How To Choose The Right Hydration for the Season

As we reach for different, more hydrating skin care products to offset the dry, cold air of this season, I would like to highlight some skin care ingredients you should be introducing, and point out which ingredients that could be sabotaging your efforts at obtaining smooth clear skin.

Reading Skin Care Product Labels

Reading labels and choosing clean green products play an important part in maintaining a clear glowing complexion. I realize navigating your way through an ingredient list can be intimidating with so many long and often unpronounceable scientific words. Keep in mind the first 5 ingredients will make up the bulk of the formula. That is most often where the hydrating ingredients will be listed. One bonus of choosing green beauty products, is the labels are much easier to read!

Beware of These Ingredients

Watch out for ingredients like Phthalates and Parabens as they play different roles in their outcome of how they affect your skin. They both enter the blood stream through absorption of the skin, and as a result, are proven to alter hormonal balance in our bodies and act as endocrine system disruptors. Yikes!

Those of you who suffer from acne breakouts close to your period should be extra cautious to choose clean, non-toxic beauty products! When reading labels watch out for Phthalates as they are usually noted on ingredient lists as acronyms like DBP (dibutylphthalate) and DMP (dimethylphthalate). Parabens are usually easier to spot as the word “paraben” will be within the ingredient listed like Methylparaben, and Ethylparaben to name a few.

Another ingredient to be aware of is Propylene Glycol. This is a strong skin irritant, and has been implicated in contact dermatitis. The ingredient can inhibit skin cell growth and damage cell membranes, causing rashes, dry skin, and surface damage. Definitely not what we want in our skin care products if we are looking to promote healthy glowing skin.

Hyaluronic Acid for Skin Hydration

Did you know that our skin needs 70% water and 30% oil to maintain its balance? So, what can we do to have happy healthy and balanced skin? Apart from drinking half our body weight in ounces of clean filtered water daily. A great choice to increase water content in the skin is Hyaluronic Acid!  

Hyaluronic Acid is an amazing ingredient to look for in facial products. The name makes it look like it could be really aggressive and irritating, but it’s not. It is naturally found in our skin and has the ability to hold 1000 times it’s weight in water! As we age our cells loose the ability to hold moisture, because our natural stores decline. Applying Hyaluronic Acid products daily will help plump the surface of the skin and soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Adding this to your skincare routine will make your skin feel hydrated, soft and comfortable in the cold winter months. Find this on the ingredient list as Sodium Hyaluronate and Hyaluronic Acid.

Providing your skin with ultimate hydration can have positive impact, especially for oily, problematic skin. The belief that drying out the skin’s surface will assist in clearing up acne breakouts, is not the case! Dryness and dehydration can cause your skin to overproduce oil, which in turn, can aggravate problem skin. This condition of dehydrated, tight skin will hold on to blackheads and make them nearly impossible to remove! if you want to get the most out of your facials, and have nice clear glowing skin, it’s imperative to keep your skin hydrated with the right water to oil ratio. Applying the right oils and moisturizers topically, will help to soften skin along with loosening congestion like blackheads, making them easier to remove. When a blemish is left in the skin to fester for too long, inflammation can damage the surrounding cells and stretch out the pore. These two elements combined with time, could leave behind an unsightly scar. Who wants that? Nobody!

What about Coconut Oil?

I need to talk about coconut oil, ahhh we all love coconut oil. It has been super trendy, and at one point, everyone was using it! Cooking with it, and slathering it on head to toe. It is a fantastic moisturizer for those with severely dry skin with absolutely no risk of developing acne. Read your skin care product ingredient list, as it can be hidden in your products under different names. Look for Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric/Coco Glycerides, and Cocoglycerides, just to name a few.

