because as I told you a week or two ago, I like talking about skin care almost as much as I like talking about hot young musicians. If you missed it, here’s that post (where I tell you the foods that have helped my skin):
People always ask me…
I will always believe that what you put in your body is the first step in having healthy skin. But how you take care of your skin on the outside can make things even better.
Between acne and aging, I have tried every product under the sun. Prescription products, high end brands from Sephora, drugstore brands, and some DIY. My routine has evolved quite a bit over the years, Here’s what is working for me:
Every night before I go to bed, I wash my face with coconut oil. I’ve been doing this for 3 1/2 years and love it. First, I take a warm, damp washcloth and wipe off as much of my makeup as I can. Here’s my tip of the day: buy black and grey washcloths so they don’t end up looking totally disgusting.
Next, I massage a blob (yes, a blob…maybe a teaspoon, but it really doesn’t matter) of coconut oil all over my face. My waterproof mascara ends up all over my face. I typically tissue it off, then continue to rub in the coconut oil.
Then I take the same washcloth, dampen it again with hot water, and use the other side of the washcloth to gently wipe off the coconut oil. I might dampen it a few times. When I’m done, my makeup is gone and my skin looks and feels great.
After that, I typically apply a little facial oil, especially around my eyes, so it can work some magic overnight. When I’m home, I like to use Anti Aging Facial Oil from Annmarie Gianni. When I travel, I use Jenni Raincloud’s Anti Wrinkle Eye Stick because it’s so portable.
In the morning, I take a damp, warm washcloth and gently wipe to remove any excess oil. Some days, that’s all that I do. And my skin looks good.
Most mornings, I will take a few extra steps to pamper myself and nourish my skin. I love using Annmarie Gianni’s Aloe Herb Cleanser on my face and neck in the shower. It smells amazing and doesn’t strip my skin at all.
When I get out, I’ll spray on a little of the Rosemary Toning Mist, and then use the Anti Aging Serum, which is pretty amazing. In fact, if I had to choose one product to buy from Annmarie Gianni, this would be it (even though I love them all!) It is absorbed instantly, and you can put makeup on immediately.
Some of my faves
If I feel dry at all (most days I don’t, now that my skin is more balanced) I’ll dab on some facial oil. And I’m good to go!
Maybe twice a week, if I remember, I’ll mix the Ayruvedic Facial Scrub with my Aloe Herb Cleanser, for some gentle exfoliation. I believe the scrub, along with the toner, has helped reduce the appearance of my pores. In fact, I wrote a whole post on that:
Pores no more!
I started using Annmarie Gianni products because they are made from totally pure and natural ingredients and perform as well as anything I have found at Sephora. They smell amazing, so I really feel pampered when I use them.
Since I added so many foods that make my skin happy, like sardines, greens, and collagen peptides, I could just do the coconut oil at night, warm washcloth in the morning, and be good to go. But adding the Annmarie Gianni products has given my skin an even bigger boost.
Now that my skin is healthy, there are days that I skip makeup entirely. (Well, not mascara. That is a desert island essential. Along with Justin Bieber’s latest album. And maybe some dark chocolate.) Most days I wear makeup, but it is more for fun than necessity.
So, can a natural skincare routine help you feel happy, healthy and hot? Absolutely! You will be happy pampering yourself. You will feel healthy because the ingredients are so pure…no carcinogens or neurotoxins (which sadly show up in conventional skincare.) And of course the glowing skin that results will be very hot!
SHOP THE POST:
Annmarie Gianni Sample Kit This is a great way to try these products. You can get a sample kit for $10, with free shipping anywhere in the world. And $10 off your next order. Can’t beat it!
Aloe Herb Cleanser
Rosemary Toning Mist
Anti Aging Serum
Anti Aging Facial Oil
Jenni Raincloud Anti Wrinkle Eye Stick
Nutiva Coconut Oil (great deal on a two pack…one for kitchen, one for your beauty needs!)
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
luv it! found any good hair products? i find this the hardest part of clean beauty. darn you highlights – why do you have to be so fabulous!! xo
Hey Christian…totally with you on the hair care! I’ve been wanting to write a post about it and don’t know where to start. I’ve been using a lot of John Masters products. Some are a 1 on the EWG scale but some are much higher. I e tried some of the really natural stuff,
like Morocco Method, but I didn’t think it really did much for me. Later I read it was not great for highlighted hair. Of course!!! I even tried the baking soda and vinegar thing, which was a complete disaster!
Funny I use the John Masters too! I have tried them all and my whole family uses them. I think they are the best of the safe products but not as good as Pureology or some other chemical laden stuff like that. Yes the no poo was a disaster for me too! And my husband thought that I smelled like pickles. Nice!
Lol! No one wants to smell like pickles!!
I have very curly hair so I have done the no poo method. It did take a while to work, I did it in desperation when I was pregnant (quite a while ago!) when my hair went wild. I am lucky to have an organic hairdresser, so tend to use her products – they are fab, I don’t know if they are available in the US, but she uses Organic Systems (UK) and Kevin Murphy (Australian).
I do a very similar oil cleanse too. At the moment I am using avocado oil, I have also used almond and grapeseed too. I tend to do mine in the morning and just wipe off makeup in the evening. I’m trying to get back into doing facial exercises too.
Oh wow Tanya, sounds like you have a great hairdresser! I’m not familiar with those products. Going to check if they are available here in the US. I like John Masters Organics but have a few others in mind to try. So glad you like the oil cleansing. I have tried using other oils…I’ve been good with all of them, but usually come back to coconut.
I’d love to hear more about your facial exercises. Have never tried that!
The facial exercises are by a woman called Eva Fraser, I bought her book on amazon. I think there is a dvd too.
Awesome Tanya, thanks! I remember hearing about her. I’ll have to check them out!