Tara, owner of Sincera Skin Care, is the go-to person when it comes to natural skin care. Her tips below will help you fine tune your routine more naturally and if you want skin as great as hers, well... you will just have to go see her!
What turned you on to natural skin care?
For many years I was eating a
healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle, but I wasn't applying the same
philosophy to my skin. I was constantly using harsh products filled with
sulfates and chemicals in attempt to correct my problematic skin. No
matter what I tried my skin was always left dry, irritated, and lackluster. I
finally accepted that I would never have that healthy glow we all strive for
until I decided to shift my approach. Without much expectation, I began using
natural and organic skincare products. This was a total change for me because I
was always afraid the natural ingredients would not be as potent or effective
or they would cause breakouts. Not the case! The moment I started using natural
products my skin started feeling plump, hydrated, and healthy. My skin
responded so well to the nutrient rich vitamins and minerals that I have been
using them ever since. When I started Sincera, I knew I wanted to share my
personal experience, educate my clients about the advantages of a natural
approach to skin care, and to help them solve their own skin care concerns in a
non-invasive way. Fresh, glowing skin can be achieved naturally! We
all know the benefits of a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables is good for the
INSIDE of our body, why wouldn't we extend the same philosophy to the outside?
I took me a while to figure it out, but once I experienced the benefits for
myself I wanted to spread the word.
What do you think is the number one thing people do wrong when it comes to taking care of their skin?
Simply
over-doing it. Cleansing too much (once a day, preferably in the evenings, is
usually sufficient), over exfoliating, and not moisturizing enough. Even
someone with oily skin should be using a good moisturizer morning and night.
Don't be afraid of to give your skin some love…stop assaulting it and start
being kind to it!
What
is your favorite DIY skincare concoction?
Oh
my, I have so many…..I am a skincare DIY junkie! Lately I have been loving
anything with lactic acid (yogurt or milk). Lactic acid is amazing for
softening, brightening, hydrating, and smoothing the skin. Cleopatra used
to take milk baths :-) It is also a great exfoliant for sensitive
skin as the enzymes literally "eat up" all the gunk that hold the
dead skin cells together and cell renewal is acheived without the irritation
you might get from a manual exfoliator or scrub. A good way to get the
benefits of lactic acids at home is with yogurt. My favorite recipe combines
grapefruit, carrot and yogurt. Yum! (Grapefruit and carrot are also amazing for
brightening and supplying powerful vitamins to the skin)
1. 2 Tbsp grapefruit juice
2. 1 tsp carrot juice
3.
2
Tbsp plain organic yogurt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Apply a thick layer
of paste onto clean skin and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm
water and a washcloth.
For
those of us with dry skin, what are some things we must make sure to do other
than moisturize?
Besides
using a good moisturizer, it's also important to exfoliate. Dry skin tends to
"hang on" a bit longer and it is important to remove the dulling dead
cells so the moisturizer can really do it's job. Otherwise you are moisturizing
a layer of dry, dead skin and absorption is limited. Ingredients to look for
that stimulate oil production are Grape Seed, Green Tea, Wild Yam, Green Tea,
and Evening Primrose Oil. Ingredients that nourish and provide a moisture
barrier on the skin include Shea butter, Jojoba seed, and Borage Seed.
Drinking
lots of water is of course very important as well as boosting your intake of
Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, flax seed, chia seeds, etc.).
What is the best advice you have for keeping your skin looking young?
Oh
goodness! This is a hard one, but I would say using sunscreen, protecting
against free radical damage, and exfoliation to speed up cell turnover.
Environmental damage makes up 90% of what ages our skin, the other 10% is
genetics so protection is key! Wearing a good mineral sunscreen everyday, even
when it's cloudy, is very important. Fighting free radical formation with an
arsenal of antioxidant ingredients like green tea, vitamin A, C, and E will
prevent and even reverse damage. And increasing cell turnover is key because as
we age the cell turnover rate declines. When we are teenagers cell turnover
rate is about 15 days and as we age it can slow to about 50 days! Exfoliating
with lactic acid and natural alpha hydroxy acids will help to speed up the
turnover rate and reveal more radiant, younger looking skin.
What are the best foods we could be consuming for our complexion?
What are the best foods we could be consuming for our complexion?
There
are so many good ones, but a few power packed foods to incorporate into your
diet for glowing skin include avocado (to boost moisture and help to soothe
irritated skin), cabbage (has more Vitamin C than oranges and helps to
stimulate collagen and suppress melanin) almonds and sunflower seeds (supply
the skin with Vitamin E which helps to stabilize free radicals and delay
aging), celery (helps reduce inflammation), and green tea (the
polyphenols in green tea can actually inhibit the breakdown of precious
collagen in our skin).
Top
3 favorite beauty products?
Ok, another hard one! Definitely the
Clarisonic Mia2 (one of the very few skin care "game-changers"), the
Yogurt Power Peel from Ilike Organic Skincare (amazing results in one use,
really!) , and the Mineral Matte SPF 30 from Coola (wearing sunscreen every day
is key, so it's best to choose a high quality mineral formulation and this one
blends beautifully into the skin).
To learn more about Tara, visit her website at www.sinceraskincare.com
wow what lovely tips. I'm guilty of piling the chemicals on my skin in a bid to get rid of my spots but having read this i think i'm going to try a more organic approach. I'll definitely be trying that yoghurt mask. Thanks x
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I have been thinking the same thing....I live a healthy lifestyle but pile chemicals on my face and body. Thank you for sharing!
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