I met Melissa last month and it was such a pleasure. She saw me and was able to point out all my skin issues without even putting a hand on me (or my face :P). I am so excited that she is sharing her pearl of wisdom with me and you all today. A little about her: She is an esthetician, health + beauty writer and founder of BijaBody health + beauty (line of true skin care for the body + beauty tea blends). She says her tips may be a bit biased because she’s a product snob, but the biases are well-rooted! When not obsessively researching ingredients or traveling around the country working, she can be found on rivers in Montana or the ski slope waiting for snow to melt so she can be on rivers in Montana.
It never really seems to get cold enough in Texas to call it winter, but Spring is coming, and that is inspiration enough to wear summery dresses and show a little more skin. Around the northern hemisphere, such as Montana where I’m writing from, Spring still feels pretty darn far away. But it’s not, and I’ve got some peep toe strappy shoes and a couple of flowy tops I can’t wait to rock!
Skin’s natural cycle is about 28 days which means a month from now you can be glowing, soft and ready for as short of skirts as you’d like…
Here’s a list of 10 health + beauty rituals you can start today to show off your prettiest skin.
This post is in collaboration with
- Start increasing natural oils in your diet. You can do this by eating half an avocado daily, taking oil supplements or putting a teaspoon of coconut oil in a smoothie. This will naturally support your skin’s resiliency and lead to a gorgeous glow.
- Add the equivalent to 6 carrots a day to your diet. The easiest way to do this is by having carrot juice daily. A study done by University of Nottingham showed that daily carrot intake not only provides a natural internal spf, it also makes your skin look tan after about 6 weeks. The picture below shows the effects of regular carrot juice consumption and tanning. Just as pretty, not so damaging.
The face in the middle shows the woman's natural color. The face on the left shows the effect of suntanning, while the face on the right shows the effect of eating more carotenoids. (Credit: Ian Stephen, Univ. of Nottingham)
- Start Dry-Brushing! People often think this takes forever, but it’s less than a minute, keeps circulation strong, supports detox, prevents cellulite and allows active ingredients in body care to penetrate fully. You can find a long-handled dry brush at any TjMaxx or health food store. Start at feet and work your way up, towards the heart, opposite of blood flow. You’ll start seeing tighter skin after just a few weeks, and it helps prevent those pesky little bumps on your tush so you can be more confident in a bikini.
- Decrease intake of starchy foods and sugar. The obvious reason for this is you get to drop a few pounds. But, the skin health reason for this is that starchy foods leads to inflammation and makes your skin more susceptible to oxidative damage since it’s stressed from the inside. Sugar can also lead to funny dry patches and be one of the aggressors of keratosis-pilaris, those little bumps on the back of arms, and possibly acne.
- Increase internal antioxidants. Again, this seems like just a health thing, but it actually allows you to enjoy time in sunshine and spend a couple extra nights having cocktails with your ladies without it being a big deal. Studies have shown that oolong and puerh tea consumption can decrease chances of skin cancer and support collagen. Plus, 3 cups of loose-leaf tea daily can increase your metabolism by as much as 12% after 4 weeks. Couple that with decreasing sugar, and you may end up showing even a little more skin! You can enjoy tea hot or cold, but opt for loose-leaf. Tea bags may be fine for flavored water, but that is not where the benefits are.
- Commit to real skincare, for your whole body. We take great care of our faces, but sometimes think any old moisturizer will do for your body. So not true! Look for products containing Vitamin C, Tea Extracts, Collagen Boosting Peptides and ingredients to prevent hyper-pigmentation. Take a few minutes daily to help protect and regenerate your skin and ensure you get to wear hot little numbers for as long as you want.
- Most nights before bed, apply a strong balm to hands and feet. And do a little foot scrubbing daily in the shower. If you’re a morning shower type of girl, clean your feet with a warm, wet towel before applying a body serum/treatment at night. It’s a lovely way to end the day. Our feet get beat up in the sunny months!
- Plan some adventures! Your sexiest curve is still your smile, and even if you wake up with a crappy pimple or your skin feeling lackluster, a smile makes it all just fine.
- Add mini-exercises to your day. Lunges while brushing your teeth, plie squates while waiting for water to boil, wall push-ups a few times a day, and holding your core muscles strong while your sitting. All these little movements add up, and will help tone up your muscles.
- And most of all, be sun smart. Not sun scared. Sunshine is good for us, and who doesn’t love a little glow. The trick is to keep your internal system strong with the tips above, your skin protected with a good body product, and don’t bask in mid-day sun.
