If there is one complaint about my beauty ritual, it’s taking care of my skin. I admit, the milky porcelain skin, I wasn’t blessed with but I’m relieved to say that I shunned away from the sun and never had a sun burn, so that’s good, right? But still, my sixty-nine year old mother gets more compliments about her skin than I. When we go for a facial together, she gets all the “Wooo’s and Ahhhhh’s” and I get, “You should take better care of your skin”, in that chiding tone. Geeeez… Thanks. Tell me something I don’t know. That’s why I’m here – to take better care of my skin!
And what kills me is that my mom doesn’t use any fancy creams or gets regular spa treatments for her beautiful supple skin. She washes her face twice a day with soap (yikes!) and she uses the same face lotion she’s been using for the last thirty years (laden with toxic chemicals!). I guess that part of her gene slipped out of my cell somehow during mitosis. Thanks Ma – you gave me the upcycling gene but not the beautiful skin gene.
But I have to admit, she drinks water like fish and she eats only good foods. And as I get older, not only do I agree that her skin looks younger than mine but I am getting a little more aware of the fine lines that appear under my eyes and the “laugh lines” (a.k.a. crow’s feet – hate that term like my face has been stamped on by crow’s feet while I was sleeping – ugh!) on the sides of my eyes. So, when the aestheticians told me my skin was dry on my last visit, I was determined to take “better” care of my skin on a daily basis.
So here is a list of my new and improved skin care routine.
How to have a naturally perfect skin
- Exfoliate - I use a gentle exfoliating grains from Crunchy Betty and it gently lift off dead skin. I use it once a week and I can feel the difference immediately.
- Oil is not your enemy. Your skin naturally produces oil because it needs it. Not only does your natural oil help lubricate, it also heals, protects, and moisturizes your skin so that it may function properly. But sometimes oily skin can cause a lot of issues for some but remember, oil, alone, will not bring you blemishes. Pimples, cysts, zits, blackheads, whiteheads…these are a result of several different factors including hormones, bacteria, dead skin cells and the buildup of these factors. So balance your hormone, eliminate dead skin cells, and avoid infection by NOT touching your skin and eating antibacterial foods. In addition, use Oil Cleansing Method.
- Oil Cleansing Method - cleaning oily skin with oil may sound counterintuitive but remember Oil Dissolves Oil. While your skin naturally lubricates itself with oil, you can use oil to dissolve any impurities that are on your skin that's mixed in with your natural oil. I use Crunchy Betty's Exquisite Oil for aging skin that has avocado, argan, sesame and other oils, to cleanse my skin every night and my combination (oily in some ares and dry in others) skin has balanced out so I don't get too oily or too dry. My skin had adapted to produce just enough oil to protect itself. The oily areas are no longer oily and dry areas are now more moist. I know we are creatures of adaptation and our skin is no exception.
- Avoid toxic beauty products. Most commercial products, like the ones I used to use, strip the oil out of our skin, leaving our largest organ trying to repair itself by replacing the oil stripped away. This leaves us in a cycle of being tight and dry followed by the inevitable oil slick. Each time we strip the oil away, our skin over-compensates for the lack of moisture by creating more oil. (This was totally true in my case) On top of the drying effects, these products are highly scented. Fragrance is one of the top skin irritants and strangely enough, even the so-called “unscented” products usually contain fragrance. See for yourself and check the labels. Watch out for these chemicals in beauty products and avoid them.
- Protect your skin from sun damage. Vitamin D is like a wonder drug for your skin but exposing your skin to sun's strong UVA and UVB can be damaging to your skin. I've wrote extensively about protecting your skin from the harsh rays here and how just from driving, my exposed left cheek had more sun damage. Also, understand that while you need Vitamin D for healthy skin and need natural sun rays, you need to avoid being in the sun during the hottest hours so wear a protective gear, like a hat, visor, and try to stay in the shaded area to avoid getting burned. You will still absorb the rays, but not get burned.
- Hydrate with water! Drink no less than 8 glasses of water a day. If your skin has issues with blemishes, drink up! Water will help release and remove the toxins from within, lessening the load on your skin to push the toxins out. It will also hydrate your skin so the cells stay moist.
- SLEEP - at least 7-8 hours a day. This allows your skin to rest and repair any damage it encountered during the day. Rest also balances hormones and reduce stress hormones like cortisol, which is a factor in keeping your skin looking tired and old.
Now, off to drink my 5th glass of water of the day! Pass the lemon wedge please.
