Mainly dry – these are good weather prospects for a picnic. But less for the skin . It needs at least 20 percent moisture inside to be able to absorb nutrients and remove pollutants. If the content falls below 10 percent, it first sags like a flower that has not been watered for a long time. Later, the horny scales burst open, allowing even more moisture to evaporate. The skin becomes more and more sensitive, itchy and flaky. Take countermeasures in good time – with creams that contain active ingredients from the desert.
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The end of the drought
The rose of Jericho, baobab trees and the bacterium ectoine can survive temperatures of 70 degrees, cold nights and months without a single drop of water. In addition, beauty scientists are decoding more and more properties that can be used to specifically solve a wide variety of problems with dry skin – from wrinkles to scaly shins to an irritated complexion. We bring you the best products to make your skin bloom like the desert after a rainstorm.
Whether in yoghurts, tights, detergents or face creams: nowadays the desert lily aloe vera can be found in a surprising number of products. What makes you such an all-round talent? Above all, their great wealth of ingredients. In addition to 90 percent water, the medicinal plant contains around 160 different substances, including the beauty vitamins A, C, E, B12 and fatty acids, amino acids and enzymes that are important for our skin . This sophisticated mix acts like a magnet: moisture no longer simply evaporates or rolls off the skin, as we would e.g. B. know from washing, but penetrates deep into the horny layer and is stored there.
Aloe vera moisturizes the complexion, body and hands
But the best thing about aloe vera is the polysaccharide acemannan, which stimulates the production of new skin cells. His trick: it forms a kind of gel plaster on the skin and at the same time inhibits the formation of bacteria – with a mechanism that we use when making jam. The gelling sugar also removes the moisture from the fruit and binds it in order to deprive mold of its livelihood. This makes the compote durable. Similarly, with care products containing aloe vera, the skin plots against dehydration, inflammation and minor injuries.
Daily companion protection: Aloe vera moisturizes the complexion, body and hands
No wonder that mothers in particular often have an aloe vera plant in the kitchen to treat cuts and abrasions with the leaf juice. All these properties make aloe vera a great moisturizer that can be used in a wide variety of ways.
PRODUCTS: e.g. B. “Moisturizing Cream” by Frei, 50 ml approx. 9 euros; “Aloe Vera Peeling Gel” by Marbert, 50 ml approx. 18 euros; “Faces Organic Aloe Vera Care Cream” from Lavera, 30 ml approx. 12 euros; “Bio Activ rich intensive care” with aloe by Garnier, 50 ml approx. 6 euros; “Daily Care Sensitive Hand Cream Organic Aloe + Vanilla” by Logona, 100 ml approx. 4 euros
Beauty-Drink
Don’t let your skin and throat dry out: This drink works like a beauty fountain of youth
Sure, drinking a lot is healthy. But only mineral water? Pretty dull! This desert cocktail tastes refreshingly different and rejuvenates the skin with vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium: mix 100 ml mango juice with 100 ml peach juice, 2 tbsp aloe vera gel and 2 tbsp prickly pear juice (both e.g. from Schoenenberger ) stir in. Sweeten with honey to taste. For those who don’t want to mix it themselves, there are ready-made aloe vera beauty drinks with fruit purees (e.g. from Santaverde).
Smoothes dryness lines: Rose von Jericho works like a lightning lift
Sounds like the title of an exciting holiday novel, but it is probably the most fascinating survivor of the desert: the rose of Jericho. In times of drought, it loses up to 98 percent of its water content and can still survive for several years. Her trick: she goes on a journey! To do this, it pulls back its roots, rolls itself up into a tight ball and lets itself be carried away by the wind. If it gets to wetter areas or if it starts to rain, the rose of Jericho turns back into a lush green plant within a few hours – which is why it is also called the resurrection plant. Two ingredients make this miracle of nature possible: trehalose, a type of sugar, forms a protective cocoon of tiny crystals that slips over the cells when it is dry. When it rains, the trehalose dissolves, cushions the plant with moisture and supplies it with energy. And dehydrins from protein prevent the fibers from tearing when they shrink and expand again. In short: The rose of Jericho gives the skin moisture, energy and elasticity – just right for wrinkles caused by dryness.
PRODUCTS: e.g. B. “Make A Difference Deep Moisturizing Cream” by Origins, 50 ml approx. 43 euros; “Nuxuriance Creme Redensifiante Anti-Âge Jour” by Nuxe, 50 ml approx. 42 euros; “Medic Skin 24-hour care for dry skin” from Biodroga, 50 ml approx. 55 euros
Firming agents: cacti strengthen the contours
Plump and firm like a cactus – that’s how we like to see our connective tissue. We owe the smooth skin on the face, arms and legs to an elastic network of collagen fibers between which there are tiny pads of hyaluronic acid. Care products with cactus extract help to keep it that way for as long as possible: the pulp is considered a great tonic. The high content of vitamin C and calcium in particular keeps our connective tissue strong and flexible at the same time. Pectin is great for forming small replacement water cushions when we produce less hyaluronic acid due to age – a swelling agent that we know from apples. Fruit acids promote cell renewal like a peeling. This reduces wrinkles and small dents on arms and legs. In addition, the fresh horny cells can again store a lot of moisture.
PRODUCTS: e.g. B. “Aloe Vera & Prickly Pear Body Cream” by JS Douglas Söhne, 200 ml approx. 13 euros; “Moisturizing body lotion with cactus extract” by Jafra, 250 ml approx. 14 euros; “Beauty Flash Mask” by Babor*, 50 ml approx. 25 euros; “Cooling Aloe vera Cactus Spray” by Malu Wilz, 100 ml approx. 17 euros; “Green Science Perfecting Cleanser” by Aveda, 125 ml approx. 29 euros; “Kissed by Nature Body Lotion” from Creme 21, 250 ml approx. 5 euros
Everything is back in butter: baobab oil cares for brittle and mature skin
They are a delicacy for baboons, and the fruits of the baobab tree are also a treat for mature skin and brittle legs. The fat in the seeds, the so-called baobab oil, is primarily cosmetically valuable. It contains 23 percent palmitic and 29 percent linoleic acid – ideal if your skin lacks moisture as much as it lacks fat. You can tell if this is the case by the fact that your skin feels very rough and tends to develop flaky skin. This often happens especially with a mature complexion, whose own sebum production weakens more and more over the years. But even scaly shins need an extra portion of fat. Here you are exactly right with care that contains baobab oil: the linoleic acid seals the gaps between the cracked horny cells,
PRODUCTS: e.g. B. “Tolfioowizing mask with baobab extract mature skin” by Balea, 50 ml approx. 2 euros; “Cell Culture Eye Care Gel” from SBT, 15 ml approx. 65 euros; “Nutridivine Crème Modelluse Reli piante” by Decléor, 50 ml approx. 48 euros; “Baobab leg lotion” by Martina Gebhardt, 150 ml approx. 10 euros
