Yoga is part of a holistic practice of treating the self (physically, emotionally and spiritually) in a respectful, nourishing and natural way. It would be counterproductive to have a regular yoga practice while using toxic materials in your home, on your skin and in your body.
The skin is the largest organ in our body. It needs to be clean but if you walk down the aisles of any drugstore you’d believe you need to scrub your skin, toes, face within an inch of your life to be healthy. Far from it. The less you do the better your skin will be. Let’s talk about natural skin care!
Sunlight and UV protection:
It’s important to protect your skin from damaging rays of the sun. That includes cloudy weather and winter. Depending on how fair you are, you want a sunscreen with a 35 SPF (sun protection factor) UVA and UVB. A lot of sunblocks are chock full of chemicals. Some of those chemicals might be particularly uncool for our kids. Did you know you can mix shea butter with zinc oxide for sun protection? Of course, if you or your little ones are in the water, you still have to reapply! If mixing your own sunscreen doesn’t excite you, check out the clean and safe options available with dōTERRA.
Cleansing:
Your skin is a delicate microbiome that needs little to be clean. Water. A bit of soap if you tend to break out. Cleansing oils if you have dry skin. We don’t recommend using scrubs more than twice weekly. And stay clear of soaps and detergents that include phthalates which are added to plastics to make them more pliable. That includes all those microbeads in cleansers and scrubs. Want a great natural exfoliant? Coconut oil and finely milled sea salt will clear those rough patches and allow for a deeper clean.
Treating:
The buzzword “anti-aging” promotes a youthful look through skincare products. Youth is a glorious thing, but age and wisdom have their glory too! Stay young by staying fit, open-minded and open-hearted and skip the intrusive (and expensive) cosmetic procedures. They don’t make you look younger and will actually damage your natural elasticity. Some people drink collagen water which is great, but if you want a beautiful serum, dilute frankincense essential oil in jojoba oil and apply with a roller bottle to targeted areas of the face, neck and decolletage. And drink plenty of water! (p.s. Our friends at The Nook offer the most exquisite and delicious organic facials you can imagine! I make this part of my self care routine and it’s worth every penny.)
Lastly, the best thing you can do for your skin is – believe it or not - yoga! If you want healthy radiant skin from head to toe, yoga is perfect for making you glow. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold) is a great position to bring circulation to the face which warms the skin and helps detox from free radical damage.
Next month, we’ll cover the use of natural products in our diet!