Like our bodies, our skin has an immune system too and I think the key to skin’s beauty is the power of a healthy immunity so that our skin feels smoother and more supple, is glowing, radiant and resilient, leaving it strong and beautiful on the inside and out for now and forever. In my early twenties I took really great care of my skin, and then somewhere in between I kind of got lazy. It’s been more recently that I’ve vowed to get healthier mind, body, and spirit, and have become more diligent in taking care of my self from the inside out. The twenty tips below are from my own skincare beauty regimen, as well as my favorite tips and advice from around the web, that I incorporate, but not as often as I probably should, so they’ll be a reminder for me too.
1. I like to double cleanse my skin at night before bed. First, I remove makeup, dirt, and bacteria with a gentle soap cleanser, then I exfoliate to purify my skin, sloughing off dead skin cells so that new ones can bloom. For a deep exfoliation, simply cleanse in circular motions longer, not harder, when using abrasive exfoliant scrubs or cloths.
Over-washing, however, removes natural oils which can actually cause your face to also over-produce oil. To combat this, I only rinse my face in the morning with cold water so that it retains the precious oils but removes any bacteria or build up from sleeping at night.
2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize and massage it in! Rather than gently patting on your creams and night serums, message them into your skin in a circular motion to kickstart your circulation into high gear.
I always finish with a moisturizer, and for the last few weeks I’ve been using Ultimune, by Shiseido {shown here} and it’s pretty amazing, leaving my skin SO SOFT without any greasy residue, I love it. Last year I learned from beauty expert to always apply your face creams in an upward motion, and you neck too!
Before bed I like to massage my forehead and the space between my eyes & eyebrows with my knuckles deeply to relax those muscles after using them all day. I do this mostly out of vanity, hopefully preventing them from setting for good but massaging this area is also supposed to activate the pituitary gland, which helps you sleep better, among other great advantages.
3. Sleep, sleep, sleep. There are tons of reasons to sleep more, and depriving your body, mind, and soul from sleep also wrecks havoc on your skin. So sleep in if you have the chance, but lay on your back as often as you can to avoid wrinkles from sleeping on and thus smashing your face throughout the night. Changing your pillowcase often will keep breakouts at bay as well.
4. I know they’re usually a little bit more expensive, but I tend to use my eye creams {especially the ones I don’t particularly like for my eyes} on my hands and neck, and sometimes between my eyes, around my nose and around lips as well. They have a higher concentration of active anti-aging ingredients to pump up those areas that work a little bit harder.
5. All of my daily moisturizers and makeup have sunscreen, but sometimes that’s just not enough. Apparently you can get some natural sunscreen from the inside out by eating pomegranate or swallowing a pomegranate-extract supplement {up to 60 mg} which enhances the skin’s sun-protective properties by 25%. But by all means, do NOT skip your SPF!
6. Speaking of the inside out, I come from a mother who is obsessed with vitamins and administered them to me when I was young specifically for my skin during puberty… and they worked then just like they work now! Vitamin A {beta carotene}, E, C, Evening Primrose and Zinc are my favorites for supple skin and anti-aging properties, though I usually take only one a day of each versus the much larger dosage the bottle often suggests.
7. Drink water and eat it too! When you eat hydrating fruits and vegetables, the water penetrates and plumps up cells better than just drinking water. Greens like spinach and arugula are packed with naturally occurring antioxidants, avocados contain healthy fats and vitamins C and E to keep skin plump, bright, and hydrated, and lemons support your liver and kidneys, and studies show there’s a clear connection between healthy organs and healthy skin. Vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges may help prevent wrinkles, too.
8. Stock up on superfoods like carrots and tomatoes which are stocked with phytonutrients and antioxidants, both of which protect against damaging free radicals. The beta carotene and lycopene found in these superfoods also protect your skin from sun damage and repair skin cells to boot.
I like to supplement my beta carotene because I often don’t get enough in foods, but stocking up on foods fortified with silicone-rich properties {romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, bell peppers, and tomatoes} fights wrinkles and keeps hair and nails healthy too!
