Hello hello hellloooo!

Ah I am FEELING this summer season. Anyone else? I feel like I just get better at life in general during these months haha, not sure why. 

ALTHOUGH - along with the summertime BBQ's, pool parties, birthdays, and vacations, comes alcohol, junk food, probably not enough water, and long nights where were lucky if we can remember to lock the front door, let alone wash our face. I mean, I don't do that - but I'm sure it happens...right? ;) 

To be honest - I'm just getting over a little face breakout that was pretty terrifying, aesthetically TBH. Nothing a filter can't fix! Haha, but in all honesty, I HATE, HAAATE breaking out. 

So of course I dived into the internet doing research on what to do to avoid break outs, how to handle them, how diet effects our skin and SO. MUCH. MORE. 

LET'S JUMP INTO IT. 

How To Detox Your Skin!!

As a health coach, I have had the pleasure of walking girls through their diets and through my two week cleanse to point out to them the things that may be affecting their acne and what they should eliminate in order to see their skin clear up. 

Usually, simple by following my two week cleanse, my clients will notice a drastic difference in their acne because the cleanse is meant to be a total detox so we exclude a lot of the crap that tends to make us break out. 

Clean up Your Diet:

First of all - let's get a little more specific about the foods that we want to AVOID.

1. REFINED GRAINS AND SUGARS - This is your typical bread, pasta, rice, cereal, soda, sugary drinks and sweeteners like agave and cane sugar. 

"One study found that people who frequently consumed added sugars had a 30% greater risk of developing acne, while those who ate pastries and cakes had a 20% greater risk". (STUDY)

Basically insulin is no bueno for people with acne and we get high amount of insulin when we consume refried grains and sugars because those foods spike our blood sugar levels at which point it's insulins job to shuttle the blood sugars out of the blood stream and into our cells. 

2. DAIRY PRODUCTS - There isn't actually a cause and effect relationship between milk products and acne BUT there is a strong correlation between the two, especially in teens and young adults. This may be because milk is known to increase insulin levels or because milk contains amino acids that produce a hormone that has been linked to acne. SO it may be worth it to reduce dairy for a week or two and see how it effects your skin. 

3. FAST FOOD - Most likely, our horrible western diet contributes to acne so let's relax on the hot dogs, french fries, burgers, and nuggets. 

4. FOODS RICH IN OMEGA - 6'S - Corn and Soy oils are very high in Omega 6's. Most of us are a consuming a diet that is VERY high in Omega 6's and too low in Omega 3's and this causes our bodies to be in an inflammatory state. With that said - consuming more essential fatty acids like Omega - 3's may help reduce acne, but we'll get into that later ;)

5. Chocolate, Whey Protein and other foods that you're personally sensitive to may be a main contributor to acne. 

Best Foods for Detoxing Your Skin:

Now on to the good stuff!

• Fatty fish like salmon or Mackerel for it's Omega 3's
• Avocado's - for it's healthy fats as well as vitamins E and C
• Walnuts - reduce inflammation and have 6% of the recommended daily intake of zinc. 
• Sunflower Seeds - 1 serving contains 10% of the recommended daily intake for zinc. Also contains 37% of the RDI for Vitamin E. 
• Sweet Potatoes - One half cup serving of baked sweet potato contains enough beta-carotene to provide nearly 4x's the RDI of Vitamin A! (STUDY)
• Other foods include: red or yellow bell peppers, broccoli, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes, and dark chocolate (at least 70 % cacao).

Water:

OK. This is probably the most important and EASIEST thing you can do to detox your skin. Let's not forget that our SKIN is the largest organ we have so it's a HUGE component when it comes to eliminating toxins. With the help of having water everyday, our bodies are able to easily flush out toxins through the skin and via digestion BUT if we aren't drinking enough water then toxins build up and accumulate under the skin. 

Plus - being dehydrated makes your skin look red, dry, dull, and promotes inflammation so just drink water! LOTS OF WATER. Add some lemons, or some mint and cucumber I don't care - do what you gotta do! I tell all my clients that they should be aiming to drink 1/2 their body weight in ounces of water on a daily basis.

So for example - if you weigh 120 pounds, you should be getting at least 60 ounces of water, you can do it!

Let's Talk Skin Care

Products you should be using:

Of course the products you use are up to you and should be based on your skin type BUT there's a few skin care products that I LOVE and highly recommend for the best skin health.

1. The Detox Clarifying Facial Wash by Goldfaden MD.

• May provide deep pore cleansing
• Exfoliates and removes dead skin
• Features detoxifying, anti-pollution, anti-oxidant nourishment

2. Facial Detox | Purifying Mask

• Leaves skin looking even and appearing balanced
• Cleans blemish prone skin and minimizes the appearance of pores
• Soothes and calms appearance

3. Aztec Clay Mask

• The 100% natural calcium bentonite clay draws out all the impurities deep in your skin, improving overall texture.
• Free of any additives, fragrances, or animal products.
• It helps to heal acne-prone skin and eases the appearance of scars. It can also help to control skin sebum production.