MCT Oil for Acne-Prone Skin

For those of you who break out, but want all the wonderful antibacterial benefits of coconut oil, look for MCT oil; which stands for Medium Chain Triglyceride. It is the unsaturated version of coconut oil, that is liquid at room temperature. I personally love this oil, it is odourless, doesn’t stain, and absorbs completely with no oily residue. Read the labels as there are some MCT oils that are made from sunflower seed. This is still ok to apply on acne prone skin, but with out the added antibacterial, antifungal benefits. MCT oil in products is labeled as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride.

What to Apply First

Pro Tip: For the ultimate hydration boost, always apply oil, serum, or moisturizer on top of moist skin! Using a alcohol-free toning mist makes this an easy thing to do. Just spray and work quickly before the mist evaporates, and apply your first layer of hydration. I recommend applying the lightest texture serum to the heaviest cream.

Facial Oils

One last thing on oils, you only need 1 to 4 drops! You would need less if your skin is oily, more if your skin is dry. Using too much of a good thing can sabotage your beautiful complexion, so use oil sparingly.

In Conclusion

I hope this helps you find comfort in the cold dry winter months ahead. Please contact me if you have any additional questions! I’m here to help!

Yours truly,
Mei-Lana RHN

How to Keep your Skin Clear, Naturally

I’m dedicating this post for my clients and those who have faced challenges in their quest to have clear, bright radiant skin!

Purposeful Skin Care With Nutrition

What I love most about being a skincare specialist, medical aesthetician, and holistic nutritionist, is that I have built long lasting relationships with you–my clients, and that we get to work together–to uncover the things that could be dulling your overall glow. I reach beyond what happens in the natural facial treatment room to what is happening in your kitchen everyday.

Keep in mind: Healthy and well-nourished skin requires less work.

How Does Diet Affect Your Skin?

Have you ever considered that perhaps, what you eat on a daily basis can have an effect on your skin?

Think of this scenario: you go to a birthday party and eat that delicious birthday cake, or indulge in a cheesy piece of lasagna, then  wake up the next day with a new blemish or rosacea flare up? The truth is that having clear skin may just lie in the food choices you make every day.

The body is always looking to achieve homeostasis. When our bodies are low on nutrients, exposed to allergens, and dehydrated, our skin can look sallow and dull. When we have an abundance of the right nutrients and ultimate hydration, our bodies function optimally and our skin will GLOW. Glowing skin is always smoother, brighter, with less wrinkles, less red rough patches, and less brown spots.

Lifestyle, food choices, overall hydration, and genetics all play a role on your complexion. Your skin, at the end of the day, is a reflection of your internal health.

I encourage you to eat whole, unrefined, and unprocessed foods that have all the vital nutrients in complete balance–which aids in proper assimilation and absorption. Your skin has a better chance looking smooth and radiant when removing the sludgy residue that junk food, trans fats, sugar, and conventional dairy leaves behind. When your digestive system is running smoothly with good quality foods and there are no food sensitives at play, you can usually get away with little indulgences. We all need to live a little right? ?

Top 10 Tips on How to Keep Your Skin Clear

Below, I give you tips on how to gain more control on your glow!

Hope you’re ready for the challenge. I have faith in you that you can make these adjustments to your daily life to see the results you deserve: clear, radiant skin!

