My Guide to Naturally Glowing Skin

JANUARY 2023

As you read this entry, you’ll notice that the majority of my skincare-musts aren’t product-related. This is because I’ve learned that healthy skin starts from within. I’ve also come to understand that health, particularly skin health, is deeply emotional; it is truly a reflection of what’s going on internally. With that in mind, this is what I do to maintain radiant skin.

Oh, and I should mention - this is what my skin used to look like three years ago after coming off the birth control pill and living in an off-the-charts stressful environment:

Implementing the steps below, this is what it looks like now, sans makeup*:

Here we go:

1)    Meditation

I’ve always believed that if it’s vanity that gets you to start and stick to healthy habits, then so be it (largely because as you continue to develop your habits, your motivation will change organically. I digress…).

I found meditation at a time where I felt like I had exhausted lots of other avenues to heal my skin from post-birth-control cystic acne. I had heard that meditation had been proven to speed up wound-healing (breakouts), soothe inflammation (breakouts and redness), and enhance lymph flow (overall glow). So, as my last resort, I decided to give it a go. What I wasn’t aware of when I started meditating was the immense emotional relief that it would provide. So, now, I meditate everyday to feel emotionally grounded and to experience the inevitable skin benefits that follow each session: disappeared dark circles, wider and more vibrant eyes, reduced redness, and a clearer complexion.

 

2)    Facial Reflexology

Cue my playlists…

A practice I return to daily, facial reflexology is based in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - I learned from Danna Omari of Noy Skincare (@noyskincare).

In TCM, it is believed that specific points on the body correspond to unique meridians (a meridian is a channel of energy or “qi”). When activated, these points/meridians can regulate certain organs in the body. In other words, think of facial reflexology as acupuncture with a special tool instead of needles. My favourite protocols are the ones that Danna calls “Calm and Moisturize” which target spots including the liver, spleen, and stomach. I can instantly tell that this practice works because any swelling in my face fades, my complexion revitalizes, and any under-eye darkness vanishes.

(And yes, I really do have reflexology playlists – one for morning and one for night!).

 

 3)    Gua Sha & Facial Massage  

If you know me, you know that one thing I can usually be found doing is Gua Sha - another practice based in TCM that I learned from Danna Omari (@noyskincare).

Gua Sha works to tighten, brighten and sculpt the face by stimulating blood circulation, and draining excess lymph from the face/neck/décolleté. As soon as I Gua Sha, my face looks lifted and rejuvenated. I do this three/four times a week, and the whole routine takes me 20 mins. I also always end each session with a two-minute ear massage to promote healthy skin. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. And, on the days where I don’t Gua Sha, I usually massage my face/neck/chest with my hands for about a minute and a half. This gets the lymph moving at least a little for a quick boost.

P.S. If you are Gua Sha-ing, be sure to open up your neck and chest first. Otherwise, the stagnant lymph that you are working to release from your face will have nowhere to go!

4)    Diet

As I mentioned at the beginning, healthy skin starts from within. Perhaps the most obvious case of this is diet. Actually, the first dietary change I ever made in the pursuit of clear skin was adding celery juice into my routine. While I don’t make this, or green juice, as much anymore, I still credit a lot of my skin-healing to it and will make one from time to time. Another drink I love to have to encourage healthy skin is my everyday smoothie, the star ingredients being spirulina and ginger (A LOT OF IT). I also love my healthy fats – coconut oil, coconut milk, tahini, avocado, salmon, and olive oil. I find that when I eat them consistently, my skin remains dewy and plump. I also focus on eating lots of veggies, particularly hydrating ones, such as cucumber, celery, lettuce, and bell peppers (BTW: my smoothie recipe covers allllll of these bases). I also drink water and decaf tea throughout the day to hydrate my skin. Lastly, alcohol, or lack thereof…When I was drinking, I noticed that my skin took a substantial hit and I’d breakout pretty intensely each time. So, for me, cutting back - and ultimately cutting out - alcohol was definitely the right choice which I can see reflected in my skin today.

 

 5)    Herbs

While technically a part of the diet category, I am breaking things up to make this more digestible (pun intended). I love to curate my herb-use depending on my skin’s needs: For example, I will incorporate a dandelion leaf tea to support my liver detoxification if I notice any breakouts on the sides of my face (which is an area that corresponds to the liver in TCM). Similarly, I will mix in a parsley tea to flush out my kidneys if I notice any breakouts or darkness under my eyes (which is an area that corresponds to the kidneys in TCM). Lastly, for an overall complexion-refiner, I will sip on ginger tea to warm the body and increase blood circulation (in Ayurveda and TCM, ginger is considered a “warming” spice because it does just that by raising body temperature).

 

 6)    Sleep

Admittedly, this is the area of wellness in which my habits are most, shall we say, “in flux.” Having said that, there are still some things I do that help improve my skin while I sleep. After all, studies have repeatedly shown that sleep is the body’s chance to repair and restore, and that extends to the skin. For one, I sleep basically upright. I’m talking literally three pillows so that I’m only slightly leaning backwards. When I wake up in the morning, my face and eyes are not puffy at all. I also notice that when I do sleep eight hours, my skin looks much more refreshed. I also ensure I’ll have quality sleep by wearing my night guard, taping my mouth, using an eye mask, and wearing ear plugs.

  

7)    Cleansers

Last but surely not least, my cleansers. Let’s start with the holy grail of face washes: Living Libations Best Skin Ever Seabuckthorn (it’s called “Best Skin Ever” for a reason). I use this 95% of the time, morning and night, following this exact method from Danna Omari using cotton rounds (which provide a gentle physical exfoliation). I don’t use any other moisturizer or serum or cream on top of this. About once a week at night, I will work in the Environ SebuWash. The salicylic acid in this helps to exfoliate my skin on a deeper level (chemical exfoliation vs. physical exfoliation from the cotton rounds), which I notice leaves my skin feeling extra clean and smooth the next day. If I had to pick one, it would for sure be BSE but the combo does do wonders for my skin! Finally, when I wear makeup, I remove it with avocado oil and then steam my face with a reusable cloth before going in with the BSE cleanser.

*Full transparency: I have had two rounds of laser genesis at Noy Skincare which helped to fade my scarring to some extent. However, I can confidently attribute 95% of my healing journey for the cystic acne, including the majority of the scarring, pain, extreme redness, irritation, deep whiteheads, and frequency of breakouts, to the methods I mentioned. Also, always remember that lighting in photos can make a huge difference in appearance; I still have some faint scars and I still breakout sometimes. Nonetheless, I am extremely proud of my skin and have grown to really love it.

I’d love to know what your skincare routine looks like! Let me know below!

This blog does not contain medical advice.

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