My Minimalist Skincare Routine + Guide to Achieving HEALTHY SKIN
simple & SUSTAINABLE skincare + my green-goddess beauty foundation smoothie
GOOD SKIN DOES NOT ORIGINATE IN A BOTTLE, RATHER IT ORIGINATES DEEP WITHIn
Skin-care is obviously a really important part in taking quality care of yourself and boosting your confidence. There’s many factors that go into having good looking + glowing skin and many of these factors can be controlled by you.
Here are four basic steps to achieving a youthful glow without skincare products:
Eat for your skin- Eating a colorful balanced diet is the most reliable route to achieving a healthy complexion. Your skin needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to function optimally, which includes plenty of antioxidants, vitamins + minerals, polyphenols, fiber, plant-based collagen-builders, and healthy fats.
Hydration is key- Dehydration means parched skin! Drink plenty of water throughout the day to replenish & hydrate your skin cells. If water is boring to you, spice it up by adding fresh lemon or mint to it.
Supplement- Vitamin C (potent antioxidant for collagen production), Vitamin D, or a whole-food multi-vitamin, will provide your skin with a variety of vitamins & minerals and help fill any nutrient gaps you may be missing.
Embrace humidity- Get in a humid environment every once in a while, such as a steam room or botanical garden if you live somewhere cold. The warm steam will help nourish dry or dull skin and open up pores (just be sure to wash your face after).
HOW YOUR MICROBIOME AFFECTS THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF OUR SKIN
The mini ecosystem in your gut is as diverse as the Amazon rain forest and thousands of species with thousands of functions are incredibly dependent on the life and vibrancy of your microbiome. Your gut bacteria digests certain foods, produces certain vitamins & hormones, responds to medicine & infection, and even controls your blood sugar & cholesterol levels. Your gut bacteria is involved in just about every process in your body, and they function almost as a second brain. Your gut is also the root to where all disease forms and should be nourished throughout your entire life in order to ensure longevity, happiness, and radiant skin!
How to keep your gut + skin thriving
Topically applied skin care products such as creams and lotions often fail to reach the deeper layers of the skin in order to influence the skins aging processes. The aim to reach the dermis (the most important skin layer for restoring collagen synthesis) can be achieved through implementing collagen-builder rich foods and supplements. Collagen-building supplements and whole-foods increase skin hydration, elasticity, and overall collagen density.
Plant-based collagen builders can provide something animal-based collagen peptides do not, which is antioxidants, fruit extracts, phytoceramides, and electrolytes that nourish the skin and slow the aging process. Since hydration is essential for a youthful appearance and healthy skin, animal collagen peptide proteins often lack nutrients that boost hydration.
Stripping it back to the basics
You're probably wondering by now, what products do I actually use? Here’s my minimalist, non-toxic skincare routine + the ONLY five products I'll ever use:
Osea Malibu facial cleanser or Dr. Bronner’s facial cleanser
Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner
Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream
Mario Badescu Rose spray
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay (the only face mask I use)
I used to get breakouts all the time because I was obsessed with skincare products and I wanted to try them all (which I did), constantly switching up my routine and the products I used. However, it didn't take me long before I realized how important it is to establish a routine with minimal, all-natural products, and stick with it, so my skin could adapt and thrive.
Our skin freaks out to a constant change of new products due to the diversity of our skins microbiome, yet the skincare market thrives off creating new products for people to waste their money on, and disrupt their skins microbiome. As fun as it may be to try everything out, your skin is dying for a set routine and good quality all-natural products.
Give your skin the break it deserves, and let’s strip it back to the basics of what good skincare REALLY looks like.
Common skincare Myths + solutions
Diet + lifestyle plays a large role with both triggering + alleviating common skin conditions
It’s been known that inflammatory skin conditions such as; eczema, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea, are all made worse by stress. There’s increasing awareness about the mind-skin connection (similar to the gut-brain connection) and how stress can drive flare-ups of skin disease.
Removing stress altogether in modern-day life is near impossible, but it is important to think about ways to reduce stress as much as possible. You could start by trying these remedies out:
Ensuring a deep + restorative night’s sleep
Exercising daily
Doing more yoga
Calming your mind and meditating for 20min/day
ACNE IS CAUSED BY POOR HYGIENE: FALSE
Acne affects many of us at some point or another. Many people still believe that acne is caused by poor hygiene and not washing frequently enough. This is absolutely not the case. If anything, those who suffer, often end up over-washing or exfoliating the skin to remove excess oil. Acne is typically caused by a combination of hormonal and genetic influences, stress, and poor diet in most cases.
Acne is a common skin concern linked to poor diet: True (in most cases)
Diets high in refined sugar and nutrient-poor carbohydrates often increase/trigger acne. It’s a good idea to limit processed carbs and refined sugar (not necessarily cut them out altogether, just limit them to special occasions) in order to reduce and clear up acne.
Does dairy cause acne?
The link between acne and dairy is much weaker than the link with sugar. With that being said, the Lactose (sugar present in dairy) often is what’s actually triggering acne flare ups, not the dairy itself. If you suspect your acne flare ups are triggered from dairy alone, and are not fully plant-based, you could easily opt for whole milk (containing less lactose) which may lessen the acne flare up, or try switching to a plant-based milk alternative. Nutrients such as; vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and nicotinamide (vitamin B3) may also help with reducing acne. Rosacea is another very common skin condition and those who suffer with rosacea could benefit from supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids also.
SKIN FOODS TO INCORPORATE DAILY
SPOILER: NO SKINCARE PRODUCTS ARE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A YOUTHFUL GLOW, JUST A SIMPLE + REAL WHOLE-FOODS PLANT-BASED DIET!
Antioxidants: Think berries + all other fruits & veggies. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis. Vitamin E reduces free radical damage in skin cells. Beta-carotene is used in the body as a source of vitamin A and needed for skin maintenance and repair. Lycopene can potentially help against sunburn and premature skin aging.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Think avocados, nuts + seeds, and vegan omega-3 algae supplement. These are anti-inflammatory and consumption of eicosapentoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) will help even out skin tone & produce a youthful glow appearance.
Polyphenol and flavonoids: Think matcha, cacao, spinach, and beans + legumes.
Minerals: Think dark green leafy veggies + whole-sprouted grains. Zinc is an important co-factor for many body processes including skin healing. Copper is an important co-factor for elastin, a major protein that gives the skin its structure. Selenium plays an important role in reducing sun damage and boosting healthy skin appearance.
Green-goddess beauty foundation smoothie
(What’s missing from your beauty routine)
Ingredients:
1 ripe frozen banana
2 ice cubes
Heaping bunch of kale + spinach
1 scoop Plant Fusion’s vanilla (Inspire For Woman powder)
Coconut milk
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp flax meal
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 heaping tsp spirulina powder
Blend + top with bee pollen & sip whilst getting ready for the day!
BENEFITS OF INSPIRE FOR WOMAN POWDER + MY FAV INGREDIENTS:
Supports female hormone balances (Ashwagandha + pomegranate extract)
Boosts energy + metabolism (MCT’s, pomegranate extract, and amino acids for energy + enzymes for good digestion/no bloating)
Builds + repairs muscles (18g of pure plant protein + 4,000mg of naturally occurring BCAAs, while also decreasing inflammation)