  1. Eat more fresh veggies and fruit. This keeps your skin hydrated and provides antioxidants, minerals and vitamins–crucial for smooth radiant skin. Also, add foods that help correct acne problems such as turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods like grapes, berries, beets, carrots, and dark greens ?like kale and spinach. Check out my other article, Eat Like Your Skin Depends On It for more information on how to eat clean.
  2. Keep a food journal. If you bite it, you write it! ? Keeping track of everything you eat can assist you in recognizing what your body is reacting to. Write down what you eat, and also how you feel (stress level), skin reactions, and frequency of bowel movements. Sometimes it takes 24-48 hours for symptoms like pimples and rashes to surface. Looking back on your food journal will help provide insight and remind you of what you ate. One thing to note here is that stress shuts down the digestive system. Learning to manage stress and release one self from anxiety and worry can be a key to healing the body. Meditation and exercise can help with this.
  3. Elimination diet. Once you have an idea about what foods you react to, you can then eliminate them one by one from your diet and test out how you look and feel. Contact me for additional information on this process.
  4. Consider doing a liver cleanse. Spring time is wonderful time to this. The signs of an overloaded liver can show up on your face with acne, blotches, and eczema. I recommend CanPrev Detox-Pro caps or SISU Milk Thistle Complex supplements for a minimum of 3 weeks. Try these supplements and eat liver-supporting foods like broccoli, sprouts, garlic, artichoke, and beets. As well, see the benefits after eliminating sugar, gluten, alcohol, dairy, and caffeine from your daily diet.
  5. Watch your sugar consumption. For most people, the combination of refined wheat and white sugar can be the worst! Avoid cakes and pastries etc. if you want to have smooth, firm skin. Simple sugars spike blood sugar, increases insulin, and throws hormones off balance which can result in acne breakouts. Sugar is also the one thing that breaks down the skin structure as it hardens and snaps collagen peptides, resulting in loose, sagging skin.
  6. Stay away from dairy. It’s confirmed, dairy causes acne. Try cutting out ALL dairy (even in your morning coffee) for 2 weeks and discover the difference it has on your skin!
  7. Take digestive enzymes, especially when consuming foods in question or you know cause digestive upsets or breakouts. This will help to prevent excess stress on the digestive system, which translates into less stress that shows up on your face.
  8. Increase healthy anti-inflammatory fats like Omega-3 fish oil and  Evening Primrose oil which is high in Omega-6. I recommend Bend Skincare – the anti-aging formula will calm inflammation in the body and allow the healing process to begin. Then, as it heals itself, support its rebuilding by using Marine Collagen + Co-Factors for strengthening of collagen structures of your skin to improve its overall condition and tone. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing as these products are available in our clinic.
  9. Take acne fighting supplements like Evening Primrose Oil (1,000-1,500mg 2 x daily), Zinc Citrate (30mg daily), Vitamin A (25,000 IU a day,  *for only 3 months* and not while pregnant), Vitamin E mix tocopherols (400 IU daily, and *not alpha tocopherol*), Vitamin D (1,000 IU daily), and finally – probiotics, especially with Lactobacillus acidophilus (I recommend Perfect Probiotic 30 Billion with Prebiotic by Progressive Nutritional.
  10. Don’t touch or pick your face! This is where deep cleansing, natural facial treatments come in to play, ultimately helping to prevent scarring and manage clogging, so you don’t have to pick and dig at your own skin. Let the professionals take care of tricky extractions! Also, keep your cell phone clean by wiping it down with alcohol, wash your eyeglasses and sunglasses with dish soap everyday, and change your pillow cases often.

Trust the Process

This process can feel like it’s going to take forever to see the results, but trust me…good things will come with patience and persistence.

Taking this holistic approach to skin care is not a band-aid effect (like most conventional methods.) This is YOU getting to know your body and what it reacts to. You will gain the personal power of choice and be able to control what you expose your body to!

Feel free to boost your efforts with additional guidance from me – feel free drop a comment below! I’m here to help you through this whole process. I want to see you glow with confidence and beauty for many years to come. ✨✨

xo,
~Mei-Lana Chow RHN

Expert Advice: How to Eat Healthy and Feel Great Over The Holidays! 

There are times like the holiday season where we need a little help to stay on track. I have listed some helpful tips on how to avoid the dreaded belly bulge, post sugar break outs and that holiday hangover.

