Herbal Cosmetics - A Safe And Effective Approach!

Herbal cosmetics (saundaryaprasadka) allow every individual to feel beautiful & healthy about themselves. 

Beauty is the desire of every individual to give pleasure to the sense. Beauty is not always related to women rather men are beauty conscious as well.

The concept of beauty and cosmetics is as ancient as mankind and civilization

The word cosmetic is derived from the Greek word “kosmtikos” meaning having the power, arrange, skill in decorating. The origin of cosmetics forms a continuous narrative throughout the history of man as they developed in prehistoric times 3000BC. 

Herbal cosmetics are referred to as beauty products which are formulated by using various herbal ingredients to provide defined cosmetic benefits.

Natural beauty is blessing and cosmetics help in presenting and increasing the beauty and personality aspects of human beings. Saundaryaprasadak is the preparation, which represents cosmetic base correlates with known Ayurveda.

In the traditional era, people were used to various lepa, Alepa, Pralepa, Udavartan, Prakshalan, etc for saundryaprasadan karma. Nature has offered us various herbs! An herb is a plant or plant extract, including leaves, bark, berries, roots, gums, seeds, stems, flowers& fruits which work as nourishing and healing elements. Herbal cosmetics have gained much popularity among the population. Herbal cosmetic products claimed to have efficacy and intrinsic acceptability due to routine use in daily life and avoid the adverse effects which are commonly seen in synthetic products which are made of chemicals and other toxic ingredients.

The science of Ayurveda had utilized many herbs and floras to make cosmetics for beautification and protection from external effects like exposure towards microbes, chemical agents and environmental contaminants.

The natural content in botanicals does not cause any side effects on the human body; instead, enrich the body with nutrients and other useful minerals.

Indian herbs and their significance are popular worldwide. An herbal cosmetic has a growing demand in the world market and is an invaluable gift of nature. Herbal formulations always have attracted considerable attention because of their good activity and having no side effects. Herbs and spices have been used in maintaining and enhancing human beauty.

There is a huge variety of the herbal cosmetics that are produced and used for daily purposes like herbal oil, shampoos &conditioners for hair, herbal soaps for skin; herbal face wash and many more. The best thing about herbal cosmetics is that it is purely made by the herbs and shrubs. The natural content in the herbs does not have any reactions on the human body; rather enhances the body with supplements and other helpful minerals.

ADVANTAGES OF HERBAL COSMETICS OVER SYNTHETIC

Herbal cosmetics are the latest, a safe and effective trend in the field of beauty and fashion. These Herbal Cosmetics are gaining popularity as nowadays most people prefer natural products over chemicals for their personal care to enhance their beauty as these products supply the body with nutrients and enhance health and provide satisfaction as these are free from synthetic chemicals.

Following are the advantages of using natural cosmetics which make them a better and safe choice

1. Natural Products

As the name suggests that herbal cosmetics are natural. They are free from all the harmful synthetic chemicals which are proven to be toxic for the skin of a person. Different parts of the plant and plant extracts are used in herbal products. They also consist of natural nutrients like Vitamins and minerals that keep skin healthy, glowing and lustrous. There exist a large variety of herbal extracts, to name a few Andrographispaniculata (Kalmegh), Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari), Boswellia Serrata (SalaiGuggal), Asphalt (Shilajit), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) and many more. 

2. Safe And Effective To Use

In comparison with other beauty products flooded in the market, natural cosmetics are safest to use and effective as well. They are hypo-allergenic and prepared by Ayurvedic Experts to be safe to use. Since they are made of natural ingredients, people don’t have to worry about getting any issue related to the skin like skin rashes or experience skin itchiness. Not known by many people that BHA (Butylated Hydroxy-anisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are synthetic antioxidants and are used as preservatives in moisturizers and many other beauty products ranges. BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin. Herbal cosmetics contain natural antioxidants.

3. Suitable For All Skin Types

Natural cosmetics are suitable for all skin types. An individual with the skin of any types can use them and never have to worry about degrading skin condition.

4. Not Tested On Animals

Most of the cosmetic products are initially tested on animals to ensure that they are safe and effective to use for human. However, natural cosmetics need not be tested on animals. These natural formulations are tested by Ayurvedic Experts in laboratories using state of the art equipment with no animals involved. 

5. No Side Effects

The synthetic beauty products can not only cause irritation in the skin but can cause many chronic skin problems as well. They might block your pores and make your skin excessively dry or oily. With natural cosmetics, one need not worry about these because the natural ingredients used in forming herbal products as these are free from parabens that are the most widely used preservative and assure no side effects.

6. Wide Selection 

Herbal cosmetics offer a variety of beauty products, whether it’s skin products or hair herbal products. Furthermore, one will find locally made natural cosmetics or those made by famous designers worldwide. 

7. Budget-Friendly

Natural cosmetics are not that expensive. In fact, they are easily available at low cost. So you need not to be in fear of splurging.

HERBAL COSMETICS CAN BE GROUPED INTO FOLLOWING MAJOR CATEGORIES -

1. Herbal cosmetics for skincare of all age group as well as enhancing the appearance of facial skin
2. Herbal cosmetics for hair growth and health as well as scalp care
 

CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN AYURVEDA - 

Some are beautiful by birth and some want to become beautiful. The concept of using herbs for beautification is well defined in Ayurveda. The cosmetic preparations are used in India since the vedic period. The external application of Chandana, Haridra and tiktakandaka, etc. are seen in many rituals of India.

Ayurveda emphasizes on external as well as internal beauty. It is believed in Ayurveda that one can enhance internal & external beauty by understanding the basic principle of Ayurveda. Health promotion, beauty management and healing in Ayurveda rely on freeing the body of ama (toxins), restoring cellular nutrition and re-establishing the balance of the doshas.