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Natural Beauty Hacks For Glowing Skin

Local professionals provide their at-home methods and treatments, such as DIY face masks and scrubs. For over three years, our faces have been at the center of our everyday existence. With so much attention focused on our skin, it may seem like it's time to show it some extra love — after all, prioritizing good skin is about more than just achieving beautiful skin; it's also about preserving our general health.

These 10 ideas and hacks from local beauty professionals will help you enhance and maintain your skincare regimen from the comfort of your own home, since not everyone has the time or income to see their esthetician for treatments. Bonus: A step-by-step tutorial to give yourself a no-tools facial massage.

Use SPF every day, not just while you're at the beach.

While the sun's rays supply crucial minerals and vitamins to our bodies, our experts unanimously agree that guarding against overexposure all year is the most important component of preserving good skin, decreasing premature aging, and preventing skin cancer. Becky Fenlan, practice coordinator at About Face Skin Care, suggests that having a greasy face all day is unnecessary. She adds there are lots of tinted moisturizers, powders, and other products that already include SPF (check the label to make sure the one you're using or purchasing has it), and that many oil-free products are so light you'll forget you're using them.

Viviane Aires, a local esthetician and CEO of Viviane Aires Skin Wellness, recommends using vitamin C products to protect your skin from the sun. While it might be difficult to remember to reapply SPF-containing creams every two or three hours, she adds those with vitamin C can help develop immunity to catch and guard against anything that comes into touch with your skin after the SPF has gone off.

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Wash your face!

How to Look BeautifulSimple Tips to Ace Natural Skin

While it may seem quicker to take a whole shower than to wash your face before bed, do not miss this step. This is because our faces are constantly exposed to microorganisms. Jewellee Williams, proprietor of Crown Jewel Esthetics, explains that our skin's several layers function as a factory, removing harmful compounds and poisons from the body. At night, the specialists recommend cleaning your face twice: first with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen, and then again with your regular cleanser to remove any remaining residue.

Tirzah Blair, creator of Kári Skin, suggests using a pea-sized quantity of clay in your cleanser for a deeper wash or baking soda for more exfoliation. She recommends exfoliating the skin two to three times a week to ensure that products absorb properly.

Reduce inflammation in a simple manner.

We've all washed our faces with warm water to "open our pores," but the idea that this practice increases product absorption is a lie. Aires suggests pouring cold water on your face to help remove pollutants. "Doing so helps to stimulate the receptivity of the skin, which enhances the absorption of products and also increases blood flow," she said.

Cold items are also effective for reducing inflammation, such as ice packs applied to an injury. If you can't get a cryo treatment, Aires suggests putting cosmetic items like eye patches, lotions, moisturizers, face masks, and jade rollers in the freezer to keep them cool and minimize inflammation. (Don't forget they're in there!)

Blair recommends applying thinly sliced cucumbers to your eyes for 15 minutes to minimize irritation. Cucumbers contain vitamin C and are hydrating, which might help to brighten and de-puff the region. You may also try green tea or chamomile tea bags; caffeine helps to constrict blood vessels, which can decrease inflammation and brighten the eyes.

Stop choosing!

Watching extraction videos online may make you want to pop your own imperfections, but don't! Our specialists believe that at-home extractions may result in long-term damage, irritation, and hyperpigmentation. Williams recommends icing your imperfections.

Get naturally full lips.

Fillers are an option, but if you don't want to go that way, Blair recommends mixing five drops of peppermint oil into your favorite lip gloss to plump your lips at home. She also suggests keeping your lips nourished by using petroleum-free products and exfoliating twice a week with a dry towel over wet lips. 

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Use your pantry for DIY remedies.

Sure, your pantry has kept your stomach fed, but it may also be a valuable resource for nourishing your skin. (Be advised that certain substances may not be suitable for your skin type.) Julie Featherman, owner of Juju Salon, provides a weekly foot exfoliation treatment. Crush six to eight aspirin and dissolve them in lemon juice. Stir in two tablespoons honey to get a jelly-like consistency. Apply the mixture to the soles of your feet, giving special attention to the callus-prone regions. Cover your feet with a warm towel, elevate them for 10-15 minutes, then rinse.

Shireen Mustafa, owner of Skin House, recommends a DIY anti-aging face mask made with yogurt and honey to remove dead skin and leave skin radiant, smooth, and nourished. (Skin House utilizes a greater dosage in their peels!) To make, combine two tablespoons plain Greek yogurt and one tablespoon raw honey in a small dish. Apply the mask to your face and allow it to dry for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

To wake up your skin in the morning, the team at Freedom Apothecary advises a simple body scrub of sugar, coffee grounds, and oil. Combine 1 cup brewed coffee grounds, ¼ to ½ cup brown sugar, and a splash of olive or coconut oil. Gently apply this combination all over your body, except your face (a product this coarse is too abrasive for the skin on your face), and rinse just before turning off the shower.

