5 Holistic Beauty Tips (That Won’t Break the Bank!)
Today we’re spilling the beans on 5 of our TOP natural beauty tips. Don’t worry – none of the tips are “drink more water” 😉 although of course it never hurts to do so!
When it comes to beauty, it really is as much about what you put IN your body as you put ON it. No doubt you’ve heard this from us before, but we really want to make it clear. Why? Because once upon a time…we didn’t really believe it!
We were always looking for the next whiz-bang skincare product that would solve our all our skin woes. Or the makeup item that could simultaneously erase redness and impart a healthy glow. Now, we both love our creams and highlighters as much as the next girl, but addressing beauty from the inside out put a whole new spin on the “lit within glow”! 💡
So today we’re here to share our tips and spread the love! P.S. These natural beauty tips not only work with your body holistically, they’re easy on the wallet too!
#1 Eat More Fermented Foods!
Sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha…there’s a reason these guys are making a comeback!
If you haven’t heard about fermented foods, then listen up. Not only are they totally delicious 😛 fermented foods are a powerful natural source of probiotics, which are essential for gut health.
Now, not only will your gut thank you for adding fermented foods into your diet. You may very well see improvements in your skin!
Recently, there’s been more and more research directed towards the gut-skin axis, which suggests is that poor gut function can impact the health of our skin. And in fact, many people have used fermented foods to heal chronic skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis.
Related: How to Get Clearer Skin, Naturally
From our own experience, we can say that a healthy (or unhealthy) gut really does show up in the skin. In fact, Bec was able to heal her eczema within a year of working on her gut health – with fermented foods playing an important role.
If you’re looking for a good sauerkraut or kim chi, take a look in the fridge section of your health food store. Note: you want to buy a raw and unpasteurised product to be sure it’s full of thriving, beneficial bacteria. Start with a small forkful each day (with a meal) and before long you’ll be addicted. Promise!
#2 Use Organic Oils in your Skincare
We always stress the importance of using quality skincare products, as much of what we apply to our skin can be absorbed into our blood. That’s a bit of a scary thought! 😳
Now, if you read the laundry list of ingredients in a typical skincare product, you may be shocked at what you find. Unfortunately, questionable ingredients can be found in cheaper drugstore and luxury skincare alike, so buying expensive doesn’t always guarantee a quality product.
As we don’t yet know the long term impact of using these formulations on our skin, we aim to keep our skincare simple (and organic) wherever possible. Organic oils form an important part of our skincare regimens, especially during the winter months!
Jojoba oil is one our all-time favourites. Fun fact: Jojoba oil is actually not an oil, per-se, but a liquid wax. What makes jojoba unique is that it closely resembles our skin’s natural sebum, making it great for balancing both dry and oily skins.
Yes – we said oily skin! Applying jojoba oil can actually help to regulate oil production in oily skins, so do give it a try if this is you!
#3 Take Epsom Salt Baths
If you’re looking to upgrade a relaxing bath, epsom salts will take it to the.next.level.
Adding a cup of epsom salts to your bath (or even a foot bath) is not only a great way to relax. It’s also an excellent way to increase your magnesium levels and support detoxification for greater wellbeing and healthy skin.
How? Epsom salts are composed of magnesium sulphate, which dissolves in warm water and is absorbed through the skin. Magnesium is not only relaxing to our muscles, but also assists in hundreds of chemical reactions within our bodies. Due to the depletion of magnesium in our soils, it’s important to find ways to top it up! On the other hand, sulphate supports our liver’s ‘sulfation’ detox pathway. This helps the body to eliminate a raft of toxins, including the environmental toxins you encountered during the day!
Again, a shout out to dry skin and eczema sufferers – epsom salts can be a lifesaver!
You can find epsom salts online or in most health food stores.
#4 Dry Body Brush
If you’ve been around here long enough, you’ll have heard us sing the praises of dry body brushing more than once! In fact, we even wrote a whole post about it 😛
Dry body brushing is performed on dry skin, just before a shower or bath. It’s an excellent way to exfoliate and condition the skin without exposing it to any products such as exfoliants or lotions. Dry brushing is very effective, and in fact we recommend dry brushing inside the shower to contain the dead skin cells that get sloughed off 😳
Dry brushing also serves a dual purpose as a detox technique, as it really helps to get the lymphatic system moving! So it’s no surprise that the list of benefits of dry brushing is long – from helping to reduce cellulite, to clearing up body acne and, of course, sorting out dry alligator skin!
As far as beauty rituals go, dry brushing also has to be one of the most cost effective. All you need is to invest in a good, natural fibre body brush (not too soft, not too prickly!). To keep it clean and in good condition, we recommend giving your dry brush a shampoo every couple of weeks.
#5 Take Cod Liver Oil
While cod liver oil may not give off the glamorous vibes like spirulina, acai and green smoothies, it packs a punch when it comes to health and beauty benefits.
Cod liver oil is great for supporting skin health, thanks to its unique combination of fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. In particular, cod liver oil is a great source of Vitamin D, pre-formed Vitamin A (i.e. the active form of Vitamin A), EPA and DHA.
Related: Super Supplements – Cod Liver Oil, Vitamin D3…and More!
If you suffer with dry skin or inflammatory skin conditions, supplementing with cod liver oil may help to do the trick! It’s even suggested that skin conditions such as keratosis pilaris result from Vitamin A deficiency, which can be improved with cod liver oil supplementation.
Liquid and fermented cod liver oils may not be for the faint hearted, but don’t worry – it can also be found in capsule form!
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