I religiously wash my face morning and night, but turning 40 (did I seriously just say that OUT LOUD!?!?!) made me think there must  be more I can do to protect (cough*cough) my youthful appearance.  This gnawing feeling grew especially strong as I read Jo-Lynne Shane’s post ”You are what you eat“.   What we put into our bodies WILL affect our appearance! 

Obviously – this is not new – the concept of promoting natural beauty through the consumption of food and drink originated thousands of years ago.   You know…..way back when people had an excellent understanding of herbs and their healthy properties.  You know…..before the pharmaceutical industry began replacing herbs with  synthesized molecules.   Funny thing is, the more we learn about the science of skin, aging, herbs and vitamins – the more relevant beauty from within becomes. And the more relevant herbs, vitamins and minerals are to achieving this type of “inner beauty”.  Don’t get me wrong,  I wouldn’t give up my skin care routine for ANYTHING – it does work and it does help me accomplish my SURFACE goals.  But when it comes to  establishing a solid beauty base, I LIVE by these 5 pillars of skin health and radiance:

  • Antioxidants – DUH!  They fight they free radicals that damage and weaken collagen.  Think Vitamin C, Vitamin E, OPC’s….the higher on the ORAC scale - the better!
  • Anti-Inflammation – Inflammation ages us!  Awwww……nothing a little green tea can’t soothe!  So drink up – hot or cold!
  • Detoxification – just as it sounds…. remove toxins from the cells and blood.  This is CRITICAL!  Toxins damage cells and leave us looking worn out and tired.  Clean your liver!  Milk thistle is a great one and my fave is chlorella – I take about 10 of these per day!
  • Cell micro-circulation – this brings in nutrients and removes waste.  An abundant supply of nutrients will keep skin cells healthy and vitalized!  What good is a stockpile of food if you can’t get it to the hungry?  Again, green tea is a great one along with blueberries!
  • Inhibiting destructive enzymes and increasing cellular energy supports the skin’s structural matrix…AKA – collagen!  Stay out of the sun and tanning bed – these literally destroy elastin and collagen!  Aloe, green tea ( are you getting the picture that we should be  indulging in GREEN TEA???) and pomegranate all work to strengthen and rebuild our skin’s support matrix

 

Following these 5 things along with an excellent skin care program will have you on your way to glorious, radiant skin in no time!