Tools That Will Deeply Clean Your Skin!

Okay - I'm sure you've heard of dry brushing which I love but I do it a little differently haha and some of you guys might think this is fucking weird but I don't care. It works.

I use this to scrub my bod when I wan't to really exfoliate because it scrubs the sh*t out of me, gives me the best skin cleanse and it's SO cheap. 

Of course a CLARISONIC is super efficient and useful when it comes to cleansing. 

Ever heard of Dr. Dennis Gross' Facial Steamer?? You probably need one. Unless you wanna get like me and use your clothes steamer sometimes? Does anyone else do that? Just me. Okay cool. 

This Neutrogena light therapy acne mask is creepy but I love it.

Should I Even Be Doing Masks???

YES YES YES YES. 

Okay so the last time I went and got a facial to get my skin cleared up, I was asking my esthetician WHY it's so common to get black heads in my nose and in my chin. She basically just said it's common for everyone BUT the best way to avoid getting them, or to reduce them, is to do a CLAY MASK once a week. 

Clay masks help remove oil, dirt and dead skin deep inside of your pores which makes them appear smaller. BUT when you do a clay mask, make sure that it's not on the same day that you do your exfoliation (that may be a little too rough on the skin).

We really only want to exfoliate 1-2 x's a week and make sure you avoid exfoliating when you have a break out so that you don't irritate your pimples. 

Sample Skin Care Routine:

First of all, find your skin type. I personally have combination skin so it's oily in some areas and dry in other spots. I rarely break out but I feel like I experience uneven skin tones so products with vitamin C or retinol are best for me to reduce inflammation and blemishes. 

Regardless of your skin type though, we should all:

1. CLEANSE: 1-2 times a day. Only do it once if you have dry skin and/or don't wear make up. 
2. SERUM: Something with Vitamin C is good for the morning. Retinol would be a better choice at night. 
3. MOISTURIZER: Usually moisturizers are gel or cream based. If you have oily skin then a gel base may work better for you. If you have dry skin - go for a cream base. 
4. SUNSCREEN: Go for at least 30% SPF with UVA/UVB protection.

For me - I remember the order based on the thickness of the product. The thinner products go on first because our pores can absorb them. The thicker ones go on last. 

How To Use Tea To Detox Your Skin

Green tea is very high in anti oxidants and while there aren't any studies that actually show a benefit in drinking tea to reduce acne, there are some that show that applying it to the skin can help! Yay!

The flavonoids and tannins in Green Tea fight bacteria and reduce inflammation.

Green tea lotions and creams are available everywhere but you can DIY!

1. Steep Green Tea in boiling water for 3-4 minutes
2. Allow to Cool
3. Apply to Skin with a cotton ball or use a spray bottle and spritz on your face :)
4. Allow to dry then rinse with water and pat dry. 

ALSO you can make a GREEN TEA MASK by using the remaining green tea leaves and mixing them with 2 TBSP of honey!

Do A Make Up Detox:

LADIES. Wearing make up to cover pimples clogs pores and can trigger outbreaks. AVOID greasy, heavy foundations, and try to go for products that are noncomedogenic, fragrance-free, and sheer!

If you're trying to avoid pimples while wearing make up, following the above is a MUST. The second thing that is a must is, WASHING YOUR FACE BEFORE BED. 

Obviously not wearing any make up would be the BEST make up detox, but these are little tricks that you can live by if you're trying to survive an outbreak in the spotlight. 

Skin Detox Supplements: 

• Omega - 3's - Very Anti-inflammatory
• Probiotics - Promote a healthy gut 
• Green Tea - Contain polyphenols that are linked to reducing inflammation. Also, green tea extracts have been found to reduce acne severity when applied to the skin. (STUDY)

• Turmeric - Contains Curcumin which can help regulate blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. 
• Vitamins A, D, E and Zinc - Big ballers when it comes to skin health. 
• Other: Lean Meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, fish, olive oil.

Essential Oils:

So, acne starts when dead skin and oil and dirt clog your pores right? Well, this is basically the perfect home for bacteria SO if we want to go the essential oil route for acne, we want to find the ones that kill THE MOST bacteria.

This STUDY found that the most effective ones are:

• Thyme
• Cinnamon
• Rose
• Rosemary
• Tea Tree Oil

Skin Detox Tips:

Okay - so just in case we missed anything, here are some of my alternative, and favorite ways to care for my skin, plus little tips when it comes to working out and skin care.

+ Witch Hazel (My boyfriend and I are obsessed)

+ Steamy Showers

+ Wash your face asap after a workout

+ Try to keep the face touching to a minimum

+ Get a facial once a month if possible

+ Don't mess with your acne!

+ Make a sea salt spray! Mix 1 tsp of sea salt with 4 ounces of warm water and add it to a spray bottle. Mist onto clean, dry skin!

+ Try to avoid working out with make up on

+ Change your pillow cases every 4 days, and use a silk pillow case if possible.

+ Last but not least, be nice to your face :)