  • Don’t show up to the party starving! you will be more likely to reach for the sugary and heavy carb dishes
  • Load your plate up with the healthier options from the classic veggie platter
  • If it’s a pot luck your in luck! This is your opportunity to bring your own healthy dish to share.
  • Start your day off right with warm lemon water, and a breakfast that is high in protein and full of fibre.
  • Drink water after every cocktail! The more of a buzz you get, the more likely you will be reach for the unhealthy options.
  • Supplement with the mineral Chromium, this helps to balance blood sugar and prevent those spikes that make you want more sugar. 600 micrograms daily, do not exceed 1000 micrograms in a day.
  • kukicha tea is a twig tea that helps to alkalize and restore the minerals in your body. This is great for when you have eaten too much white sugar, to sooth digestion and release trapped gas, to reduce heartburn, and cure that holiday hangover.
  • Exercise! Yoga, Pilates, running, skipping, walking, what ever it is, just move. Burn off all those extra calories!
  • Enjoy! If you stress yourself out with self depreciating thoughts of all the junk you consumed, it can cause more inflammation and have a more negative impact on your body!  Brush yourself off and make better choices starting tomorrow.

Hope you all have a Happy and GLOWY Holiday Season! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me at glowwithmei@gmail.com, I’m here to help!

Yours truly,
Mei-Lana Chow RHN xoxo

Eat Like Your Skin Depends On It!

Want healthy Glowing skin? Create a healthy body!

How do you create a healthy body? By making smart food and lifestyle choices. We’ve all heard it before… stay out of the sun, don’t smoke, or drink alcohol, don’t eat refined sugar, or processed foods. Why eliminate these things? Because they cause inflammation in the body.

Inflammation is a Beauty Killer

Inflammation occurs when your body is stressed. The trigger could be stress from work, it could be from eating nutrient deficient processed foods, or it could be from eating foods that you’re allergic to, the list goes on. Everyone is exposed to things that can stress their bodies out, let me help you find more balance and bring back your personal power of choice.

Top 4 Food Groups for Reducing Inflammation

Below I have listed four healthy food groups that reduce inflammation, are packed with nutrients, and that contribute to clear, youthful skin. Incorporating all these foods daily and eliminating the beauty killer’s REALLY does make your body healthy and skin more radiant!

#1 Greens! Ohh those glorious greens! Green leafy vegetables give you a nutritional boost!

Greens are totally affordable, easy to prepare, and gives you basically every micronutrient your body will need! Greens are full of antioxidants and anticancer compounds, proven to fight heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimers, and stroke. The antioxidants are especially important for your skin because they neutralize free radicals! The vitamin content in greens goes through the roof with A and B vitamins, that help to fight acne, and repair damaged skin. Greens are also rich in Folate, Beta-carotene, Vitamin E, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. These are all the beauty vitamins in one place!!

Fatten up those greens! Add grass fed butter, ghee, raw olive oil to assist the absorption of fat soluble vitamins, and add satiating power.

Eat more: Broccoli, lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, collards, dandelion greens, beet greens, spinach, watercress, brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy. Eat raw, add to smoothies, or cook sautéed, baked or roasted.

#2 Fruit! Don’t be afraid of the sugar in fruit. Second to greens, fruit is the most nutrient dense beauty superfood!

If you want glowing radiant skin, always eat the whole fruit! When the whole fruit is eaten, it has lots a fibre to slow down the absorption of sugar. The fibre and water content in fruit helps to fill you up, aids digestion, and keeps energy levels up. Avoid “dead” pasteurized fruit juice in the grocery store which contains only sugar, artificial colour and flavours. *Fresh juice* is the only exception to the rule, which still contains some enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Be careful with consuming these liquid calories, as it won’t provide you with that same feeling of fullness the whole fruit would.

Did you know that consuming too much refined sugar is linked to sagging skin, wrinkles and also acne? eeek! There is something that happens in your skin when you consume too much white refined sugar, this my friends, is appropriately called Advanced Glycation End (AGE) This is when sugar molecules bind to proteins in the skin, creating inflammation, causing collagen and elastin to harden, clump up, weaken and breakdown.

