Take a More Natural Route to Health and Beauty It takes only a quick scan of the popular media to figure out how much emphasis is placed on women’s being urged to look younger as a pre-requisite to success in romance and career. Today many beauty products go further than just selling themselves as cosmetics – by promising to give you that certain glow and to make you look younger. But for various reasons such as skin sensitivity, or that they just don’t work, these kinds of products may not always suit everyone. So many women now prefer to try to maintain their health and beauty more naturally. Although there are lots of effective beauty products made from natural ingredients on the market, much of the magazine and television advertising we see focusses on products that contain synthetic chemicals, some of which may cause health problems later in life. Worse, there is a growing trend of viewing cosmetic surgery as “normal”, with ads promoting surgery as a means to "improve" the way we look… sometimes with disastrous results for the patient. Meanwhile, most of us will experiment with beauty products until we find something salubrious that suits our constitution and lifestyle. But did you know that there are some highly effective natural ways to maintain your physical beauty, perhaps even providing you with some anti-aging protection at the same time? There are, of course, many things you could do to preserve and prolong your natural beauty, but here are a few tips that you may not have considered or even taken seriously before, but from which you can derive serious benefits without having to visit a store. Water is your number one beauty ally: Most of us are probably aware that the human body comprises a large proportion of water. And anyone who has ever been in the sun or the wind will also know this includes the skin. So, common sense tells us that we need to drink a large amount of water. Additionally, if the body has any sort of a problem, internal or external, it requires extra water in order to repair the damage. And here, we are talking about water... not juice or any water contaminated with caffeine, sugar, artificial flavourings or any other added substance. Healthy skin is fundamental to beauty. A beautiful woman who becomes ill becomes less beautiful because her skin starts to show signs of damage if she doesn’t get enough water. It is simply vital to the repair of your body and your overall health. Very few people drink enough water, and some doctors think that chronic dehydration is the root cause of many medical problems, including ulcers, cancers and heart disease. Don’t fret about the way you look: Women who worry about their looks too much are often adding to the problem, if indeed there is one in the first place. Being dissatisfied with your looks can cause you to look strained and older, and the eyes of an unhappy person lose their sparkle quickly. Many women automatically reach for one of the “magical” chemical potions they see advertised on television, or think about having a facelift. A better way might be to improve the way you feel about yourself from the inside, and over time , this will begin to show on the outside. Sleep is the most natural healer: The human body is in a constant state of renewal, both internally and externally. This continues 24 hours a day, but while you are asleep there are no distractions or exhausting demands made on your body. Your immune system is able to work unimpeded while you sleep, keeping you healthy and refreshed. If you are at the peak of health, your natural beauty lasts longer. Women’s needs vary, but seven or eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is the minimum you need for peak health. It may be a tired cliché, but you really do need your beauty sleep.