Birch face cream

I don’t know where the myth came from that Soviet creams had an exclusively natural base and therefore did not harm the skin at all, but only improved its condition. Yes, of course, caring cosmetics were divided into various categories according to their purpose: for dry skin, oily skin, aging skin, etc. Sometimes there were even interesting and unusual solutions in packaging design: around 1986 - 1987, my mother brought me a cream with chamomile extract and other herbs from the Baltics, not in the usual tube, but in a jar with a dispenser, and the cream itself was made in the form of foam - this It was very unusual for that time! The price of such a jar was neither more nor less, but as much as 5 rubles.

Some assortment of different creams in tubes. plastic jars and glass bottles were always available in the assortment of Soviet stores, but at the same time, as I noticed then, few people adhered to the manufacturer’s recommendations - they bought care products either based on the price, or a friend’s recommendation, or simply based on the picture they liked. A very good moment was when my classmate bought herself a “Forest Nymph” face cream for 35 kopecks. When I asked why she bought it, the 14-year-old schoolgirl replied that “well, the girl there is so young and pretty, so I took it.” And she was not at all embarrassed by the fact that this cream was intended for aging skin and contained some active dietary supplements, which young skin could easily do without.

My mother loved liquid creams “Morning” and “Peach” - they were similar, and were never used in our house, and I also periodically smeared them on my hands and face - I still remember that smell. The creams had the only inconvenience - when they became a little less than half, it became inconvenient to shake out the viscous liquid from the heavy glass bottle. I always felt very sorry for the residue smeared on the walls of the bottle.

There was not much information about at what time and for what skin to use this or that type of cream. Well, except that the Health magazine sometimes published explanatory articles and, even more rarely, advertisements for caring cosmetics.

A little about the composition of Soviet creams

Of course, this cannot be said. that Soviet creams did not contain natural ingredients. Of course, they were there: this is beef lard, and coconut, peach and almond oil. spermaceti, beeswax, sperm whale oil, vitamin supplements and herbal extracts. But the listed ingredients were the most valuable components and were used in small quantities. And the basis of any cream was this:

At the same time, salol served as a kind of protective filter against ultraviolet radiation and was used in sunscreens; zinc and mercury were intended for skin whitening, and even then technologists knew that in high concentrations these substances are dangerous to health:

Let's now remember some creams that were most often found on sale:

Cream for oily skin (and also as a base for makeup - then it was called “cream under powder”) - “Snowflake”. Price - 50 kopecks. This cream was quickly absorbed, did not leave a greasy residue, and prevented the appearance of shine on the face. The cream contained stearin, potassium stearate, glycerin and water. Remember this glass jar?

But a jar of nourishing cream "Birch" for 16 kopecks. I remember we used it as a hand cream, it had a very strong smell.

But for our hands, by the way, my mother and I tried to buy an imported cream from the Alen Mak company - remember, the one in the box, with women’s hands drawn on it? Unfortunately, I didn’t keep the tube.

And when we couldn’t get this cream, we preferred our domestic one, in a white jar like this:

And by the way, almost the only cream for the care of problematic teenage skin under the characteristic name “Ugrin” was produced in a similar jar. My mother bought me such a cream when I was in grade 6-7 - it really dried out and healed problem skin well, but what a disgusting smell it had!

But the nourishing cream for dry and normal skin “Amber” costs 37 kopecks. To be honest, I didn’t like him - his mother took him with her on business trips, because... She had to spend a lot of time either in the steppe in the wind or in the sun, and all this affected her skin, and I really didn’t like the oily smell of this cream.

Also among the creams with a rather pungent odor is the “Effect” foot cream. As a child (and even now, by the way, too) I really loved to walk barefoot as much as possible in the summer, so this cream was a great help for my stiff heels, because... had an amazing softening effect. It cost 45 kopecks, but was spent very sparingly.

But men used mainly these two jelly-like creams for shaving. By the way, “Start” cream was often used for other purposes - it was used to lubricate the skin folds of bedridden patients to prevent the appearance of bedsores. If I'm not mistaken, the composition contained fir oil, which had a similar effect. My grandmother, who worked in surgery, always recommended that patients’ relatives buy this cream and many later thanked her for it.

And finally, some advertising from Health magazine for 1989:

The symbol tree of Russia is loved not only by collectors of homemade beauty recipes, but also by cosmetic brands. We tell you how beauty brands use birch in the production of creams, serums and face masks.

1. Beneficial properties of birch for facial skin
2. Features of the composition of birch bark and wood
3. The use of birch in cosmetics
4. Tools Overview

Beneficial properties of birch for facial skin

Folk recipes use all parts of the birch tree: buds, bark, leaves and, of course, sap. Cosmetics manufacturers mainly use leaves, from which they extract an extract with a whole range of beneficial properties:

But the beneficial functions of birch extract are not limited to this. It moisturizes the epidermis, improves skin elasticity, and has a whitening effect. The latter property is exploited in cosmetic formulas against pigmentation, along with acids and vitamin C.

Birch combines external beauty and rich “inside”. © Getty Images

Features of the composition of birch bark and wood

Cosmetics also use active substances contained in birch bark and wood.

Betulin acts as an antiseptic and antioxidant.

Lupeol strengthens, improves tone and restores.

Betulinic acid fights pigmentation.

The use of birch in cosmetics

Birch extract is actively used in the following beauty categories:

restoring and soothing balms;

tonics and lotions for sensitive skin and skin with acne;

deodorants and antiperspirants for sensitive skin;

means for healing weakened hair;

anti-dandruff shampoos and masks.

