There is no doubt that skin treatments have evolved a lot over the years. In the good old days, those wanting healthy skin would stick with the basics – eating right, taking basic care of the skin and trying to live a healthy life. Of course, back then no-one worried much about supplements, vitamins and other relatively new concepts in the world of health. The saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ may well have been the best advice back then, but today consumers will stop at nothing to get perfect skin. Even if it means paying a fortune for expensive products that promise results.

It is not just celebrities who have embraced the current trend of trying the latest, greatest and often, the most expensive skin treatments. Ordinary (or at least wealthy) consumers are also scooping up skin creams that have everything from 24-carat gold to platinum listed in their ‘magical’ ingredients.

Have we lost sight of the skin care basics, or do these high value miracle treatments actually work as well as humble vitamins and nutrients?

High Priced Skin Treatments – Investment or Scam?

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and gold and other precious metals are something every woman adores too. But while you would certainly consider it an investment to wear such precious commodities on your neck, arm or finger, would you wear it on your skin if it promised results? Here are some of the new wave of high priced skin treatments on the market that show just how far we have taken the quest for the perfect complexion…

• Gold – face masques and skin creams boasting 24-carat gold are hitting the shelves across the world, with prices ranging from $450 onwards for a small tub of gold-laden creams. Apparently, gold has skin-firming and anti-aging properties that aid tone and appearance but there is no real evidence to suggest that results are ensured.
• Royal Jelly – this highly expensive ingredient is essentially the secretion of honey bees that is fed to bee larvae. The properties are said to be similar to honey, but far more powerful. While the thought of using such an ingredient may seem strange, consumers flock to the shelves in search of pricey skin treatments containing royal jelly.
• Platinum – at $1000 a tub, platinum-enriched treatments are also being snapped up by the rich and famous. Ironically, the primary success of this product is simply due to the fact that it contains platinum – the most expensive metal in the world. Whether or not it actually has any benefits to the skin remains to be seen however.
• Bee Venom – the lovely Katherine Middleton is said to be a fan of masques containing bee venom of all things, which sells at the price of $55,200 per ounce. Venom is diluted to make it less painful to apply, with only 1% used within the masque. While the newest and most beautiful Royal certainly has amazing skin, the potential risks of such a treatment along with the cost make this somewhat of a strange beauty routine.

But despite all of these expensive products that are becoming the norm, the irony is that the humble apple is still proven to contain something that no other ingredient has… the ability to help skin cells renew and restore. Supplements such as MIREICA that use apple skin cells and other simple ingredients found in nature do not only come at a reasonable price tag, they also ensure results that gold, platinum and even bee venom cannot guarantee. At the end of the day, skin treatments that work will always win over those that don’t… even without the hefty price tag. 

You probably wouldn’t consider ingesting dangerous chemicals, but have you considered the toxins that are found in most common skin treatments? Many consumers have become ingredient savvy for the most part. You read choose the foods you want to eat, and you read labels to ensure that your food does not contain hormones or harmful additives. You may even be careful to make sure that your skin products are not tested on animals too.

But despite these efforts, the ingredients list on everyday skin treatment products such as moisturisers, cleansers, masks, anti-aging creams and even eye gels do not always point out the dangers of the chemicals included in the product. Whether you know what each ingredient is or not, chemicals in skin products are every bit as dangerous as chemicals in foods and beverages – especially when it comes to harming your skin.

Harmful Ingredients in Skin Treatments

Organic skin treatments have become one alternative to chemical-laden products, but even these could still contain sneaky toxins that you unwittingly apply to your skin. Not only do these chemicals have the potential to make skin look and feel dry and unhealthy – they could even cause allergies or even cancer in some cases.

Some of the most harmful ingredients in skin treatments include the following:

• Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Paraben – one or more of these chemicals is found in almost every beauty product on the market, especially in toners and cleansers. These chemicals dry the skin and are also known to cause allergic reactions in many users. They are used because they are cheap and because they extend the shelf life of topical products.
• Synthetic Colours and Fragrances – many colourants are coal-based, with possible cancer-agent links that make them highly toxic. Fragrances are not even labelled as individual ingredients, but instead are just listed as ‘fragrance’. Harmful effects include headaches, dizziness, rashes, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritations and worse.
• Behentrimonium Chloride – this toxic ammonia compound can be fatal if it is ingested.   Concentrations as low as 0.1% can cause eye irritations and even necrosis (tissue death) of the mucus membranes.

While these are just some of the worst chemicals that could be lurking in that skin cream you picked up at your local chemist, many other chemicals are also found that can also have damaging effects. Alcohol, preservatives, stabilisers and all the other components that allow products to last longer on the shelves are not designed for sensitive facial skin.

