Back to Basics: Let's talk Skin!

There are two times a year where I really feel like I have a fresh start.  New Years and Fall - Back to School-time.  It's a great time to just take a minute and get back to basics.

This month, we'll talk about the Essential Basics of Skin Care, Physical Health, and Emotional Your Health.

Let's talk about Skin! - The condition of our skin, in particular, tells a lot about us: our age, our physical health, our emotional state...and is the first thing people generally notice about us.

Your skin is made up of multiple layers - of cells.  We really do live and die at the cellular level.  So maintaining your cellular health helps your whole physiology, including the skin.

The basics still hold true:  It's important to get enough SLEEP.  When we sleep, we regenerate our cells.  We need 7-8 hours of sleep for this regenerative process and renewal, so if you're skimping by on 5 hours and caffeine.... your body is begging your for more sleep.

HYDRATION is important for your cells to be able to transport nutrients and get where they need to be. Any fluid without caffeine or alcohol or tons of sugar will do, but your body prefers water!  Take your weight (in lbs) and divide it in half.  That tells you how many ounces you need to be drinking per day. 

DON'T SMOKE!!!!! - nicotine binds VITAMIN C! - a smoker needs about 150% more vitamin C than a non-smoker, and it's almost impossible to get that much in your foods.  Vitamin C is a precursor of collagen, which makes epithelial and endothelial CELLS soft and supple - builds new skin cells.  This is why smokers age so much faster.  Don't do it!!!

Eat a healthy DIET.  High sugars and heavily processed foods are just hard on the body, and can wreck the skin!

PROTECT the skin from pollutants and UVA/UVB rays.  - Have you ever seen an older lady who tanned a lot? - leaves leathery skin....enough said!

3 main things cause us to age:

OXIDATION- tissue breaks down as we go about living.  Some things cause this faster (smoking, stress, sun damage)
GLYCATION-  when sugars basically get stuck in the skin (poor diets cause more of this-makes the skin tough)
HORMONAL and ENZYMATIC changes (imbalances here cause problems and increase the aging process)


In addition to a Healthy lifestyle, follow these BASIC skin care steps:

CLEANSE- to remove impurities and prepare the skin for treatment
Exfoliate - I love a gentle exfoliating cleanser - saves me time!
Freshen if desired - I love using a redox-signaling molecule freshner! Also nice is witch hazel, or  some chamomille tea in a little spritzer bottle!
TREAT- with a product geared to your skin's special need
MOISTURIZE- to keep the skin supple and well-hydrated - I use a moisturizer with a natural SPF
Protect - from sun and pollution.

It is important to choose a line that is non-comedigenic, with qualtiy ingredients, and that's appropriate for your skin type. I prefer a line that is natural, organic, doesn't do animal-testing - and is safe for you without harmful chemicals or hormone disrupters!  That being said, I do enjoy a home-made facial with simple ingredients in the cupboard from time-to-time!   Learn More about Safer Solutions for a Beautiful You!



Beautiful Skin - Beautiful YOU!

Warmly,