Natural body products …  If you’re anything like me, you absolutely love them. Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a scented oil being massaged into your skin, even if you’re the one doing the massaging.

The oil glides from your feet to your neck moisturizing and hydrating your beautiful black skin.

Then there are body butters, they give a completely different type of treatment. Yet you can feel your skin soaking up the butters as it too glides on from feet to neck. Oils and butters are the two most widely used body moisturizing products when it comes to black skin care.

What’s in Your Natural Body Products?

Let’s begin with oils. Oils provide a moist barrier between your skin, your hair and the rest of the world. They bring moisture to your skin and hair when you sense that it is overly dry and helps them retain its elasticity.

All oils are not the same! You have primarily two types of oils. Oils that stay liquid at room temperature and oils that are solid at room temperature.

Here are a few oils to consider when looking for great moisturizers for your skin.:

Almond Oil – You’re all familiar with almond oil. It’s light, almost odorless and believe it or not can be slightly drying. When mixed with emollient oils ( grape seed, jojoba or sesame oils) it’s especially good for softening your skin. Deciding to make your own products? Cold pressed oils are best. If you’re purchasing prepackaged products it will be harder to determine whether the oils are cold pressed.

Coconut Oil – This oils seems to be an all time favorite to a lot of you. It’s found in lots of natural body products such as massage oils and hair oils.  That’s why you’ve expressed your use in both skin and hair care products. Coconut oil is one of those oils that is solid at room temperature, that is unless the temperature is above 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s excellent for mature and damaged skin, often reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Jojoba Oil – Jojoba oil is made from the leathery leaves of a small desert shrub. Technically it’s a wax, not an oil. Jojoba oil is very much like the natural oil found in your skin. It acts as a protection agent when applied to your skin, while allowing it to breathe. It is also great for mature and damaged skin and is often used to treat acne as well.

And what about butters?

Shea Butter – Almost every black household has a container of shea butter or at least has it blended with another butter. I has a natural SPF 6 and is very useful when added to sunscreens. It’s been known to heal bruises and relieve soreness. For some it can be a bit greasy. It’s best when applied to moist skin so that it can be absorbed without sitting on top of your skin and damaging your beautiful clothing.

Cocoa Butter – Extracted from the cocoa bean and heavenly in chocolate scent, cocoa butter is solid at room temperature and melts when you apply it to your skin. It helps keep your skin hydrated, is very protective and acts as a healing solution for overly dry skin. Did you know it’s waterproof? While it can be heavy for some skin types, cocoa butter is helpful when added to products sold as sunscreens.

Finally …

We’re just touching the surface when it comes to natural body products and their ingredients.  These five ingredients will aid and assist in skin treatments and keep your beautiful black skin looking and feeling soft as a baby’s bottom. That’s it for this week. As always …

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel
Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care