What are the functions and effects of natural beauty techniques?

The core functions of natural beauty techniques are concentrated in three categories: low-irritation skin conditioning, daily stability maintenance, and reducing skin care costs. The individual effects vary greatly, and there has always been controversy over its effectiveness in academic circles and skin care circles.

When my barrier was damaged during the change of seasons two years ago, any functional skin care product I applied stung, and even the repair lotion prescribed by the doctor made my face turn red for half an hour. My cousin, who is a nurse, gave me this trick. Soak a sterile cotton pad with refrigerated 0.9% normal saline, and apply it for 5 minutes twice a day. After three days of application, the redness was reduced by 70%, and even the stinging sensation after applying the repair lotion disappeared. This kind of low-irritation maintenance effect is incomparable to many conventional skin care products that add preservatives and fragrances.

But don’t think that all “natural” products are reliable. Last year, my colleague followed the trend of applying fresh lemon slices to the face for whitening, which he learned from Xiaohongshu. After applying it and going out for a long time without using sunscreen, the next day it turned two degrees darker and there was a small rash. I went to the dermatologist and found out that the concentration of organic acids in fresh lemons was not high. After purification, it is highly irritating. Photosensitive ingredients such as furanocoumarins can induce pigmentation and contact dermatitis when they come into contact with the skin and then exposed to the sun. Now many dermatologists are clearly against using unprocessed fresh fruits and vegetables directly on the face because the uncontrollable risks are too high.

To be honest, many of the proven natural beauty techniques nowadays are no longer the “homespun methods” in people’s minds. In many hospitals, after completing photorejuvenation and fractional laser projects, doctors will recommend going home to use chamomile hydrosol as a cold spray. The natural flavonoids in it It has a very soothing effect on redness and is gentler than many specialized post-surgery repair products. Students with limited budgets can also use cool green tea water to wipe their faces. The antioxidant effect of tea polyphenols can relieve skin dullness for half a day in the morning. It is much more comfortable than stacking several layers of makeup primer to stuff your face.

My mother has been persisting for almost 12 years. Every time she cooks Tremella soup, she fills half a bowl with it and cools it to room temperature and rubs it on her neck and the back of her hands. She is 57 this year, and her neck lines are more than one degree shallower than those of the aunties who dance square dances in the same neighborhood. There are also very few age spots on the back of her hands. This kind of gentle long-term maintenance effect is difficult to achieve with many powerful medicinal-type skin care products. After all, there is no need to build tolerance, and there is no need to worry about the risk of dependence. Of course, there is no need to deify natural beauty techniques. It is essentially a supplement to regular skin care. It is definitely unrealistic to think that applying a loofah water can reduce spots and prevent aging. Only proven methods that are suitable for your skin type are effective. If you follow the trend and use it blindly, it will easily damage your face.