People often ask for skin care tips; the “special”, less known tips that contribute to overall continued health and a significant improvement in your skin’s vitality. I would love to share some of these little-known tips -as well as some common tips that everyone should follow but that few people actually follow.
Skin Tone and pH Balance
An important factor of skin tone and vitality stems from Ph balancing and hydration. A great first step in the morning is an elixir with warm lemon water. The secret is to add fresh aloe vera and hot pepper to your warm lemon water. Fresh aloe vera leaves are available in most health food stores. Peel the skin and place a 2” section in the blender along with the juice of two or three fresh, organic lemons. Blend this mixture with one small Thai (or other) chili pepper, ice and water. Now that’s an elixir to start your day with; cleansing, balancing and invigorating! In addition to ph balancing, this can also assist in elimination, and weight loss. Don’t forget another glass of warm lemon water before bed too (sans the aloe and chili!)
Sun Protection
Sun can be the enemy; so please schedule your outdoor activities for early morning, late afternoon or evening hours. Wear a hat and wear a cover-up -one with full-length arms and that covers the chest. Covering the chest is the “secret” because very few cover-ups actually protect this area. It may take some patience and stick-to-it-ivity to find the perfect cover-up because they’re hard to find. Tommy Bahama’s Boyfriend Shirt Cover-Up is a good example and, yes, button the top button and let the sleeves down. People know to cover up but few actually do it. Lastly, consider wearing sunblock every day, even if it’s just to walk to the car and back. Epicuren 45 with bee propolis is my favorite for daily use.
One Supplement
A supplement with a particularly positive impact is collagen. Yes, it’s a big thing today with bovine and poultry bone broth being available everywhere but consider the source: cows and chickens. A more suitable choice -and a secret I’d like to share with you- is to use collagen from the skin and bones of fish. And not just any fish but wild caught fish. Wild caught marine collagen peptide, you will find, will feed your joints, nails, skin, and hair naturally. Plus, it’s easily dissolved in juice or water. I recommend Marine Collagen Powder from CodeAge which is available through Amazon. Take one or two tablespoons daily and be sure to drink plenty of water (not so much that it overtaxes your kidneys -keep it to about two liters a day). Water is super-important to help the body process the collagen and avoid getting “blocked-up”.
Stress Control
So many of today’s afflictions are attributable to stress -whether we recognize it or not: itchy skin, hair loss, fatigue, stomach upset, and irritability are often hidden signs that stress is affecting our lives. The first step in controlling stress is simply recognizing that stress is at the core of our disorders. There are, of course, many methods of dealing with stress such as meditation, exercise, and vacations. The “secret” tip is to recognize the foods that aggravate stress: most often, these include caffeine, sugar, salt, wheat and dairy. Please keep these to a minimum, whether you’re dealing with stress or not.
I hope you’ll apply these simple tips to your everyday life and enjoy their many health benefits – the least of which can be longevity and even greater beauty!
