Yesterday, after Pilates Bootcamp my friend and I discussed the condition of our skin. We are both instructors with extremely sensitive skin and we often have mild breakouts. She was on her way to see the dermatologist which spawned the conversation of skincare having a more holistic approach. My dermatologist is a cream pusher while my esthetician can hold a lecture series on diet and skin. My esthetician is a rarity in her field because she doesn’t push product. She likes to pick your pores until they are flushed out which is awesomely painful.
I was making household face wash with olive oil for a few months (Oil Cleansing Method). It made my skin glow but unfortunately every day use is not possible and I need a cleansing after each sweat-fest. I went to WholeFoods and read the labels of each product until I came across two that I felt had the most monosyllabic ingredients: the first, nelsons pure & clean exfoliating wash and second, Global Balance Facial Wash (neither product is rated on Cosmetic Database). Not to seem obsessive but I did research the ingredients I was unsure of and both seemed golden. The gentleness of both products are helping my pores stay tiny and reducing redness.
Facial products with 1) less ingredients 2) natural as possible are milder on sensitive skin. If I had the time to make my own products I would but since I am no mixologist the store route works. According to my esthetician blackheads are from external surface oil and whiteheads are about internal health. Ack, I have both. So the external is obviously easier to fix than the internal.
Hormones, grease, sugar and caffeine are holding my skin hostage. I don’t eat badly but I do love coffee, chocolate and cookies. I have slowly backed off a few of my favorite things and have noticed an improvement. Also I don’t drink water for an hour after eating which has also just helped my digestion and skin. The hormones are a little more difficult to fix, I am at the age where my body wants a baby. In other words, my hormones are as unstable now as they were in my teens. Yoga is helping with the regulation of hormones but I accept that control over mother nature is mainly out of my hands.
In Well+Good NYC I read about dermatologist, Jeanette Graf M.D., taking a more holistic approach to skincare. She is looking at diet and suggests eating more leafy greens. I am going to inject them into every meal. To read the article click here. Looking at the larger picture, the holistic approach is a more complete diagnosis of a problem. I don’t even pretend to know the answers for overall skincare but I do know that for me I prefer to go green with my products and eat green!
