Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out (19 page)

Do we need to skip sunscreens completely and embrace the sun? Of course not. Sun rays today are not the same as they were fifty or even twenty years ago. The ozone layer was thicker, and there was less pollution in the air. A sun-protecting cream with minimum SPF 15 is absolutely a must if you head anywhere sunny and hot—or if you are off to a ski holiday. The damaging effect of sun rays multiples when we are near reflective surfaces such as water, white sand, or snow. Sun rays are also more active at high altitudes, so you should use at least SPF 30 when you are over six thousand feet above sea level or when your airplane seat is near the window.

But do you really need sun protection in the winter, especially if you live in gloomy climates with little chance of sunshine? The British Association of Dermatologists warned in their 2012 human
trial that heavy use of sunscreen severely depletes vitamin D levels.
¹²⁵

Sun protection creams made purely with zinc oxide are hard to find, but they exist. If all fails, you can turn your regular moisturizer into a mineral sunscreen quite simply. First, you need to buy some cosmetic-grade zinc oxide—for helpful hints, turn to
Appendix B
. You will also need a lightweight organic face or body lotion (organic baby lotions are the best). To provide SPF 25 or 30, you need at least 20 percent zinc oxide concentration. Now do your math. For 100 mL (3.3 fl. oz.) of a base cream you need 20 g zinc oxide. That’s roughly 4 tablespoons—of course, you can measure more precisely using electronic kitchen scales, but I prefer to go a little overboard when it comes to zinc oxide. Here’s what to do next:

1. Measure 100ml (3.3 fl. oz.) of the base lotion into a bowl.
   
2. Stir in 3–4 tablespoons oil (I prefer extra virgin olive oil) into the zinc oxide powder. Blend well. Zinc oxide will make your lotion a little bit drying, so the oil will compensate for this. This step ensures that zinc oxide dissolves better in the lotion so that the whitish cast on the skin will be less visible.
   
3. Whisk well to avoid lumps and grits. If the powder does not dissolve too well, add a little more oil—but not water. Wait two to three minutes and then whisk again.
   
4. The texture should be similar to thick custard, but the cream should glide easily over the skin. If the cream feels heavy, you can add a few drops of oil and whisk well again.
   

People with darker complexions are not huge fans of natural sunblocks because of the white residue minerals leave on their
skin. While lighter skin tones can get away with a light tint of their sunscreen, darker complexions can neutralize this effect in two ways. First, you can add a pinch of a rich, dark mineral bronzer powder to the base cream when you add zinc oxide. Mineral bronzers contain titanium dioxide, which adds to the overall sun protection of your cream. Blend well and test the resulting shade—you may need to add more bronzer if you prefer an iridescent finish. The new tinted sunscreen will be only suitable for use on the face—but of course you can easily make a new non-tinted batch to use on the body. Alternatively, you can apply the sun cream as is and add a swipe of a bronzer or a mineral foundation on top of the cream—again, it will also increase the natural sun protection factor of your homemade sunscreen.

As an emergency solution, you can use diaper rash cream with zinc oxide—for many years, this was my refuge, as I didn’t want to use chemical sunscreens yet wanted to use natural sun protection. Zinc oxide in baby creams is usually less than 20 per cent required for SPF 30 protection but it’s still better than nothing. More sophisticated zinc oxide protection is offered by such brands as Raw Elements and Badger (there are more suggestions at the end of this book). Some natural and organic sunscreens contain aluminum salts so I recommend you always read the ingredient list for hidden dangers.

Today, to ensure comprehensive sun protection we must “sunproof” our skin from inside and out. Before your summer vacation, or year-round if you live in a sunny climate, pop a lycopene supplement and eat lots and lots of tomatoes, carrots, and watermelon. Lycopene is a powerful scavenger of free radicals. When it comes to sun protection, lycopene protects against UV damage of skin DNA and may even help ward off long-term photodamage such as uneven color and thicker texture of the skin after too much sun exposure. The richest source of lycopene is tomato paste, which can be used in endless varieties of pasta sauces and risottos, added to soups and casseroles, and even spread on toast
with a drizzle of olive oil. In a British study that first demonstrated rejuvenating qualities of tomato paste,
¹²⁶
participants ate 55 g tomato paste a day, with some olive oil, so why not follow their lead?

SMOOTH AND SHINY LIPS

Did you know that your lip gloss is a great-great-grandson of the first-ever cosmetic product created? Lip decorations with precious stones were used by women in Mesopotamia dating back to 3500 BC , while ancient Egyptians used seaweed and iodine to add color to their lips. Since the mid-1800s, most lipsticks were colored with lead-containing pigments, and this practice continues today despite numerous scientific studies dating back to the 1850s about dangerous effects of lead on human health. Lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip balms are mainstays in any woman’s beauty stash, and they are thankfully easy to make at home. All you need is a chunk of a solid butter such as cocoa and a few drops of vegetable oil. You can also add a pinch of any mineral glitter to the melted cocoa butter to create your own custom-blended and absolutely natural lip color. For mineral pigment sources, please check the appendix at the end of this book.

I found that a half-teaspoon of golden-rosy mineral glitter dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cocoa butter keeps my lips bright, smooth, and shiny all year long—and I do not risk swallowing any mineral oil, artificial dyes, phthalates, or lead-containing pigments found in many conventional lip products.

To achieve beautiful lips, you don’t need to suffer painless injections or spend untold time reapplying “volume-boosting” lip gloss that almost always has an acrid smell of synthetic mint. Here are simple one-step tips to keep your lips supple and glowing:

1. After cleansing your face, pour a little oil (olive, grapeseed, or jojoba) facial oil onto an old, clean toothbrush and gently polish your lips. Massage the remaining oil into the lip contour.
   
