Recently I turned 40, apparently it’s meant to trigger a load of emotions but I feel very indifferent about it and honestly haven’t placed any expectations around my age. I guess I’m happy enough with how things are going or perhaps always too busy looking forward!
I’d say I’m lazy when it comes to beauty but not complacent. While it’s unhealthy to be consumed with vanity, I think it’s a good thing to invest in self care..
I’ve been taking a slow and long term approach to beauty for a couple of decades and wanted to share some of my top tips, much of which should be accessible to everyone. Many of my suggestions will give you benefits outside of beauty in terms of your energy levels, alertness and general health. After all, as an entrepreneur efficiency is crucial.
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Have hydration on the alert and bear in mind it’s not as simple as drinking more water.
It’s more than drinking water which isn’t necessarily the best way to hydrate. It’s periodically enjoying raw vegetables and fruit throughout the day and if you really want to help yourself- making hot or cold, herbal infusions to sip on. This is something that comes so naturally to me through my Arab heritage where it’s common to crunch on cucumbers and radishes with breakfast. We consume raw vegetables with every meal and love to snack on hydrating fruit like watermelon when it’s in season. We enjoy our herbal infusions for digestion, from mint to thyme and fresh ginger on a daily basis.
I’d like to give a special mention to those who consume a lot of caffeine and/or alcohol because following this tip for a few weeks can make a DRASTIC difference to your skin, as will a significant reduction in your consumption.Both caffeine and alcohol are extremely dehydrating and the compound effect of regular consumption shows up in your skin more as you reach 30+. No expensive creams or fancy treatments can come close to competing with this simple lifestyle change.
Another more niche factor is protein. While I believe that we should be consuming much more protein in our diets generally, those who try to consume solely protein may find that their skin is suffering from the dehydrating aspect, so it’s something to be aware of.
It’s important to create what I call a hydration mindset!
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Less is more.
It’s easy to say and it’s the type of thing people love to state, but hear me out.
There is so much being sold to us by the beauty industry and if it actually worked people would reach a point where they wouldn’t feel as though they needed more.
The principal I follow;
Our bodies are so clever, give it a chance to do its thing and if that doesn’t work then take the lightest option for intervention and give that a fair chance before adding more. If you do want more then choose wisely and don’t act impulsively. There is no such thing as a quick fix!
Once you dip into the world of aggressive interviensions- acids, needles etc. it’s hard to go back because you can easily damage your skin in the process. It gets complicated quite quickly and can become a vicious cycle.
In this scenario you may want to consider a type of skin detox where (aside from some gentle natural products like argan oil and rose water) you leave it alone for as long as possible. This is easier said than done though, especially if you feel tempted to cover up with make-up most of the time.
The best bit about following this mindset is that it means you’ll spend less and can allocate more of your budget on other things that will really impact your life (and skin) positively like organic food and better quality oils for consumption and use on your skin- something you should never compromise.
3. Movement and Flow
Whatever promotes better blood flow will benefit your skin. Some of my favourite ways to give my skin a boost as and when I can include;
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Cold showers or cold wild swimming, the best bit is that it’s free!
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Massage- even a 5 minute self face and neck massage can work wonders in combination with our argan oil, with the results noticed almost straight away.
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A high intensity cardio workout-even just 10 minutes of skipping can make a difference.
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Sauna and steam rooms as and when possible.
Whatever you do, bear in mind it’s important to have regular days where you leave the skin bare and make up free so it can breath and rebalance.
If you like these tips, know that I have so much more to share so keep your eyes peeled for more such as what I typically do in a week for my skin and hair.
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That’s all for now!
Dana
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