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Skin Care Treatment With Sea Algae Leaves You Fresh and Invigorated

03/31/2008

Some years ago the first bath product containing sea algae made its way to America from Europe. As a bubble bath, it had everything going for it – good bubbles, great scent, and it left your skin feeling clean and smooth. However, it also contained chemical ingredients that have since become known for their toxicity and, unfortunately, the product is no longer something that would be used by someone who is aware of the skin damage caused by chemicals and prefers natural skin care treatment. Nevertheless, its basic ingredient, sea algae, still has a lot to offer.

Sea algae are basically seaweed. The most popular seaweed, and the most researched, is ascophyllum nodosum. Found in the Atlantic ocean along the north-western coast of Europe and the north-eastern coast of North America, it is also known as Norwegian kelp, knotted kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack. It is rich in vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, proteins and several minerals.

When used as an ingredient in natural skin care treatment - masques, baths or body wraps - the minerals and enzymes in this seaweed nourish and hydrate the skin, increase blood circulation and improve skin elasticity.

However, it can be difficult to find products containing sea algae that don’t also contain mineral oil, propylene glycol or other harmful ingredients. If you can find skin care treatment products that are safe, by all means get them. Otherwise you might try adding a tablespoon of powdered kelp to a quarter cup of olive oil, coconut oil or emu oil and massaging it into the skin. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes, and then gently wash it off with warm water.

Powdered seaweed, although it’s a great skin care treatment, does not, unfortunately, make a very good bubble bath. However, it’s difficult to get a lot of frothy bubbles without toxic sudsing agents. If you can settle for just a few bubbles, try making your own bubble bath with a natural soap containing vegetable or animal fats. Add powdered kelp to hot, not boiling, water, and grate the bar of soap into it so it will melt. Take the water off the heat immediately, keep stirring every ten minutes or so until the soap’s completely melted, then give it a couple more stirs after it cools. Put it in a bottle, and add a tablespoon or two to each bath.

Any skin care treatment should be followed with a good shielding lotion to protect your skin from chemicals. Exposing your skin to household chemicals and environmental pollutants causes free radical damage and strips much of the protective fats and oils on the skins surface. If you don’t remedy it quickly, you’ll have a constant problem with dry skin.

If you’re looking for an infusion of natural vitamins, mineral, enzymes and amino acids – really, it’s something no good skin treatment routine should be without – try sea algae. It will leave you feeling fresh and invigorated. But don’t forget to follow up with shielding lotion!

Technorati Tags: skin care treatment, skin treatment, skin care, dry skin, shielding lotion

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