It’s not uncommon to scroll through Twitter or Instagram and see people glowing in the sun. With their “Highlight Poppin”. But we’re human and sometimes we experience breakups, breakouts, stress, and other factors that cause our skin to suffer. Through trial and error I’ve found things that have completely changed the way my skin looks and feels. The plus side to this is that most of the products I use are completely natural, so I don’t have to worry about toxins and chemicals getting into my body.
Here are 5 essential products in my skin care regimen:
1.Apple Cider Vinegar: The end all be all. It tightens your stomach, helps you fight a cold, is a painkiller for those monthly cramps, and whitens your teeth. That’s only part of the story. It pretty much does everything, but let’s stay on topic. Apple cider vinegar really helps clear your skin because it helps to balances your pH, which is important because you don’t want your body fighting acidity, it is also a cleanser.
Mix some water and apple cider vinegar diluted enough to be light brown and apply it to your skin especially problem areas like a pimple or rash. Leave it on overnight or put it on for about 10 minutes before cleansing your face. In the morning mix apple cider vinegar and water in the same way as above and drink it. To get used to the taste at first add a little honey. Trust me, you will get used to it because I can drink it in water like it’s juice.
And this is why Apple Cider Vinegar is my end all be all.
2.Witch Hazel: The magician.Witch Hazelis an astringent, which means it will constrict body tissue. That being said, one of the reasons why your skin may not look as good, or is oily but not glowing, is because of your pores being too big. When I introduced this into my skin care
regimen, I almost cried. Have you ever walked past a mirror and shocked yourself cause you looked so good? Well, yes that happened cause my skin was looking right.
Use witch hazel after cleansing, but before moisturizing. I’ve also learned that applying products that cleanse in an upward motion will make your pores appear much smaller and make your skin glow.
3.Tea Tree Oil mixed with Coconut Oil: The lifesaver. This miraculous mixture can be used for bad breakouts, cuts, rashes, eczema, even keloids. Anything you consider a problem, use this mixture. The great thing about this is that it is super moisturizing. Tea tree oil has been known as a natural healer and the coconut oil helps to reduce the amount of “cutting” and cleaning. You don’t want anything too strong because it will kill good bacteria as well as bad, but it will also kill your skin cells that is why the coconut oil is important.
Get an applicator bottle and make a mixture of ½ tea tree oil and ½ coconut oil. One drop goes a long way. Don’t get product heavy, like we do with our hair because this stuff is strong. Use one drop twice a day for two weeks and you will notice a difference.
4.Mint: The game changer. If you didn’t get my reference, Mint is Money, so it changes the game. It’s corny, but real. Mint is a natural toner. It will even out your skin and refresh it. For those days when you wake up later than usual and you’re rushing to class, this will wake you up. I’m no stranger to showing up to my 8:00 A.M.’s looking dead, but mint will snap you right out of that. Buy a mint plant! It’s an easy low maintenance plant, which is perfect for a dorm room or apartment. You can make your own tea and refresher spray, two wins.
5.Water: The essence of life. Everyone tells us to drink water for hair, skin, and even weight loss. I’m sure this sounds redundant, but when you really try to see the difference you will. I tried it out one month, 2 weeks of barely drinking water, a bottle a day, to 2 weeks of drinking a lot of water every single day. I saw a difference and you just feel better. I have dry to normal skin and when I drank water my skin didn’t get dry throughout the day. We all know how important water is, so I don’t need to go into too much detail, but don’t ignore this simple easy thing to incorporate in your everyday life. Drinking water is cheaper than drinking soda, so you’ll save your coins and save your life.
The key things are to apply products to your face in an upward motion, take care of your pores, and moisturize. I promise you’ll see a difference. Your skin will glow year round and you will be the topic of someone’s skin jealousy on Twitter.