Starting a more holistic skincare routine can be such an empowering and transformative experience to dive deeper into a self-care routine.  It is important for everyone to create a routine or as we like to call them Skin Rituals that involve Morning Rituals, Evening Rituals, Weekly Rituals, Monthly Rituals and even Yearly Rituals. This will help us stay on track with taking care of our selves as well as feel better in our bodies.

At Everly Grace Beauty we want to help you feel your best in your body and are even now offering an online consulting service called the Daily Skin Ritual Consultation Program. This program will help any individual become more grounded in creating a homecare routine that will focus on AM and PM Rituals, Weekly Rituals, Monthly Rituals as well foods and some movement tips for each skin type and a bonus skin journal to help us be more accountable and also feel the difference in our skin and bodies.

When our skin is dull, unhealthy, stagnant or even acne prone we not only look in the mirror and notice the physical impact but we also feel the emotional impact in our bodies as well.  Our skin is the largest organ of the body and anything happening internally in the body will start to show up on the surface of the skin. It is important for each person to be connected physically, emotionally and spiritually so we can look for signs, signals are ques our bodies might be giving us when it is out of balance.  Here are some tips to start to incorporate to help clean up or switch to a more holistic skin and body routine.  

1. Less chemicals! Use products that have a nutritional balance to them to care and nourish the skin. Remove products with filers or products that just have a lot of ingredients that you can't read! If you do have some treatment products make sure to balance them with hydration and nourishment to the skin.  If you have a lot of products at home that you are ready to switch to cleaner ingredients don't just dump everything out at once but start adding in as you run out. this will allow you to switch things up slowly (better for the bank account but also doesn't shock the skin). Don't forget to look at deodorant, detergents and other household items. There are so many options out there now to use less so there is really no excuse not too!

2. Diet - Poor diet is just not a good way to treat the body, mind and soul. When we eat well we feel good and when we eat poor we feel tired and sluggish. Make sure to eat foods that have a good nutritional value that help you feel energized and healthy. This will also help the skin appear brighter, more hydrated.  Kale, spinach, almonds and walnuts are nutrient dense foods we should be eating daily.  

3. Clean and Calm Mind - Creating good sleep habits is essential for good skin. The evening is when the body goes into repair mode. Good sleep hygiene habits are: Stop eating 3 hours before bed. turn off the electronics an hour before sleep, listen to a meditation before bed, bedtime teas or warm liquids to help us stay hydrated longer before sleep and go to sleep with a grateful heart. Before we fall asleep it is important to end on a positive note.  

4. Regulate the Nervous System - Any sign of change in the skin is a first sign the nervous system needs to be regulated. Change in texture, skin eruptions, redness or bumpiness. To help the body calm down use breathing and meditations techniques. One that we use in facials and yoga sessions is what we call the "soother," 3 deep breaths, inhale, fill up the belly, chest and to the crown of the head and exhale for 4, like a wave back down the body, belly comes in last toward the belly button. Do this 3-10 times until you feel like you dropped back into the body or felt a shift. Salt baths are another very easy way to regulate the nervous system. Get the bath hot, add salts, wait for a neutral temperature to get in. The temperature should be 92- 98 degrees for the regulate the body.  

5. Connecting the Dots - get to know your body! Start to notice if certain foods don't agree with you or if a cleanser is making the skin red and inflamed. These are all signs to make a change or stop doing something that isn't moving you in a direction towards your highest purpose with your body, skin and soul.

6. Creating Healthy Relationships - Everything we do in this life should be moving us towards a healthier, more purposeful you including relationships. We should look at the relationship we have with ourselves (see #8 below), people in our lives and even food, alcohol and even money. Our relationship with all of these things should have balance.

7. Creating Rituals - Creating Rituals like daily skin routines will help us stay on track with taking care of us. Waking up in the morning and starting the day with a positive mind set, movement and getting our selves ready and having something nourishing can make all the difference with how the day goes. If we set the day up for success we will be successful. "Take care of your body, mind and soul, as this will be with us for a lifetime." Remember, not everyone has the same routine and it is important that we always check in and shift it daily or with season. 

8. Positive Self Talk - Inner beauty is more important than physical appearance. Your mind controls your body. If you believe and truly believe you are beautiful, it will show on the outside. “One way you can do that is by nurturing positive self-talk.  Many of us are conscious of our inner voice or self-talk that helps guide our brains in interpreting our daily experiences. But, unfortunately, it’s in our nature to gravitate toward negative self-talk. You can do this by bringing awareness to positive thinking and be hyper-aware of negative thoughts and their impact on your overall mood.” (source) Create a gratitude practice and make self care a priority. Once you learn more about negative triggers, you can learn to manage and remove them from your life.

It is always important to remember that the body is an integrated system where the state of one part of the body can directly impact the state of your skin.

With Glowing Gratitude,
Christa