You can have a healthier, more youthful looking skin but you have to put some work into it. Your diet and what you put on your skin has everything to do with your skin. Does that make sense?

Have you ever heard the term , “Rode hard and put up wet”! That happens when you are not taking care of yourself. Your body will eventually start to break down if you are not taking care of it. It’s like a car engine. If you don’t maintain it properly and treat is with care it will not last you long.

You must nurture your skin. Just like you try to eat healthy and avoid all those over-processed chemicals in our standard American diet. Why not do the same for your skin? If you are not already eating healthy here are some natural strategies to start your way to  more youthful-looking skin.

Natural Strategies for Healthier-Looking Skin…

1. Avoid eating grain carbohydrates, especially wheat – Bread, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, and corn can cause surges in insulin production. Instead, eat vegetable carbs because your body can typically digest them more easily.
2. Consider a gluten-free diet – Particularly if you suffer from gluten intolerance, a gluten-free diet can potentially help you avoid toxins being pushed through your skin due to the intolerance.
3. Eliminate/Reduce sugar in your diet – Like grains, sugar (particularly refined sugar) causes an insulin spike which can lead to less-than-desirable skin.
4. Establish the proper balance of gut bacteria – Eating fermented foods and/or taking a high-quality probiotic supplement can promote a healthy balance of gut flora and support your immune system.
5. Drink plenty of fresh pure water – Hydrating your body facilitates cell growth and regeneration, elimination of wastes, and helps remove dead skin cells. Hydration can enhance your skin tone as well.
6. Eliminate ALL sodas, juice, and energy drinks – These drinks are often loaded with sugar, artificial flavoring, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and artificial colors (dyes). As far as juices, eat the fruit in moderation instead.
7. Eat for your Nutritional Type (NT) – Knowing your NT will help you determine the ideal amount of carbohydrates you should be eating and help you fine-tune each meal to just what’s right for you.
8. Optimize your vitamin D levels – Vitamin D is crucial for establishing a healthy immune system and to help promote healthy-looking skin.
9. Get enough vitamin C. –A diet rich in vitamin C leads to fewer wrinkles. Researchers have found that skin exposed to vitamin C for long periods of time can produce up to eight times more collagen!
10. Reduce your stress – Research suggests that changes in skin often correlate with increased stress.
11. Exercise regularly – Getting plenty of high-intensity exercise helps your body flush out toxins, including those in the pores of your skin. The more you sweat, the more you flush unwanted contaminants out of your pores.
12. Get a good night’s rest – Your body’s time for rejuvenating is at night while you sleep. And this applies to your skin as well, as it can help promote a cleaner, clearer complexion.
13. Naturally cleanse and moisturize your skin – Avoid toxic skin care products with risky chemical ingredients. They can cause more skin problems than they solve.
14. Have a rainbow-colored plate of food – Free radicals form in our bodies and cause major damage to our cell structures. The different nutrient-rich foods we eat neutralize them. You need to consume the widest variety of antioxidants you can to fight off the different kinds of free radicals.
15. Eat healthy fats – Add foods such as avocados, olive oil, flax seeds, nuts and fish into your diet is important. The fatty acids are crucial for your skin to look youthful.
16. Lemon water Cleanse –  We build up of toxins daily from our surroundings. The air, water and food can cause damage to the body as well as aging. Freshly squeezed lemon water is a way that our body can start eliminating toxins. Drink a glass of warm water with squeezed lemon first thing in the mornings.
17. Use non-toxic cleaning products– It is very important that we limit exposure to toxic chemicals because the skin absorbs them.
18. Eat foods with antioxidants – Antioxidants are the best resources your body has to fight disease and aging by reducing damage and inflammation. Inflammation is a leading cause of wrinkle formation. Some of the best sources of antioxidants include:
    • Blueberries
    • Pomegranates
    • Acai berries
    • Goji berries
    • Spinach
    • Raspberries
    • Nuts
    • Seeds
    • Purple grapes
    • Dark chocolate (70% or higher of cocoa content)
    • Organic green tea

     

19. Opt for natural skin products – Many skincare products contain harsh chemicals. When choosing moisturizers or makeup, research the ingredients in them the best you can to confirm that they’re safe.
20. Grape see extract– Studies have shown that grape-seed oil is even more potent than vitamin E and vitamin C in the quest for anti-aging.

