Friday, January 11, 2013

Helpful Lifestyle Changes

***TGIF!!! Woot Woot!!!!!!***

Alright, so previously I've discussed a few dietary changes you can make to improve the condition of your skin (http://sassychicsoul.blogspot.com/2012/12/beauty-vitamins.html), however there are also some simple lifestyle changes that will make a nice difference as well! Exercising, getting enough sleep, protecting our skin from the sun, and limiting our intake of both caffeine and alcohol are all crucial to our skin's current and future state.

By now you know that I love, love, LOVE Bobbi Brown, so here's what she has to say about a few simple things you can begin doing today in order to achieve beautiful skin through a healthier lifestyle:

*Exercise: Raising the heart rate through vigorous exercise increases blood flow, brings more oxygen to the skin, and cleanses impurities from the body through sweat. Ideally, you want to do a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training. Aerobic exercise helps get the blood flowing, so take a walk, run, or swim regularly. If you're not about being out in the elements, ALL of these activities can be done indoors.

*Sleep: Sleep is the time when the body's cells have a chance to repair and regenerate. Sleep deprivation stresses all of the body's systems, including the skin. The skin becomes less elastic and prone to outbreaks of acne or rashes.

*Sun: Excess sun exposure is skin's no.1 enemy. It causes premature aging, including wrinkles, loss of elasticity , and hyperpigmentation (dark areas). Worse, over-exposure often causes deadly forms of skin cancer. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) during the winter AND summer months. Even when it's cold outside, the sun is still radiating those harmful UVA and UVB rays.

*Alcohol: Skin problems can be caused by excessive alcohol intake. Alcohol can cause allergic reactions, such as hives and rashes. Most people won't make the connection between the two when they break out. Some have allergic reactions to salicylates, which occur in foods such as bananas, grapes, beans, berries and also, wine. If a rash appears after you eat these foods, it is likely that beer and wine will also cause outbreaks.

*Stress: Stress often shows up on the skin. Stress-related hormonal fluctuations can cause adult acne other skin problems. While healthy eating and exercise habits help to combat the symptoms of anxiety and stress, finding mechanisms to deal with underlying causes of your stress is important. Learn to cope, in a healthy way.
Brown, Bobbi. (2008). Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual. New York: Springboard Press.
 
***A couple of tips:

-Smile, be positive, breathe, do yoga, meditate.

-Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to help flush out toxins and keep all skin types more clear.

-Drink one glass of water each time you have a beverage that contains caffeine or alcohol.

*Challuuuuunge!!! Let me know what impact these lifestyle changes have had on your skin (and overall energy) after 3 months. Take a picture the day that you begin your changes, and then take a picture three months from that date. There will be a noticeable difference, as long as you are committed to the challenge! Send your before and after pics to thirdeyecreativity7@gmail.com. The first beauty to send her submission by April 15, 2013 will win a luxury skin care gift! Let's gooooo!!! =)

Peace!

~Carmen

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