5 Easy Steps for Vibrant & Glowing Beautiful Skin

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. And these days it’s the one average woman is exposed to over 200 chemicals, just from what they’re putting on their skin. Having qualified as a Professional Makeup Artist, I learnt a lot about the skin, and how it works. Over the years I have become more aware of what I put on my skin, and have opted for a more natural skin care regime. I want to share with you my top 5 tips to nourish your skin, leaving it feeling soft and looking amazing. 

Step 1 – Hydration

The first and most important step is hydration, water water water!!!! It’s a known fact that the majority of us don’t drink enough clean water. Chronic dehydration ages your skin very quickly can cause wrinkles and lines to appear. The natural way for our bodies to dilute and eliminate toxins is through perspiration. When we’re chronically dehydrated, our sweat becomes more concentrated, impairing the flushing out of toxins and leading to skin disorders. For a more radiant looking skin, ensure you are drinking enough clean water. Here’s a handy hydration calculator that you can use to see just how much you should be drinking. Pure unsweetened coconut water is loaded with electrolytes, which is a good option for rapid hydration. It’s also delicious, and great in smoothies 🙂

Step 2 – Healthy Gut

For a lot of people, their approach to beauty has been ‘from the outside in’, but when we take care of our bodies from the inside, and be more aware of what we’re feeding our cells, natural vibrant beauty can easily be achieved. I’ve read so many articles lately of people who have healed many illnesses and issues, by starting with their gut. It makes sense to me, that if you’re having a problem with your skin, which is made up of millions of cells, how do they live, grow and replicate? By using the food we put in our mouths as fuel, hence taking a closer look at what’s going on with your micro flora in your gut, can sometimes be pivotal in healing many issues. There are many foods we can eat which are loaded with probiotics (friendly gut bacteria) and these include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh, miso, etc. Alternatively you can opt for a really good quality daily probiotic supplement to increase the friendly bacteria in your belly, to help you along your quest for vibrant and glowing skin.

Step 3 –  Go Natural

As I said before, woman these days are exposed to a multitude of chemicals each day. From cleanser, to toner, to moisturizer, to primer, to concealer, to foundation, to powder, to eye shadow, to eyeliner, to lipstick, to blush! Phew! and that’s just in your makeup, let alone your deodorant, creams, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, and the list actually can go on forever. That’s why I urge you to opt for natural where possible. These days I’m all about simplifying my life. And that includes my personal products I use. I’ve made a conscious effort to replace all of my products with natural, non-tox, non-chemical-laden products. This is where you can also be a bit creative and find alternatives, right in your very own kitchen. There are so many amazing things you can create with a few bits and bobs from your fridge and kitchen shelves. For instance, I always seem to have an abundance of almond nut pulp from making homemade almond milk. I decided to make a facial scrub with it, by adding a little good quality coconut oil, and viola! It leaves my skin feeling soft, supple and amazing! A soothing facial scrub made from just two ingredients! Love it 🙂

Step 4 – Oil Cleanser

So we’ve covered hydration, a healthy gut and the use of natural products, the next step is to cleanse. Growing up I had quite oily skin, and then when I changed my lifestyle, my skin became less oily and more on combination, but lately it has been so great! And I owe it to the use of an oil cleanser. I simply use a organic cold pressed almond oil as a cleanser, and let me tell you what a difference it has made. I could kick myself for not taking before and after pics. Seriously! All I do is rinse my face with warm water, and place about a teaspoon of oil in my hands, warm it up and rub it on my face, as you would a cleanser. It works SO well to remove makeup! Once I’ve massaged it into my skin, I gently remove by rinsing with warm water and a warm face cloth. My skin feels absolutely amazing, soft and glowing! The basic idea of oil cleansing is to use natural oils to cleanse the skin and naturally balance the skin’s natural oils. The oil used to massage your skin will dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities and found itself stuck in your pores. The steam from the warm water will open your pores, allowing the oil to be easily removed. Pretty much all skin types can benefit from oil cleansing. It’s a scientific fact that oil dissolves oil! It may take some time for your skin to adjust, and to find the right combination of oils for your skin. Good options are almond oil, rose hip oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, hazelnut oil and of course – coconut oil 🙂 

Step 5 – Diet

I know we briefly touched on diet with caring for your micro flora, but diet plays such a massive role in beautiful skin. When your body feels amazing on the inside, it’s bound to shine vibrantly on the outside. Ensure that you are consuming lots of nutritious fruit and vegetables. Not only will this help with your gut, all the vitamins and minerals are going to help build beautiful skin cells. Make sure your eating lots of antioxidant rich foods, and this includes your foods that are vibrant in color, reds, blues, purples. All of these coloured foods are loaded with beneficial antioxidants and flavonoids . Berry smoothies, green tea, garlic, turmeric, tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, sweet potatoes. These are just some of the foods that can help you achieve beautiful radiant skin. Think of it as your internal skin care regime. Also be aware of the effects that certain foods have on you. If you feel you have trouble with gluten, steer clear of it for a while and notice the difference. Try be more connected with your body, and more aware of how it’s affected. 

 Hope you enjoyed this post. If there’s any topics you’d like me to cover, let me know by commenting below 🙂