Radiant Skin and Natural Beauty Tips
May 20 2016 – Cassandra Hilton
When the body is dehydrated or lacking essential nutrition and our minds are placed under daily stress, this can manifest as dull, congested skin that suffers blemishes, breakouts, sensitivity, dryness and premature ageing.
We asked Ocinium Founder Cassandra Hilton for her top 10 beauty tips for healthy radiant skin.
- Nutrition
Focus on organic foods, chemical-laden food is a burden to your body. Consume an abundance of food from plant sources, consisting of antioxidant rich fruits such as berries and citrus and green leafy vegetables grown above the ground. This combination will provide an adequate intake of key antioxidant nutrients including vitamins A, C and E to neutralize the effects of free radical damage by skin harming toxins. Forage for activated or organic nuts and seeds that provide essential fatty acids to improve the integrity of the skin and ensure a supple appearance.
- Hydration
Our bodies are 70% water meaning adequate intake is imperative to optimum health. Dehydration slows the metabolism and accelerates the ageing process. How much is enough? That depends on body weight and physical activity with the average person requiring 1.8L with an additional 1L per hour of moderate to physical intensity activity. Substitute caffeinated drinks with herbal teas, which will hydrate and assist digestion & elimination of toxins.
- Beauty Sleep
Sleep is paramount for cellular repair, particularly for our skin to improve complexion and boost immune function. A nightly ritual is key in achieving the ideal 8 hours, some things to consider: Go to bed at the same time each night (preferably before 10pm), avoid using electronic devices in the bedroom, avoid eating heavy meals too close to bed time, ensure room is dark and quiet. Whilst herbal teas can be relaxing these should be avoided if you have a weak bladder.
- Get Moving
Daily exercise stimulates blood flow, thereby encouraging the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to our skin cells. Exercise also assists the skin to eliminate toxins via sweat, one of our greatest detox mechanisms. We should aim to move and physically challenge our bodies in different ways for at least 20 minutes each day.
- Skincare
Keep skin clean & nourished with organic skincare. Ritually cleaning your skin morning and night will prevent congestion and break outs, whilst applying products which feed your skin with vitamins, essential fatty acids and nutritionals is essential to maintaining glowing skin. UV radiation is the highest contributor to skin ageing therefore sun exposure should be reduced to a minimum.
- Dry Body Brushing
This is one of the simplest ways to detoxify your body and works by stimulating your circulatory and lymphatic systems, thereby removing metabolic waste internally and dead cells from our skin surface. Regular brushing also reduces skin congestion and toxin accumulation, which may result in the reduction of cellulite.
- Magnesium Salt Bath
Take time out for a weekly bath, which may be enhanced by adding a cup of magnesium salts. Magnesium will help detoxify and soften the skin whilst relieving emotional stress and muscular tension.
To boost bath time benefits, add a few drops of these anti-ageing essential oils: sweet orange, grapefruit, rosemary, sandalwood, ylang ylang, rose, patchouli, neroli, frankincense, geranium, jasmine and lavender.
- Environmental toxicity
Our bodies are exposed to toxins every day through our environment. From the air we breathe, the foods we eat and the water we drink to the products that our skin comes into contact with. Industrial and agricultural processes and manufacture are the biggest contributors to the environmental and therefore human toxicity. It is important to decrease our toxic load in little ways via: organic foods, purified water, organic skincare, natural cleaning products, natural fibre clothing and limit exposure to polluted environments.
- Meditation
Studies have shown regular meditation reverses biological ageing. Other benefits include: reduce anxiety, lower secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol, increase immune function, increase cognitive function, lowers BP, lowers oxidative stress, calms brain wave activity and increases DHEA levels (DHEA is a precursor to other hormones).
10. Gratitude
The ‘attitude of gratitude’ - ideally we should count our blessings daily. Cultivating gratitude only takes a few minutes and has the potential to provide amazing benefits, some of which include: better relationships, improved physical health, increased happiness and contentment, sounder sleep, improved self esteem and mental strength. Each morning upon rising think of 3 things you are grateful for, it may seem difficult at first but once the practice becomes regular you will realize how much you have to be truly grateful for.