In the quest for perfect skin, it can be all too easy to overlook the consequences of applying chemicals every day. After all, if the adverts say it works and there are no major warnings, how bad can it be, right? Sadly, you will only find out how bad these products can be when you get allergic reaction weeks after using the product. By then, it is often too late to address the damage that is done.

Luckily for you and your skin, there are many great skin treatments such as MIREICA that contain only good ingredients, without all the bad stuff

The power of antioxidants is still a popular topic within the skincare industry, especially when it comes to skin supplements that are able to provide a far higher ability to reach the deep skin cells that need these nutrients the most. Compared to topical creams and lotions that only penetrate the first few layers of the skin, supplements work from within to help your body get the antioxidants it needs to fight against harmful free radicals and give you that healthy glow you have always wanted.

What are free radicals however, and how do you know if your skin supplement is giving you the nutrients your skin needs to thrive?

Is Your Skin Supplement Giving You the Antioxidants Your Skin Needs?

Antioxidants are stealth fighters in the battle against harmful free radicals, which affect the skin, body and overall health. While free radicals can be generated normally over the course of a typical day, factors such as smoking, pollution, stress, exercise and even aging bring the levels up significantly. Our bodies require foods and skin supplements that are rich in antioxidants in order to fight against free radicals, thereby reducing the effects that they have on the skin and the rest of our systems.

To get the best chance of protection, your skin supplement should be rich in the key vitamins known to provide your body with antioxidants. These vitamins are found naturally in food, making it more essential than ever to eat well. Many good quality skin supplements also contain the crucial nutrients you need however, giving you the best well-rounded defence against daily wear and tear plus environmental factors that generate those nasty free radicals. Key vitamins that should be in your diet as well as supplement include the following:

• Vitamin A / Beta-carotene - dark orange, red, yellow and green vegetables and fruits, such as broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, mangos and melon.
• Vitamin C- citrus fruits, berries, black currents, dark green vegetables, red and yellow peppers, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, pineapple, cantaloupe, mangos, papaya and guava.
• Vitamin E - vegetable oils like olive, soybean, and corn, safflower, as well as nuts, seeds, grains, wheat, wheat germ, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, plus legumes like lentils, split peas, beans and dark green vegetables.

While we all want to give our bodies the best chance to help fight off illness and aging effects, it can be challenging to stick to a healthy diet when life gets busy. Work, stress, deadlines and family obligations soon behind to mount up and before you know it, you are ordering take-outs once again. The good news is that with a high quality supplement that contains all of the vitamins and nutrients again, you can still reap the benefits with regular intake of skin supplements that are rich in antioxidants. 

Our mothers all told us to eat our fruit and vegetables, but had we known that essential nutrients would be good for healthy skin as well as healthy bodies, we may not have protested as much. As a major organ in the body, skin acts as a protective barrier. At the same time, the skin is often the first thing to take strain when the rest of the body is not in good health. Stress, lack of sleep, illness, poor diet and even natural aging all takes its toll on the skin, with tone, condition, elasticity, moisture and other tell-tale signs often acting as indication that the rest of the system is not at its best.

The good news is that having healthy skin and a healthy body can both be achieved when you begin to treat your system with the nutrients and antioxidants that it needs to thrive.

Vital Nutrients for Healthy Skin and Bodies

The expensive products you buy for your skin may offer temporary results, but they do not offer the same results as supplements that foster healthy skin from the inside out. A healthy body equals glowing skin – think how great your skin looks after a yoga class or a jog. Or how your skin and everything else feels when you are eating right and getting all of those nutrients your body craves. That is one of the simplest secrets for amazing skin, not to mention a strong immune system too.

With the help of essential nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin C, D, E and A, plus natural marine protein, ceramide and plant stem cells that are found in a supplement such as MIREICA, you will find the following healthy skin and body benefits:

• Immunity from colds, flu and other common illnesses as well as protection against heart diseases and many types of cancer.
• Stronger, healthier hail and nails (especially with the help of supplements infused with ceramides).
• Natural sun protection with the help of vitamin D and Astaxanthin, without the need for external sunscreen.
• Reduction of aging signs, including skin tone, firmness, aging spots and fine lines.
• Reduction of skin problems such as adult acne and spots.
• Healthier joints and bones.
• Higher levels of energy, which is especially important for those with busy, active lifestyles.
• Natural anti-inflammatory, so it reduces healing time for injuries, headaches or other inflammations.

As most busy professionals do not always have time to eat a balanced diet, supplements are the optimal way to get these essential nutrients and start seeing and feeling the difference. MIREICA is an easy to take supplement that can be enjoyed as a tasty drink – making it even easier to ensure healthy skin and a strong body.