The Brunette Ecoholic: 2014 Blogger Challenge Topic #2

Hey lovelies! It's time for the second topic of the 2014 blogger challenge and I am extra excited about this one as it centers on my number one beauty obsession - skincare! Don't get me wrong, I love cosmetics as much as the next make up junkie, but I feel that during the winter months our skin really needs a little extra TLC.

Less humidity in the air, dry heat indoors and hot showers can all have a very dehydrating effect on the skin, but not to worry, you can still achieve a smooth, glowing complexion despite the cold. :-)

As someone who is in a constant battle with my skin, here are some things that have really helped me this time of year.

From the inside out:

My fave water bottle, lunch, and my trusty dry brush

1) Hydration! This means water my friends, and lots of it! Winter doesn't just mean colder temps. Holiday food and goodies usually contain moisture sapping sugar and salt, and let's not forget the cocktails that generally accompany holiday parties, which are equally dehydrating. We need to replenish the moisture, and water is our best friend to help us to do this. A good rule of thumb is to drink half our body weight in water. So, if say you weigh 150lbs, you should try and consume 75 ounces of water a day.

2) Load up on (preferably organic) raw fruits and veggies! By consuming these plant foods raw, you're not only receiving 100% of their nutrients, but all of the water and vital enzymes they contain as well. You can enjoy them in a smoothie, salad, juice them, eat them as is, or even combine them into a cooked dish (ie.if you're making pasta, add the veggies in after the pasta is cooked and before you serve it). There are so many options! I try and incorporate raw veggies or fruits into every meal and I can't tell you how much better my skin has been just from that!

For the body:

3) Dry brushing. This is something I do religiously every morning before I shower. Dry brushing not only sloughs away dry skin, but helps the lymphatic system remove toxins from the body, improves digestion, promotes cell renewal, blood flow, kidney function, and firms skin. It only takes minutes to do and has so many benefits! Important tips: Make sure to always brush towards the heart if you choose to dry brush and never brush too hard.

For the face:

Cleanse without stripping precious oils

4) Use gentle, sulfate free cleansers - I generally stay away from anything that has sulfates as they are not only drying to the skin, but they have been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity and endocrine disruption! Part of my skincare routine consists of the "double cleanse" method, which means I use an oil cleanser first to remove my make up (right now I just use Sweet Almond oil which is great for acne prone skin!), then I use a castile based cleanser, like Dr. Bronner's. Other favorite cleansers that help to keep the moisture locked in are - Annmarie Gianni's Aloe Herb Cleanser (see review here), Devita's Aloe Vera Moisture Cleanser, Elaa's Effervescent Facial Cleanser (see review here) and Elaa's Cleansing Fairy Dust (see review here).

Tone up the moisture! See what I did there? ;-P

5) Non-alcohol toners. Some people skip on the toner because they feel they don't need it for whatever reason. But a good toner does much more than just remove any last traces of make-up or cleanser. A toner restores the ph balance back to your skin after cleansing, it provides extra moisture, and it helps the active ingredients in your serum or moisturizer to penetrate more deeply/effectively. Toners that I am loving right now are - Devita's Moroccan Rose Facial Toner, their Cool Cucumber Toner, and Elaa's Ginko Hibiscus Pomegrante Skin Lifting Mist (see review here)

Nourish with plant oils

6) Nourishing oils! Trust me when I say that the best thing you can ever do for your skin is to use pure plant oils on it. Plant oils have so many healing benefits and there is literally an oil perfect for every skin type and ailment out there! I have so many favorites, but the ones that work best for my skin include Argan, Tamanu, Sweet Almond, Rosehip, Avocado and Jojoba. I always look for these when searching for a face oil or serum as well. Some of my current cold weather favorite face oils are May Lindstrom's Youth Dew, CV Skinlabs Restorative Skin Balm (not really an oil perse, but contains a lot of the oils I love and is the perfect dry skin savior), and Elaa's Bee Beauty Face Oil (see review here)

Use a mask to heal and hydrate

7) Healing and hydrating masks. A facial mask can do much more than just remove toxins. They can provide some serious moisture while they are detoxing your skin. Two of my favorite masks right now that always get my skin super soft are Annmarie Gianni's Purifying Mud Mask (see review here) and Coconut Honey Mask (see review here).

Exfoliate away dry, flaky skin!

8) Exfoliate! This may seem a little obvious, but it really is a necessary step in keeping skin not only baby bottom soft, but free from acne as well. There are a lot of really great, gentle exfoliants out there that are also free from nasty toxins. Some of the best I have found right now include Annmarie Gianni's Ayurvedic Facial Scrub (see review here), Devita's Gentle Aloe Facial Scrub, Elaa's Glow -Exfoliating Fruit AHA Dew, and Elaa's Pumpkin Radiance Enzyme Mask (see review here).

Lock the moisture in!

9) Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Again, this may seem a little evident, however, I feel it's still important, no matter what your skin type. It may seem like overkill, but I use both an oil and a moisturizer. I just feel that from October-June my skin needs that extra hydration boost. A few new products I am loving right now are Devita's Perfecting Time for day and their Evening Rich Nutritional Moisturizer for night.

Eye care to keep lines and dryness away!

10) Don't forget the delicate eye area! One of the reasons I believe that at 42 (going on 43 in a few weeks eeep!) I don't have noticeable lines under my eyes (they're there, just very faint), is because I have faithfully kept my under eye area moisturized. The two eye creams/serums that I am using currently are Mychelle's Fabulous Eyecream and Elaa's Starlight Eye Nectar (see review here). Both of these really help to keep my eyes nourished and hydrated.

Extra protection for your skin

11) Sunscreen year round baby! Another step never missed in my routine. Even if I am staying inside all day, I still use a sunscreen. I've had this habit since I was 18 and had full face dermabrasion. My skin was so sun sensitive I had no choice but wear one and I just stuck with it ever since. My absolute favorite sunscreen (which sadly I am out of) is Living Libations Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc Sunscreen, but my other faves are Suntegrity Face Sunscreen & Primer, Devita's Solar Protective Moisturizer (my second all time favorite!) and Naturopathica's Lavender Protective Moisturizer with SPF15 (now 17). I love these because they don't break me out and they are not the least bit drying.

With proper care, even the dullest, driest winter ravaged complexion can become soft, smooth and glowing!