For many years I was very insecure about my skin and the way it looked in the mirror or in pictures, especially if I wasn’t wearing any makeup. I turned to numerous products to help me clear my acne and blemishes, but I never would have thought that the secret to changing my skin from the outside was to change something from the inside. As the largest organ in our body, our skin plays a vital role in protecting us everywhere we go, so why shouldn’t we give it the royal treatment it deserves for all its hard work? Below is a list of changes I have made in my lifestyle and daily routine that have significantly helped me improve my skin: 1. I am someone who has a very sensitive gut/digestion and can’t have anything cold first thing in the morning, this is why I always start my mornings with a glass of warm water and lemon. I rarely use fresh squeezed lemons, it’s usually much more convenient for me to buy lemon juice in a jar (Whole Foods has pure lemon juice in bottles). This helps cleans/detoxify my body, helps my digestion and also speeds up my metabolism throughout the rest of my day.
2. Staying hydrated throughout my day is key and I never really knew this because I would barely drink water due to the fact that I found it to be so boring and tasteless. I started drinking LOTS of water (40-60 oz of water a day) and what has worked for me is having a water bottle that keeps my water cool all day long and allows me to refill it in order to keep track of how much water I’ve had that day.
3. I added certain dietary supplements into my daily routine including: collagen, chlorophyll and probiotics. Collagen is one of the building blocks that strengthens our muscles, bone, and skin! My favorite brand currently is Sportsresearch and I have just started to try Vital Proteins. Chlorophyll is a pigment found in plants, used for photosynthesis and energy production, but who knew it could be so beneficial for our bodies! Chlorophyll also aids in our overall skin health and in our digestion. I typically add my collagen and chlorophyll to my morning matcha latte, protein smoothies, or just a glass of warm water (depending on what I’m in the mood for)! In addition, I have started taking probiotics and pre-biotics daily, sometimes twice a day. Both pre and probiotics work to strengthen and build healthy gut bacteria that aid in our digestion. The brand I currently use and love is Silver Fern.
4. Eating clean has been a significant part of my lifestyle for the past one and a half years, at least MOST of the time. I have been much more conscious about the ingredients in my food and always check labels at the grocery store. Minimal ingredients are always preferred but it’s also important to understand what each ingredient is in our food. I also eliminated gluten/wheat, dairy (sometimes eating goat cheese), and all refined sugars from my diet. However, I admit that I like to occasionally have a big bowl of french fries or eat a whole chocolate bar all to myself! I believe that this not only contributed to how energized and good I feel about my body, but also how my skin looks and feels.
5. I used to think that I had very oily skin and would wash my face multiple times a day to get rid of all the excess oil. However, I realized that my skin actually needed more healthy oils! I started using facial serums (about twice a day, AM and PM) on my face and recently started using them on my body too as a lotion replacement. My favorite brands currently are Frank and Whitman and Koraorganics.
6. Sensitive skin requires sunscreen use daily. For me, my skin absorbs the sun very quickly and causes me to scar easily. I started using sunscreen, especially on my face every morning after moisturizing with my serum. My favorite brand currently is Goddess Garden. By using my serum and sunscreen, I provide additional layers between the surface of my skin and the makeup I use so that the makeup does not get absorbed into my pores throughout the day.
7. I used to be lazy and not fully remove makeup or other products from my face each day. Now every night, or sometimes even in the mornings, I wash my face with warm water (sometimes with a facial cleanser) and use makeup removing pads to gently remove all the minerals, oils and everything else from my face.
8. Lastly, I have started to practice de-stressing throughout the day whether it’s through meditation, yoga, exercising or even just slowing down my breathing. Not only that, but I think it’s so important to get enough sleep each night to keep your body happy, healthy and energized. Insufficient sleep causes our bodies to experience additional stress leading to a weaker immune system and possibly more breakouts. I make it my goal to sleep about 7 hours each night (at least 5/7 days a week). These are habits and routines that have worked for ME! I know that this may work for some people and not for others, which is why it’s important to do what works for your body!
For more Health and Lifestyle content follow The Fittrio at: https://www.thefittrio.com/#!
