Tips for great skin!

(1) Drink your water! A good rule of thumb is to take in half your body weight in ounces every day.

(2) Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption since both are dehydrating. Plus, the sugar found in your latte and wine will also wreck havoc on your complexion. I love a good cup of coffee (always have) but even now I find myself trying to limit my intake to one cup a day. It’s a process, I know!

(3) Wear SPF. It is never too early or late to begin the regular use of sun protection. I prefer formulas made with Zinc. They are safe for reactive skin types and the consistency of formulations continue to improve.

(4) Wash your face morning and evening. Going to bed in your makeup will create a cascade of issues for your skin. The skin has a Circadian rhythm. Therefore, products used at night are generally designed to enhance the repair and rebuilding functions of the skin and products made for daytime are designed to offset environmental impacts, hydrate, and protect the skin from free radical and UV damage. Yes, you need both.

(5) Wash your pillowcase and your bath towels regularly. It’s really gross if you don’t. If you have acne-prone pores, skip fabric softeners and dryer sheets as those products contain pore-clogging ingredients. If you have reactive skin, make sure your laundry products are free of dyes and artificial fragrance.

(6) Use a humidifier in the drier months. Prevent dehydration by putting moisture into the air. This will offset the dryness, irritation, and redness that are so common during the drier months.

(7) Invest in home care and regular treatments. Work with a professional who is sensitive to your budget and time constraints, and rest assured that your skin’s needs are being met. Home care is essential to the health and vitality of your skin. Having a regiment tailored to your needs and using that regiment daily will pay for itself. Trust me.

(8) Consider adding an Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) to your supplement regiment. EFA Deficiency is common and more common in women over 40. While it is not life or death, EFAs are essential for healthy and pliable cell membranes. The cell membranes are responsible for cell-to-cell communication and for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic wastes. Cell membranes are home to receptor sites, which is like a lock-and-key. Unhealthy cell membranes are a rusty lock and your skin care ingredients (like retinal) will not be able to turn the key.

(9) Consider adding Vitamin C into your topical and supplemental regiment. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, enhances immunity, and is necessary for the synthesis of protein in the body. Additionally, Vitamin C is skin brightening, protects the skin from UV assault, and is quickly depleted in the skin. Collagen is just one of many building blocks of the dermal matrix that benefit from Vitamin C and keep your skin healthy and firm.

(10) Get regular sleep. Sleep is when the body repairs and regenerates. Poor sleeping habits lead to elevated cortisol, among other things, which is a steroidal hormone that adversely affects the body and skin. It is called Beauty Sleep for a reason!

(11) Exercise regularly and do what you enjoy! Moving the body improves circulation, lymphatic drainage, and is excellent for reducing stress.

(12) Eat the rainbow and I’m not referring to a bag of Skittles. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables ensures that you are getting a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from your food.

(13) Consider a reputable probiotic. Gut health and skin health are directly connected. When the gut biome is off, the body and skin experience more inflammation, which can look like acne in some and general redness/irritation in others. A healthy gut biome will also ensure that all the nutrients you’re eating are properly absorbed and distributed to your cells, which brings us back to number one – Drink your water! The delivery of nutrients relies on water for distribution.