Here are some of my favorite natural skincare recipes to help you switch from conventional products to a more natural way.

Natural Make-Up Remover

I use olive oil or coconut oil to remove mascara (even waterproof) and it  will remove other make-up as well but fi you have oily skin you should use liquid castile soap . Just mix it with water , apply is gently to your face and it will remove makeup without adding oils to the skin or stripping the natural ones.

Lotions and Moisturizers

I use coconut oil. That is all that I need to moisturize face. It is naturally full of collagen supporting lauric acid and is easily absorbed by the skin. Even for oily and acne prone skin, coconut oil’s natural anti-bacterial properties make it a great option.

Natural Exfoliators

A sugar/oil scrub is great for most skin types when extra exfoliation is needed. Just mix equal parts oil (coconut, olive, etc.) and sugar (white or brown) and use as a whole body exfoliator. For more oily skin, plain baking soda can be used to exfoliate skin and remove blackheads or dirt.

Avocado-Honey Moisturizer

A moisturizer is an anti-aging must. By helping your skin retain moisture and acting as a temporary filler for wrinkles, it makes your complexion look smooth.  Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of fresh cream 1/4 avocado 1 tablespoon honey Directions: Place all three ingredients in a blender and puree into a smooth cream. Apply it to your skin and leave on for at least an hour. Rinse off with warm water.

Wrinkle-Fighting Salad

This energy-boosting fruit salad is packed with antioxidants, which protect the skin from sun damage and boost circulation to help deliver essential nutrients to skin. Eat it for breakfast to start your day on a beautiful note. Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup fresh strawberries 1 kiwi, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup organic orange juice 1 handful of chopped walnuts Directions: Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the orange juice over the mixture and sprinkle with the walnuts.

Acne Spot Treatment

When you have a blemish that needs to disappear—stat—try this nifty trick. The yeast fights bacteria, the lemon helps dry the blemish. Ingredients: Brewer’s Yeast A squeeze of lemon juice Water Directions: Make a paste using a little bit of brewer’s yeast, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of water. Apply right on your blemish and leave for 10 minutes, cover with a bandage.

Basil Toner

This recipe is great for those prone to acne. The basil acts as an antiseptic, helps clear acne-causing bacteria, and improves circulation to the skin. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons dried basil leaves 1 cup boiling water Directions: Crush up the dried basil leaves and mix them into a cup of boiling water. Once the mixture cools, strain out the leaves, put it in a spray bottle and spritz your skin. Use a cotton ball or pad to spread the toner gently around your face. Do this daily before cleansing.

Almond-Sugar Facial Scrub

Regularly exfoliating your face helps get rid of dead skin cells (which dull your complexion) so your skin looks smoother and brighter. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of fresh cream 1 cup of white sugar 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1/2 cup of ground almonds 2 tablespoons olive oil Directions: Mix all ingredients well. Apply to dry face in a circular motion Wash your face off with warm water, followed by cold water. Pat your face dry. Place in a jar and store in your refrigerator for future use.

Coconut Deep Conditioner

Keep your hair smooth, hydrated, and shiny with this natural conditioning treatment; apply it once a week. Ingredients: 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon coconut extract Directions: Mix ingredients together, apply and cover your scalp with a plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap). Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse hair thoroughly.

Tighten skin

Egg Whites help to tighten skin, giving your face a healthy glow while diminishing the look of fine lines. Egg whites also help to remove dead skin cells and draw excess oil from the pores while tightening them.

Remove dead skin from your face

Baking soda is excellent in removing dead skin form your face. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water.  Directions: Mix ingredients together, apply to your skin with a cotton ball in a rotating movement. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Thanks for reading my latest blog.  Please let me know if you need any support with it. 

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Have a great day!

References:

http://www.rd.com/health/beauty/8-natural-recipes-for-amazing-skin-from-a-plastic-surgeon/