and B, mineral salts and phytosterols, is well known and appreciated for its particularly moisturizing, soothing, elasticizing and protective properties that make it an ideal oil for the most delicate skin and also for children. The sweet almond oil helps regenerat...

Sun dried tomatoes

Vitamins and mineral salts, especially provitamin A, C, potassium, useful for the beauty of the skin, help prevent skin aging and flaccidity of the tissues, against stretch marks, bring antioxidants against free radicals and for heart health, diuretic properties.

Sun-dried tomatoes are a delicacy that can be found everywhere at any time of the year. The need for drying tomatoes, typical summer product, comes from the desire to enjoy their benefits also in winter. Dried tomatoes are rich in provitamin A, even more than fresh tomatoes, but they also bring vitamin C, iron, potassium and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Dried tomatoes, thanks to their content in nutrients, protect the skin from premature aging and from the formation of stretch marks, accele...

Apricot kernel oil

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, action against wrinkles, skin without tone, dry, irritated and sensitive, makes it luminous and regenerated, against stretch marks.

From the kernels of apricots, through cold pressing, a delicate oil with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties is obtained. This oil results useful for external application and is a valuable ally in cosmetics for the beauty of the skin, of face and body, mature or sensitive or even inflamed and dry. Apricot oil is characterized by the presence of vitamins, including E and A, oleic acid and phytosterols with anti-inflammatory action, against free radicals and able to support the microcirculation...

Wheat germ

Vitamins and mineral salts, folic acid, powerful antioxidant action, supports the immune system, omega 3 fatty acids to control cholesterol levels, if applied externally in the form of oil has soothing and anti-wrinkle properties, against stretch marks, acne and skin irritations.

Wheat germ is a part of the caryopsis of the wheat, or Triticum aestivum. Although rich in nutrients, this part is removed together with the bran during grinding to obtain white flour. Wheat germ contains vitamins, such as vitamins from group B and E, which is a powerful antioxidant useful against free radicals and aging processes, mineral salts such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, but also folic acid, fibers and fatty acids omega 3, important to control cholesterol levels in the b...

Black cumin seed oil

Anti-inflammatory, lenitive, anti-fungal and regenerating properties, for internal use in case of diarrhea, bad digestion, cough and reflux, for external applications, useful in case of dry skin, irritations, eczema, psoriasis, acne, mycoses, stretch marks and dandruff.

Black cumin, scientific name Nigella sativa, is an Asian plant belonging to the Ranuncolaceae family. From black cumin seeds through cold pressing an oil with interesting anti-inflammatory, soothing, calming and regenerating properties is obtained. Known since ancient times, in fact a small bottle of black cumin seed oil was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamon, this oil can be used for cooking as well as a cosmetic remedy. Black cumin seed oil helps treat cough, bronchitis, allergic rhiniti...

Palmarosa essential oil

Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and disinfectant properties, useful to treat problems of the skin such as wrinkles thanks to the regenerating action, scars, stretch marks, acne, eczema, you can use the essential oil also to treat the hair cot of dogs and cats, helps to rebalance the intestinal bacterial flora if altered, useful against sinusitis and bronchitis, action against nervousness and stress, anger.

Palmarosa essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the leaves of an Indian grass, Cymbopogon martinii, with a sweet scent that reminds of that of the rose. This essential oil has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, moisturizing and antimicrobial properties, it is used in case of alterations of the intestinal bacterial flora, problems related to the respiratory tract such as sinusitis and bronchitis, to treat skin with wrinkles, stretch marks, acne or eczema, in order to soften hair of do...

Galbanum essential oil

Antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, expectorant and digestive action, anti-wrinkle effect, useful in case of acne, psoriasis, scars, remedy in case of frostbite, able to improve blood circulation, it acts on fears, brings calm and balance after anger attacks and nervousness.

From the gum resin of ferula gommosa, a plant of the Apiaceae family, an essential oil with painkilling, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, expectorant, digestive and antiseptic properties is obtained. This essential oil is useful also to treat inflammations and infections of the skin, acne and psoriasis. Be careful, don’t use this essential oil during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in small children. Cough, catarrh – Galbanum essential oil helps thinning catarrh and soothe cough. Try to mix 10 drops...

