4.24.2012

Featured Interview: Tara Carson

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?

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

2 comments:

  1. 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

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  2. I 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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