Happy June! So excited to start off this month with a few of my favorite things. Summer, food, and beauty!
It actually wasn't until a few years ago, I started to get into beauty. Like skincare, makeup, and eyebrows-on-fleek beauty. (Yes I still use fleek, even fleeky sometimes....)
I was a Jersey Girl in Florida figuring out new roads, befriending new people, living in what felt like another world sometimes. I was becoming more involved with my full-time job, which was transforming from working in retail, to working in the fashion industry. I started to put my clothes together differently (I somehow managed to maintain what I call City Tropics), wearing makeup as both a feature enhancer and bold statement, and then looking into natural beauty options.
You see, no matter how much makeup I wore and experimented with, I wanted to stay true to my roots. Yes, I wore foundation, but would I love my skin even if I didn't? I caked, contoured, and penciled in every bare spot, and then washed it all off at the end of the night. Keeping my face clean and healthy became more important than ever before. I made sure to buy the cleanest vegan makeup I could find and purchasing natural face mask and cleansers. Read: Shit got expensive. In Florida, not only did I divulge in this whole other world, I learned to incorporate what I already knew to be true.... Food creates Health and Beauty.
That is when I began to believe in feeling beautiful in every aspect of my life. From using inside out practices, to creating products to take care of the skin I was in.
Now that is is Summer and seeing that I started this love in the hot humid days of the south, I thought it was only fitting to do this post as a little tribute . My Northeast, down South, and West Coast loves can enjoy most of the in season foods and ingredients. These are just my favorite, there are many more to experiment and enjoy for your specific skin type. Also because this is food, most of the ingredients are great to use on your skin as well!
Aloe
My summer favorite. This is a regular/must for me when I travel to hotter and more humid climates. Aloe serves double duty too!
The Aloe Vera plant has very cooling and healing properties. Full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, this plant is great topically or taken internally. Notice I say plant, get more for your buck ya'll! Everything from healing rashes, sun burns, to even constipation and digestion. Quick little tidbit, if you're digestion is not track, most likely neither is your skin. It's in your gut, not genes.
How To:
- Peel off the skin, chop jelly interior into fine pieces. Put into a gallon of purified water and refrigerate.
- To drink, enjoy a glass with some pineapple juice, agave, and/or herbs for an easy go to cocktail.
- To heal irritated or sensitive skin, apply aloe mixture on top and let air dry.
Avocado
How can I not? If I don't have avocado in a day, I sometimes feel incomplete, like I missed something so delicious to make it my day/dish ten times better.
Rich in all the good GOOD fats, which is great for overall body health, the effects are amazing for the skin as well. These good fats are anti-inflammatory which is also play a key role for the skin. If you are prone to redness (rosacea), dry patches, and feel your skin becoming dull or loosing elasticity, this is for you! I find myself more often than not poking and pulling at my skin. Have I reached the time in my life where I worry about wrinkles? Yes, I think I have. But, I embrace it and now have the excuse of eating all the avocados. Honestly, a win-win. Also containing antioxidants which repair cell damage, so for those who love the summer sun, you absolutely cannot say no to a bowl of guacamole.
Whether eaten or applied as a mask, affects are the same! On the skin for fast relief, eaten for overall maintenance.
Greens
From vegetables such as kale, spinach, and dandelion, to herbs like cilantro and parsley, every green has an abundance of properties to help maintain great skin. Full of vitamins and minerals that basically start the journey to clean beauty. Whenever I do a detox, the first thing I notice right away is my skin. It is calm, clear, and because of less inflammatory foods, less likely to get irritated. The chlorophyl in greens is one of the most detoxing properties which rid heavy metals and impurities which cleanse your gut and colon, which in turn automatically helps clear your skin. Vegetables like cucumbers and celery are great for keeping you and your skin properly hydrated, helping the cleansing effect and keeping your skin glowing!
How To:
- You DO NOT need a detox. Simply just up your greens. Green juices and monsters, salads, and super greens will do!
- Play with different facial mask using herbs such as parsley or basil. More to come on next post!
Fruits
Fruits don't get enough praise and love as they should. They are first healing, full of antioxidants which as previously mentioned help repair cell damage. Whether from the sun or harsh temperatures, we sometimes miss how to properly care for our face and skin. Antioxidants are an easy way to do any reversal. Along with Vitamin C which creates radiance within the skin, it helps to absorb other nutrients such as magnesium which serves your body and sleep well. My favorites are blueberries and raspberries (I sometimes eat a pint for a light dinner), mangos, pineapples, and watermelon more for hydration. If there is one thing that your skin is usually missing no matter if you have dry or oily skin, is proper hydration.
Another plus for fruit, natural sugars which help curb cravings! Some may have a higher sugar content than others, but I guarantee you, it is better than that piece of cake, ice cream, or even nutrition bar, that you save your calories for. Those ADDED sugars wreak havoc.
So there you have you it, not a complete list, but a great guide to keep your skin looking and feeling amazing. It all comes down to following three different keys/nutrients... hydration, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, and CONSISTENCY.
Yes, I could add all the ingredients and foods to stay a way from, but in reality, I like pizza, meaty tacos, coffee, and a cocktail every now and then. This practice is called MODERATION.
Dedicated to all my summa lovin' beauties.