MY SKIN CARE ROUTINE & TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Hey hey lovely peeps,
After uploading a couple of #selfies of me rocking my all time favourite nude and fresh-faced look, I?ve received a lot of requests to share with you my current skin care routine. But before we hop right into it, let me clarify one thing: when it comes to healthy-looking skin you need much more than tons of luxurious and expensive skin care products in order to achieve long-term results.
So today we?re talking not only beauty products, but also some essential lifestyle changes you should consider making if you wanna have glowing gorgeous skin. 

1. Cleanse your body naturally and beware what you eat

When I was younger, I wasn’t really used to drinking water, and if my skin is dry now, it was almost sandy-like back in the day, covered with dry patches which made it look quite worn out. Not the nicest look for a 15-year old I assure you. When I finally increased my water intake around 5 years ago (more about the benefits of drinking water here) my skin started changing instantaneously! First of all my cellulite was gone (yes, I used to have cellulite), with my skin’s elasticity greatly improving. By supplying my body with plenty of water (around 2 litres/day) I was naturally cleansing my body out of all the toxins, while also boosting its metabolic levels. And by the way, water is addictive. Once you get into the habit of drinking it, you’d never forget your tumbler again.

And when I feel like having something more exciting – well, I’d always reach out for a cup of freshly squeezed juice (orange, grapefruit, lemon) full of Vitamins C., the compound that retains and boosts your collagen level, fights free radicals, and helps heal wounds.
Apart from the yummy juices, I’d normally have around zillion cups of green and mint tea a day with lots of lemon and honey in it. Actually why not try and get into the habit of having a cup of green tea as soon as you get out of bed? For a few months now I’ve been drinking green tea with lemon grass and ginger + a cup of water with lemon and cucumber in it (talking about a hydration boost) before preparing my breakfast. Since I’ve established that simple early-morning ritual, my skin’s become much more hydrated, glowing and smooth. Aw, and if you wonder why green tea? Because it’s a great antioxidant and does a great job in reducing skin redness.
And while still on the beverages subject: it?s time for you to reconsider your fizzy/sugary drinks + alcohol intake. I?ve actually completely cut out on concentrated drinks (vodka, rum, etc) and sip wine instead. Actually, did you know that red wine is actually very beneficial for the skin? Yep! It contains tons of  antioxidants as well as ?resveratrol? – a pretty miraculous anti-aging compound.
So far so good – but what about your diet?  Well, you should be paying quite a lot of attention to it, if you want your skin transformed and restored. I’ve previously written about the importance of supplying your body with enough vitamins (here) for your well-being, and when it comes to your skin – it’s no exception here. Some of the vitamins you need to have a healthy skin are:  Vitamin A – improves dry, flaky and wrinkled skin as well as deals well with acne problems; Fish Oil locks the moisture into the cells and helps you skin stay hydrated for longer; Vitamin E boosts your skin’s luminosity and vitality. So to ensure that I provide my body with the previously mentioned essentials, I eat avocado very often and salmon (both rich in healthy fats and Omega 3). Also, no matter the season, I do my best to mostly have vegan dishes that consist of broccoli, beetroot, kale, spinach, soy, olive oil and oats, all of which great sources of all the essentials that make the skin healthy and glowing. 

 And when I have cravings for sugar ? I opt for a dark chocolate (70% +). Did you know that cocoa not only hydrates the skin, but also improves its luminosity? I know, right! Pretty amazing news!

Actually one of my favourite DIY skin masks that my grandmother (a beautician) has told me about is based around dark chocolate. It?s a very simple skin care DIY recipe so here you go:

Use the microwave to heat it all up, mix it all well, and apply the mixture to your face, have a little boogie, and let the magic happen. Wash it all off after 20 minutes and make sure to tweet me a photo while you?re still with it. The results? Just wait and see – you’d be ecstatic!

Also, even though I eat mostly vegan dishes, I haven?t cut out completely on diary products. Actually, the only dairy I have is the odd can of Greek Yoghurt and Cottage Cheese (The recipe for my favourite Post-Workout Cottage Cheese Salad – here) both of which containing tons of protein – the compound that does wonders for the sensitive and dry skin!
Other foods that you might consider adding to your diet are: oat milk, soy, kiwi, pumpkin, eggs, almonds, and garlic. 

