Glowing healthy skin is all the rage nowadays. Who doesn’t want beautiful, plump, radiant skin? Considering this is a goal of many, the market and economy have taken advantage of this. There are now millions of serums, creams, and cleansers, to help you reach that glowing complexion. But this is where we have it all wrong.
Yes, what we put on our skin is very important, especially considering it is our largest organ! But that is not the only thing that contributes to beautiful radiant skin. We spoke with licensed Natural Aesthetician Swan Dances With Breeze Diaz to find out how skincare is more than just creams.
Read our interview with Swan to discover the keys to a glowing complexion
Swan is a licensed Natural Aesthetician graduate from Southwest Institute Of Natural Aesthetics (A.k.a. S.W.I.N.A.).
She incorporates Holistic practices in her self-care line Natural Passion 4 Wellness as well as her Aesthetic practice Raw Kiss Treatments to better assist her clients on their healing journey. Therefore she refers to herself as a Holistic Aesthetician.
Tip No. 1: Live a mindful and concious lifestyle
“When you think of skincare, what are the most important things to consider to maintain clear, radiant, and healthy skin?”
“What I’ve learned in my scope of practice and holistic practice to maintain healthy skin: what you eat always shows on the outside, proper skincare regimen, use of non-toxic synergetic ingredients in skincare, shampoo, and conditioner.
Low-stress lifestyle, no alcohol consumption, no smoking of any kind, drinking plenty of water daily, consistent sleep schedule, mindful affirmations, and more”.
Tip No. 2: Avoid products with dyes, fragrance, and alcohol
“What are some red flags to look for when buying skincare regarding ingredients?”
Tip No. 3: Consume foods with high anti-oxidants
“What are the best foods to consume for maintaining healthy skin and what do they provide?”
“All organic or at least non-GMO foods high in antioxidants such as Blueberries, Dark Chocolate, Pecans, Strawberries, Goji Berries, Raspberries, Kale. Antioxidants help you to age gracefully and protect the skin’s surface from damaging free radicals such as UV and pollutants”.
Tip No. 4: Get your sweat on to release toxins
“What are some lifestyle changes people can make to promote healthy skin?”
“Any physical fitness that’ll make you sweat. Sweating releases toxins naturally and makes the skin tighter and more supple. I’ve heard that face yoga helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
I do yoga several times a week. Yoga on its own detoxes the organs tightens the skin from head to toe and relieves stress from the mind and body. Drinking water when thirsty throughout the day flushes out the lymphatic system and encourages healthy blood flow”.
Tip No. 5: Avoid inflammatory foods (processed, fried, or hydrogenated foods)
“What are the worst foods you can consume for skin health?”
“The worst foods and beverages to consume that aren’t healthy for skin are gluten which is wheat, white flour, barley, and rye. Processed sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup, granulated sugar a.k.a. white sugar, and soda, alcohol, fried foods, cow’s milk products, processed meat, whey, processed foods, peanuts, hydrogenated oils, and spicy foods cause inflammation for those who have rosacea”.
For you:
Tip No. 6: Be mindful of when your skin is irritated
“How can you tell if your skin is irritated?”
The most common signs are inflammation, red dryness, and cystic acne (large bulbous pimples).
Tip No. 7: Invest in clean products
“Why does using clean facial products matter?”
“Depending on the ingredients they can either help aid in your healing or cause more skin challenges”.
Tip No. 8: Water and Aloe Vera juice are your new BFF’s
“What are some natural ways to hydrate your skin?”
“Some natural ways to hydrate your skin are drinking mostly water throughout the day as I’ve mentioned several times, fresh green juices, adding raw local honey to your weekly face masks, and drinking aloe vera juice that’s made from the full plant”.
Tip No. 9: Adjust your skin-care routine to the seasons
“How do the seasons affect the way you treat your skin?”
“When the seasons change such as winter you’ll need more hydration than in the summer unless you live in Arizona. You’ll need hydration all year around, lol! Winter and Summer are the two climate changes that make the most drastic change on and in the skin. But remember no matter what climate it is, or your skin tone we all need protection meaning SPF.
If you live in a climate that is more humid, in my opinion, it is the best type of weather for supple, glowing skin. Typically the skin doesn’t require as much moisture applied to the skin”.
Tip No. 10: Read that label!
“What are the most important things to remember when it comes to skin care?”
The most important things to remember when it comes to skincare is PLEASE make sure to read ALL of the ingredients before investing in them. The reason why I didn’t mention google is because it has a lot of misinformation.
I will also be creating a community group on facebook to assist with questions regarding skin, provide nutrition advice such as recipes, and all things holistic wellness. The forum will be a great support for those needing a safe place, and all things holistic from a professional standpoint. If you follow my Instagram page Raw Kiss Treatments, I’ll be announcing the date there. Last but not least also get in the habit of reading all ingredients on food labels.
Tip No. 11: Choose your SPF wisely
“What should we know about sunscreen?”
“Most sunscreen products and makeup have titanium dioxide and or zinc oxide. Titanium dioxide causes lung damage. Zinc Oxide blocks hair follicles, causes dryness, is used in bleach, with continual use and high doses cause flu-like symptoms, and upper respiratory tract irritation.
Our Protective Moisturizer active ingredient for SPF is organic Carrot Seed Essential Oil which is a naturally SPF 40. And with the combination of our shea butter makes it SPF 50. You can find it on our website at naturalpassion4wellness.com”.
“Anything else we should know?”
Never use a skincare product that contains tea tree oil. For many years I’ve been an avid ingredients researcher. I have seen this ingredient in several products for skin, and hair care. Tea tree essential oil is a magnificent essential oil! But it should only be used in household cleaning products. It causes extreme dryness over time and is very harsh on the skin.
Also 80% of mainstream skincare products have some kind of chemical ingredient in them. That’s a lot! Keep that in mind.