The solution? Really, really try hard to eliminate candies, pastries, and cakes etc. Once your taste buds readjust, you will enjoy fruit soooo much more! Try to alternate your fruits. The rotation of different varieties will expose you to the different combinations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A great way to start your day is with fresh or frozen fruit! Add to smoothies, top granola, or organic unsweetened yogurt or dairy free yogurt, and add hemp seeds, or nuts.
Keep in mind serving size does count here. Aim for 1 cup of fruit per serving and consume no more than 5 servings of fruit per day.

Eat more: Apples, peaches, pears, papaya, pineapple, mango, berries, banana, grapes, cherries, oranges, lemon, cantaloupe, plums, papaya, grapefruit, avocado, and tomatoes.

#3 Fats keep your skin plump and radiant! Eating the right kinds of fats are crucial to having amazing skin!

They call them essential fatty acids (EFAs) because they are essential to life, and are only available from food sources. These are the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, helping your body to produce healthy cells, including skin cells. They also aid the production of sebum, which keeps your skin hydrated and youthful.
If your not consuming enough in your diet, your skin will be dry, dehydrated, inflamed, and more prone to breakouts and eczema. Inflammation in the body is the underlying link to acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. Eating too much processed foods will result in an imbalance of these oils as they contain mostly Omega-6 fatty acids. When the balance of 3 and 6 are off, inflammation runs rampant in your body.

The solution? Avoid processed foods and focus on consuming NATURAL, whole, fatty foods!

Eat more: Fatty fish, coconuts, olive oil, organic grass fed butter and ghee, avocados, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, flax, hemp, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds. Eat nuts and seeds raw, and cook with high flash point oils like avocado or grape seed oil.

#4 Funky fermented foods! Healthy skin starts with a healthy digestive tract.
When you begin to consume fermented foods on a daily basis, you are flooding your body with feel good probiotics, vitamins and live enzymes. Fermented foods have been used for centuries to heal us from the inside out by aiding digestion, fighting disease and bringing us vital nutrition. They provide your body with good bacteria, which we want plenty of in our intestines. This good bacteria is extremely beneficial for the entire body by giving us strength, vitality, reducing signs of early aging and creating a brighter, more clear even skin tone.

Eat More: Kombucha, miso, organic unsweetened yogurt, kimchi and/or sauerkraut from the refrigeration section in the grocery store.

Just one more thing…

Stay hydrated with plain old filtered water!

Ok, I know water is not a food, but I have to mention it, because we would not exist without water!

We are made up of 70% water. If we did not have clean water to drink, then we would die. Now think about what happens to your body when it’s dehydrated, you become groggy, headache set in, energy decreases, your lips crack, your mouth feels dry like sand paper, you become lethargic and moody. Every cell in your body is suffering a slow death!

Water yourself! To stay hydrated you need to drink half your body weight in ounces in a day. The key is to drink water before you feel any signs of dehydration. Caffeine, salt ,and sugar will dehydrate your body, you will need to drink 2 glasses of water to replace the lost water from consuming just one of these beverages. I’m not saying caffeine is bad, just replace the water so your body doesn’t suffer.

Matcha tea and Moringa leaf powder have an abundance of minerals, vitamins and are packed with antioxidant power. These drinks will protect cells and skin from damaging effects of free radicals and can decrease wrinkles and promote the quality and quantity of collagen and elastin. If you want to drink something to provide an energy boost, choose these healthy drinks in place of coffee.

In Conclusion

I hope this post has provided some inspiration and knowledge for you to start eating like your skin depends on it! Keep in mind, I would like to see you all eating more of these foods listed above, however, I encourage these as high lights to reduce overall inflammation. A balanced diet with lean protein, whole grains and vegetables are necessary for building your healthy body. Balance is key!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, or drop me a comment below! I would love to hear from you.

Yours truly,
Mei-Lana Chow RHN xo

Seed Cycling: The Natural Cure for Hormonal Breakouts?

