Special Diets

• By Anne Marie Fine, NMD

5 Essential Products for Youthful Skin

The average woman spends hundreds of dollars in the quest for miracle skin care products that will maximize skin health. Of course, natural beauty begins on the inside, with plenty of sleep, water, and nutrients from a whole foods diet. But, fortunately, adding a simplified beauty routine featuring natural products can help contribute to beautiful skin, without irritating synthetic chemicals. Let’s take a look at these essential products and why they work.

Natural beauty begins on the inside

1. Cleanser

It is important to cleanse your face twice daily, once in the morning and once at night before retiring. Your skin is an excretory organ and by cleansing you not only remove dirt, bacteria, and excess oil, you also remove the cellular toxins that your skin has eliminated. This enhances your skin’s ability to absorb your other topical products.

• If you have dry skin: Look for a cream or oil based cleanser that does the job without further stripping your skin of natural oils.
• If you have oily skin: Look for a gel- or foam- based cleanser that helps soak up excess oil.

2. Serum

These are the workhorses of your beauty routine! Serums are highly concentrated, lightweight, and fast-absorbing formulations containing certain actives like CoQ10, vitamin C and E, green tea, DMAE (dimethylethanolamine), and alpha lipoic acid. By targeting your special areas of concern with an appropriate serum, you activate your body’s own self-healing process to restore balance.

• Choose a firming, wrinkle-reducing serum, if you are looking for an anti-aging effect.
• Choose a skin-brightening serum if, darkened patches of skin (hyperpigmentation) are a concern for you.

3. Day Moisturizer

Apply this moisturizer after you cleanse your face in the morning and over your serum. This will seal in your serum and protect your skin from the elements. Try to find a moisturizer that contains sun protection for a beauty routine simplifier!

4. Night Moisturizer

Apply your night moisturizer after you cleanse your skin at night and over any serum you have applied. This moisturizer should be free of sunscreen protection and can be a heavier and more rejuvenating formulation. Your skin repairs itself at night. By providing the right moisturizer the skin lipid barrier is repaired, which means that you minimize water loss through your skin and thereby avoid dry, irritated skin that shows more lines.

Generally younger skin is oilier, and care must be taken to not choose a heavier moisturizer than is necessary. Too-heavy moisturizer clogs pores and makes skin look too shiny with oils that did not fully penetrate.

5. Treatment Mask

The treatment mask focuses attention on a specific target area, typically on a once- or twice-a- week basis. Masks come in a variety of forms and can be made from many different natural materials.

• Use a mask made from clay for a detoxifying and acne-clearing effect that leaves your skin clean and glowing.
• If you are after a moisture surge, some masks contain hyaluronic acid, honey or other moisturizing ingredients to sink into your skin.
• For a radiance boost to dull skin, try an exfoliating mask made from fruit acids.

The regular use of these five natural beauty products, in conjunction with a healthy diet, plenty of water and sleep, are a dynamic combination that can rejuvenate your skin and permit your inner beauty to radiate.