Do you remember, when you were little, how wonderful it felt when your mom lifted you out of the bathtub and snuggled you up in a warm, fluffy towel? I can still remember how protected I felt. Then there was my happy anticipation of knowing that after she dried me off, I was going to be slathered with one of the many body lotion and creams, that she kept in her enticing, but "off limits" bathroom vanity. I didn't know it at the time, but my mom was teaching me how to pamper myself and take care of my skin.

But now I've grown up and I've learned something that my mother didn't know. Pampering our skin has taken on a new importance. With constant exposure to sun, wind and environmental pollutants, it is essential that the body lotion and creams we use contain ingredients that protect us from the damage that this exposure causes.

Finding body creams that contain protective and reparative ingredients can be a bit of a challenge. With so many products on the market that promise to be the next big thing in skin care, its hard to know where to begin.

Does the product with the $300 price tag mean that it’s good? Should you buy skin care creams that contain collagen? How about the line of body lotions and creams endorsed by your favorite celebrity? Surely, if she uses it its got to be good...right?

Every product has an angle for getting your attention, as well as, your money. But you can tune out all these distractions and make your selection a "no-brainer" by just reading the labels. There are ingredients you want and ingredients you don't want. It’s as simple as that.

As a rule, you don't want products that contain synthetic chemical ingredients. Mineral oil (including petrolatum, liquid parafin, parafin wax, etc.), parabens, dioxane, alcohol (ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and SD alcohol) and fragrances make up a large percentage of most body creams on the market.

I know...I know! You're saying that you've used body lotion and creams that contain these substances and you're skin feels soft and smells good. That softness is coming at a price to your skin. These synthetic ingredients prevent you're skin from breathing and naturally eliminating toxins because they block your pores. And even though you smell good, the chemicals that went into creating that fragrance can reach your bloodstream and expose you to danger.

So, as a second rule, you want products that contain ingredients that are designed to nourish and stimulate your skin cell's own reparative abilities. That's right! Nature designed your skin to be capable of fixing itself. It just didn't count on having to fight the effects of living in modern society. So nature needs a little help...from natural ingredients. Makes sense, right?

For a true, healthy softness of your skin, look for products that contain natural plant and vegetable-based oils, like avocado and macadamia. Vitamin E, natural enzymes (coenzymeQ10), keratin, and kelp extract are substances that work at the cellular level to fight damaging free radicals and promote your skin's own collagen production.

So the next time you step out of the bath and wrap yourself up in a warm, fluffy towel, think of your mom and how she was the first person who pampered and protected you. Then pamper and protect yourself by using the best body lotion and creams to promote the long-term health of your skin.