Keeping Skin Healthy and Beautiful

My mother has always told me that what you do to your body now will show years later.

This is one of the instances where I want to ignore what she says and roll my eyes. However, the more and more I read like Glamour and Harper's Bazaar, I am learning that taking care of your body now is more important than ever.

Mom is right.

In an effort to keep my face healthy and glowing this summer I have begun following three simple rules.

1. Cleanse, tone and moisturize every day


According to an article by Glamour, not regularly cleansing your skin can cause a build-up of skin cells making your complexion look dull. Also, using products containing salicylic acid help remove debris.

After cleansing, using a facial toner helps shrink the appearance of pores.

After cleansing and toning, you finally want to moisturize. Even if you have an oily complexion, you still want to use a moisturizer to restore the natural oils that have been stripped from your face. In fact, not moisturizing can cause a greater build-up of oils.

My current favorite products:

Acne Free Kit - $18

I love that this kit comes with a cleanser, toner and lotion. It's super affordable and it keeps my skin clean!

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Buttermilk
Lotion - $8

I follow up with this buttermilk lotion a lot more in the winter. It keeps my skin nice and moisturized without leaving it feeling oily.

2. Use natural make up that doesn't clog pores and keeps a natural look


The worst thing you can do is cake on make up that clogs your pores and causes you to break out more. Even though natural concealers, foundations, bronzers and blushes may cost more, the investment is worth it in the long run for your skin.

My current favorite product:

Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil - $20 & Bisque
1B Concealer - $18

I have been using Bare Minerals for about five years now and I have never looked back. The powder sits really well on my face and leaves me looking natural. Plus the bisque is SPF 20 so I'm already protecting my face from the sun before I even put on sun screen.

This is a great YouTube video with 10 tips on choosing natural beauty products:



3. Use sunscreen! 


Believe me, I am the queen of "wanting to get a great tan" and I often think that putting on sunscreen will only prevent me from being a bronzed goddess. But the truth of the matter is, using sunscreen will keep skin youthful and prevent cancer.

According to an article in Harper's Bazaar, doctors agree that keeping a youthful appearance starts with sunscreen. UV rays can cause brown spots on your skin making you look much older than you are and not using sunscreen can also increase your risk of skin cancer.

My current favorite product:

Aveeno SPF 30 - $12 - oil free - hypoallergenic -
water resistant

Specifically made for your face. I love that it doesn't leave my face feeling greasy and that it's water resistant so I don't have to constantly re-apply in the summer.

Taking care of your skin now will help maintain its youthful appearance later!