Is Your Skin Care Routine on Track?

Breaking in your new running shoes? While you are focused on your body’s reboot, take stock of your beauty routine. With marathon-training sessions in full swing, now is the perfect time to start with a new (easy) daily skincare and support management routine. Consider these five steps as our “personal training plan. . .for your face!”

EAT BEAUTY FOODS

It’s common to curb the carbs and boost your intake of fruits and vegetables. But have you thought about adding skin-favoring foods to your diet? Get a radiant glow, banish fine lines and keep skin soft and bright with: dark leafy vegetables like kale that contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, nutrients that absorb and neutralize the free radicals created by UV light. Just one cup of these greens also gives you over 100% of the daily value of skin supportive nutrients like vitamin A and C. Lobsters, oysters and other shellfish are super-high in minerals like zinc, which has been clinically studied for its important role in the growth and function of skin cells. And boost your citrus: vitamin C has been shown to be a crucial nutrient for skin health and natural collagen production.

TAKE COLLAGEN

Collagen is one of the most important proteins in our bodies and the most abundant protein found in the skin. The most integral part of the skin’s fabric, collagen, is a mesh-like structure. As we age, collagen production can slow, which can lead to skin being less firm. It is important to your daily skin program that you not only boost your collagen intake through diet but also that you supplement your collagen intake to cover nutritional gaps in your diet of nutrients needed to support your body’s natural collagen production. Whether it’s Reserveage Collagen Booster capsules or Reserveage Collagen Replenish Powder, daily collagen supplementation can provide support for the nutritional building blocks needed for this all-important beauty protein. You can even keep delicious Collagen Replenish Chews in your bag for portable supplementation*.

CLEANSE WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) comes from fermented pressed apple juice, where the natural sugar turns into vinegar. For best results, skip the refined blends, and seek out raw, organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized ACV, which contains the “mother” of vinegar, the cloudy substance that sinks to the bottom of the bottle that contains ACV’s beneficial enzymes, bacteria, pectin and trace minerals. ACV also contains powerful alpha hydroxy acids to help remove dead skin cells and unblock pores, allowing the skin to breathe properly and reveal a fresher complexion. ACV also removes excess oil from your skin and helps balance pH levels and even out the production of sebum. Hence, it’s popularly used to calm blemishes and acne. When cleansing with ACV, here is a great toner to try: make sure you dilute it with water when you apply it all over your face as it can be very acidic and can damage the skin. Mix equal parts of ACV and water, and try adding green tea, aloe vera gel, or witch hazel. Just remember to shake the bottle each time before using ACV to distribute the elements—and always do a patch test under the chin for the first try to make sure it agrees with you and your skin!

MOISTURIZE + PROTECT

Soft, smooth skin is directly related to the moisture barrier that is created to keep the water in. Add sun protection, and you will reap the rewards of providing your skin additional protection. Consider natural moisturizing ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, organic milk, raw honey, and yogurt— excellent hydrating agents. And do not forget to apply SPF! Ensure that it is a “broad spectrum” sunscreen that will provide protection from both UVB sun rays that can cause redness and burning and UVA rays—which can cause skin cancer and premature skin aging. There are many natural broad-spectrum SPF products available at natural foods and beauty stores—so wherever possible, choose a brand that is limited on its chemical content.

GET GOOD SLEEP

Beauty rest is not a rumor—the struggle is real. When you get a good night’s sleep (8 to 10 hours, ideally), your skin and your body’s metabolism is able to go into a repair mode where new cell growth happens. Lack of sleep can cause blood vessels to dilate, which directly affects the even appearance of your skin. Late nights with alcoholic beverages can deplete the natural hydration of the skin, leading to dark circles under the eyes. And, lack of sleep caused by stress increases glucocorticoid production, which can lead to abnormalities in skin structure and function, which is linked to acne. To ensure a good night’s shut-eye, lower sugars in your diet, sip water, take electronic device breaks and start the slow-down process at least two hours before bedtime.