Seed Cycling: The Natural Cure for Hormonal Breakouts?

In my 18 years of Aesthetics I have seen how many of my clients have tried to manage hormonal breakouts with birth control pills and topical prescriptions. Sadly, these methods just mask the root cause of the symptoms.

Don’t give up! There’s more you can do to have a balanced body and clear skin!

Could something as simple as eating SEEDS, help to balance hormones naturally?

GOOD BYE, mood swings, bloating, cramping, PMS and hormonal acne?

HELLO, happy days and smooth glowing skin?

What IS Seed Cycling anyway?

Flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds are rotated throughout the month. The concept behind the cycling is that the seeds contain lignan’s that help to bind and excrete excess hormones. On the other hand they also, contain minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids that support the production of hormones at different phases of your cycle.

Eating seeds in a certain format can ultimately help your body find balance! The result? A more even mood and clear radiant skin!

Basic principles:

Estrogen and progesterone balance are key to healthy body. Too little estrogen can lead to a thin uterine lining or a lack of ovulation and too much estrogen can cause irregular periods, depression and PMS symptoms.  Progesterone is essential for getting pregnant and sustaining pregnancy, a deficiency has been linked to symptoms of PMS, fatigue, irregular periods and recurrent miscarriages.

Ok, with that said…

The female body is dominated by estrogen for the first half (day 1-14) of the cycle, and the later half (days 15-28) is dominated by progesterone.

Seeds for Estrogen Days 1-14:

Flax and pumpkin seeds are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which allow the smooth transmission of hormones throughout the body.

Flax contains lignans, which blocks the absorption of and assists the elimination of excess estrogen out of the body.

The high zinc, calcium and magnesium content in pumpkin seeds allows the body to release progesterone, reduce cramping and clear the skin.

The combination of these two processes allows for the balance between the two hormones.

Seeds for Progesterone Days 15-28:

During the second half of the cycle, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds will encourage the production of progesterone.

Sesame seeds are high in zinc, calcium and omega 6 fatty acids which are essential to progesterone production. As well as, reducing acne, headaches, cramping.

Sunflower seeds are rich in Vitamin B6 and selenium which support the liver, having a positive effect on the reduction of breakouts and removing excess hormones and toxins. Also rich in magnesium, which works with calcium to reduce cramps and calm mood. Just like the flax seeds the lignans in the sesame seeds deter excess estrogen production.

Keep in mind, this part is very important! ONLY consume the seeds appropriate for your cycle on the given weeks. Aim to avoid sunflower and sesame seeds during the first half of your cycle and pumpkin and flax seeds during the second half.

Look for raw, unsalted versions of each of the seeds mentioned above. The first 14 days of your cycle have one tablespoon each of ground flax seeds and ground pumpkin seeds daily. In the latter half of your cycle, work in one tablespoon each of ground raw sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Grinding the seeds breaks down the tough outer layers and makes their nutrients more easily accessible to the body.

Add to smoothies, salads or soups or even blend with water or juice for a quick drink. Make a sauce, salad dressing or your own tahini or seed butter. Go ahead, get creative!

Smoothies, dips/spreads, dressings, sprinkle on yogurt, salads are great vehicles for your seed regimen.

Daily dosages:

Days 1 -14 add 1tbsp. of ground flax meal and 1 tbsp. of pumpkin seeds.

On Days 15-28 add 1 tbsp. sesame seeds and 1 tbsp. of sunflower seeds.

 

For extra support add 1500 mg of fish oil (EPA+DHA) to days 1-14

Add evening prime rose oil (EPO) to days 15-28

And ONE last suggestion!

Did you know Paraben’s, phthalate’s, and artificial fragrances etc. found in every day beauty products absorb through your skin, alter the natural rhythm of hormones and are also toxic? Scary right?

So, if you’re going to give seed cycling a go, I would highly recommend  switching to (if you haven’t already) natural facial products, and only go for organic holistic facials, which prevent further alteration of your hormones.

