10 Tips for Healthy Skin So You Don't have to be Afraid of Go Nude Sunday!

Here at La Bella Figura, we love Go Nude Sundays. More than just a day to run around without makeup, it's a chance to relax, cam down, and take a moment to take care of ourselves in order to prepare for the busy work week. For many, the idea of going nude is just a bit terrifying. I've compiled some tips that I've been using the last few years to really keep my skin in tip-top shape and making Go Nude Sundays less terrifying.

1. Get a good nights sleep. Not just one but as many as you can during the week.

Try to get anywhere from 7-9 hours a night. Well rested skin is healthy skin. If you have trouble falling asleep try turning off the TV, computer, and phone at least one and half to two hours before bedtime. Get into a bedtime routine. Try light stretching, wash your face, journaling or reading. The experts say that a bedtime routine helps prepare your mind and body for bedtime.


2. Change your pillowcases and sheets often.

Aim for every other day. Our skin, especially our faces, is in direct contact with our sheets and pillowcases every night. They can absorb oil, dirt, and bacteria resulting in blemishes and breakouts. Clean sheets and pillowcases equal clearer skin.

3. Wash your makeup off every night before bed.

This is my biggest beauty blunder. There are so many times I have gone to bed with a face full of makeup and I was too lazy to spend the extra few minutes washing it off. I've learned the hard way, going to bed with makeup still on almost always leads to a blemish on my face. I'm finally heeding what the experts have been urging for years: wash your makeup off!

4. Keep your hands off your face and off of your blemishes.

For years as a teen and a young woman, I happily picked, prodded, and squeezed anything that cropped up on my face. Luckily, I wasn't prone to many breakouts, but over the years, I've learned that the more I touch my face the greater the chance for a breakout. Our skin changes as we age and what was an inconsequential beauty habit in our youths can become one big beauty blunder later. If a blemish pops up nowadays, I treat it with a mixture of french clay, witch hazel, willowbark extract, a tiny bit of honey, turmeric, tea tree oil, and lavender.

5. Exfoliate

I've always been on and off with exfoliators. I've never been able to find one that I've really liked. They either seemed to harsh or not exfoliating enough. We started experimenting with some around the LBF studio. A mix of super seeds seem to the do the job quite well and leave my skin feeling fresh, smooth, and super silky. I recently made an exfoliator and added organic kelp powder to it and my skin felt brand new! We might just be onto something over here! I try to exfoliate twice a week now, it keeps my skin feeling smooth and healthy. Two warnings though: be careful not to over exfoliate or use a too harsh of an exfoliator as they can damage your skin.


6. Juice for beautiful skin.

Juice is a nutritious and delicious way to detoxify and hydrate skin cells. Look for juices brimming with free radical fighting antioxidants like prickly pear, pomegranate, guava, blackberry, blood orange, pineapple, kale and tomato juices. Juicing hardly requires any digestion so these powerful vitamins and minerals get delivered to your system fast!

7. Eat plenty of veggies, quality protein, and swap processed carbs for whole grains.

 "High-glycemic foods cause your blood sugar to rise, triggering a surge of insulin. The insulin stimulates oil-producing hormones called androgens, leaving you with pimples," says Leslie Bauman of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Try foods such as peanut butter, nuts, avocado, and salmon that contain healthy fats that are great for the hair, skin, and nails.

 8. Forget synthetic retinoids and use the vitamin A packed powerhouse Rosehip seed oil.

It seems like every beauty article these days is touting the effect of retinoids but how do you get the benefits without the synthetics? The answer: Rosehip seed oil. We love Rosehip;  it sinks into the skin beautifully. It's the only vegetable oil that contains natural Retinoic acid (vitamin A acid). Gentle enough for sensitive skin, it helps tighten skin, reduce pores and inflammation, and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles.

9. Clean your makeup brushes.

Brushes accumulate bacteria and dirt just like your makeup does and can cause clogged pores and bacterial infections. Keeping them clean helps keep your face clear.

10. Don't be afraid of oil on your skin!

For many years, the cosmetic industry told us that oil would cause blocked up pores, infections, and oily skin. Oils such as Argan, and Barbary Fig among others actually mimic the natural sebum your skin produces and helps balance and restore your skin to it's healthy levels. There's actually many people and doctors that promote the oil cleansing method, where it is believed that oil dissolves oil and after steaming, oil is rubbed into the face to break up dirt and oil. Our serums and face oils are blended with highly effective essential oil blends that target a number of skin issues and  they work great!

Well my lovelies,, I hope you find these tips helpful.

                                                                                 En bonne santé,

                                                              

                                                                                                              Karen