2. Castor seed oil is an overnight remedy for cracked, chapping lips. So is organic, unprocessed honey.
   
3. Rub your lips with the inside of a mango skin—and, of course, feel free to eat the flesh. Mango pulp contains vitamin C and exfoliating enzymes that gently dissolve dead skin cells. You can also try this trick to give your complexion a serious fruity peel.
   

Persistently dry, chapped lips can be due to dehydration or not enough essential fats in your diet. Breathing cold, dry air through your mouth and licking your lips can leave them sore and chapped, so make sure you always wear a lip balm that is not scented with vanilla or fruity, foody scents. The yummier your lip product, the more prone you are to licking your lips subconsciously. I find that lip balms and glosses with beeswax tend to form a ridge around my lips in cold weather, so if you are as spoiled for choice as I am, then try wax-free vegan lip balms from Aubrey Organics, Merry Hemsters, or Eco Lips.

Cracked lips and dry, peeling cuticles can also be a sign you are low in B vitamins. Take a supplement to get rid of the cracks quickly. Eat beans, peas, lentils, free-range unprocessed meat, and dairy. If your lips are naturally colorful and free from chapping or painful cracking, you probably won’t even need lip color.

NATURAL SPA FACIAL AT HOME

Your skin and overall facial contours show signs of stress more quickly than any other part of the body. When we suffer from chronic stress, the downward grimace of low mood and anxiety literally pulls our faces downward, accelerating the formation of nose-to-mouth folds and creases. So having a weekly destressing facial not only improves your skin tone and clarity, it may also diminish the damage the stress and less-than-healthy lifestyle
have already done. And if your face feels brighter and younger, your mind will follow the lead!

If you are on a budget, or working to pare down your beauty routine, you don’t need to go to a spa for a facial. Using simple kitchen staples such as fruit, vegetables, oils, and salt or sugar, you can replicate spa results without paying a huge premium for luxury packaging—and, needless to say, you won’t expose your skin to synthetic chemicals abundant in most spa skincare products. By making your own masks and scrubs you can achieve wonderful results.

Start your weekly facial with a good cleanse to remove makeup and daily grime, and follow with an exfoliating treatment. If you have acne or tender skin, scrubs with abrasive particles can damage your skin even further. Use natural acids like citric, acetic, or lactic, found in lemons, apples, yogurts, and strawberries, to name just a few natural glow boosters. Simply mashing or grating some fruit and spreading the pulp over your skin, then rubbing it off with circular massaging motions, will remove dead skin cells and impurities without damaging the skin. Applesauce, possibly with added fine salt or sugar, makes a super-easy skin exfoliating mask.

After exfoliation, rinse and pat skin dry. If you have ten minutes of time to spare, you can treat yourself to a fragrant facial steam bath. Simply pour some very hot—not boiling!—water over any fresh or dry herbs you have at your disposal such as dill, lavender, chamomile, rosemary, or sage. Feel free to experiment and combine the herbs to your liking; there are no set rules here. Do not think that you will make your steam bath more effective by using boiling water
that produces lots and lots of steam. You won’t be able to absorb all the goodness in that steam because it will be too hot and may even scald your face; however, simple hot water will produce just enough steam to gently cocoon your face with evaporating essential oils and precious volatile compounds from the herbs so nothing is lost in thin air. Allow the vapors to caress your skin for eight to ten minutes, then gently pat face dry with a washcloth or muslin cloth.

Here’s a shortcut if you want to deep-cleanse and treat your skin but have no time (or herbs) for a proper steam bath. Make 2 cups of green tea, and then pour them on a clean towel—a hand towel would do. Make sure it’s not too hot. Place the towel on your face and relax for five to ten minutes while thinking positive, calming thoughts.

Now it’s time for a mask you can prepare yourself from ingredients that are most suitable for your current skin condition. If you want to purify and deeply cleanse your skin, use white or green clay, which you can buy in bulk and store in a jar at home to use in your homemade beauty products. The rule of thumb is to add one measure of liquid to two measures of clay, but please feel free to experiment, as long as you achieve the consistency of a smooth paste that won’t run off your face. Here are some one step deep-cleansing face mask ideas:

Green tea and clay:
Combine 2 tablespoons of green or white clay with 1 tablespoon freshly made green tea.

Get juicy:
Add citrus, tomato or apple juice to clay to clarify and brighten your complexion.

Cooling clay:
Peppermint tea and clay make an astringent mask that is excellent for oily skin.

Witch hazel and clay:
This traditional combination works wonders on acne and blemishes.

If your skin is on the sensitive or dry side, it will benefit from
less trying bases for your mask. Think honey, aloe vera gel, live natural yogurt, or fruit purées. You can add more substance to your mask with a little cornstarch, rice flour, vegetable shortening, or dry milk powder. All of these masks can be kept on your face for up to twenty minutes or as long as they feel comfortable.

Here are some easy ideas from your kitchen:

Nourishing face mask:
Mash 1 banana and combine with 1 teaspoon of honey.

Brightening face mask:
Grate 1 raw potato, squeeze the juice and combine with just enough rice flour to make a smooth paste.

Green goodness mask:
Combine 2 tablespoons applesauce with ½ teaspoon spirulina powder, and then stir well.

Healing skin mask:
Soothe a sunburn with 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel combined with 1 teaspoon honey; if the mask feels too runny, add some cornstarch or rice flour.

Berry galore mask:
Raid your fridge and mash together any berries you find. Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries will lightly exfoliate and brighten your skin while infusing it with glowboosting vitamin C.

After you have spent at least ten minutes with the mask of your choice, rinse it gently with tepid water, and pat face dry. Look in the mirror and adore the glowing, relaxed, smooth face of a new you!

Chapter Six Quick Tips