7 Ways To Cultivate & Celebrate Your Inner Beauty
Because true beauty goes way beyond the surface of your skin…
As a skincare company, the health of your skin is super important to us. But when it comes to ‘real’ beauty who and what you are on the inside is what really matters. Not sure you know how to cultivate your inner beauty? Well, it’s all about embracing a positive mental attitude and being good to both yourself and everyone around you.
Here’s how…
1. Start The Day How You Mean To Go On
The first few minutes after waking up are extremely important to how the rest of your day will transgress. So check your mental state and start positive. This may sound easier said than done but it’s all about mind over matter. Sure, if you’ve had a great night’s sleep it’s easy to feel great first thing in the morning and hit the day running. But if you’ve had a rough night it’s natural to slip into a bad mood which is hard to shake off. Sounds familiar? Then turn that negative into a positive. You might be tired and grumpy but it’s a fresh new day and who knows what’s in store? Be mindful of your attitude, take control of your emotions, smile like you mean it and your inner beauty will naturally shine.
2. Say Something Nice To Yourself Every Day
The way you view yourself is super important when it comes to both your inner and outer beauty. When you look in the mirror, do you always see the things you dislike first? Why do we do that to ourselves?
The problem is that unlearning this negative thinking is really quite hard – it’s human nature, after all. However, it’s a great step towards celebrating your beauty so let’s try, shall we? Next time you check yourself in the mirror, look past your crow’s feet/wobbly thighs/graying hair and concentrate on the good stuff. Is your skin looking particularly fresh today? Then tell yourself so. This simple act of self-love will really boost your self-perception and help celebrate 'you'.
3. Be Gentle With Your Skin
Perfect skin is not something we like to promote. Because, life isn’t perfect and neither is your skin. However, looking after the skin you were born with? Now, that’s a different story. Your skin is the first thing people see when they meet you so, while it doesn’t define you, it can help reflect who you are.
The best ways to do this are as follows. First, be kind to your skin. Cleanse and moisturize twice a day with gentle ingredients that help strengthen your skin’s barrier function. Next up, avoid chemical nasties that can irritate your skin. Protect it daily with antioxidant treatments that counteract the damaging effects of, well, life. And shield it from UV radiation to help avoid premature aging from the sun’s nasty rays.
Ingredients like vitamin C are awesome for boosting your inner glow while hyaluronic acid keeps your skin plump, hydrated and healthy-looking. Check out our fan-favorites, Vitamin C Facial Serum and Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum which check both of those boxes – and then some!
A simple, but effective skincare routine shows you care about yourself. And that speaks volumes.
4. Look After Number One
While we’re on the subject of taking care of yourself, your inner health – just like your inner beauty – is super important. Most people think that eating well and exercising regularly is all about losing weight or building muscle, but it’s so much more than that.
Physical exercise, for example, releases endorphins which have been proven to reduce stress, boost your confidence and help improve your emotional wellbeing. Even short bursts of activity like walking or 10 minutes of morning yoga can increase you alertness, boost your energy and lift your mood. And of course, the added bonus of knowing you’re looking after your body does wonders for your self-esteem. Win win.
When it comes to your diet, what you eat also has a massive impact on how you feel about yourself. A balanced diet helps you sleep better, increases your energy levels and improves your state of mind – all of which play a major role in making you feel happier, healthier, more confident and less stressed. Certain foods like antioxidant-rich fruit and veggies also help you look, as well as feel amazing.
Again, win-win!
5. Do Things You Enjoy
If going to the gym fills you with dread, don’t do it. There, we said it. Yes, exercise is important for the health of your body and state of mind, but doing something you hate is extremely counter-productive. It’ll fill your mind with negative thoughts and make you feel bad about yourself for not wanting to go.
To overcome this, but still get some physical movement going, fill your life with activities you actually enjoy taking part in. Do you love team sports? Then research some local groups like softball or football. Perhaps you love the water? If so, check out your local swimming pool to see what they’ve got going on. Partaking in regular exercise you enjoy will make you want to do it more often. Which will simultaneously make you feel good and look fabulous.
6. Switch Up Your Social Media Habits
Ever found yourself falling into a black hole of social media scrolling, only to come away feeling kind of crappy about your boring existence and inadequate social life? You and us both. But remember, you have every single ounce of power over this. Not only do you control who you follow but you’re also in charge of how long you spend on social media. Don’t forget that. Another thing: perspective. People mostly post highlights of the best bits of their lives on social media; rarely the mundane stuff like taking the kids to school, cooking dinner or watching hours (and hours!) of Netflix.
If you find yourself feeling jealous of others while scrolling through their feeds, tap into these emotions and turn those negative thoughts into positive ones. Feel happy for your friends and remember, it isn’t real life. Not really. It’s just a snapshot and they’re just as likely to be sitting on the couch right now, feeling green with envy at the snippets of your life they’re currently checking out.
Know that you have just as much to be thankful for as everyone else.
7. Practice Kindness To Others
Being good to yourself is a great way to celebrate who you are. But don’t forget to offer the same kindness to everyone around you. Being a nice, authentic person, with a positive attitude and a genuine concern for other people’s feelings has a similar impact on your brain as physical exercise. This is thanks to happy hormones like oxytocin and endorphins which are triggered by acts of kindness.
Live by the rule ‘treat others as you want to be treated’ and the whole world will soon appreciate your inner beauty just as much as you do.
