Note: these are huge topics in themselves, so I will only briefly touch on them here.
Beauty-care of our ‘Outside’ is not complete without looking after our ‘inside’ first! Skin-care routines, haircare, make-up etc are all important (and can be great fun too!), but if we don’t address the health of our bodies, it’s like putting paint onto a dirty canvas, it just won’t have the results you really want.
Here are some things you can do to give your natural beauty care routine a great foundation;
Exercise
As we’ve all been told all our lives, exercise is very important! Exercise not only makes us fit, healthy, and have more energy… it also enhances our mood, and decreases stress and anxiety (less wrinkles). It also increases circulation, which has great side benefits on your skin’s health and appearance.
You don’t need expensive equipment, or a gym membership… walking, swimming, ‘functional fitness’, simple exercises at home with fitness balls, dumbells etc, pilates, and rebounders are all fantastic , don’t be put off, just do something!
Eating and Drinking;
Basically, the concept is ‘Garbage in, garbage out’. As well as the huge internal benefits for our body, having a healthy lifestyle (not a fad diet) drastically improves things like dull/dry skin, health of hair, skin problems like pimples, acne and eczema, and allergies too. Eating and drinking organic products also improves your natural body care health to another level.
Supplements:
Good wholefood supplements improve our overall health and energy, and therefore our outer beauty too. There are supplements that target specific problems, as well as general good health and vitality. Pure cod liver oil is a good example of a supplement that will improve your skin, hair and nails, and helps with more important health needs also.
Rest and Relaxation;
Too much stress = poor health = poor outer health and beauty. As a mum, I know just how hard it can be sometimes to make time for this! Did you know these things can be caused or worsened by stress; Pimples, acne, to mention dark baggy circles under the eyes! Here’s some essentials and ideas for rest as part of your natural body care program:
* Sleep; The most underused beauty treatment! (remember the phrase “You must have your beauty sleep”?!) essential for good health, I could write a whole article on the benefits!
* Fresh air, and deep breathing exercises
* Treat yourself to a relaxation massage. . . or remedial if you have any muscle/back/neck trouble etc
* Take time to go for a stroll, preferably somewhere pretty
* Have a facial, or a ‘DIY” one at home
* Bath more often. . . using essential oils and Epsom salts
* Buy a massage chair, or a massage chair pad, . . . put it in a nice quiet spot, and have some ‘downtime’ by yourself.
Fun time/Dreams and goals;
How do these fit in? Well, have you heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine”?I’m a firm believer that if you have no fun time in your life, your health suffers. So, schedule some room in your life for fun! Go play ‘hide and seek’ with the kids, or do a hobby that you love… have a ‘fun’ day with someone special, or a romantic getaway with hubby/wife.
Dreams and goals are important too, they give you purpose and direction… take small steps to achieve them… “Rome wasn’t built in a day’, and all that!
Ok, these are just some of the ways you can take steps to improve your natural beauty care approach, from ‘the inside, out’. I hope you’ve been inspired to make some changes, and see the benefits in your life.
p.s. please see a health professional before taking on new exercise and supplements so they can take into account your individual requirements.
