Let’s Get Real…about your skin care in 4 easy steps

We’ve all heard the term “real food”, right? Well believe it or not, what you put ON your body is just as important as what you put in it! Don’t believe me? The truth is your skin is your body’s largest organ. Everything you put on it is absorbed and processed by your body, not much differently than if you put it in your mouth. But don’t feel overwhelmed- it’s not as hard as you think to incorporate a little less fake and a little more real in to your beauty routine. Let’s get real…about your skin care in four easy steps.

1. Read the Ingredients List. Just like with food, there are ingredients to avoid. Harsh exfoliants, stripping alcohols and synthetic fragrances don’t just irritate the skin. Many of them contain hormone disrupting chemicals and known carcinogens. Just some of the ingredients to avoid include: alcohols, parabens, parfums, propylene glycol, pthalates, sulfates, synthetic colors, toluene, & triclosan. Not sure if the ingredients in your cleanser are safe? If I don’t recognize an ingredient I look it up at this website. You can google it too, but you might get a whole lot of hits and be overwhelmed by your results.
2. Make your own. The number one way for peace of mind about your products is to make your own. You know I’m all about making my own easy and effective products. Some of my favorites that I use everyday include these Soothing Dark Spot Reducing Facial Toner, Sandal Ready Foot Scrub, & Varicose Vein Mango Almond Body Butter. But don’t worry, I don’t make ALL of my products!
3. Look for organically certified products and do your research. One of my very favorite skin care companies is Blissoma Holistic Skincare. But you can also find safe skin-loving products at your local grocery store or health food store. My new favorite little discovery is everything Acure Organic. There packaging promises “100% Vegetarian. No: Animal Testing, Artificial Colors, Artificial Fragrances, Parabens, Phthalates, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Myreth Sulfate”. Pretty awesome, right? Now alcohol is listed as one of the ingredients, but it’s certified organic and used to keep the towelettes from molding. Just make sure you follow up with moisturizer!
4. Don’t give up too soon. As with any product, when you make a switch there will usually be an adjustment period. If you see some breakouts after the first few days use, that usually means your skin is detoxing. It’s helping to purify and eliminate toxins. It should cycle through in a week or two. Stick with it! So long as you don’t have a rash flare up on the very first use, it’s not an allergic reaction. BUT if you’re still breaking out after a month of use, there might be an irritant you should avoid.

Overall, don’t get discouraged. This is not an “all or nothing” journey. One little change is one big step closer to less daily use of chemicals. And less chemicals is a REAL good thing!