9. Avoid sugar! Apparently sweets and processed foods that spike insulin, trigger a surge of other hormones as well that cause blemishes and lack luster skin appearance. Proteins in your skin react with excessive sugar, causing your skin to age faster too. Low-glycemic diets, on the other hand, full of veggies, whole grains, and healthy snacks like almonds, fish, and fruit, full of good fats like omega-3s, help your body regulate insulin, clear your skin, and keep your skin cells plump and healthy, reversing sun damage to boot.
10. Have a Cup of Tea {without adding sugar or honey}. For a glowing complexion, look for teas with complex antioxidants, such as green tea, vitamin C, and CoQ10, which add a blast of hydration to your skin cells and have also proven to be extremely important in assisting with anti-aging.
11. My favorite skin therapy is CHOCOLATE! Obviously in moderation, and only the dark stuff is full of antioxidants that help protect your skin, so skip the milky light chocolates, and just eat one or two. It also leaves you satisfied in more ways than one!
12. A little wine does a lot! Like dark chocolate, red wine {another fave!} is also packed with with antioxidants that will help keep your skin healthy and protect against free radicals. So have ONE glass with ONE little piece of dark chocolate… because indulging on more than one glass may cause increased oil production, enlarged pores, and dehydrate your skin actually causing wrinkles.
13. Embrace humidity and moisture in the air with a humidifier, or by simply keeping a boiling pot of water on your stovetop {on low, and when you’re home, of course!} More moisture in the air helps skin look dewy and keep it hydrated on the outside, especially if you live in higher altitudes, or dry weather conditions.
14. There are tons of DIY skincare options, but this one is my favorite. Pour apple juice in your ice trays and let them freeze, then pass the frozen juice cubes over your skin and let the malic acid, which is an anti-aging alpha-hydroxy acid, give you a mini facelift! Splash a little cold water over your face when finished to prevent stickiness and pat dry. This is best in the summer when it’s super hot and ice to the face is a relief rather than a shock.
15. Exercise. If you can’t commit to working out for a hot bod OR health purposes, do it for your skin! A good workout helps deliver oxygen and nutrients from your body to your skin. It also gives you a healthy glow by increasing blood flow to the surface of your skin, and when you sweat, you’re clearing your body of toxins and removing dead skin cells so new ones can grow. Without regular exercise, age spots will appear faster, blech, but don’t forget sunscreen if working out outside because the sun will make those age spots appear just as quickly.
16. Wash it off! Sometimes the best option for better skin is taking a warm shower which opens your pours, and may be the best time for face washing rituals. Also, if you tend to be one of the lucky ones who can go days without washing your hair, it also may be the reason your face is breaking out due to the oils from your scalp, product buildup, AND a dirty pillowcase {see above}. Also, keep your showers quick and warm, not steamy and hot. Long, hot showers can strip away the outermost layer of your skin, which takes days to replenish, leading to dry, scaly, and itchy skin that even the best moisturizer cannot replace.
17. Wash your makeup brushes at least once a month. I like to use my gentle face wash to wash my brushes because I already know how my skin reacts to it. This is more about keeping skin clear and radiant without a breakout, but it’s one I often forget and is so necessary.
18. Shake it off! Stress is a huge factor in all types of dis-ease, as well as lack-luster skin, blemishes and breakouts, and aging. So try to shake it off, and if you can’t, literally put on the song Shake it off, and get up and dance. It will not only give you a quick 5 minute workout, burst of energy, rosy cheeks and dewy skin, you’ll forget what you’ve been so worried about and relax a little.
19. Take it to the mattresses… LITERALLY! Having sex releases endorphins that give you that special glow. Be safe if you’re not in a committed relationship, obviously, or use it as motivation if you are 😉
20. Smile more! Not only does smiling {even a fake smile} trick your brain into sending happy hormones into your system which is proven to actually make you happier, a great big smile disguises all your blemishes and acts like an invisibility cape on your wrinkles. Guess what? Smiling makes other people smile too, and that’s just paying it forward!
Find Beauty in Everything. Live a Life Unfiltered!
* This post is brought to you by Shiseido for a fun Pinterest collaboration called Life Unfiltered surrounding their new Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate. All opinions are my own.
