Mojo Magic – Natural Skincare Products for Eczema

Mojo Magic – Natural Skincare Products for Eczema

In my previous article, I looked at why traditional cortisone creams are not the best way to treat eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions. I also took a brief look into some of the ingredients in Mojo Magic’s natural skincare products and how they can be hugely beneficial to those who have eczema.

In this article, I will take a look at the rest of the ingredients in my products, which will explain why I chose them for this special formulation, and why Mojo Magic products have been so successful in treating eczema.

Mojo Magic – Natural Skincare Products for Eczema

Organic Baobab Oil

The star of the show and one of the two main active ingredients (the other being MSM) in our formulation, organic Baobab offers incredible benefits for skin in general, as well as for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.

Extracted from the seed of the Baobab tree, this oil can be used to cook with, for hair treatment as well as for skincare.

This magical oil is extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as other fats which include:

  • Linoleic acid
  • Linolenic acid
  • Oleic acid
  • Palmitic acid

Because Baobab oil is so rich in omega-3 oils, it is one of the most effective ingredients in natural skincare, especially for eczema. It offers the following benefits:

  • Prevents loss of water from the skin – this is extremely important for eczema as it is often characterized by dry, flaky, and itchy skin. Natural moisture in the skin is crucial for the prevention of eczema
  • Helps to repair the skin’s barrier – when the skin’s barrier is compromised, it becomes vulnerable to infection. Eczema is also characterized by skin which has been damaged due to excess scratching, inflammation, and prolonged use of cortisone cream. Therefore, this property of Baobab oil is highly valuable in the treatment and prevention of eczema
  • Helps to heal the skin faster – particularly useful in eczema as it speeds up the healing process, protecting the skin from infection
  • Reduces inflammation – eczema is an inflammatory skin condition which requires a reduction in inflammation for successful treatment
  • Moisturizes the skin – eczema is known to produce dry patches on the skin. Baobab oil can help with providing much needed moisture to affected areas
  • Antibacterial – Baobab oil contains a natural chemical which makes it a potent anti-bacterial remedy. This is a crucial component for the treatment of eczema and to prevent infection. In many cases, eczema can be weepy, and the skin can be broken, making the patient prone to infection

Chamomile

Chamomile is most commonly used as a tea and is known to provide soothing and calming effects. For the same reason, it offers great benefits for the treatment of eczema:

  • Soothes red and inflamed skin – two of the most prominent symptoms of eczema is redness and inflammation. Chamomile is known anti-inflammatory which makes it a useful ingredient in our special formulation
  • Antiseptic – chamomile offers mild anti-septic properties which make it useful in the treatment of eczema and the prevention of infection that often happens in more severe cases
  • Moisturizes – another soothing property offered by chamomile which is essential for the treatment and management of eczema

Rose Geranium Oil

Rose Geranium belongs to the geranium family which is native to South Africa and has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments ranging from skin conditions to respiratory ailments.

This gorgeously scented oil offers the skin some important benefits:

  • Balances the skin’s natural oil production – this helps ensure the skin stays moisturized. As we know, moisture is absolutely crucial for the treatment and management of eczema
  • Anti-bacterial – rose geranium reduces the risk of infection by fighting of bacteria
  • Soothes irritated skin – this beautiful oil has amazing soothing properties which can help during serious eczema flare-ups

Lavender Oil

Lavender is known as the poster child for essential oils – everyone knows about it and almost everyone loves it. It is beneficial for many reasons, but here are the benefits that it provides the skin:

  • Anti-microbial – lavender oil has shown to successfully tackle certain bacteria which have been linked to causing and aggravating eczema
  • Heals wounds – particularly useful for the more severe cases of eczema where there is weeping and damaged skin
  • Helps to regulate skin’s moisture levels – the skin needs oil to stay moisturized and well moisturized skin may minimize the symptoms of eczema

Organic Tea Tree Oil

Another popular essential oil which is often underestimated for its valuable medicinal properties, tea tree oil is an invaluable addition to Mojo Magic’s formulation.

Here’s why:

  • Reduces inflammation – extremely important for eczema as it can become quite inflamed during flare ups
  • Heals wounds – tea tree oil can speed up the healing process, making people with eczema less prone to infection
  • Antihistamine – eczema is often an allergic response to a stimuli. Tea tree oil has shown to reduce the allergic response to external irritants
  • Antimicrobial – a potent antimicrobial which fights off fungi and bacteria, tea tree oil protects the skin from infection
  • Itch relief – eczema is characterized by extreme itchiness. Tea tree oil provides significant itch relief, making it an important ingredient in our natural skincare products

I always make sure that the amount of tea tree oil in my products is safe, ensuring protection from systemic reactions.

Mojo Magic – Natural Remedies for Eczema

I have put immense thought, care, and love into our formulation to ensure that it is not only safe to use long-term but also highly effective for the treatment of eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Mojo Magic products are versatile and can also be used as a daily moisturizer, suitable for the face and body.

Please visit my products page to find out more about Mojo Magic skincare and feel free to contact me for more information.

The Truth Behind Your Skincare Products – Ingredients You Should Avoid and Why

The Truth Behind Your Skincare Products – Ingredients You Should Avoid and Why

Not only is the skin the largest organ on our body, but it is also one of the most important. Responsible for many life-preserving functions, our skin should be treated with all the love and kindness we have to give.

