What natural skin improvement products are recommended to improve skin tone?

There are a lot of strong natural/organic skincare lines on the market.  As it was said earlier, use of the word 'natural' is not regulated, so just be sure to look at the ingredient deck - you want to avoid any fragrance, glycols, parabens or pegs, which can irritate the skin.

I also recommend looking for brands with certification seals from natural/organic organizations like the Natural Products Association, EcoCert or the USDA.  That means the products had to meet a pretty solid natural or organic standard. 

Another plus, look for natural lines that have been clincally tested by an independent, third party lab.  That way you can feel confident that they have proven anti-aging efficacy.  

My brand, Raw Skincare, has a great selection of products featuring a brand new botanical, Ambiaty.  All the Ambiaty products have been clincially proven to fight wrinkles, improve skin tone and radiance, improve under-eye bags and dark circles.

Good Luck!

Improvements to the diet are very quickly noticeable on the outside. Many people reach for vitamins and supplements hoping to compensate for poor, fast eating habits, but unfortunately it is nearly impossible to see any improvement in the skin by taking isolated compounds in pills. I highly recommend looking into improving nutrition first and reaching for supplements second.

Many supplements have very low assimilation rates (about 10% for synthetic vitamin C) and research on others, such as beta-carotene brings dubious, contradictory reports on effectiveness.

My favorite anti-aging, anti-wrinkle foods are:

• Raw, unsalted organic almonds
• Avocados
• Raw, organic wheat germ (add 2 tablespoons to granola or cereal)
• Sunflower seeds
• Lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

Extra-virgin olive oil is also excellent for maintaining good skin elasticity, smoothness, and for preventing or diminishing wrinkles.

The richest natural source of minerals is seaweed, and it is my top food for young-looking, firm, well-moisturized, clear, and supple skin. However, I find it difficult to incorporate a lot of seaweed in my meals, so in this instance, I take kelp tablets (6-7 tablets a day). The kelp in kelp supplements is typically just dried and powdered, so it is still a whole-food supplement.

Another supplement I take with incredible anti-wrinkle powers is evening primrose oil. I choose cold-pressed, organic evening primrose oil because the supplement is in a form that is least refined and closest to the actual plant.  I take two to three 500mg soft-gels a day.

Follow the anti-inflammatory life style, starting with diet.

Introduce fish, such as salmon, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, pure spring water, and healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil—your skin will take on a new radiance.

This is very personal. You should be as careful with what you put on your body as what you put in. I only use organic skin care but even with this you have to be careful with ingredients.

• In the U.S., a product can call itself natural or organic even if there are only 1 or 2 actual natural/organic products in the product. There are so many products on the market that it can be really overwhelming.
• Consumers have to learn to be label readers.
• A good rule of thumb is, if you can't pronounce it, it's probably not good for your skin.
• You can find out more detailed information about personal care products by logging onto Skin Deep to see what is in the products you are using.
• Finding experts you trust in stores or on the web is always a good thing.