Detox Your Way to Beautiful Skin

I know that doing a cleanse of any sort can sound daunting. Most of us have tried to incorporate one into our life at some point (or at the very least thought about it…) only to find that it seemed to be more work than it was worth. {or maybe that's just me.} But it always ended up being more time consuming than could fit my life, and the few times that I'd attempted to forego the at-home-Martha-Stewart-juicing I was astounded by the cost of it all! {Plus the place I bought my 3-day juice cleanse from was not only pricey— but it didn't do anything other than somehow make me feel bloated and starving at the same time…and everything tasted like sweetened dirt-water!} 

It was nearly enough to make me swear them off altogether. 

Luckily, there's a much easier way for me to detox now….and it's one that I keep coming back to year after year! And my client's love it too! In fact, this is my #1 recommendation when treating difficult acne! And it's not just breakouts that a cleanse can help with… Built up toxicity in the body can lead to sallowness,  poor circulation and the creation of fine lines in the skin. 

"au naturel" // fight acne for under $75

While I'm not the biggest advocate of using "drugstore beauty" skincare lines, there are a FEW items on my short list of approvals. Most of them can be found in your local health food markets. In this instance, Whole Foods Market. 

>>>  ♡  <<<

If you're dealing with persistent acne or congestion the items shown above are my secret weapon to keeping my skin crystal clear. You can read about my purifying mask HERE For details + instructions. Together they cost less than $20 (for the largest bottles) and the great news is that they'll last you like....foreverrrr 

A great cleanser I picked up recently is this Everyday Coconut Face Wash by Alaffia. One 12 oz bottle is under $10 and this too will last you several months, since a pea-size lathers really well it will go a long way. This can also be an excellent choice for a gentle cleanser to use with a cleansing brush, which I mentioned before in my post HERE. It rinses clean and removes all dirt and makeup & since it's made with coconut oil, it works as a gentle antiseptic without disrupting the balance of your skin. So you feel clean- but not tight. 

These cleansing pads (which are actually TONING PADS) are only $6 and are good at removing any traces still left on the skin after washing. Tea tree oil is antibacterial and soothing to active acne blemishes. If you're not familiar with the scent of tea tree it can be a little overwhelming at first- and it feels almost cooling or mentholated- so just be prepared for that. This is a particularly great item for men...who for some reason think something's not working unless it's "minty" ;) 

Lastly, if you've been dealing with chronic acne flare-ups, and you've never really experienced that before, it could be due to a build up of toxins in your body (Stress, hormones, & medications can disrupt our digestive systems) in which case my "orders" are A) to add a daily probiotic >>to keep your digestion working properly<< and B) use Cayenne extracts to rev up your circulatory system >>which will help aide in pushing toxins out of your bloodstream<< Prices are highest for these two items. The probiotics costing around $20 and the Cayenne drops at $14. But they're super simple additions to make; take 1 capsule daily and use as many droplets as you can tolerate mixed in with a glass of juice 1-2x's a day.{clearly we use ours A LOT in this household⎯⎯⎯ as it's all ghetto and torn up in the pic}

All you have to do after that is take an utterly shameless selfie and post it allllll over the internet. And you're set ;) I hope this helps and that you guys love the mask! Let me know if you try it out...if you do, post your selfie and tag me in it. ;) 

{❤︎, b.}

" stop being so picky "

how to heal picked skin fast:

Okay, admit it....we've all been there! We know we're not supposed to touch our face, let alone pick at a pimple. As an aesthetician I'm supposed to scold you! But the truth is that it's a compulsion that most red-blooded humans have. Of course in my 8 years of practicing I can tell you that there are varying degrees of picking...and for some, especially those with chronic, inflamed acne-- picking can be the result of something much deeper emotionally. Whatever the reasons be, I know that it can be really hard to feel good about your skin after you've just gone to town on a blemish. And even harder to cover up once it scabs. 