Knowing what common ingredients and chemicals to avoid when choosing skincare products is the first step to honouring this incredibly resilient external organ.

In this article, we talk about the nasty ingredients commonly found in skincare products that you should avoid, and we also tell you why.

But, before we get into that, let’s take a closer look at the skin so we can understand why choosing natural skincare products is so important.

Why Choose Natural Skincare Products?

The skin is one of the only organs that has direct contact with our external environment and while it’s busy protecting us from various kinds of injury, infections, and pollutants, it’s also working hard to retain moisture, regulate our temperature and reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation.

However, the skin is not impermeable. In fact, it’s extremely porous, allowing up to 60% of what we put on our skin to be absorbed into the body.

This poses a direct threat to our overall health and well-being, especially when we use skincare products that are filled with all kinds of harmful ingredients.

Recent developments have shown that some of these ingredients are linked to inflammatory skin conditions – the very issues we are trying to avoid when using beauty products.

In addition, there are other health concerns such as hormonal disruption, reproductive issues and sometimes even cancer.

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but your skincare products have the potential to make you sick.

Harmful Ingredients in Skincare that You Should Avoid

Petrochemicals

“Petrochemicals” is an umbrella term which covers several different chemicals that are obtained through the petroleum refining process. Petroleum is essentially a naturally occurring substance and can be refined to product petrol, diesel, oil, and paraffin.

Petrolatum, paraffin wax and mineral oil are widely used in the beauty industry because of their ability to create a barrier on the skin that leaves the skin feeling hydrated for longer.

However, the side effect of this is that the barrier can cause the pores to clog, resulting in blackheads and pimples.

Additionally, the biggest concern with petrochemicals in cosmetics is that a contaminant called 1,4-dioxane is often unintentionally generated while producing petrochemicals. This by-product has shown to be a likely cancer-causing ingredient which readily penetrates the different layers of skin.

Phthalates are one among many of the commonly used petrochemicals in skincare products.

Apart from it being a total tongue twister, phthalates are a group of chemicals that you should avoid in your skincare and beauty products.

What are Phthalates?

They are a group of chemicals which help beauty products stick to our skin. Without them, the product will not have time to absorb, rendering them ineffective.

Why are They Bad?

Recent research has unfortunately linked phthalates to endocrine system disruption and respiratory issues such as asthma.

To make matters worse, this ingredient is often not listed on product labels, leading consumers to believe that they are phthalate-free when they are not. If you are unsure, do some research before the purchase.

How to Identify Petrochemicals in Your Skincare

The following are names of petrochemicals to look out for in cosmetics:

  • Any words:
    • Ending in “eth”
    • With “butyl”
    • With “DEA”
    • With “ethyl”
    • With “MEA”
    • With “methyl”
    • With “PEG”
    • With “propyl”
  • Benzene
  • Butanol
  • Ethanol
  • Methanol
  • Mineral oil
  • Paraffin wax
  • Parfum/fragrance
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Toluene

Commonly found in most skincare products including cleansers, body wash, hand wash. There are different types including Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) and Ammonium Laurel Sulphate (ALS).

What are They?

These sulphates are mostly surfactants which are compounds that lower the surface tension between two surfaces. In other words, it allows the product to move easily over the surface it is applied to.

In skincare, surfactants are often used to give products their foaminess or oiliness.

Why are They Bad?

SLS strips the skin of its natural oils, resulting in dry, sensitive, inflamed, and allergic skin. Paradoxically, the effect of skin that has had it’s natural oil stripped from it responds by over producing oil, which can result in acne or break outs.

For more perspective, surfactants are often used as the primary component of household cleaning detergents. Need we say more?

Parabens

By now, everyone has heard this word but not everyone knows exactly what a paraben is or why they should be avoiding it.

What are Parabens?

Quite simply, parabens are preservatives which are put into our skincare products for the sole purpose of extending their shelf-life.

Why are Parabens Bad?

Parabens mimic oestrogen in the body, which can create hormonal imbalances and, as a result, several other health issues may arise.

Formaldehyde

This word may sound familiar to you, but you perhaps you can’t quite place it. Interestingly, as part of the metabolic process of cells, plants, animals, bacteria, humans, and fish all produce formaldehyde naturally.

What is Formaldehyde?

It is a simple, organic (naturally occurring) chemical compound made of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. It is colourless, flammable, and has a strong odour.

Used mostly as a potent preservative, formaldehyde can be found in products such as nail polish, hair gel, hair smoothing products, baby shampoo, body wash, and colour cosmetics.

Why is it Bad?

Formaldehyde is a well-known carcinogen (cancer-causing) which has also been linked to neurotoxicity and asthma, among others.

Other products that commonly contain formaldehyde include building materials, glues, adhesives, industrial disinfectants, germicides, and fungicides, and is used as a preservative in medical laboratories and mortuaries.

Mojo Magic – Natural Skincare Products

Determined to create natural skincare for glowing skin, free from all the harmful chemicals found in most skincare products and cosmetics, I created Mojo Magic skincare.

This special formulation can improve skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, and dryness. It is also an effective treatment for insect stings and bites, minor cuts and burns, nappy rash and skin allergies.

Lastly, it can also be used as a general moisturiser for healthy skin and as part of your daily facial skincare regime.

To find out more about Mojo Magic and what makes this cream so special, please feel free to contact me.