SKIN TIPS

 Avoid unnecessary cleansing and over cleansing. Avoid foaming cleansers that will disrupt the skin barrier function and choose a cleanser containing mild or no surfactants instead.

Use non-drying masks.

 Take an omega-3 supplement with at least 400 mg of long chain omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA). Make sure that you are not allergic to fish oil – the symptoms include facial swelling and a rash.

 Where possible, ensure you get around 15 minutes of uninterrupted, unprotected sun exposure per day – the production of Vitamin D has an underestimated effect on the skin.

 Carefully consider lifestyle choices. Avoid anything that will increase heat or inflammation in the skin like e.g. excessively hot baths or showers.

 Avoid abrasive exfoliants and excessively exfoliating. Settle on exfoliating once a week using a gentle exfoliator.

 Look for products containing Aloe Vera Extract and/or Chamomile.

pH of ALL products must be 4.5

 Take a good quality oral probiotic and apply a probiotic skincare treatment that contains live strains of beneficial microbes to improve the skin barrier.

 Get into nature and interact with nature as much as possible to allow for crucial microbial interaction.

 Follow the at-home skincare routine with products specifically recommended to you based on your skin type, conditions, and concerns. Everyone's skin is different so what works for your best friend may not work for you.

Always, always, ALWAYS start by washing your hands! Never touch skin with dirty hands to avoid the spread of dirt, oil, and bacteria.

Do not over cleanse your skin. Over cleansing strips the skin of its essentials oils and microbes that it needs to thrive. Max out your cleansing at twice a day.

 Apply all of your skincare products to your face, neck, and décolletage. 

Massage your cleanser into you skin for 120 seconds (two minutes) ensuring a deep cleanse. This will allow your following products to be able to penetrate deeper into the skin.

 Cleanse only with lukewarm water. Water that is too hot can strip essential natural oils from the skin and cause dryness and sensitivity. Water that is too cold will fail to cleanse, lift dirt and excess oil. 

 Wash/sanitize anything that you use on your skin daily. If you're using a washcloth for cleansing, buy 10-20 to ensure a clean, bacteria-free wash each use. Another good alternative to a washcloth are the clean towels by The Clean Skin Club. Also remember that makeup brushes and sponges should be washed once a week. 

Wipe down surfaces that touch your skin regularly (cell phone, work phone, glasses, etc.) with an alcohol wipe.

Sheets/pillowcases should be washed at least once a week. If you struggle with severe acne, change your pillowcase daily, and avoid detergents with fragrances and dyes.

  Try out a pure silk pillowcase if your have sensitive or acne-prone skin.

 Avoid touching your face and never pick blemishes. 

Avoid late nights to ensure you get the recommend 7-8 hours of sleep every night. 

 Sleep with a humidifier to help prevent skin dehydration. 

Usually and oil based cleanser to remove makeup, excess oil, dirt, etc. before your targeted cleanser. This allows for a cleaner slate for your cleanser to work deep into the skin.

Cleansers (daily): Cleansers work to remove dirt, pollutants, bacteria and more that finds it's way deep into the skin. 

 Exfoliators remove dead skin cells. As our skin cells dry out and die, the skins natural process of desquamation brings those cells to the surface. Exfoliation improves skin texture, blackheads, acne, dullness and uneven tone.

 Toners help to remove anything that may have been missed when cleansing as well as balance the skins pH. Healthy skin sits at a pH level of about 5.5. Many factors can raise or lower the pH level of our skin and it's important to keep it balanced. Too high or too low of a pH can strip the natural barrier of our skin causing many issues.  

 Serums (usually daily): A serum should target the concern you're looking to prevent or correct. Serums are highly concentrated in specific ingredients made to improve a particular skin issue and have small molecular build to penetrate deeper into the skin. 

 Similar to serums, masques can further aid in specific skin concerns and can be customized to treat different skin issues.

Moisturizers help to balance your skins hydration and oil production. If your skin is super oily, it can actually be a sign that your skin is being stripped and dried out. If your skin does not receive enough moisture, your oil glands can go into overdrive and over produce sebum (oil) to make up for what your skin is lacking. 

 Sun Protection Factor moisturizers are one of the most important products anyone can use. Sun damage is one of the main causes of extrinsic aging. UV rays (UVA/UVB) promote the growth of **free radicals within our skin (scroll to bottom to learn about free radicals) that damage our skins elastin causing sagging and wrinkles. On top of wrinkles, sun exposure causes hyper-pigmentation, AKA sun spots or age spots.