Blair recommends beginning an at-home facial with a thorough washing, followed by five minutes of steaming your face over a pot of boiling herbal tea with a towel draped over your head. Next, combine raw egg whites and paint on your face. Rest with cucumber slices over your eyes for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and apply moisturizer on wet skin.

Change the way you shower.

We adore lengthy, hot howers and sudsy soaps, but they deplete our skin's natural thin coating of oil. According to Featherman, you should prepare for shorter, more tepid showers, use a light lotion-based cleanser, and apply deep-hydrating body lotion or oil shortly afterwards. You should also "look for key ingredients like calendula, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and borage" when purchasing shower products.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Our experts recommend other techniques to hydrate and absorb, as slugging, a popular TikTok skincare approach that includes lathering the skin with silicone-based products like Vaseline, may not be suitable for everyone.Williams recommends utilizing highly concentrated serums to maintain your skin cells working and healthy. Adeline Koh, owner of Sabbatical Beauty, offers a multi-step routine to address different layers of skin. For a six-step Korean beauty routine, begin with a toner, followed by oil and moisturizer. "Think of it like a wardrobe," Koh explains. "The layers of hydration will keep skin plump and hydrated and you can take them on and off just like you would in different seasons."

According to Rescue Spa founder Danuta Mieloch, you may refresh your skin using at-home basics such as olive or coconut oil or honey, which have moisturizing humectants and natural antibacterial characteristics.

Pay attention to your inside health as well.

In our hectic lives, it's easy to forget that what we put into our bodies is just as vital to our skin as what we put on them. "So much of our food is processed with hormones and preservatives," Williams explains. "Anything that you digest can directly affect your skin health and the way your cells are functioning." She recommends restricting your diet of dairy, alcohol, processed sweets, and saturated and trans fats to minimize inflammation and enhance general skin health.

Furthermore, our specialists highlight the need of appropriate hydration in assisting the body's detoxification process. Blair and Aires agree that adding a humidifier to living areas is "life changing." It will impart moisture to the air, hydrating the skin from the outside in.

Adding collagen to your diet is another simple approach to properly feed your skin. According to Fenlan, "after the age of 25, our body's production of collagen starts to diminish." Collagen is the protein that makes up our hair, nails, skin, bones, and joints. About Face Skin Care suggests mixing a scoop of flavorless collagen powder into your water, coffee, or smoothies to easily include it into your diet. 

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Learn how to massage your face like an expert.

When you need a little extra shine and lift, face massages are an excellent technique to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which aids in the elimination of impurities and improves nutrient circulation to essential organs. Aires offers the following step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Breathe.

It's alright to unwind for a minute. The way we move around the world (beginning with our phones, laptops, tablets, and so on) leads us to keep a lot of tension in our necks, which contributes to the lymphatic congestion we feel. Taking three deep breaths sends a message to the brain, preparing your body for relaxation and stress release.

Step 2: Oil your face.

Warm an oil in your palms and apply it to your whole face, including your neck and décolleté. Make sure you're producing a proper glide; otherwise, you'll tug on the skin and cause injury.

Step 3: Scissor fingers.

Separate your index and middle fingers and form a scissor shape around your ear, with the index below the earlobe and the middle above it. Lightly massage the region in a circular manner to stimulate the lymph nodes. This will assist to remove any stagnation. Repeat 7-15 times. This will also aid in the absorption of goods. (Keep your breath steady while you do this; we're relaxing here.)

Step 4: knuckle sandwich.

Take your index and middle fingers again, but bend the knuckles as if creating air quotes. Keeping your fingers in this position, place your jawbone at your chin between your two knuckles. Slowly glide your hands along your jawline towards your ears, stopping with the knuckle of your index finger under your earlobe. Repeat three or five times. This will aid to define your jawline and stimulate your glands. Repeat the motion, this time sandwiching your cheekbone between your knuckles and finishing with your middle finger pointing toward your temple.

Step 5: Brow Lift

The brow has a lot of acupressure points, therefore it's crucial to pamper it. Follow your brow bone with your knuckles, concentrating on an upward motion.

Step 6: Forehead

Move your fingers in a circular manner from the middle of your forehead down to your temple, gently tugging upwards.

Step 7: Back to the neck.

Finally, place your hands on each side of your neck and gently pump them five times.

By the conclusion of this massage, your skin will be so relaxed that any products you use will absorb faster and more efficiently. Finish with a skin moisturizer over your face oil, stacking your products for optimal effects.