Flawless skin is the ultimate beauty quest. I struggled for decades with pimples, breakouts, and blotches, but now, at 47, I receive comments and compliments routinely complimenting my even skin tone and glow. The best is when my partner remarks that my skin looks even better that he remembered it after just a few days away from me 😆 This is so satisfying, especially since my skin care regime is pretty low-maintenance, and I don’t really wear makeup on a regular basis!

Obviously, I give some credit for my rosy, clear skin to my non-toxic lifestyle and a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet. I eat lots of green things and vegetables, lots of high-quality animal products for saturated fats, avoid PUFAs (poly-unsaturated fatty acids) and include a variety of fermented foods and probiotics which I believe has led to a well-nourished gut microbiome. I also routinely practice responsible and regular sun exposure and get good rest most nights. 

I also have a very simple yet highly effective skin care routine that really works, so I’m excited to share it with you.

My Current Skin Care Routine

When I decided to ditch the toxic, hormone-disrupting, chemical-laden products procured from the drugstore and department stores once and for all, I made a shift and vowed to begin solely using unrefined, pure plant botanical oils on my skin because it suddenly seemed right given all that I was learning about the beauty industry, I was delighted to find that the condition of my skin started improving right away. And it has continued to do so as the years have gone by! It's been so fun to experience, and I'm so thrilled to be liberated from the draining routine of "hiding" my skin's blemishes on a daily basis. It is wonderfully freeing to know that even free of any makeup, I have mostly clear, even skin to show to the world! I'd love to share with you how I've achieved this and how you can too — really!

There are really only two products that I'll share with you here, as they are the mainstays that make the biggest difference. The first one is Living Libations Best Skin Ever, and the second one is the life-changing clay mask by Alitura. If you spend ANY money at all on your skin, I highly recommend forgoing your usual investments on fancy products procured at department stores or even facials and throwing down for these two products to start with. I guarantee that you will see a difference as your skin detoxes any chemicals you've been using on it and the healing plant oils begin to do their work of nourishing, healing, and clearing your skin.

Best Skin Ever: How to Use this Magical Elixir

Using any of the oil formulations made by Nadine at Living Libations is a divine treat! I started using some of her magical potions years ago, and I couldn't be more thrilled that I found this brilliant company to pledge my allegiance to. I have been endlessly inspired by their brilliant formulations of essential oils and pure unrefined plant oils that they ethically source from all over the world. Spend even a few minutes perusing their website and you will learn some new facts; spend longer and dive in, and your whole paradigm about how to care for your body might be completely shifted!

If I had to suggest just one product for you to start your own journey towards a more natural way of taking care of your skin, my choice would hands down be the 110 ml bottle of the Sea Buckthorn Best Skin Ever. This formulation is definitely going to be the best bang for your buck. If you'd prefer to upgrade to a pricier version like the Rose or Sandalwood instead, do it — they smell even lovelier. Try Frankincense for most rapid healing and clearing of age spots and other imperfections.

Nadine bills The Best Skin Ever products as "an all-in-one cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer." Having this product on hand allows you to not only stop using your moisturizer, but your cleanser as well. I was skeptical too all those years ago when I heard that I had to give up my beloved cleanser, but when I started oil cleansing in a manner similar to what Nadine recommends, I was stunned at the incredible results! I was wary at first, of course — it's OIL you're rubbing in to CLEANSE the skin? Yes, it does sound kind of fishy at first! But put aside your skepticism, please. Instead of stripping your skin like most cleansers out there, the reasoning behind oil cleansing is that the beneficial omegas, antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, lipids, and hundreds of bioactive compounds in the oils restore, maintain the skin’s essential lipid barrier, and nourish your skin, penetrating, healing, clarifying, conditioning and regenerating. Yep, in my experience, oil cleansing does all these things. (And check out the multitude of reviews; I'm not the only one!)

Here's what Nadine writes about herself:

Created with harmonious, organic oils perfect to bring into balance every skin type, Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever™ is brimming with nourishing bioactive botanical compounds. Skin cells sing under the care of Seabuckthorn and all her attentive tissue-attendants, including golden jojoba, virgin coconut, tamanu, lavender, vetiver, grapefruit, and pure palmarosa. Seabuckthorn berry supercritical extract sinks deep into the lipid layer of the skin, infusing tired tissues with antioxidants, omegas, fatty acids, and phyto-protective properties. Our golden jojoba melts into endless moisture, working with coconut and lavender to soothe, balance, and protect. Brilliant berries of tamanu inspires the growth of fresh skin cells, while rich roots of vetiver balances sebum production at every level of the stratum corneum. Grapefruit tightens and tones as the phytochemicals in palmarosa nourish and adore each skin pore.

