If you have been following our blog you might realize by now that I (Em) am a bit of a health nut. My architecture practice is all about sustainable design. So in my everyday life I try to think about what I put in my body and on my body. Whenever I get a complement on how great my skin looks, I just smile. I may have been blessed with great genetics that I made it through my teen years without acne problems, but I have the most sensitive skin you can imagine. So I apologize if you tuned in to get some great advice on foundations and concealers. I simply don’t wear them. But my secret to great skin is as follows:

1. I wash my face and my body with Jason Lavendar Body Wash.

I love the scent and it’s gentle so using it on my face works great. I can’t use those microderm exfoliating face wash and so many face soaps have harmful chemicals that strip your face of oils causing your body to produce more oil and get more breakouts. Or they have the opposite effect and you get out of the shower feeling greasy. You don’t want your face to feel squeaky clean or greasy. Almost all dermatologist will recommend you use something that is fragrance free.  Soaps and lotions that use any type of petroleum products make your skin feel nice, but they trap water below them preventing evaporation. Your skin can protect you from harmful chemicals or intensify the effects.  So when I find something that works for me and doesn’t irritate my skin I take a look at what’s in it and stick with it.

2. Next it’s really important for your skin that you’re careful about what you use in your hair. I have had a lot of success with Arbonne products, a line of swiss skincare.

I know, it sounds crazy, but many people have difficulty with conditioner making their face break out.  Or, they don’t realize that there is gluten in their hair or skincare products.  We don’t even think about it, but when you wash and condition your hair the products you used in it to style or color it get washed all over your body.

3. Hydration – Again, because I have had so much success with the skincare line from Arbonne, I use their sensitive skin lotions.

My all time favorite product is the calm face lotion which does not make my skiing break out into a rash or hives. But I also love their FC5 hand lotion and FC5 foot lotion. As our skin ages it has a harder time staying hydrated so it is critically important to use a face and body moisturizer.

4. Deodorizer, with this one you might laugh, but I got a little tip from my Arbonne consultant that she uses the foot cream as a deodorant. And in a pinch it totally works.

It’s cooling and deodorizing. I found, for me, that long term use made me break out in a rash so I switched to their actual deodorant, which smells like spearmint toothpaste.  But I have tried 10+ natural deodorants and this one has worked the best so far.  Natural deodorant gets a bad rap (as many of them should) but I just cannot see adding metal to my under arm area to keep me from sweating. If i’m sweating, my body needs to release those toxins.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Leave us some feedback on what has worked for you, we love to share testimonials on products that work!

xoxo ~ Em

PS. Disclaimer: Although I personally love the Arbonne products and I use them in my daily regime; I do not sell them and I do not work for Arbonne.