We recently posted a reminder list for the healthy weight topic. It occurred to us that a similar list about skin could be useful.
Just like for health in general, there is no “one size fits all” formula. We are each unique. We need to experiment, gain knowledge and pay attention to intuition. Still, this is our list of what we find to be the most useful basics.
Clean Inside and Outside
If the body is full of toxins it will show on our skin.
We do not over cleanse as our skin needs down time. Unless Caryn has worked up a sweat she washes and hydrates her face late each day. Maybe a splash and a spritz in the morning.
Exfoliate
Healthy skin needs to breathe. Dead skin blocks the skin from breathing, inhibiting skin renewal.
Massage
Our face has many muscles. See this previous post on face massage and this one that mentions using a jade roller to relax the muscles and stimulate blood flow and also massage products into the layers.
Hydration and Nourishment
Our skin is alive, it does not want a toxic invasionSome of us need oils to hydrate and nourish, others have skin that likes cream based moisturizers. If you use oils, choose organic. We like oils, currently including coconut, rose hip and carrot and are starting to try a few butters. For products, brands we like include MyChelle, Aloecream.biz and Beauty Counter products. Whatever product you choose products select those without harmful toxins by evaluating them on the the ewg.org website. A water spritz with essential oils added is helpful, whether homemade or purchased. Aloe Vera gel, organic of course, also helps hydration from the outside.
We know when we are dehydrated internally, partly because our skin makes it apparent. Clean water is key. When water alone does not seem to be enough we choose to add lemon or Himalayan salt.
Collagen: We need it and as we age we do not produce as much of it. We like the collagen powder from Vital Proteins. We are also trying Bio-Active Copper from Global Healing.
Sun, Wind, Cold
We are well aware of the importance of actual sun for overall health, but we do not choose to have much of it on our face. And we do not choose wind and cold on our face. We wear a gator for outdoor winter sports, a large brimmed hat for summer sports. Sunscreen is not us, but if we do use it, including anywhere other than our face, we look for a non toxic option.