Beautiful skin
Big, bold words, that clearly identify what every person expects when they come in for a facial. Beautiful skin. Glowing skin.
Working at a wellness clinic is wonderful for me as a skin care specialist. We have so many talented practitioners that educate their clients (and each other) on the importance of health and wellness, these interactions enrich everyone’s practices. That said, because of this wellness focus, sometimes I find myself getting a little obsessed with skin health and wellness. Sometimes, this can result in my losing sight of a simple truth – while my clients care about the health of their skin – what motivates them is having BEAUTIFUL SKIN.
Think about a time that you’ve complimented someone on their skin. Most of us don’t automatically say, “your skin looks really healthy.” Instead we typically say something like “your skin is gorgeous/beautiful/glowing.”
So while of course skin healthy and beauty are interrelated – I never want to lose sight of the importance of beauty
I’ve made it my life’s work to bring happiness and health into the lives of my clients. And making someone feel beautiful when they look in the mirror is a big part of that. What, exactly makes skin beautiful? Is it pure ingredients in facial products? A structured skin care routine involving multiple products? Is it booking a facial every month to maintain perfect skin conditions, or to treat ongoing skin conditions? What else is important to regularly achieve the goal of beautiful skin?
It is, of course, all of the factors listed above – and more. But, very simply, we can start our journey to consistently beautiful skin with the important knowledge of what your skin needs to survive – and thrive. In the next few articles, I’d like to very simply explore some of the vitals you need to build not just healthy skin, but BEAUTIFUL skin. And, hopefully, also help to unpack and explore the idea of beauty I am coming to understand as a skin therapist in a wellness clinic.
The first “vital for beautiful skin” we will explore is ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are soldiers in the fight against free radicals, which can ravage and cause lasting ill-fated conditions in your skin. Antioxidants are agents that find free radicals, and prevent them from
taking effect in the body. What are free radicals? They are oxidizing elements introduced to the body through environmental pollution, stress, and a by-product of things that we take into our bodies regularly. In other words, free radicals are a part of our everyday lives. When free radicals attack the body, they can damage proteins and elastin, which forms the major structure of the skin.
Where can you find antioxidants? How do you ingest them or apply them so they’re effective? It’s easier than you think. Looking at labels on food, skincare products, and other products in your environment can help you identify the best sources of antioxidants. Eminence skincare products are, of course, chock full of antioxidants of various kinds – but foods and herbs can often be a powerful source as well.
Here is a short list of some important and easy to find allies in your quest for beautiful skin
Any kind of dark fruit or berry. Blackberries, blueberries, goji berries, cherries, plums, acai, the darker the better. Look for these ingredients in your skincare products to maximize benefits.- Oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, cocoa. Powerful herbs or seeds that are highly touted in recent years for their anti-inflammatory benefits, but also double as powerhouses in the fight against free radicals. Not only do these ingredients warm the body from the inside out to flush out sickness, but leave lasting benefits to reveal beautiful skin. I enjoy concocting a homemade yogurt masque with pure cocoa powder this time of year, not only does it smell amazing but it’ll leave your skin looking delightful.
- Green tea. Life giving! Packed with wholesome antioxidants. I actually use green tea in place of water during my facials at Watershed, in order to impart extra antioxidants into my treatments. Treat yourself to green tea by brewing some to keep in the fridge, and simply chug a glass in the morning. Or even better–boil up some green tea and steam your face at home with it, by hanging your head over a bowl of tea and using a towel around your head to trap the steam and concentrate it towards your face. Elegant and noticeable results.
What questions do you have about building and maintaining beautiful skin?