brainy about beauty: 8 things to save your sad skin

hey beauties. so today i'm gonna be a basic blogger chick and give you some advice on how to make your skin happy. i have license to speak in this area because i have put my face through the ringer to get it to where it is today. my whole life, i had perfectly clear, smooth skin with only the occasional blackhead or breakout. but then when i turned nineteen my body decided it was time to put me through hell. i developed terrible acne all over my face. i wont go into gory detail but needless to say it gave me crazy anxiety, which only made the acne worse. i tried everything under the sun. every oxide and acid and exfoliator and moisturizer and cream. nothing was helping. my doctors were telling me i couldn't do much without just going on accutane, but that terrified me after all of the horror stories i've heard about it. so i persisted.

the only thing i had never tried before were natural skin products. i had always thought it was just a bunch of hippie mumbo jumbo and it could never actually do anything for me. i was so wrong. it was exactly what my skin needed. and that isn't to say that all of the chemically products won't work for you, they might, but every single person's skin is different and it takes a lot of time to figure out what it needs. (plus, i am ALL about sparing the animals of testing. that's not okay.)

admittedly, yes, i did start going on a topical retinol acne treatment to clear up some leftover blemishes and discoloration, but that posed completely different problems for me. now my skin was dry and sensitive and blotchy, which i had never had an issue with before. i'd always had super oily, tough skin.

so after all of that, here's 8 things i've discovered are going to save your skin. these are tips for all skin types and all problems.but like i said, you'll have to figure out exactly what works for you. and i'll also post links to my favorite products for each tip.

disclaimer: i'm a huge LUSHie. but there are plenty of other natural products out there for you besides that brand. even though i kind of swear by it...

1. moisturize - i'd always looked past this step thinking i didn't need to because my skin was oily. but then i learned that your skin can actually overcompensate for the good oils it needs to keep it supple and healthy when all we do is dry dry dry and dry it out. don't touch your face a lot though, that's not healthy oils-- that's dirt and whatever residue is left from everything else you just touched. ha. gross.

extra tip- use a toner before you put on moisturizer. without it, your moisturizer will just sit on top of the skin rather than having it really absorb. try putting some on your hand with and without toner to see the difference. you can apply toner by spraying or splashing it right on your face, but i like to spray it on a cotton bad and then wipe my face off with it. it's pretty amazing and pretty nasty how much dirt has gathered just overnight.

fave product: LUSH vanishing cream is a super light, all natural moisturizer specifically designed for acne prone and oily skin. it's made of linseed, rose water, lavender honey water to soothe inflammation, organic jojoba oil to moisturize, and witch-hazel to tighten pores.

2. exfoliate - you should exfoliate both your face and body. it helps shed dirt and dead skin to leave it softer and healthier and turnover your cells.

fave product: for my face, i have two favorites. when i had oilier, more stubborn skin, i swore by dark angels by LUSH, which i honest-to-goodness think is what started making a huge difference in my acne. it left my skin feeling really nice and matted, but not dry. it's a black sugar and organic charcoal scrub. but my new absolute favorite is herbalism, also by LUSH. it's a much gentler, milder exfoliator that i can use on my now dry and sensitive skin morning and night, only to occasionally use dark angels as a pick-me-up.

for my body, my favorite exfoliator is bloke body scrubs. holy cow. i seriously would marry these scrubs if i could. as soon as you wash it off, your entire body feels like a baby's butt. they're 100% organic and come in three varieties. my favorite is the coffee+sweet orange scrub. the caffeine helps target scars, cellulite, eczema and stretch marks (which i have all of. yay.) and i can honestly say i've seen a huge difference. i also super dig the vanilla chai for my body because, hello, it's vanilla and chai. literally two of my favorite tastes and smells in the whole world. all these products have coconut oil as well to help me feel smooth all over. love love love. 

3. give it a good break- sometimes, the best thing you can do for your skin is to do nothing at all. take a day off every once in a while from makeup and sun and scrubbing. just keep it clean with a mild facial wash and again, don't pick at it or touch it too much. that'll just irritate it. don't forgot to change your pillows and sheets regularly. you'd be surprised how much dirt builds up and how badly that can affect your skin. also keep an eye on what medications your taking. everyone reacts to different medications differently.

4. use a good foundation- this also makes a bigger difference than you think. switching over my foundations hugely changed the balance of oils and just the overall look of my skin. a more expensive foundation is worth healthier, happier skin. trust me.

fave product: matchmaster liquid foundation by MAC (apply it with a brush. not your fingers.)

5. eat right and exercise- you've all heard it a million times. but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital to your skin (and basically everything else). a lot of changes in your skin and even your hair a super hormonal and chemical, and the best way to keep those things in check are to keep yourself in good shape. this doesn't have to mean cutting out anything. eat good fats, good carbs, lots of fruits and vegetables, and avoid processed, synthetic sugars and fats. 

6. water water water- drink a lot more water than you think. if you feel like your drinking a lot already, drink more, because it probably isn't enough. this is a natural way to detoxify your body and it's just all around good for your health. 

7. keep it safe from the sun- ugh. this one is hard for me. i love tanning and feeling heat on my face especially in the summer, and i love the way i look when i'm sunkissed. but the less exposure your face has to UV rays, the healthier it will be in the long run. 90% of age signs (wrinkles, fine lines) are caused by UV rays. so wear a good sunscreen. 

fave product: elta md uv clear suncreen. this is a physical sunscreen, as opposed to a chemical sunscreen which is almost all you'll find in stores (coppertone, banana boat, etc). the difference between a physical and chemical sunscreen is pretty huge. a chemical sunscreen is packed with chemicals that soak into your skin and absorb uv rays, causing a chemical reaction that breaks it down, which is why you have to apply it every 2-3 hours. a physical sunscreen is made of zinc which is a completely natural mineral which reflects uv rays completely giving you much better protection. another big difference is that a physical sunscreen will block both UVA rays and UVB rays. UVA rays are longer wavelengths and are what cause sun damage to your skin. a chemical sunscreen will provide temporary protection from burns, but hardly any from aging. (remember UVB = burning, UVA = aging)

8. lower your stress- this is my favorite tip. stress can be a good thing, but too much stress can cause damage to your mind and your body. so every once in a while, remember to slow down and take care of yourself. give yourself a spa night and watch netflix. 

my fave face mask: catastrophe cosmetic by LUSH

hope you guys enjoyed my first "brainy about beauty" post. hopefully lots more helpful tips to come!

here's to happy skin, 

with love,

autumn nicole