Easily, one of the most common questions I receive from clients – new and long standing alike – “What do you use on your skin?”
I’ve been referred to as granola by some, a GLAMnola by a few, and I suppose my skincare regimen lands somewhere in between (hehe). My skincare favorites have evolved over time but there is one thing I believe in and that works for me: natural skincare + professional product boosts offer great results.
My daily go to’s include a natural cleanser, toner, moisturizer and SPF. My weekly professional product boosts include a glycolic face wash and a serum.
What I have found on my skincare journey is that less is more and we are very capable of doing more harm than good to our precious skin. Whether we are dealing with acne, fine lines and wrinkles or hyper pigmentation, we lather on products in hope it will zap our problem child.
My best skin has surfaced with a good cleanser, toner and moisturizer – leaving my skin moisturized, never dried out, and therefore never stripped of its natural oils; the use of an acid+exfoliant three times a week to slough off dead skin cells and reveal newer skin; the use of an SPF everyday.
Another aspect of my skin I take into consideration is what I am putting IN my body. Afterall, our skin is an organ and just as upset stomachs and allergic reactions alert us when something has gone awry – so can our skin. Taking a look from the inside out is something I encourage all my clients to do.
Most recently: I am currently going through TMJ therapy and throughout the process I have come to learn that we all have inflammation in our body, the side effects inflammation causes and the power it can have over our health. As a TMJ patient, I have significant inflammation in my face, jaw, throat, ears and nasal passages. Oddly enough, six months prior to beginning my therapy I had began experiencing unexplained flushing in my cheeks – at this point my TMJ had escalated to its worst.
I suspected the flushing in my cheeks was due to the inflammation in my body but it wasn’t until I jumped on an anti-inflammatory eating regimen that I began to see and feel results – in ways I was not expecting. The flushing in my cheeks has gone down, I only experience drainage in my throat when I food cheat (oops) and the bloating I once experienced after nearly every meal is nonexistent.
While there is no one-size-fits-all skincare, I believe that quality and results oriented products paired with treating our body from the inside out will get us further on our pursuit for our best skin.
Final thoughts: find what works for you, stick to a regimen and treat yourself to a facial here and there. Drink plenty of water, increase your dark leafy greens + fruit and veggie intake, and if you want to be bad in the best way possible – become a fan of dark chocolate and red wine (they’re good for skin and anti-inflammatory!!)
