Our skin is obviously one of the first things people see when they meet us, but it’s often overlooked when it comes to the self-care department. We often take it for granted—even though it’s actually our largest organ! Here are some tips to clear skin naturally.
Truth be told, the same factors that take a toll on our waistline and wellness exams affect the quality and texture of our skin: stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, excessive smoking and drinking too much alcohol. Add pollution and damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays to top it all off. So it’s time to take a closer look at what healthy, natural steps you can take to banish blemishes and uneven, dry, flaky or overly oily skin.
First, I think it’s super important to learn about your own skin and to know your skin type! I know that sounds a little 1950s, but you need to know what you’re dealing with before you can make improvements. Here’s an online quiz to help. And know that it’s totally okay to do some experimenting with your skincare. What works for me may not work for you, so do your research and test out different natural products and methods.
To help you get started, here are my top 5 easy peasy ways to clear up your skin naturally, so you can be a blemish-free beauty!
1) Supercharge Your Diet
Number one with a Bullet blender of green smoothie! For most of our issues regarding weight and skin, it’s an inside job! Take care of your body on the inside, your body will take care of you on the outside. So you want to fuel your body with the most nutrient dense, energy boosting food you can.
The main dietary culprits of skin sabotage are dairy and sugar—mostly the refined sugars found in pretty much all processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar and any sugar that comes in one of 100 sneaky aliases. My advice? Try cutting dairy and sugar out of your diet for just two weeks and see if your breakouts disappear.
Other major foods that can cause not only acne but a number of other health issues are gluten and nightshades—tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, goji berries. And yes, nightshades are considered healthy foods, but that doesn’t mean they agree with everyone’s stomach or skin. If you’re not sure if you are sensitive, this is a great time to breakout The Plante Life Fab Food Journal to learn if and how these foods are affecting you!
Brass tacks here—cut the crap from your diet (i.e processed foods like pretzels, pastas, breads, crackers, cereals and sodas), and eat more greens, green smoothies and green juices. These super nutrient-dense beverages are an easy way to get a ton of my favorite free-radical fighting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and beauty boosting enzymes packed into your diet.
2) Balance Your Hormones
We all remember going through puberty, right? Well, you may have outgrown those neon leg warmers, but that doesn’t mean you always outgrow acne. Yep, those raging hormones can definitely still be a major cause of skin disruptions as an adult—for men and women.
Adult acne is a big ass bummer, but I’ve got your back!
When you see a breakout along your jawline, that’s hormone related acne. First step, RELAX. Increase your self-care routines and de-stress! Stress is a major cause of hormone disruption. When we are under a lot of stress, our bodies think we are in survival mode and will consistently release stress hormones like cortisol, which will also affect your sleep. And let’s face it, lack of sleep is not so good for your skin either!
If you do think you have a hormone imbalance, I suggest working with a naturopathic doctor, an endocrinologist or other integrative doctor to get you back on track.
3) Wash The Day Off
Okay, funny story here. When I was a rowdy teenager, I once drank a little too much at a friend’s birthday party and ended up kissing the porcelain god. When I woke up later in the night–even though I was terribly sick earlier—I had still managed to thoroughly wash my face before I passed out. Now that’s dedication!
To this day, I never go to bed with makeup on my face. NEVER sleep with your makeup on. Or work out wearing makeup, for that matter. This creates a perfect environment for clogged pores and congested skin, which can lead to not only pimples, but cystic acne—those awful under-grounders. Yuck. So trust me, no one will notice if you skip the mascara to run on the treadmill.
4) Keep the Filth Off Your Face
Your cell phone, pillowcase, sunglasses, make-up brushes and sponges, sleep masks, even your own dirty hands should stay far away from your face (and never touch your eyes either!) Before you lament the loss of technology, try using a Bluetooth. Wipe down your cell phone and sunglasses with alcohol each week. Wash your pillowcases, sleep masks and makeup brushes regularly, and swap out your sponges.
It’s also good idea to pay attention to all of the tools you’re using – a regular wash rag is fine, but can contain a lot of bacteria after a few face scrubs, so change them out often. I love the MIA Clarisonic because you can replace the brushes every three months, or I use a bamboo towel, as they are resistant to bacteria and can easily be thrown in the wash as well.
(P.S. Don’t forget things like door handles, your keys, your computer keyboard—anything you touch regularly that could put germs and dirt on your hands.)
5) Scrub On, Scrub Off
Last but not least, gentle exfoliation is key! Getting rid of those dead skin cells that clog up the skin—allowing our skin to breath and uncovering fresh, new skin cells—is so important! This allows your natural products to penetrate more deeply into the skin, which ultimately makes them more effective.
A regular exfoliating routine will leave your skin looking fresh, healthy and glowing. Here’s a few ways to gently exfoliate your face…
Baking soda works as an excellent exfoliating agent to keep the skin free from dirt, impurities and dead skin cells. It balances the pH levels of the skin, which helps to maintain clear skin. It also has mild antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help deal with problems like acne.
Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one teaspoon of water or lemon juice to make a paste. Cleanse your face, and use the paste to gently exfoliate the skin in circular motions. Rinse your face with lukewarm water, then splash some cold water on your face to close the pores. Follow this remedy two or three times a week.
You can also give dermaplaning a try. If you haven’t heard of this, check it out HERE! You can do this treatment in an esthetician’s office or at home. Dermaplaning safely removes peach fuzz and dead skin cells with this non-invasive exfoliation tool for instantly smoother and brighter skin.
Or use a Homemade Sugar Scrub like this one.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar (white or brown sugar- preferably organic)
1/2 cup oil (olive oil and coconut oil are great)
Add in essential oils of your preference
Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight jar. Use ½ tablespoon to scrub skin with gentle circular motions for about a minute, then rinse well. This DIY treatment will leave your skin feeling like silk.
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Which of these steps is your favorite? What questions do you have about natural skincare? Let me know if the comments below!
LOVE + getting your glow!
Fascinating! I’ve never heard of dermaplaning. Intriguing. I’d love to hear your fav natural make-up and sunblock products at some point.
Well hopefully you’ve got your answers now love! These last few blogs should give you some good options to start with. Coming up soon, my fav suncare products!