The best natural skin care cream is processed in the most skin-friendly way possible, provides moisturization, protects from moisture loss, contains antioxidants and provides some protection from the sun. That does not mean that the best skin creams contain chemical sunscreens. There are naturally occurring extracts and vitamins that work perfectly well and don't have the potential to actually damage your skin.

It is impossible to pick a single best natural skin care cream, because there are so many different compounds found in nature that are necessary for the skin's health. Also, face creams and body creams are formulated differently, as are creams meant for women and for men. What you should be looking for the label are: vitamins, minerals, kelp extracts, plant oils and waxes, and honey enzymes, among others. These are all excellent, completely natural and highly effective ingredients -- and, there's even a new extract from sheep's wool that has shown remarkable effectiveness in the regrowth of collagen and elastins.

Processing and Preservatives

If you are a purist you may be looking for lotions that are unprocessed. If that is the case, then your only choice is to prepare them in your own kitchen. In order to provide something in a bottle, there has to be some processing and some type of preservative has to be used, but that doesn't mean that you must accept parabens and other unnatural, unsafe but commonly used preservatives. The best skin creams contain natural vitamin E because it is an effective, natural preservative.

Moisturization

The best natural skin care cream contains a number of different moisturizers. Moisturizers are important because they increase elasticity and smoothness. They prevent damage and provide protection from reactive oxygen species or free radicals. Olive, jojoba, grape seed oils, vitamin D, kelp, and that sheep's wool extract that I mentioned (it's a patented form of keratin, produced under the name of Cynergy TK) are all very effective moisturizers.

Protection from Moisture Loss

To protect from moisture loss, you need jojoba and grape seed oil, because they form an invisible barrier that not only locks moisture in, but prevents dirt and grime from getting in the pores without any clogging. That's another reason that the best natural skin care cream contains them.

Antioxidants

The best skin creams also contain a number of different antioxidants which provide additional protection against free radical damage that can lead to wrinkles and even skin cancer. Coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, enzymes from honey, and grape seed oil are all effective antioxidants.

Sun Protection

Many different things provide protection from the sun. Of course, wearing clothes, hats and sunglasses are the first steps. But, when you will be outdoors and exposed for more than 15 minutes at a time, you should consider a zinc oxide sun block, particularly for your face.

But, you typically use the best skin creams on a daily basis, so you don't want a chemical sunscreen. They can cause vitamin D deficiencies and some researchers believe they increase the risk of melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer.

In order to give you as much protection as possible form the sun, the best natural skin care cream contains vitamin B5 and capuacu butter. These ingredients are especially important if they are intended for use on the face by men.

For women, it is usually sufficient to include B5 in body creams, but not facial creams. Since it enhances tanning, some women won't like the added "color". If you're interested in whitening your complexion, nutgrass root extract has been shown to be especially effective, not hydroquinone which is most commonly used.

So, that pretty much covers everything that the best natural skin care creams contain and what they can do. The rest is up to you. Eat right, drink plenty of purified water and get plenty of sleep. You'll look better and feel better, too.