Ritual #2: EXERCISE - Sweat is actually good for your skin! It moisturizes and facilitates waste removal. Daily cardiovascular exercise will give you increased energy and a more radiant complexion. So let 'em see you sweat!
Ritual #3: SLEEP - A good night's restful sleep is imperative for healthy skin. Don't leave home without it!
Ritual #4: SUNSHINE - 10-15 minutes of daily unprotected sun exposure is essential to good health. Besides providing vitamin D, sunlight also helps heal eczema, psoriasis, acne, and other skin problems. After 15 minutes, always use a sunscreen that helps shield you from both UVA and UVB rays. Even so, there's much controversy lately over the effectiveness of sunscreens. The best way to avoid sun damage (aka wrinkles & skin cancer) is to avoid the sun altogether except for brief exposures. Whatever you do, avoid tanning beds like the plague!
Ritual #5: WATER - What goes in must come out. Drinking 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water daily will help eliminate harmful toxins from your body. Pimples and rashes are the result of toxic buildup inside. Insufficient water intake is also the leading cause of dry skin, so drink up! You can't get too much.
Ritual #6: CLEANSE - Skin needs to breathe, especially while you're sleeping when your body excretes toxins. If skin is clogged with make-up, sebum, and grime, breakouts can occur. Use our gentle moisturizing natural soaps daily with warm water (never hot) followed with cold splashes. Do NOT over cleanse oily skin! That causes even more sebum production. Twice a day is sufficient.
Ritual #7: TONE - This step removes any residual soap, refines the pores, and restores the natural pH balance of your skin. Apply 1 part raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to 3 parts aloe vera juice, rosewater, or herbal tea. Add a drop or two of lavender and/or tea tree essential oil (optional) to fight blemishes and bacteria.
Ritual #8: MOISTURIZE - Next, apply an appropriate moisturizer. Even oily skin can benefit from a light moisturizer. Use aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, or vegetable glycerin for oily or normal skin, while organic extra virgin olive oil is wonderful for normal, dry, mature or sensitive skin. Our natural body balms are excellent moisturizers too!
Ritual #9: EXFOLIATE - A gentle mechanical scrub performed once or twice a week will keep pores free of dead skin cells and debris. Grind up equal parts of regular oatmeal and sunflower seeds (no hulls). Add enough water, aloe juice, or herb tea to form a paste and gently massage it into your skin, then rinse well. The addition of peeled raw fruits provides exfoliating alpha or beta hydroxy acids. A cosmetic grade earth clay will draw out toxins and excess oils, especially if left on until dry. Salt or sugar added to vegetable oil makes a simple scrub. Do not use abrasive mechanical scrubs on acne, rosacea, or super sensitive skin. The oatmeal scrub described above is fine. The regular use of a natural bristle bath brush or natural fiber wash cloth is always a good idea too.
Ritual #10: DE-STRESS - Stress causes our bodies to become unbalanced & unhealthy. So make time to unwind, laugh and connect with friends . Slow down. Sit down. Snooze. Step away. Sometimes...simply do nothing!
