Everywhere you turn, there is a new potion, lotion or miracle in a jar claiming to ward off the effects of ageing!
Women and beauty products - it's a love affair that's been going on for centuries. Young, airbrushed models that never seem to age promoting products that claim to "turn back time" or "Botox in a jar"- Sure, advancements in medicine and pharmaceutical grade skin care is all the rage-but how far are we willing to go to jeopardize our health?
On average, women expose themselves to 515 chemicals everyday without knowing the health implications associated with them. Our skin in the largest organ and anything we put on it is absorbed into the body, bypasses the liver and attaches to hormone receptors in the body. Hello estrogen dominance related diseases, cancer, infertility, hormone dis-regulation and accelerated aging.
The FDA doesn't require any pre-market testing or approval before beauty products hit the shelves-I find that scary, don't you?
That being said, there are so many things you can do to slow down the aging process, improve the health of your skin and turn back the biological aging clock with food, hydration, sleep and natural skin care!
Anti-Aging Skin Care Regimen
- Hydration: Water is your instant moisturizer! Your skin is the the largest organ. Water helps break down, assimilate and transport vitamins and minerals to cells, while removing toxins and metabolic waste every day! Add in a pinch of sea salt to maintain electrolyte levels and plump up your skin!
- Sleep: Your body goes through a renewal, repair and rejuvenation process while sleeping. The liver is busy breaking down and removing toxins, your hormones reboot and your body takes a vacation.
- Antioxidants: We are what we eat-big time. Besides the 515 chemicals people slather onto their bodies, they are eating them too-Beauty starts on the inside. There are three antioxidants that have been proven to decrease the effect of the sun on the skin and actually prevent further damage: selenium, vitamin E, and Vitamin C while improving skin tone, stimulate the production of collagen and slow down biological aging! Here are my favorite food sources with the highest amounts of these antioxidants: Selenium (Brazil Nuts), Vitamin C (Red Bell Peppers) & Vitamin E (Sunflower Seeds, Almonds & Spinach)
- Skincare: Keep it simple and your skin will love you back, re -balance to a normal PH and glow!
- Remove Makeup: Oil cleansing method with a microfiber cloth. I use a combo of argan and jojoba oil.
Cleanse: Raw Honey-leave on for 10 minutes if you have time. Honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial and a humectant (draws moisture from the air).
- Moisturize: More argan oil and few drops of carrot seed oil , copaiba essential oil, frankincense essential oil.
Anti-Aging Greens
This is the perfect snack or side to help boost your skins health, while providing your skin will the antioxidants it needs to Thrive!
Serves 1
- 4 loose cups of organic baby spinach
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
- 3 Brazil nuts, chopped
- sea salt and black to taste
- Squeeze of lemon (more antioxidants)
Method
1. Melt coconut oil over medium heat in a saute pan.
2. Add pepper and cook until soft, 3 minutes.
3. Add in spinach and toss until wilted-about 90 seconds.
4. Remove and top with seeds and nuts and adjust salt and pepper and squeeze of lemon.
Enjoy warm!
Happy holidays and here's to glowing, healthy skin in the new year!
Christine xo