Cosmetics have probably always been with us, and they have served a multitude of purposes. We have had ceremonial perfumes, make up and depilation; we have had tribal and religious marking; and we have even had war paint, most famously worn by native Americans and the blue woad worn by the ancient Britons. But the most widespread use of cosmetics has simply been to make us look more beautiful, by covering up blemishes, enhancing our natural colouring and keeping our skin healthy and moisturised.

This latter means of beautification is particularly popular as it helps to hide the signs of ageing, of which one well known cosmetics company has counted no fewer than seven (if you include losing your keys). The technology of moisturising has been through two distinct phases: the use of things we find about us in nature; and the scientific phase, where the knowledge of what goes on in and underneath our skin has been channelled back into creating moisturisers that work with our skin and enhance the natural mechanisms of youth.

Moisturisers are either applied daily to maintain the vigour of youthful skin (which naturally recedes due to environmental and biological actions) or are used to bring back suppleness to skin which has been dried by the weather or other environmental factors. The science behind moisturising is relatively simple in that it is replacing the moisture that is (or would be) lost. But it is not as simple as adding water to the skin. The moisturiser must penetrate the surface of the skin through the pores before it can do its work.

Whereas in the past plant extracts would have been used, modern moisturising creams are formulated in laboratories, although that does not necessarily mean that natural ingredients have been done away with. If they are shown to work they will stay, and as people have a tendency to go for things that are \”natural\” rather than \”man made\”, it makes commercial sense too. Many moisturisers, however, have ingredients such as collagen in them, which won\’t be found in plants but which is acknowledged to assist with firming up of the skin. It is this chemical that the body produces in abundance during our youth, but which fades as we get older.

There is plenty of competition between the various commercial cosmetics laboratories to produce the best creams. They know that positive reviews and word of mouth recommendations can be worth millions, and they will go to the ends of the earth to come up with new formulations. The result is a huge range in price of moisturisers, from a few pounds for a tube of E45 in any UK drug store to many hundreds of pounds for a jar of moisturising cream at the other end of the spectrum, such as the luxurious La Prairie brand, which counts caviar among its list of ingredients in some of its products.

As with many things in life, a little experimentation can go a long way, and as our knowledge of the inner workings of our bodies improves, we should see the benefits not only in medical procedures but also in our appearances too.

Sue is a regular contributor to a number of skin care and lifestyle websites. She writes about skin treatments and products such as la prairie and high quality eye and skin formulations. She is nutrition and healthy living enthusiast.

Sue is a regular contributor to a number of publications such as http://www.skincare-online.com/ and other skin care and lifestyle websites. She writes about skin treatments and products such as la prairie and other high quality eye and skin formulations.

Author Bio: Sue is a regular contributor to a number of skin care and lifestyle websites. She writes about skin treatments and products such as la prairie and high quality eye and skin formulations. She is nutrition and healthy living enthusiast.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
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