How to get your skin looking flawless for the big day!

Whether you want that gorgeous, hydrated glowing from within look or a flawless matte finish it all begins with a good skin care routine. Think of your skin as a foundation of a house, if the foundation is cracking and uneven anything you layer over top isn’t going to lay properly. Of course there are moisturizers, primers, and foundation formulas specific to these needs although truly nothing is going to make your skin look better than taking care of it!

Top 5 tips for healthy skin:

Exfoliate! I’ve been in the beauty industry for almost 12 years, I’ve worked in high end salon and spas and had access to the best products on the market. I’ve found that using natural products and homemade recipes truly work best! Exfoliating is crucial for getting rid of dull dead skin cells to reveal new fresh skin. Here are two exfoliating recipes I use weekly.

Coffee scrub:

-1 TBSP fresh coffee grinds

-1 TBSP organic coconut oil *Vita coco organic coconut oil is my favorite

-1 TBSP organic honey

-Lavender/tea tree oil

Mix together, exfoliate for 1 min, leave on for 15 min, rise and you will notice immediate improvements. Also great for your legs/body to prep for a spray tan!

Honey/lemon scrub:

-1 TBSP olive oil

-1 TBSP organic honey

-Fresh squeezed lemon

-2 TBSP organic raw sugar

*This scrub is also terrific as a lip scrub!

2.) Moisturize! I’ve said it a million times, but oil moisturizers are a true game changer for me! Oil is the best possible formula to actually penetrate your skin. My favorite of all time is Rosehip oil. I have an entire blog post about it if you would like to check it out. Jojoba oil is the runner up, this oil is great because it mimics how our natural sebaceous glands behave and actually balances your oil levels- great for anyone with oily skin afraid to venture into the world of oil! Other favorites: Argan, sweet almond. Take your oil a step further by adding an essential oil to ramp up the benefits! Tea tree is great for breakouts, works as a fantastic natural anti bacterial. Lavender is excellent for ageing skin, another great one to dab on a pimple. *Lavender is one of the only essential oil safe to use without a carrier. Frankincense, also have an entire blog on this powerhouse oil but in short great for slowing down the aging process as well! The list goes on but those are just a few of my go tos.

3.) Pore reduction! I’m sure all of you have now heard of those charcoal masks all over the internet, I’m going to share with you one I make at home for cleaning out blackheads and pore reduction. This mask can be done weekly.

-½ cup organic coconut oil

there are a multitude of other uses for activated charcoal so it will totally not go to waste!-1 TSP activated charcoal, this is the one I use this particular brand right here! <---

-1 TBSP baking soda

*Mix the ingredients together, after a warm shower when your pores are open apply in a thin even layer. Unlike those mask you see online being peeled off, this one you want to rinse with a warm washcloth. Apply oil over top.

4.) Hydration! This is a no brainer, simple, free and insanely effective! Drinking adequate amounts of water will make your skin plump, supple, improve dark circles and add luminosity. My rule of thumb is take your weight, cut that in half + 8 ounces ex: 120 lbs, 68 ounces of water daily. Adding an additional 8 ounces per half hour of exercise. Infuse your water with limes, cucumber, strawberries, blueberries or whatever you like so you drink more!

5.) Eat an antioxidant rich diet! I became a vegetarian almost 4 years ago for ethical reasons, and immediately noticed a change in my skin. Now I’m not suggesting everyone become a vegetarian, simply increase antioxidant rich foods in your diet such as blueberries, kidney beans, cilantro (3 of my favorites) dark green veggies: spinach, broccoli, kale. Strawberries, raspberries, oranges you get the idea :)