Face food: Natural beauty

As more fruits and vegetables gain acceptance among legitimate beauty treatments, the produce section of the grocery store is looking more and more like a cosmetics aisle. All-natural products ranging from shampoos and conditioners to lip balm, bubble bath and even makeup are growing in popularity as beauty seekers pursue greener lifestyles, homemade savings and chemical-free alternatives.

"This is serious skin care even though it's botanicals. It's not 'fluff' like some people think it is," said June Jacobs, founder of her own all-natural product line.

Pumpkin, for instance, is a strong antioxidant and exfoliant, while cranberry's vitamin C can help prevent bacteria from growing on the skin, which is good for people with acne-prone or combination skin, she explained.

So many people are coming to the conclusion that Mother Nature's beauty products are just as good as the brand names, Chicago spas tell RedEye they have beefed up their menu of natural treatments to meet customer demand.

"[People] like looking at a label and seeing as few ingredients as possible," said Nicole Villagomez, general manager at Loop salon Spa Space, which offers mango and vanilla-almond manicures and pedicures as well as facials using organic fruits and herbs on its menu of treatments.

The rise of natural beauty products is a, well, natural offshoot of the expanding market for organic food, said Jamie McKeown, a manager at Karyn's in Lincoln Park. The wellness restaurant, grocery store and spa sells its own brand of botanical beauty products and recently expanded into organic makeup.

"With your skin being the largest organ of your body, anything you put on your skin is just like eating," McKeown said.

For some people, natural beauty products are more of a necessity than a luxury.
"I'm allergic to a lot of stuff--like I can't wear regular deodorant," said 30-year-old Dolton resident Beth Sanzenbacher, who regularly shops for soaps and lotions at health food stores.
(Allergies can go both ways though, experts warn, and some people who are fine with traditional brands might experience reactions to plant-based products. Dr. Ana Mercedes Ciurea, a Texas dermatologist, recommends testing a new product on the inside of the arm before full application.)

There also are clinical benefits to botanical use, according to Abdul Qaiyum, a pharmacist and owner of natural products shop Merz Apothecary in Lincoln Square. Natural shampoos, for example, are less irritating for the scalp, he said.

"When we wash our hair day after day with these harsh chemicals, the hair gets weak," Qaiyum said.

Plant-based beauty products do come with some drawbacks. Like the food you find in the produce aisle, they generally have a smaller window of time in which they can be "consumed." Natural ingredients also come with a higher price tag. At Lush, an international natural beauty brand with stores in Chicago, shampoo can cost several dollars per ounce more than brands such as Suave or Finesse. But fresh ingredients give natural products more potency, said Lush product trainer Erica Vega.

Katie Abraham, 21, of Wrigleyville actually finds some peace of mind in the shorter life span of her botanical products.

"You don't want to eat food that's not going to go bad for three years," she said.
And perhaps the best way to cut down on the expense of natural cosmetics is to raid the refrigerator.

Morawiec, who started making her own bath and beauty products after reading about them, experiments with simple ingredients such as salt, sugar and fruit mixed with essential oils to bring out the best in her skin and hair.

And she sees one more upside to her homemade hobby. "They make good gifts with a little bit of effort," she said. "That they're natural tends to be an added incentive."

MARY TALLON IS A REDEYE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR. AP CONTRIBUTED.


Pantry potential

Whether you're curious about what the ingredients do in your bath soap or you're itching to experiment with cosmetic concoctions of your own, here's a crash course on some groceries that pack the most potential for botanical beauty. M.T., AP

Apples
Well, how do you like them ... well, you know. Turns out apples have a lot of vitamin C, which has been shown to protect and repair skin cells, according to Texas dermatologist Dr. Ana Mercedes Ciurea. She's surprised the fruit, which can be a good conditioner and toner, isn't more popular in skin-care products.

Bananas
They're good for breakfast, a snack or a facial. Yep, mashed banana is moisturizing, calming and soothing--and can be mixed with oatmeal and honey for a face mask, according to planetgreen.discovery.com. A lesser-known trick is to use the yellow fruit to tame dry, curly hair.

Vanilla
Whether in extract, bean or absolute form, vanilla provides a fresh, clean fragrance to any skin or beauty product. It also helps skin, hair and lips retain moisture, according to Erica Vega, a Chicago-based product trainer for Lush. Take that, chocolate!

Oats
Even if you don't find oatmeal delicious, your skin might. Oats are great for softening and healing dry, itchy skin. Makeyourowncosmetics.com recommends tossing oats and some powdered milk into the tub for a luxurious and soothing soak.

Tomatoes
This salad bar staple is a great source of lycopene, which Ciurea says is a powerful antioxidant. "My grandmother used to crush tomato and put it on her face--and her skin was gorgeous," she said.

Lemons
Sour? Only if you eat them. Lemons can be used to fight dandruff when mixed with olive oil and rubbed into hair 15 minutes before normal shampooing. Citrus fruits such as lemons also are great for waking up the skin, according to Jamie McKeown, a manager at Karyn's. Just be careful not to use too much to avoid drying out skin.

Almonds
If you feel like getting nutty with botanicals, your best bet probably is the almond (even if it's technically a fruit and part of the plum family). When crushed into a soft, coarse powder, almonds can be added to lotions and moisturizers to help exfoliate and improve skin complexion, according to lush.com.

Salt and sugar
You might not cook, but surely you have salt and sugar in the kitchen. Many homemade facial scrubs require some salt or sugar as a base exfoliant. Visit makeyourowncosmetics.com for some creative ideas.