We’re all on a mission to have gorgeous skin. Every woman wants it, and the multi-billion dollar skincare industry proves it. I’m constantly scouring magazines, Instagram, celebrity interviews, product reviews, the whole works, trying to figure out which moisturizers, face wash, masks, night creams, essential oils, anti-aging treatments and DIY treatments will unlock flawless skin.
I’ve spent so much time and countless dollars determining my skin type and trying every name brand day and night cream under the sun. And while finding the right products can truly unlock more beautiful skin (retinol, Vitamin C, etc. really are effective), I’ve realized in my own life and then from watching celebrity interviews that regardless of what skin products and treatments you use, there are three building blocks that are essential to beautiful skin. No matter how much you spend on skincare, you won’t unlock your best skin without these 3 things:
1. Sleep, sleep, and more sleep!
Whenever I don’t get enough sleep, no matter what I do, I don’t wind up looking my best. Sleep is restorative and we need it for both our minds and our bodies. I can do the exact same skincare and makeup routine and it will look better on days when I’m well-rested versus when I’m exhausted. And I’ve heard countless celebrities say the same thing. They have access to all the best skincare, including the priciest and most innovative treatments available, and yet when asked how they get such amazing skin they always see sleep is essential. That’s why they call it beauty rest. And how much is enough? 7-9 hours is still the standard recommendation, but the more doctors study sleep, the more sleep they recommend. Many now say up to 10 hours and a nap when you can fit it in! Either way, one thing is for sure: if you’re getting less than 7 hours, it’s not enough, even if you think you feel fine and have enough energy to get through the day, your body has missed out on the countless processes that only happen while we’re sleeping. So start prioritizing sleep!
2. Plenty of water
For decades, doctors recommended drinking 8 8-ounce glasses of water every day. But more recently, the amount has increased, which makes complete sense: you should try to drink between half and ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weight, every day.
Even with the best of intentions, drinking enough water is hard and requires dedication. Not only to you have to remember to take a break to drink water throughout the day, but the more you drink, the more often you will have to go to the bathroom. But it is doable, and so vital for overall health, not just beautiful skin! Set a timer on your phone or computer to remind you to drink water, write yourself a note, get one of the new smart water bottles that light up when it’s time to drink more — whatever it takes to remember to get your daily recommendation, do it. Your skin and your body will thank you!
3. Diet & nutrition
A clean diet is essential to healthy skin. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that sugar and alcohol are horrible for your skin, and often dairy can be aggravating as well, whereas omega-3 fatty acids and healthy oils will help the health of your skin. A clean diet free of chemicals and preservatives is essential for beautiful skin and processed foods and all that fake garbage they put in so many “food” products these days is trash. Our bodies don’t know how to process that stuff! Eating healthy, natural products that come from the earth versus food items made in a factory are always the better route. I practically never buy stuff from the chips/snacks/cookies/candy etc. aisles, and I read the ingredients label on everything I buy. If there are words I can’t pronounce or the ingredients list is a paragraph long, they’ve likely added way too much crap to it.
Another key element to nutrition though is making sure you’re getting all the essential vitamins in your diet. While they should all be ideally consumed through our food every day, there are very few people who are consuming the diet they need to get all the essential vitamins they need.
A couple years ago when I was breaking out like crazy despite trying to live a healthy lifestyle, I realized acne was a symptom of something greater and that I should view it as a sign that my body is telling me something isn’t right. Sometimes acne is caused by hormone changes and things that are harder to target, but I started doing some research and realized there were essential vitamins that my daily multivitamin was lacking. Sure enough, when I looked at the back of the bottle, my multivitamin had less than 100% of the daily recommended value for all the vitamins that are known to help clear up acne! Read the full list here in my article about vitamins and acne.