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![Honest Question: Do You Really Need To Switch Up Your Skincare Routine In Winter?]()
Consistency is our favorite word when it comes to a boss skincare routine. So why should you mess with yours just because the weather’s changed? Simple, because, er, the weather has changed.
Whether you subscribe to seasonal skincare or not, one thing’s for sure, skin becomes drier and more sensitive in the winter time.
Winter, for most of us, means colder, drier weather which can be tough for your delicate skin to take. Extreme temperatures – especially when you flip-flop between frigid temperatures outdoors and balmy ones inside – stress out your skin and compromise its critical barrier function. Then there’s the lack of humidity which starves your skin of vital moisture and, well, stresses out your skin and barrier function even further.
However, as you know, we’re all about sticking with a consistent skincare routine, all year round. So what should you do in winter to ensure you’re not causing potential upset to your tried and tested routine, but you’re still giving your skin the extra care it needs to make it through the chilly months?
The answer: make small tweaks rather than massive changes. Here's how.
1. Add In An Extra Layer Of Moisture
A certain level of dryness and dehydration is pretty much a given in the winter months – whatever your skin type – but if you’re like us and hate to give up your trusted moisturizer, the good news is, you don’t have to. Instead, layer up by applying a thirst-quenching serum underneath your regular moisturizer each morning. This will help draw water to the surface of your skin, giving it a much-needed boost without having to apply an overly rich moisturizing cream (which, let’s face it, can ruin your makeup!).
We have tons of fabulously hydrating serums that are perfect for winter-parched skin. Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is a classic favorite because it combines glycerin, aloe and hyaluronic acid – three of the best hydrating ingredients in skincare. Peptide Facial Serum is another great choice as it really cares for your barrier function while kick-starting sluggish collagen and bringing all sorts of hydration and protection to the skin’s lower layers.
Take your pick, you really can't go wrong with either.
2. Pair Back The Actives
With little moisture in the air for your skin to enjoy during the winter months, the surface of your skin inevitably becomes more dehydrated, dry and sensitive. Of course, if you’ve managed to crush the perfect moisturizing routine for your skin type, this might not be relevant to you, but for the rest of you, it’s wise to be careful with any active ingredients you apply on a regular basis.
Retinol is the obvious culprit for sensitizing the skin so if you apply a retinol product daily, give yourself a break one or two nights a week, swapping it out for something equally as fabulous for your skin – but not quite as potent. Our Niacinamide Facial Serum, for example, is a great option for nights off as it still targets skin aging but is gentler and contains soothing and hydrating ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid. It's officially awesome for winter skin.
Vitamin C is another one to be cautious around. Of course, our vitamin C formulations contain a gentle type of vitamin C called sodium ascorbyl phosphate which is very kind to the skin and extremely well tolerated by all skin types, all year round. But if you do find your skin feeling a bit winter worn, give it a break for a few days; concentrate on building moisture and hydration back into your skin instead.
3. Focus On Overnight Repair
Skin naturally produces less sebum overnight, so during winter, when there’s a serious lack of moisture in the air, it’s more important than ever to treat your skin with some nourishing overnight respect.
First up, invest in a bedroom humidifier to combat any dryness in the air caused by your indoor heating. Then focus on a really good, quality night cream.
The best night cream for winter must contain a number of emollient or occlusive ingredients. These create a barrier on the surface of your skin to help prevent moisture loss and protect your skin from drying out as you sleep. Try Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which balances a whole bunch of botanical oils including organic sunflower, coconut and evening primrose (to name just a few!). It also contains our favorite under-the-radar ingredient, MSM, a naturally-occurring sulfur compound which supports collagen and keratin production while limiting inflammation and protecting your skin from damaging free radicals.
4. Alternate Your Cleanser
Do you love your regular cleanser more than life itself? We hear you. But in the winter, when your skin is a little more compromised than normal, you need to tread very carefully with your cleansing routine.
Cleansers play a pivotal role in your skin’s moisture balance. Go too harsh and you will strip all the life from your skin, leaving it sucked dry and prone to irritation, flaking, itchiness and redness. We recommend gentle cleansing all year round, but in the summertime when your skin is oilier and sweatier it can take a bit more than in the winter.
Our trick, once warm days become a distant memory, is to alternate our go-to cleanser with something more mild and caring, especially for the mornings when all you’re really doing is freshening up your skin and removing any minimal surface debris that’s built up overnight. We reach for Soothing Cleansing Milk every morning in the winter. Dry, sensitive skin is basically its middle name. Plus it feels like a comforting hug for your skin as soon as you apply it. And we are all over that.
5. Stay Sun Safe
One thing you shouldn’t change? Your impeccable sunscreen regime. Just because you can’t see the sun shining away in the sky every day in winter, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Daylight simply doesn’t exist without the sun, remember that. What’s more, reflective surfaces like snow and ice intensify the sun’s damaging rays by reflecting them right back onto your skin, allowing them to get you from all angles.
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed skin every day – come rain or shine – and go for an SPF of at least 30 to ensure you are well protected from both UVA and UVB radiation. Studies show that, while clouds do protect you from a small percentage of the sun’s UV rays, up to 80 percent of UVA rays (the ones that age you up) are able to penetrate right through.
Make our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C a part of your morning routine and it’ll soon become a habit you don’t even think about. Just like cleaning your teeth and brushing your hair.
Honest Question: Do You Really Need To Switch Up Your Skincare Routine In Winter?
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