With these all-natural remedies (and at least 24 hours of a HANDS-OFF policy to your skin) you can help heal and prevent scabbing...and hopefully somewhere along the way realize that picking is definitely never the best solution. But we're all human...so don't beat yourself up either. 

SOLUTION #1: MANUKA HONEY

You can learn more in depth about Manuka honey in my post HERE but the gist is that it contains enzymes in it that a super healing and exfoliating even. It also has bacteria killing agents in it so it works as a triple threat to acne and acne scarring. If you're dealing with more all-over picking then apply about a tablespoon to clean skin and wear as a mask for 15-25 minutes. If you're dealing with an individual cystic acne scab, apply a dollop to the blemish and cover with a bandaid overnight. Peel and rinse off in the morning and cleanse the skin as usual.

SOLUTION #2: CALENDULA OINTMENT

This too is available at Whole Foods (or any health food grocer) and is a great recommendation for chronically picked skin or painful blemishes. It's an anti-inflammatory so it helps to bring down swelling and has a mild pain reliever in it...so it's a huge godsend for over-picked, tender skin. After cleansing your skin at night, apply a thick layer of gel to the affected area and allow it to dry completely before going to sleep. Gently peel off of the skin in the morning and cleanse. 

SOLUTION #3: ALOE VERA GEL

Just like it can be trusted to soothe a sunburn, it can be trusted to soothe picked skin. Aloe has a natural mild astringent factor to it as well, so this works well for really congested skin types as it draws out toxins. I've personally seen it work wonders for horribly scabbed skin. Again...you can find this at Whole Foods (although if you're willing to wait I personally recommend THIS ONE) If however, you can't wait, look for a higher-quality PURE organic aloe vera...not the cheap kind you'll find at a drugstore. You'll apply a thick dollop on affected areas, allowing enough time to dry before bed. (I say this so that it doesn't wipe off on your pillow AND so that it can work like a nature-made bandaid...literally) In the a.m. peel off gently and cleanse. 

{REPEAT THESE STEPS EVERY NIGHT UNTIL THE SKIN HAS FULLY HEALED}

If you have any questions leave them below or feel free to email me for further tips and instructions on round the clock ways to heal your skin faster. I'm always happy to help! 

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend XO. 

❤, b

SMOOTHIE OPERATOR

You would think that as summer has officially ended and school is back in session that this post would be a little out of place. Unfortunately for us, this Indian Summer has been brutal. Leaving us feeling like residents of Orange County, FL rather than Orange County, CA....

To beat this scorching heat and humidity me and the little one have been smoothie fiends!! The upside to this heat wave and smoothie adoption is that I've found it to be a clever way to sneak in some extra fruits and veggies for the wee one. Here's what we've been making:

Mixed Berry Smoothie:

1/2 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (or raspberries)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup of fresh orange juice

1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped (optional)

Blend ingredients together until smooth, then serve. The cucumber is great for hydration during hot summer months and for mommies it has a ton of skin soothing benefits including reducing rosacea, hydrating skin, and beating under eye circles! 

The Glowing Green Smoothie:

For a list of full ingredients and directions visit HERE. Kim Snyder's blog offers a variety of versions of this beauty miracle smoothie. I'm definitely frequenting her site to keep up on all of my healthy how-to's. And FYI she has a ton of healthy dinner recipes on there as well...so keep her in mind if you're looking to strict-up your diet. 

....and last but not pictured....

Mango-Ginger Smoothie:

1 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 peeled lime

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

Again, you're just gonna throw it all in the blender until smooth. If you're feeling brave you can add 1/2 of a beet that's peeled and chopped. The ginger masks the beet taste really well. I realize that beets are super good for our skin and overall health but to me, they taste like dirty socks and I just can't do it. This was/is the only recipe i've tried where I honestly couldn't taste them. (**oh and one more thing before we go: for the kiddos I've found that adding Brown Cow Organic Yogurts works wonnnnnders! They have a cherry-vanilla flavor that makes my daughter think that I've put ice cream into her smoothie....Score one for team-mom;)

❤, b