As empaths, we’re often sensitive to our environments, which can give us more sensitive skin, both metaphorically and physically speaking.
That’s why it’s important to nurture and take tender care of your skin, which is the largest organ of your body and is constantly absorbing whatever it’s exposed to.
When you use products off the store shelves, you have to be keenly aware and observant of all the ingredients listed and their potential benefits and effects in order to choose wisely and keep your skin healthy, protected, and well-nourished.
But all too often, those prolifically available and as cheaply made as possible products all contain chemical ingredients that can be harmful not only to the health of your skin, but to the health of your whole body, your endocrine and immune systems, and even your psyche.
But there are many beautiful things we can use that come straight from nature, with no alterations and at very low cost, that have amazing beneficial effects with very little to no ill side effects.
And when you connect with nature to treat your skin, you’re working with one of the most soothing and effective remedies for empaths to find grounding, strength, and protection. It’s a win-win!
So here are 8 simple tips for more naturally beautiful skin:
1. Your skin health is a reflection of your internal health
The toxins and impurities that can’t be processed internally often erupt and extrude out of our skin. This means that for rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and a whole host of other skin conditions, the root cause is actually an internal balance problem.
So if your skin is unhappy, it’s important to think about what qualities it’s reflecting to show you how your internal health is doing. Ie: if your dry skin is related to your internal state of hydration it may not improve if only treated topically, yet the internal state remains unaddressed and unbalanced.
2. Don’t use anything on your skin you wouldn’t be able to eat
What goes on your skin, goes into your skin and into your bloodstream, affecting your glands and organs and overall systemic functioning in your body.
When you treat your skin with natural ingredients that are high quality enough to eat, you know you’re serving your body with the most nutritive, easily digestible, and adaptable ingredients available.
3. Food is medicine
There’s no illness or affliction in the world that isn’t benefitted by eating a healthy, organic, whole-food-based diet, no matter what your particular dietary needs or preferences are.
Eat pure, whole food ingredients as much as possible, and use that same quality of ingredients in your skincare regime, and you’ll see the nutritive effects literally start to appear right before your eyes in your own reflection.
4. You gotta sweat
Sweating is one of the best ways to release built-up toxins or irritants from your skin, so it’s a super important part of a natural skincare routine to do things that help you sweat!
This can mean a trip to the sauna, cardio for 30 minutes, or pulling weeds out in the sunshine- whatever you do, make sure you sweat daily to increase circulation and cleanse your skin of harmful toxins.
5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
The easiest and freest way to take better care of your skin is to be sure it’s amply hydrated from the inside out. This means drinking plenty of water, yes, but not all water is alike and some, like most tap water, can actually be quite detrimental to your health.
Be sure to drink plenty of filtered water or spring water that’s alive with essential minerals. Also, don’t discount the hydration that comes from eating fruit and vegetables, or drinking their pure juice.
The more hydrated you are on the inside, the more your skin will look radiant, healthy, and balanced on the outside. And always be sure to hydrate after you sweat!
6. Eat your SPFs
Traditional sunscreen has some of the most prolific and harmful chemical ingredients available, so it’s important to use natural ways to enhance your skin’s sun protection and even amp up your ability to ward off cancer and other ill effects of UV radiation.
An amazing way to do that is through what you eat!
- Cruciferous vegetables & leafy greens are super high in antioxidants and have cancer-fighting properties
- Fish high in omega 3’s, such as wild salmon, tuna, or sardines, can protect skin from harmful free radicals and help prevent skin cancer
- Red and orange fruits and veggies have skin-protecting lycopene and beta-carotene
And when you do need to wear sunscreen, look for a natural mineral sunscreen containing “non-nano zinc oxide” as the primary ingredient. It’s very effective, and “non-nano” means it has a larger particle size that won’t absorb into your pores- it acts more like an invisible shield to block out the sun’s rays that you can then wash off with soap and water.
7. No squeaky clean skin
If the products you’re using on your skin leave it feeling squeaky clean, and if you even find yourself craving or wanting to experience that feeling, you’re using potentially harmful ingredients that are stripping your skin of its natural oil, moisture, and barrier of protection.
Squeaky clean skin, or hair for that matter, is a bad sign that you’re using the wrong kind of products. Your own natural oils are the absolute best moisturizer you could ever find and it’s important to use gentle products that keep your natural oils intact, and even help balance them out.
8. Get your beauty sleep
It’s true what they say, you can’t have a healthy body or mind if you’re not sleeping well, and that will be reflected in your skin. You’ll see it in swollen eyes and bags, in the wrinkles from stress, and in sallow, tired-looking skin.
So many cleansing and healing processes are happening at night as you sleep that it’s truly essential for daily health and wellness to get adequate and restful sleep each night.
Indulging in creating a natural beauty routine can actually be quite simple, fun, and inexpensive! You can use many of the things that are already in your fridge, pantry, or backyard, or easy things you can buy from the produce section at the grocery store.
In a sister post, we’re sharing some of the best natural beauty treatments you can use in your own life to put nature into action, and see how healing it can be for your skin, and your psyche!