A couple months ago I had dinner at my friend’s new
apartment. I was excited to see
her new digs and about her menu of grilled salmon, scalloped potatoes and steamed
vegetables. We made it halfway
through the meal without any cringe-worthy statements. (She’s particularly
candid with her observations.) As the main course settled and we caught up on
girl talk, she brought out more white wine and slices of chocolate cake.
"Oh, you have great skin!" she said suddenly, with her head
cocked to one side, looking at me as if for the first time. "But you know that,
I always say so."
Feeling a bit like a petri dish, I thanked her and tried
moving the conversation along, "that salmon was great, what kind of
seasoning did you use?"
"Well, I did use a lot of rosemary, but otherwise kept it
simple, just some salt and pepper…” she went on, the intensity fading from
her stare as she looked up and rattled off her ingredients.
In the next instance, her head snapped backed down, her eyes
level with the rim of her wine glass. She swirled it once and I braced for
impact. CUE the “JAWS” theme.
“Really, it’s flawless, almost. Just a couple of dark spots, but it happens to the best of
us.”
“Ha, ha, dark spots?”
“Yeah, but just around the eyes. No biggie, just spend less
time in direct sunlight” she said before taking another sip.
As much as I didn’t want to hear it, she actually got me to
take a closer look at my skin. There
are a couple dark spots, it’s true. But in bringing them up, she did offer a skincare tip and led me to dig up some more that I’d like to share with you. These should work whether it’s treating
problem areas or keeping already radiant skin just as… flawless :) Plus, a few of them of
use natural, every day food and household products so they’re green as well!
5 Natural Tips to Protect your Skin
1.
Avoid staying out in the sun for too long. UV rays can be the culprit of dark spots. So, wear sunglasses & sunscreen: (SPF 30
or higher) Apply at least 30 minutes before going outdoors. And, apply
sunscreen every 2 hours when staying outdoors for extended period of time.
2.
Learn more about what’s in your skincare
products. This article at Tree
Hugger.com is a great place to start. Did
you know that the average woman ingests almost 4 pounds of lipstick in her
lifetime? Learn more shocking facts and how you can make your own green
skin care treatments with recipes like a Banana Facial masque and a tomato and yogurt cleanser.
3.
In keeping with the DIY approach, try new tricks
cucumber and lime juice, or a 20 minute honey treatment for dark spots and pimple
scars.
4.
But it’s also about what’s on the inside, so try
eating more antioxidant-rich foods that promote healthy skin. This means more
nuts, lentils, leafy greens like spinach, and yellow and orange fruits and
vegetables like carrots and apricots.
5.
Finally, drink water and stay hydrated! As much
as possible, drink filtered water and water at room temperature, which is less
shocking the system. Click here for more ways to boost your water intake.
That’s all for now. Enjoy and staying glowing from the inside-out :0)
- C.
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