Hormones can take a while to balance using natural methods, be patient and give yourself at least 3 months.

Please! Let me know how you do, or if you have any questions. I’m here to help!

glowwithmei@gmail.com

Yours truely,

Mei-Lana Chow RHN

Soothe your skin and your gut

Hello Friends and Beauty Enthusiasts!

My name is Mei-Lana. Thank you for dropping in on my first blog post!

I have been working as an Aesthetician for 16 years, 10 of those years as a Medical Aesthetician at a Dermatologist office in Toronto. I am also Registered Holistic Nutritionist, a Bellanina facelift massage specialist, and now FINALLY a blogger ?

I know what you’re thinking..I sound all over the place! but the common thread here is, I know SKIN, how to take care of it, how to keep it looking great while keeping you feeling even better.

I would like to share what I have learned through out my years working as a skin care specialist. I would love to help you find what YOU really need for your skin to stay healthy and vibrant!  I highlighted YOU because…There are to many different opinions and theory’s as to what works to make your skin glow… but the thing is … what works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next. Sometimes we have to blend all sorts of method’s to find the right fit to achieve beautiful lasting illuminating results.

I truly believe that beautiful glowing skin is a by-product of a healthy body. And a healthy body begins with gut health and is supported with healthy lifestyle choices and habits!

The number one thing I always recommend to my clients is to start taking a high quality probiotic every day. Look for probiotic that deliver 20 to 50 billion live organisms per dose and contain a combination of different strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. Take as directed, preferably once or twice daily with meals. This “friendly bacteria’ helps to keep your digestion running smoothly and also will have a direct impact on the clarity and tone of your skin.

Another way to incorporate gut friendly probiotics into our daily food choices is to eat fermented foods! Sauerkraut, kimchi, organic yogurt and kefir, kombucha…yumm!!!

One thing I must point out though!!! is the fact that, some people are unable to properly digest milk proteins, this can irritate their bodies creating an abundance of mucus in the tissues and ultimately having an “ugly” impact on their complexion. If you suffer from cystic or even mild acne, cutting out all dairy might just clear up your skin!! Try cutting out ALL sources of dairy from your diet for a minimum of 2 weeks.  Betcha you’ll notice less breakouts ?

Now I’m going to put a spin on this… and suggest you also put the same food you’re eating for a health body and put it on your skin for a healthy glowing complexion! YUP!!

I have honestly had the most complements on my skin the days after I apply this mask on my face. I also put this mask on my boyfriend once after came home from surfing in November. Yes, He surfs in the icy waters of Ontario, with a wet suit of course! He just loves catching waves!!! Well this one time he came home with a serious case of wind burn. His skin was so irritated it was screaming out for the soothing, anti-inflammatory nature of this mask. I mixed it up and smothered it all over his face, left it for 15 min, washed it off and BAM his skin looked and felt normal again!

Sooooo this is definitely a must try…. Especially if your skin is inflamed, irritated or acne prone.

Turmeric Mask for glowing skin:

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tsp. Raw honey

1 tsp. organic yogurt, milk

Mix all together in a small dish, if it is too runny, add more turmeric powder. Apply to face for 10-15 mins. Splash with water and gently wash off with a dark coloured wash cloth. Follow with applying a light weight natural moisturizer.

  • Turmeric is a powerful anti-oxidant, is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial
  • Raw unpasteurized honey is antibacterial, moisturizing and softening
  • The lactic acid in the milk product will gently exfoliate the skin
  • If you suffer from acne, use cooled green or black tea instead of yogurt!

*Be careful with blonde or white hair and light towels etc. as the turmeric can stain!!

Ok Friends and Beauty Enthusiasts, that’s it for today! I’ll be back soon with more helpful tips on how to feel great and keep your skin glowing!

Mei-Lana Chow, RHN xoxox