8 Best Natural Moisturizers For Your Skin

Moisturizers ought to be the foremost on your beauty product list. Moisturizing makes you feel fresh and your skin nourished, by keeping it clear, smooth and wrinkle-free. Here are some of the reasons as to why you should use moisturizers.

• Moisturizing reduces the chances of having skin problems: Using the right kind of moisturizer for your skin helps in maintaining a proper balance.
• It can reduce the appearance of blemishes: Freshly moisturized skin has a healthy sheen to it and can prevent blemishes.
• Your skin looks younger: All the sensitive areas of your skin i.e. face, ears, neck and chest, lose skin cells daily which makes them vulnerable to dryness. Moisturizing the sensitive regions of the skin causes it to repair itself and stay healthy in the process.
• It fights wrinkles: That full and firm feeling in your face after moisturizing is no illusion. Moisturized skin stays supple and firm, preventing wrinkles from occurring easily.

The best time to apply moisturizer is after that perfect hot water bath. After taking a bath, take out a few minutes from your busy schedule to put on some moisturizer. Not only will this make your skin cleaner but also protect it throughout the stressful day ahead, keeping you cheerful and feeling great. Make sure you pick up the correct moisturizer for your skin . The best option is to prepare some at home using natural ingredients, most of them being easily available in your kitchen.

If you love natural beauty products, then avocado is just the thing for you. Mash it into paste, to be used as a mask and apply it all over your hair and face. Avocado is preferred for oily skin types as it absorbs much quicker. Avocado oil has potassium, lecithin, and other nutrients that help nourish and moisturize your skin . The outer layer of your skin easily absorbs these nutrients, which also helps in the formation of new skin. Avocado can be massaged into the skin, used as facemask or added to lotions, creams, shower gels or even bath oils. It can be used on the skin daily since it has no known side effects. How To Use: Mix avocado oil with any of the essential oils and massage the mixture onto your skin, right after taking a bath (dry yourself first). Avocado oil is effective even if used on its own. It can also be applied all over the body to keep the skin soft. If you are using it only for the face, then take the avocado peel and massage it directly onto your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse your face with warm water. Bottled avocado oil can be used instead as well. Apply the oil right before you sleep and wash it off the following morning.

Extracted from the nut of an African Shea tree , it is extremely moisturizing and can prove to be really beneficial for certain skin types. The moisturizers present in Shea butter are similar to the sebaceous glands present in our body. Look for grade A Shea butter, as it is the purest. Shea butter often comes in combination with other natural oils , a combination that makes for a lovely natural moisturizer and works wonders for dry skin. Shea butter has a lot of benefits to offer to your skin and health, thanks to its high nutrition values. Shea butter can be combined with sesame oil, avocado oil and beeswax, not only giving the mixture a sweet fragrance but also using it to treat and prevent chapped lips. It is also great for treating ailments of the knees and the elbows. Shea butter is a brilliant and proven moisturizer for your skin. It has soothing, anti-ageing and healing properties that will make your skin look smoother and younger when used regularly. How To Use: The best way to use Shea butter is to directly apply it directly on your face before going to sleep. Turning this into a part of your skin care routine will provide you with visibly amazing results in no time. Applying Shea butter on your face in the morning though can make it difficult to apply any makeup on top of it.

Made from the kernel of the mango seed, mango butter has emollient and moisturizing properties. It is often mixed with coconut oil in order to make it soft (as it is pretty solid at room temperature). Mango butter is high in vitamin C, A and E and is effective in treating sunburns. Surprisingly, mango butter has qualities similar to Shea and cocoa butter but it is also high in fatty acids, making it an even more intense moisturizer. Apart from offering protection against UV rays, it soothes and softens yours skin and helps treat problems such as rashes, insect bites, eczema and skin irritation. Apart from this, mango butter is also good for your hair as it contains minerals and vitamins that help your hair stay strong and healthy. It also helps in locking the moisture into your hair and controlling the frizz while encouraging hair growth at the same time. You can mix mango butter with coconut and other essential oils, especially those rich in vitamin E, for making the perfect moisturizer . How To Use: You can apply the body butter onto your skin after showering and rub it gently all over. Make sure that you give your knees, elbows and hands special attention, as they are often the driest regions of your body. You can even apply the body butter before bedtime to aid in the healing of the skin overnight, making your skin feel fresh, soft and smooth in the morning.