The developers of high-tech cosmetics went further: based on birch extract, they created and patented the proxilan molecule, which today is considered one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients with proven effectiveness. Proxilan plays a major role in formulas aimed at:

increasing skin density;

Tools Overview

Aftershave gel for sensitive skin “Men Expert Hydra Sensitive”, L’Oréal Paris with birch sap moisturizes, restores the protective barrier, reduces irritation after shaving.

Serum for even skin tone Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, Kiehl’s contains birch extract and vitamin C, fights pigment spots and restores radiance to the skin.

Absolue Precious Cells Revitalizing Night Mask, Lancôme has a rich set of active ingredients that promote skin regeneration. One of them, Proxilan, works to strengthen the skin from the inside.

About tar and how to use it effectively

Greetings to everyone who is with us! Birch tar has long been practiced in folk medicine, and in the modern world this natural product has found application in cosmetology. It is simply full of useful substances that are effective in fighting germs, fungi and even microscopic mites.

To get the maximum benefit and not harm the body, you should know exactly how to use birch tar for facial skin and what ingredients it can be combined with. See for yourself that nature creates truly useful, effective and safe products for face and body care.

Composition and properties of birch tar

The positive effect of a dark resinous liquid product (tar) on the skin, the effective treatment of acne, blackheads and inflammation is due to its constituent components. The product of birch bark processing is rich in organic acids, resins, microelements, antioxidants and phytoncides.

This unique composition of the product upon contact with the skin performs the following functions:

1. restorative;
2. drying;
3. wound healing;
4. antiparasitic;
5. anesthetic;
6. absorbable.

Thus, a dark resinous fatty product, which is obtained from dry distillation of wood, helps reduce itching, remove inflammation, remove harmful substances, make the skin more elastic, normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands and reduce fat production, even out fine wrinkles, improve complexion, relieve fatigue .

How and with what to eat birch tar

In order to cleanse the body of toxins, reduce fat production, reduce sweating, normalize the gastrointestinal tract and eliminate parasites from the intestines, birch tar is taken orally. The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. We prepare tar and a pharmaceutical pipette.
2. Apply five drops of the product to a piece of black or rye bread, and eat this unusual late dinner before going to bed.
3. The next day we repeat the same thing, but now we add six drops of the product. Each subsequent day, add another drop and bring the amount to 10.
4. We use the product internally for two weeks, 10 drops each, and on the 15th day we begin to reduce the doses in the reverse order, and bring the amounts to five drops.

The course of taking the medicine is 24 days, and it is best to undergo therapy in the fall or spring, when the immune system needs to be recharged. It's no secret that cleansing the body is directly related to the condition of the facial skin.

Wash your face with birch tar

The product can also be used to cleanse the skin in the morning and evening. For such purposes, it is better not to use tar soap, as it can dry out the epithelium, but to make a gel yourself. To do this, add 1 ml of tar to a bottle with your usual cleanser and shake.

Regular use of such “cleansing” will help get rid of skin formations on the face. The product can be used to cleanse the arms, shoulders and back if a rash or inflammation appears in these areas.

Popular face masks based on birch tar

To get an excellent healing effect, you can combine tar with other natural products that are beneficial for the face. Constant use of healing masks will help improve metabolic processes in the skin layers, cure acne, and improve the appearance of the face and body.

Before treatment, determine your skin type and start preparing a mask, choosing the one that best suits you:

1. for combination and oily skin – mix a piece of grated tar soap with any cosmetic cream, apply the mask to your face for a quarter of an hour and rinse;
2. against inflammation - combine tar and honey in a ratio of 1:3, keep on your face for no longer than 15 minutes, then remove the residue with water;
3. for dry skin type – 2 tbsp. melt spoons of honey in a water bath, mix with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the same amount of tar, leave on your face for a quarter of an hour;
4. against demodicosis - mix sulfur and birch extract in equal parts, treat your face with the prepared mixture, wash off the mask after 20 minutes;
5. against blackheads - mix a piece of grated tar soap with water to form a slightly thick mass, procedure time - 15 minutes.

Before applying any of the above masks, you should go to the bathroom and thoroughly clean and steam your skin to maximize the impact of the beneficial components contained in the products used.

Pure tar for rashes

One of the easiest ways to treat acne at home with tar is to use the product in its pure form. Reviews from fans of the viscous dark substance indicate the effectiveness of this method of treating acne:

Tamara, 18 years old: “I use birch tar when inflamed acne appears on my face. I simply apply the product to the red bumps with a cotton swab and take a horizontal position for 20 minutes.

The fact is that the substance is difficult to remove from tissues, so to prevent the liquid from draining from my face and getting on my clothes, I just lie down and rest. It’s good for the skin and relaxation for the body. After the time has passed, I wash my face with water at room temperature. Sometimes I do contrast washes. Pimples disappear quickly."

Stas, 22 years old: “Despite the unpleasant smell of the product, I decided to take the advice of a friend and began treating acne on my face with birch tar. I didn’t bother too much and used it in its pure form.

I just applied it to the pimples and left it on for a little less than half an hour. At first I didn’t believe in the power of such a cheap product, but I was soon pleased with the results. Large pimples have noticeably decreased, redness has disappeared, and skin color has almost evened out.”

Does birch tar help with allergic rashes?

Reviews from doctors about this unusual traditional medicine are not entirely clear. Experts do not recommend taking tar internally, since in modern medicine it is used only as an external remedy.

Doctors also talk about the ineffectiveness of using birch bark extract to treat allergic acne. In this case, only minimizing or completely eliminating contact with the allergen will help remove the rash from the skin.

conclusions

If the rashes are not a reaction to an irritant, feel free to use the natural medicine that nature gave us.

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