Ingredient Spotlight: Oats

I don't know how I could have forgotten this one in my Ingredient Spotlight series! For those of you with red, irritated, flaky, dry, oily......okay basically oats are incredible for all types of skin, they're beautiful for the body, they're milky in the bathtub...seriously just try them.

Here's the deal:

Ingredient Spotlight: Beeswax

We all know that we can find it in our lip balms, it makes it feel a bit tacky and keeps our lips feeling waxy and protected. It's that magical ingredient: beeswax! But what makes it such an awesome ingredient?

It has actually been proven that beeswax can fight against viruses and infections (just like honey, because beeswax is the place where honey is stored before it is extracted) because it is antibacterial! Bees make really incredible elixirs, building their hives from wax that they produce, then they fill it with their honey. When used on the skin, beeswax can create a barrier between the outside and your skin, protecting it from pollution and infection.
Beeswax is also a skin protectant- it aids in humectifying the skin, which basically means that it draws moisture in, and then locks it in so that moisture cannot escape the skin. Your skin will feel softer and healthier (and who doesn't want that?)
Because it is antibacterial, it is also antifungal, and can treat minor burns, skin irrirations, and conditions like acne. But because it locks in moisture, it will draw out impurities without leaving you dry!
Beeswax and honey can also help with allergic reactions if the product is locally produced. If you suffer from allergies and you drink local honey in your tea, or even just eat a full teaspoon of the golden stuff, it can help alleviate allergies related to outdoor causes like pollen, ragweed, etc.

Ingredient Spotlight: Honey

Time for another ingredient spotlight! This time we'll be focusing on honey, one of the most underrated ingredients in the beauty world.

Sure, you sweeten your tea with it, you might even eat some right off the spoon when you're trying to help your allergies along (local honey helps!) but do you know what it can do for your skin?
Honey is a natural preservative. In lots of face products, you don't need any parabens or other preservatives because honey will keep your products fresh!
Honey is also naturally antibacterial, making it safe to put on acne. It's antibacterial properties can help speed up the healing process of cuts, open wounds (such as popped pimples) and facial inflammation! Cool, right? It also promotes moisturizaton of the skin, so while it antibacterializes pores and helps clear your skin up, it also helps with elasticity and hydration! Sometimes I like to apply pure, raw, organic local honey to my face (about 2 tablespoons), and let it sit on my face for around 15 minutes. When I rinse it off (and lick it off my lips because I can't help it...) my face feels tighter but not dry, and I see a significant difference in the brightness of my skin when I wake up the next morning. No complaints here!
Honey is also an anti-irritant, so it can be used in just about anything to keep skin calm, balanced, and in perfect condition. It's also safe to be used on very young and sensitive skin because it helps protect against free radicals!
Plenty of products contain honey; to name a few from LUSH: Brazened Honey, Honey I Washed the Kids, Fair Trade Honey shampoo, It's Raining Men shower gel...the list goes on!

Let me know if there are any ingredients you'd like to see next time. Can't wait to do another one of these!