Buttermilk baths are an age-old method of acquiring a healthier and glowing skin. It contains lactic acid that slowly clears out the age spots and lessens minor scars through gentle exfoliation. It can be paired up with various other ingredients in order to benefit different skin types. You can mix it with masoor dal (red lentils), besan (gram flour), rose water , orange peel powder, honey or bananas. If you have really stubborn marks and blemishes, we would suggest that you go for the buttermilk and orange peel powder combination. Buttermilk mixed with haldi (turmeric powder), Multani Mitti (Fuller's earth) and crushed walnut powder, is an ideal combination for oily to normal skin. If you have dry skin, then add a pinch of haldi and sandalwood powder to the buttermilk and regularly use it as a face-wash. How To Use: Take a cotton ball, dip it in some buttermilk and use it to cleanse the face. After this, rinse your face with just plain water. Do this daily before going to bed for getting the best results. OR Mix rose water in buttermilk (equal amounts). Add some drops of either almond oil or olive oil in the face mask. Take a cotton ball, immerse it into the mixture and use it to gently remove the dirt and grime from your skin. Let some of the mixture stay on for about 10 minutes or more and then, rinse it off with cold water. We recommend that you do this several times a week.

Cucumbers are known to cool the body down and are also packed with numerous health benefits. Cucumbers can help lighten and revitalize your skin . They have anti-inflammatory properties that could help cure the problem of skin breakouts, even the nasty ones. Cucumber has hydrating qualities that make it a popular ingredient in beauty products and cosmetics. You can even make a moisturizer from it at home. This will be more beneficial than purchasing those cosmetic ones, as you would be applying natural beauty products onto your face, free from harmful chemicals. You can even put cucumber slices onto your eyelids to give some relief to them while resting. This prevents the swelling of your eyes and reduces puffiness. Since cucumber contains a lot of water, it also helps in keeping your skin fresh and reduces skin irritation when applied. It is said to be really good for dry skin. How To Use: You can apply the cucumber lotion at night before going off to sleep. Don't rinse it off. Its best to apply it before sleeping as it gives time to the skin to soak in all the water content overnight and to heal your skin more effectively.

Aloe vera has been a crucial part of skin routines right from the times of the ancient Egyptians, who had termed it the 'plant of immortality'. Since then, its use has become even more targeted, with more and more of its medicinal properties having to and aloe vera having come to be considered to be one of the best cures for sunburn. Aloe leaves secrete a clear gel that soothes and heals wounds. The aloe gel has many properties that can be used to treat various skin conditions, hair and scalp problems , and much more. It even helps elevate the blood lipid levels in the body. For women, especially for those who use make-up, aloe vera acts as a natural moisturizer. Apply it before applying natural makeup to prevent the drying up of skin. Aloe vera, for men especially, also acts as an aftershave treatment since it has healing properties and can treat small cuts that are often caused during the shaving process. How To Use: Slough off the dead skin cells by applying a thin layer of aloe gel onto your face , and then scrub it off using a wet facecloth. If you are using an aloe vera toner, then shake the bottle well and apply the toner to your face with a cotton ball or pad.

Apart for being a far healthier option than sugar, processed or otherwise, honey is excellent for your skin as well . Honey works as an extremely effective acne-treatment that helps in unclogging the pores and also as a great cleanser. Full of antioxidants, it is used to fight wrinkles, skin ageing, irritation and blemishes. It also leaves the skin with a lovely afterglow. When it comes to moisturizing, honey is quite the superstar amongst all the other natural moisturizers. Raw honey helps hydrate the skin, leaving it soft and supple. The sugars in the honey act as humectants and emollients, increasing the water content in the skin and removing its dryness . How To Use: Mix two tablespoons of honey with eight tablespoons of water to make a paste. Apply this onto your skin and let it dry. Once it has dried, gently wash it off with warm water. You can even apply raw honey onto your skin. Leave it on for 20 minutes, then massage and rinse it off with water.