Tara Stratford

5 Ways to Achieve All-Natural Glowing Skin ____________________________________________________________________________ Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? For years I fought with my skin. I’d look in the mirror constantly hoping the acne on my forehead would magically disappear. And in its place were my perfectly flushed, clear cheeks staring at me like a couple of candy apples good enough to lick. I would hear my big zit (which had gained in size) say: “I regret to inform you that I’m here for the next 3 days. That blind date you have planned on Saturday isn’t going to go well. Forget about those pretty blue eyes of yours. All your date will be doing is staring at the giant red bump that has taken over your face. You poor fool. Thinking you could defeat me. Me! The mistress of all evil!” I’d retreat back in horror. I started to think dark thoughts: Should I join the circus? It took years and a lot of trial and error to get to a place of glowing skin glory! My 5 secrets are all-natural, easy to do and cost almost nothing. #1 Drink the Water Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it’s mostly made up of water. Drinking water can reduce pore size which leads to less acne. Water also decreases wrinkles leading to an overall great complexion. I won’t drink water, just to drink water. But I’ll drink water if I have a hot date that I want to look my best for. Drink water like you have a Vogue cover shoot coming up! #2 Moisturize Always I used to skip putting on moisturizer if I had a zit on my face thinking my skin was too oily. But acne can be caused from dry skin getting buried in your pores or your pores having to produce extra oil due to lack of moisture. Always moisturize. It keeps your skin balanced to ensure you don’t get too oily or dry. For moisturizer recommendations that are good for all skin types click here. #3 Simplicity is Key I used to apply different oils, toners, eye creams desperate for a magic solution. The magic is in the simplicity. You don’t need any of the special products to have great skin. Stop spending time and money looking for the perfect routine. The routine is simple: wash face, moisturize, done! #4 Sugar is Your Enemy You don’t have to change your whole diet around to get healthy, glowing skin. Just decrease your consumption of refined sugar. Refined is a cute way of saying processed. Meaning it doesn’t come from nature. To learn more about what sugars are good and bad check out last week’s post here. #5 Stay Consistent There are so many blogs out there that tell you to put all these different substances on your face. Stay away from expensive products or odd cures. There is no cure. It is about staying consistent with the four items above. Water, Cleanse, Moisturize, Eat Well. I spent so much money and time doing research and trying to find the perfect product. But the perfect product is you. Our bodies want to be in balance. The foolproof way to all-natural glowing skin is being kind to our bodies. Doing the everyday things that feel good make us look good. So many companies try to sell you the equivalent of a Prince Charming. But our Sleeping Beauty is within us and cannot be saved from some outside source. The enchantment is in you. Your skin has the power to glow like a perfect sunset. Keep it simple and stay consistent. I’d love to hear about your skincare journeys. Comment below with what is and isn’t working for you.