To learn how to cleanse your face/skin with this product, feel free to click over here and learn from Nadine's instructions and videos. Personally, I take a slightly different approach, preferring to use warm water and rinse the oil off.

Here's my own quick tutorial:

• In the shower, rinse your face for a couple minutes with warm/hot water.

• If you're not showering, but are at your sink, warm your skin for a couple minutes using a washcloth soaked in very warm/hot water and pressing it gently against the skin for a few minutes.

• Then, squeeze out your washcloth well till it's not dripping but is damp.

• Apply a couple squirts of the oil to a corner of the cloth.

• Use that corner to rub gently in small circles all over your face and neck till you have covered every inch; this should take a minute or so, don't rush. (If you have any scabs or painful blemishes, avoid those areas for now.)

• Next, use warm water to rinse the face, rubbing again gently in circles with the damp cloth. Your skin should feel clean but not squeaky.

• Rinse and squeeze out your cloth, and that's it. 

• After this "cleanse" and you’ve dried your face gently with a soft towel, you can massage another squirt or two onto your damp face and neck after you exit the shower for added moisture, healing and nourishment.

Personally, I do this cleansing routine every other day or so when I do my full shower routine including hair washing etc. I find that washing my face every single day is actually unnecessary, though maybe if I lived in an urban area being exposed to lots of pollution, I might want to. I do, however, use a few squirts of the oil as a moisturizer on dampened skin every day. Try it out and see what works for you and your skin. Do keep in mind that for some people, it might take a little time for your skin to readjust and it might get worse before it gets better, especially if you've been using harsh cleansers and such prior to starting. I urge you to give it a little time and don't give up before the glow takes over! It will be totally worth it!

The Clay Mask by Alitura 

On my quest to find healthy, radiant, blemish-free skin without depending on harsh chemicals, I found another product that I cannot live without. Well, I suppose I could, but I wouldn't look as good! 

The first time I mixed up the Alitura Clay Mask and used it, I was in a hotel room, and even under the horrid fluorescent lighting, after I rinsed the mask off, my skin was radiating in a way I had never seen before. The improvement was almost shocking — definitely better than any fancy facial I'd ever endured. I swear that my pores practically disappeared and the tone of my skin was super soft and more even, all in less than 15 minutes. And I had only used a tiny fraction of the big jar of product! WIN!

Here's what Alitura's website says about it:

"Unlike ANYTHING else on the market, the Alitura Clay Mask is truly an “all-in-one” facial treatment that thoroughly purifies skin at its deepest layers. This unique blend of 9 nutrient-dense ingredients exfoliates dead skin, reduces pore openings, stimulates blood flow, and encourages growth of new skin cells. The detoxifying properties of carefully formulated clays draw out impurities, and produce porcelain-smooth skin with a radiant glow.  There is no other clay mask like it!"

Here's what's in it: 
10% L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Freshwater Pearl Powder, 6-hour Grass-fed Colostrum, American Ginseng, American Ginseng, Rhassoul Clay, Illite, Calcium Bentonite Clay (Green Desert Clay), Kaolin Clay, Organic Kelp Powder

The synergizing effects of these ingredients are one hundred percent worth every penny! The formula is evening to skin tone, moisturizing, detoxifying, smoothing, calming, healing, and improves just about every aspect of your precious skin. Just don’t leave it on too long — just until it’s dried, then rinse gently.

If you decide to use apple cider vinegar instead of water to hydrate the clay mixture as suggested on the jar, effects will be even more pronounced. I cannot recommend getting a jar of this more. Use it 1-3 times a week and you will no doubt see major improvements in your skin quality and clarity in no time at all. It’s also very effective as a spot treatment for active blemishes; you can even dab on a bit and sleep with it on.

So, that's it! Invest in these two products both for less than the cost of a fancy facial, and set yourself up for major change. It's worth the time, energy, and effort, I promise! I wish I had known how to caretake my skin for such gorgeous results much earlier in life. Now that I do, I am happy to teach others how to get glowing skin too!

Links:
Alitura Clay Mask 
Living Libations Sea Buckthorn Best Skin Ever