Argan oil

For cosmetic use, emollient, regenerating and moisturizing properties, ideal for massages and to be applied on skin, lips, hair and nails, helpful against wrinkles, stretch marks, shaving, waxing or diaper irritations, dry and cracked lips, brittle hair and nails.

From the seeds of the Argania spinosa plant, that grows in the south of Morocco, the argan oil is extracted. This oil is mainly used in beauty preparations for external applications but, in the countries of origin such as Morocco or Algeria, it can also be used in cooking. Argan oil for cooking use has a different preparation than that used for the skin care, in fact if used for cooking the fruit is roasted otherwise it is cold pressed, making it clearer. In this article we focus on argan oil fo...

Rosa rubiginosa

Regenerating the skin, healing and anti-aging properties, useful in case of wrinkles, dull skin, skin spots, irritations, sunburn, acne, scars and stretch marks.

Rosa rubiginosa, also known as Rosa mosqueta, sweetbriar rose or eglantine, is a shrub of the Rosaceae family, widespread in the Andean region, particularly in Chile, it is also possible to find it in Europe. The fruits of this plant are very rich in seeds, which are cold pressed to extract an oil, the musk rose oil. This oil, for external use, has important anti-aging, healing and regenerating properties. In fact, this oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6, such as linoleic...

Rose essential oil

Soothing and velvety action, helpful in case of dry and delicate skin, anti-wrinkle properties, useful during pregnancy in order to prevent stretch marks, relaxing and anti-stress action, able to heal the emotional trauma of the past.

Rose essential oil, obtained from Rosa damascena or Damask Rose, has balancing and soothing properties. Let’s see the main uses. Skin – For skin care, rose essential oil has a velvety effect, ideal in case of dry and delicate skin, wrinkles, eczema but also to treat the parts of the skin with broken vessels, cold sores. Add 2-3 drops of essential oil to your cream, for face or body as well as for hands, and apply on the part. Menstrual pain, abdominal spasms, stress, anxiety – Two drops of r...

Melissa essential oil (Lemon balm)

Antispasmodic action, able to balance the mood and the hormonal system, useful in case of digestive problems, heavy periods or problems related to menopause, antiviral action, able to treat cold sores, headache but also insomnia, anxiety, depression or nervous breakdown.

The essential oil of melissa, common name Lemon Balm, has a powerful antiviral action together with important soothing and calming properties, for this reason it is useful in order to treat cold sores, cough, bronchitis, skin diseases or problems such as eczema or stretch marks. In addition to this, thanks to the digestive and sedative properties, this essential oil results very helpful in case of stomach spasms, indigestion, but also in case of nausea and headache or palpitations. Able to reba...

Mandarin essential oil

Relaxing and calming action, helpful to give serenity and good mood, remedy in case of insomnia and anxiety, poor digestion, colic also in children, able to treat water retention and cellulite, able to prevent stretch marks.

From the fresh peels of the mandarin the essential oil is obtained. This essential oil is characterized by an incredible citrusy scent, however, it has a photosensitizing effect, for this reason it is better not to use it before sun exposure and sun lamps. The mandarin essential oil has a relaxing and calming effect, useful in case of anxiety, stress, it is gentle so it can be used during pregnancy or also in children during periods of crisis or changes. This essential oil is useful in case of s...

Sea buckthorn

Tonic, able to fortify the body and the immune system, remedy and prevention in case of flu, cold, fever, rich in vitamin C, antiseptic and cicatrizing action, helpful in case of inflammations of the mouth and ulcers, anti-aging effect, against wrinkles and stretch marks.

Sea buckthorn is a tonic for the body and very helpful in periods of stress and weakness. It contains also vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, E and C, in a higher quantity than that contained in oranges and kiwi. For this reason, sea buckthorn is a valid remedy in case of flu, fever, cold, in order to heal such illnesses but also to prevent them. It has antiseptic properties, it is a relief indeed for inflammations of the mouth and ulcers, antioxidant and anti-aging effects. Glycerin macerat...