Now that you actually understand your skin, let’s get to the how-to and discuss the essentials of holistic skincare.
Number one thing to remember for optimal skin health, take good overall care of your body. Your skin reflects its external treatment as well as the health of other organs in the body. Even the most thorough superficial skincare routine won’t be enough if the skin is actually reflecting an internal problem. Here it is, everything you need for beautiful, healthy skin from the inside-out…
Drink water
- Drink adequate amounts of water, (2 quarts/day as an average, but it varies depending on season, climate, diet, lifestyle, and individual constitution.)
- You’ll need more water if you exercise daily, eat a rich, fatty diet (as opposed to a diet heavy in fruit & vegetables), live in a hot, dry climate (as opposed to a cool, damp climate), during Summer seasons (as opposed to Winter), or deal with constipation (as opposed to normal bowel function). Find the ideal water intake for your body.
Don’t Smoke
- This may seem like an obvious one, but if you want to optimize skin health, you can’t smoke. Period. Tobacco in cigarettes and cigars increase the amount of free radicals, which damage skin cells in the dermis and inner organs. Smoking also dries your skin and exposes it to toxic chemicals that damage, irritate, and inflame it.
Minimize Sun/UV Light Exposure
- Ultraviolet Light dries the skin, causes cellular damage via free-radicals, and ultimately may compromise skin’s elasticity and tone. Wear a healthy, non-toxic sunblock everyday. Avoid all chemically-based sunscreens. Read how to properly choose sunscreen and protect your skin from UV damage, here.
Superficial Skincare
- Dry-brush your body before showering. Read how to properly dry-brush, here.
- Always remove makeup and thoroughly cleanse your skin before bed. Oils like olive and coconut are great for removing makeup. Cleanse with a natural, non-toxic facial cleanser and gently pat dry (never rub). To read more on holistic cleansing, click here.
- Exfoliate regularly, at least 2-3 times per week.
- Hydrate cleansed skin with nutrient-rich sprays, oils, serums, and moisturizers. It’s best to apply antioxidant-rich oils/creams that assist in repairing that day’s cellular damage. Look for skin care products with vitamin A, E, & C. Continue to hydrate skin as needed throughout the day.
- Use masks to address your skins particular needs. Clay masks absorb oils and cleans impurities from the pores. Aloe Vera gel cools, hydrates, and reduces inflammation. Manuka honey moisturizes and has great antiseptic properties.
- Steams also are great detoxifiers to cleanse the skin of impurities. Steam in a sauna or carefully over a pot on the stove. But take note if the heat irritates or inflames your skin. Those with rosacea-prone skin can aggravate it by steaming.
- Another great way to hydrate the skin in drier climates is with a humidifier/diffuser. Leaving one on while you sleep puts additional moisture into the air. (Potted plants like Aloe Vera also puts moisture into the air.)
Diet
A skin-beautifying diet includes the following:
- high-nutrient, high-water foods like fruits and vegetables. Eat fresh fruit preferably in the morning and vegetables at lunch and dinner.
- Essential fatty acids in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. Fish also contains oils that are great for the skin.
- protein
- high-fiber foods such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables to detoxify the colon regularly and prevent accumulation of toxins. Fiber supplements such as psyllium husks also help with colon detoxification.
- Antioxidant-rich foods to counteract free-radical damage, this includes goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, raw cacao, etc. Start your day with this antioxidant-rich oatmeal…
- Vitamin A & C, E and beta-carotene
- B-Vitamins
- Zinc to aid in cell repair, enzyme production and keeping immune function strong
- Silica-rich foods strengthens skin, hair and nails. Try this silica-rich fresh juice.
