As winter nears its long and bitter cold days, sunless gray skies, and howling winds (Okay, maybe it's just our Chicago winters) our skin begins to shrivel and suddenly dry out like a poorly cooked beef brisket. Some of you may be asking yourselves what you should be doing to make the most of your organic creams, serums, oils, and luscious potions. We're about to share a few excellent skincare tips and ideas to keep your skin looking its best all winter long. Hey, if we can do it, so can you! Hopefully you're someplace where the sun shines for more than an hour a day, in which case we seriously envy you.
TAKE OFF YOUR MAKEUP
We receive countless phone calls and emails asking our advice and are often shocked to know how many of you smart, skin savvy women are not taking off your makeup at night. Shocked! If you've worn makeup all day and have been out in the world, taking public transportation, shopping, standing next to a smoker, breathing in bus exhaust, caring for children, pumping gas into your car, (you get the picture now, right) you MUST wash all the dirt, grime and bacteria off of your face! Cleansing your skin is most important in working with any of our facial oils, serums, balms or masks to work their best for your skin. Barbary fig seed oil is more likely to help heal and shorten the life span of a blemish if you cleanse the bacteria buildup off first. Make sense? Now practice it, there is no excuse!
SLEEP WELL
This is imperative in keeping yourself looking and feeling your best and of course, not the first time you've heard this. We'll break it down for you. Lack of good deep sleep will contribute to dark circles, puffiness and sallow skin. It is at night when your skin begins to repair itself from the environmental assaults of the day. Committing to a healthy nighttime ritual will help ease you into sweet dreams of sitting on a beach with Javier Bardem rubbing organic suntan lotion on your back while reciting love poems in a sexy Spanish accent. Trust us on this! If you don't sleep well enough it can contribute to an increase in migraines, work mistakes, and the possibility of wearing your skirt inside out in public. A reset mind is key to good skin and good sense.
Tip: Prepare a tea, turn the computer off, read an actual book, light a candle. Create a ritual that allows you to get ready for good sleep. One of my favorite end of the day tips is to roll a little organic perfume onto my wrists and breathe in an exotic scent to connect me with the botanical world we're so committed to at La Bella Figura.
EAT WELL
You've read about good nutrition, have your Mom's lectures imbedded in your brain and have watched Dr. Oz go beserk over a newly discovered fruit from a mountain top someplace you never heard of, so you are well aware that good food doesn't just feed the soul, but also feeds your skin. We are all guilty of not always incorporating good food practices in our daily lives because we're running like mad to keep up with our obligations. (Can you hear my defensive tone between these words?) Try and I stress "try" to be very aware of the mistakes you make and turn them into little victories. If you just can't sit down to a proper breakfast and Starbucks is the most convenient way to feed yourself in the morning, skip the donut, bagel or yummy crumb cake and opt for a low fat strawberry banana smoothie instead. If lunch means going next door to Subway, then try a veggie sandwich instead of nitrate filled cold cuts and if that makes you feel deprived have a bag of baked chips with it. There are always ways to consciously correct true daily living. We don't always have the ability to make our own good food or eat as healthful as possible, but save your body (and mind) the trouble by not continuing to make the same choices and expect different results.
USE YOUR SKINCARE APPROPRIATELY
So now you know that non-toxic skincare is working well for you, you've invested time in researching some of the most efficacious skincare treatments your good money can buy...now what? How do you use our Barbary Fig Renewal Serum or make Bio Active Healing Mask get you that luscious fresh faced glow we all crave? We're going step by step here just for you!
1. After you've cleansed your face and your skin is a bit dewy is when a facial serum or oil is going to work its very best. Apply Barbary Fig Renewal Serum now or Tesoro Mediterranean Blend and watch the instant glow factor!
2. When applying Decouverte Under Eye Repair Serum at night allow the serum to soak into your skin overnight without rubbing it in. During the day, lightly pat in the serum to allow you to easily apply your makeup and head out the door without skipping a treatment.
3. Use our brand new Facial Steam Teas in combination with our new Bio Active Masks for extraordinary results. While it's not necessary to use in tandem, it does make the results improve your skin and spirits much more obvious. If you don't have time for a facial steam, apply a warm towel on your face for a minute before using our masks. It helps to hydrate your pores and deliver the active ingredients better. When rinsing off either of our face masks, take advantage of the gentle exfoliating ingredients such as vanilla seeds or white willow bark powder and rinse off in circular motion to provide that extra step into your routine.
4. Use Rainforest Hydration Treatment alone on a clean face, on hair, hands, feet, elbows, or all over your body when intense hydration is needed. Rub the balm into your hand to transform it into a liquid that will melt directly into your skin and pat into your face lightly, especially making sure to blend onto dry patches. You may also layer this over your face oil or serum to lock in those nutrients and provide extra moisture, however we only recommend layering if your skin is extra parched. You can discontinue layering once your skin is rebalanced.
5. Spot treat blemishes with pure Barbary Fig Seed Oil or Bio Active Purifying Mask and watch those blemishes be gone like magic! Barbary fig seed oil naturally contains vitamins and minerals needed to fight acne, such as zinc and Vitamin E. We also find it a great natural treatment for little whiteheads. For more acne prone problems a little dab of Bio Active Purifying Mask works wonders to control oil and treat bacteria living in a blemish. Gotu kola, turmeric, and Australian sandalwood perform beautifully together and we find this formula especially fantastic for problem skin.
Are you excited and ready to get your best face on? We are excited for you and hope this winter to keep you looking your very best with our modern skincare line made with the very best natural ingredients to reveal radiant skin!
Stay Bellisima!
La Bella Figura Beauty
1 Comment
Great and useful post !