2. Smoking, Lack of sleep, Overworking  Regular Workouts
Aw, and before I forget – at the age of almost 25, I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. Why I’m saying this? Here’s a little confession:
Since I started working part-time at a Club, taking night shifts way too often, my healthy living lifestyle suddenly began to suffer. I was missing out on sleep, spending hours at spaces filled with cigarette smoke, having my meals more sporadically during the day, allowing myself to have Jagermaister shots a bit too often, and even snacking late at night. Also, due to my exhaustion, I started slacking on my workouts, and if you know me ? tiredness has never been enough of a reason for me to skip a class. Even though I was using my holy grail skin care products, I started breaking out and my skin became rather greyish. It took me quite some time to finally snap out of my oblivion and come into terms with the side effects my night job had on my skin. The traces of exhaustion were all over my face and I just seemed much older. Just like that while staring at my image in the mirror, it suddenly hit me – risking my healthy by overworking just to please my Ambitious Self (here) was just not worth it. I immediately cut out on drinking concentrated shots and reduced my work days to two a week. Also, every time I go to the Club I try to stay away from the smoking zone and all the harmful toxins it contains to protect my skin. Having more time for myself, I quickly got back into my normal sleeping habits, regular workouts, going to Zumba and Pilates around 5 times a week, and healthy eating. Rather than eating only when I was hungry, I forced myself to start having again 3 meals a day, consisting of lots of fruits and veggies. For less than a week the pimples were gone, and the greyness was exchanged with a healthy glow. And most importantly I finally got back to being my ‘healthy’ cheerful self.
Having said that I guess you understand why I get pretty annoyed when people say how jealous they are of my skin. Everyone can have a healthy and beautiful skin as long as they really work towards achieving it. It’s all dedication and willingness to introduce some minor chances to your lifestyle that will have some grand and long-term positive effects on your looks. So, yeah, I do have a healthy looking skin, but only when I take care of myself. It all starts from within you know?

3. And what about my daily skin care routine?
Since I’ve become more acquainted with the whole beauty blogging community, thanks to RosyChicc, I?ve been experimenting with new make-up much more. However, I’ve never made the mistake of excessively using make-up on my face. You know I’d rather wear a little bit of foundation and have a glowing skin beneath, than wear tons of it to conceal whatever’s going on with my skin. And no matter how little make-up I’d be wearing, I’d always wipe it off the moment I enter my flat, even if it’s 4 AM and all I wanna do is go straight to bed.– Double-Cleansing
First I?d use make up remover wipes or Bioderma Sensibio H2O – Micelle Solution  which works wonders for my skin. If you find the latter a bit pricey, I also recommend Garnier’s Micellar Cleansing Water . Just bear in mind that it’s more suitable for people with normal to oily skin.
So, once most of my make up’s gone, I do a double cleanse in the bathroom to ensure that my pores are completely unclogged and that my skin can properly breathe. Aw, and make sure to clean your face even if you have no make up on – you’d be surprised from the amount of dirt you’d be seeing on the wipe. My current holy grail cleansing product is Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Cleanser  that I’ve been repurchasing ever since I first tried it in NYC. It makes my skin much softer while it also evens out my skin complexion. I highly recommend it if you?re still in the search of the perfect face-cleanser.

– Exfoliate, moisturise and opt for the organic 
To remove the dead cells from my skin, I do exfoliate my skin once in a month. However, I restrain myself from doing it more often as I’ve noticed that the more I exfoliate, the more my skin gets used to the process and the less effective exfoliation becomes. Also, I moisturise my skin twice a day – early in the morning and just before I go to bed. When it comes to moisturisers ? it?s all about finding the product that works best ON YOUR SKIN! Of course, have a little look at what the beauty gurus recommend to make their skin look fabulous and flawless, however, don’t count solely on that. Experiment until you find the product that works best for you.
Personally, I’d never run to buy the trendiest and most expensive skin care product just coz it’s very in right now. Rather, I’d go to the closest pharmacy and have a little chat with the pharmacist and have a peek at the natural/organic products in store that are a) clinically tested and b) suitable for my skin type. Actually, that’s how I stumbled upon my holy grail moisturiser by A-Derma ‘Hydralba Rich Hydrating Cream’ . I’ve recently done a review on it which you could access here.
Also, once in a week (especially during the winter), I?d use cold-pressed organic oils instead of my moisturiser. Avocado oil stimulates the production of collagen in the skin, and makes it much smoother and more hydrated. While you should keep on eating avocados, why not take advantage of its oil and apply it externally too?

And whenever I get some annoying blemishes, I’d reach out for brier/apricot oil which are both
incredibly rich in Vitamin C which will help you naturally get rid of any blemishes caused by the sun or the odd popped whitehead. And, yes, we all are guilty of that, especially if you have a grandmother who’s been a beautician pretty much her whole life. *sigh*. So, yeah, using organic cold pressed oils means –  investing almost nothing and getting flawless skin in return.
Also, I try to visit the beautician at least once every 3 months and do my best to resist the temptation of popping a pimple myself, especially if we talk whiteheads. Removing blackheads is much simpler and won’t leave you with an annoying scar. So, just book an appointment and visit your beautician for a facial even if you do so only once every few months.
To sum it all up: As you could see, my skin care routine is rather simple. And that’s the thing – as long as you ensure to treat your body with respect and provide it with all the essential compounds it need – you won’t need to invest much in order to achieve healthy and glowing skin.  If you see the skin of my granny you’d be pretty impressed – at the age of almost 70 she has almost no wrinkles and the condition of her skin is purely amazing. She’s always told me that all I need is a good DIY mask, a simple plant-based moisturiser and a healthy and nutritious diet. It worked for her and it certainly works for me too. Aw, and by the way, my mother and I got this amazing mud mask from Turkey. Once in a while we’d have a pamper session together and take advantage of this simple, yet pretty miraculous  mask.
Just opt for the organic and forget about the trends. Your face is not a piece of clothing that once worn out, could be thrown away. So treat your body with respect as once you damage it – there is no way back.

I hope this helps and make sure to let me know in the comments below any other tips for healthy skin you might have <3

A.