Skin Care Inside & Out

by Katelan Foisy

I wasn’t always kind to my skin. It would go in waves and wasn’t helped by my diet at all. I remember being a teen and experimenting with skincare. I had bad acne along my hairline and sometimes above my lip. Mostly I could chalk it up to hormones, a love of junk food, and lack of water. School lunches didn’t help nor did my crash dieting. My skin was constantly changing and very few products worked on it. This was my cycle until I started to really experiment and find what worked and what didn’t. I was in my thirties when this happened and still wouldn’t fully figure it out until about 3 years ago.

It’s important to note that there are certain things you can change with a skincare routine and certain things you can’t. I have an expressive forehead. I’ve had lines on my forehead since I was in my late teens. There’s really no way to ever fully get rid of them and that’s okay. Do I envy smooth foreheads, well yes. Am I going to let it ruin my life? Probably not. I also smile a lot and have had lines on either side of my lips . They’re smile lines and I’d have to stop smiling and laughing in order to stop them. That’s not going to happen so I’ll live with those as well. What I can change is the moisture I put into my skin by drinking water and moisturizing correctly. I can also eat certain foods to allow for my skin’s best health. The products below are ones I use. They vary in prices. You may find that something works well on your skin. If it’s making you feel great then keep using it. You don’t have to have a complicated routine. I use about 3-4 products a day on my skin and they’re all moisturizers including a SPF. If you want to make it really simple you could use coconut oil and some SPF.

I stopped wearing foundation and concealer in my late twenties because I wanted my skin to breathe and long nights out meant I couldn’t always be trusted to wash my face. The last night’s makeup look worked until it didn’t. Drinking more water cleared away the acne that still plagued me and cutting down on alcohol in my thirties allowed my skin to absorb moisture instead of dehydrating it. These days I rarely drink alcohol unless it’s a special occasion. I’ve yet to give up coffee and doubt I will but limit myself to one cup a day unless I’m out or need a boost. If I have to pull an all nighter due to deadlines I usually brew up a huge pot of green tea and ice it. I’m not a fan of hot green tea but iced gives me the boost I need and it’s great for you and your skin.

I drink about a gallon of water a day. Four 8 oz cups (32 oz) in the morning with a scoop of Neocell super collagen. Since adding collagen to my water my recovery time after an intense workout is about 2 days instead of four. My skin is brighter and healthier. I also either take a Vitamin C supplement or drink some pineapple juice with breakfast for a boost. I’m also a fan of high Vitamin C fruits like:

• Citrus fruits
• Cantaloupe
• Pineapple
• Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
• Papaya
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Watermelon
• Dragonfruit
• Starfruit
• Guava
• Blackcurrant

I also add a bit of unsweetened cranberry juice to my water with one of these bitters by Asc Alchemical, some propolis tincture from Shipwreck Honey, a few drops of black elderberry for immune support, passionflower for relaxation, and wormwood and black walnut tinctures to support healthy stomach flora. I also add in a few drops of oil of egg and sulphur of pine from Kymia Arts. A little goes a long way with these for me so a bottle will last me a few months. I drink four cups at the gym working out (sometimes more), four cups throughout the afternoon, and then the last 4 in the evening. I also drink a variety of teas. Some of my favorite are from Deerwomen.net and once ZuZus has teas back on their site I suggest ordering some from there as well. I wrote about the magical properties of the teas in this post about Tasseography. I sweeten the tea with honey from my friends at Shipwreck Honey. As for an all around tea, Rooibos will never do you wrong. I firmly believe it’s the most magical plant out there.It’s rich in antioxidants, there’s evidence it can improve bone health, may help people with diabetes, and may reduce heart risk and cancer risks. It also helps with digestion because of its fermentation process.

While I enjoy tinctures and bitters if you’d like to keep it simple just squeeze some lemon or other citrus fruits into your water. Citrus fruits, bananas, and yoghurt help with the healthy growth of stomach flora.

My skincare routine these days is pretty simple. I have a few products that I really stand by and some that I use while traveling. At home it’s easy to keep it simple. I work from home so most of the time I’m outside is usually to run and errand or on the way to the gym etc. I rarely wear makeup when I work from home. The only time I wear it these days is if I’m going out somewhere or have a meeting. Winter’s are rough here in Chicago too so I’m finding that moisturizers are my best friend…

Read full article at The Vardo