INSIDE OUT BEAUTY

Winter Skin Rescue! 5 tips for healthy hydrated skin

Ah yes, it’s winter children. Skin feeling a little dry? Itchy? Irritated? I’m here to help!

With the climate change, its never a bad idea to change to more moisturizing products.  It doesn’t have to be a dramatic change, no, no, save the drama fo’ yo’ mama. It can be as simple as adding a moisturizing serum to your daily routine, or apply a moisture mask once a week for an extra boost. Another helpful option is to try switching from a foamy cleanser to a creamy one.

Are you ready?! Here goes.

1) WATER! WATER! WATER!: I know it can be a bit more of a challenge to drink water during the winter months (at least I know it is for me), because it’s bit cooler. So we stick to our tea, coffee, and hot cocoa. Let me remind you, tea, coffee and hot cocoa ARE NOT WATER! Seriously though, I cannot tell you how many clients ask me for skincare advice because their skin is dry, or blemished, or both, and then they reveal to me that they drink like 4 coffees a day, and very little, to no water at all! Oh your poor kidneys. You may or may not know this already, but tea and coffee are diuretics. They make you pee. They make you pee more fluid than you actually take in when you consume them. Meaning, THEY DEHYDRATE YOU! The human body is roughly 70% water, it only makes sense to replenish, and flush that water as often as possible. In theory, it is best to drink, in ounces, at least half your body weight in water. For example, you weigh 120lbs? Dink 60oz of water a day. Here’s a tip: Sweetleaf makes liquid stevia supplements in different flavors. You can add a few drops to make your water a lil more appetizing.

2) HYDRATE FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Essential Fatty Acids or EFA’s, can be very useful for treating dry skin. Many skincare lines brag about having EFA’s in their products. What is better that putting EFA’s on top of the skin? Incorporating them into you diet! EFA’S are found in nuts, almonds, walnuts etc. (raw nuts are always best). Or you can can take supplements, such as, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, or borage seed oil. EFA’s have been PROVEN effective in treating many skin conditions, from eczema to acne. This is where I buy mine. I find Vitacost has the lowest prices out there.

3) CREAM BLUSH, EYESHADOW, AND LIP TINTS/STAINS: I am bringing cream makeup products back! Why? Well, I am really into gorgeous natural make up, that doesn’t look like makeup. Why you ask? Because your real face is beautiful, you were born with it, and you may as well show it off! Am I right?! Cream products are also great for winter because they hydrate the skin. Powder products only accentuate the look of dry skin, and in general, they accentuate fine lines and flaws, in dry, or mature skin. My new favorite obsessions are 100% Pure Lip and Cheeks Stain in “Cranberry”. These guys go on sheer and blend beautifully. Plus, they use all fruit and veggie pigment to color their products! Cool! I’m also loving NARS, cream eyeshadows. “Maracaibo” is my color of the moment. I love that you can apply both a sheer wash or intense color with these. An because they’re cream, no accentuating dryness or flaws! Score.

4) HYDRATING SERUM/MASK: A hydrating serum, is a great way to boost moisture levels in your skin during the winter months. It’s the worst when your skin feels tight, or god forbid starts flaking. Then you swear you start to see new wrinkles form right in front of your eyes (as you hear the shower scene music from Psycho start playing in your head, oh wait, you don’t hear that…? ).  Just slap it on before you apply your moisturizer. My personal preference is Hylunia Night Treatment. 100% natural, vegan, fragrance free, paraben free, everything bad free! It like a drink of water for my skin, and I it heals those dry spots up like magic! Also, for a quick fix I like Aveda Intensive Hydrating Mask. It’s a little more budget friendly, and you can use it as often as you like, to treat dry and overexposed skin. The base is aloe vera, so it has magnificent healing properties, and it has a slight just hint of rose. Lovely.

RAW HONEY MASK, HONEY: I cannot even begin to tell you the many healing properties of honey. More specifically, raw honey. Raw honey gives amazing results when as a facial mask. It is super hydrating, full of beneficial B vitamins, it contains enzymes which help exfoliate flaky skin, plus it has antibacterial properties which aid in healing blemished skin, and really just gives the skin a beautiful glow. Did I mention budget friendly? Ooh chile, you better get on down to your local health food store, like now! Please make sure you get raw honey. It still contains all it’s enzyme and nutrient goodness, whereas pasteurized honey does not, because it’s been heat treated.

Well, my loves, I hope these tips are helpful. As always, I’m happy to answer your personal skincare questions, so feel free. Also, if you would like to add anything, or share your own winter skin rescue tips, I always love to try new things myself! Much love to you, and happy holidays!

xo

-D

SKINCARE ON A DIME: FIVE DIY BEAUTY TRICKS, CHEAP AND CHIC!

Photographer: Sarah Morrison   Makeup/Hair: Danielle Walch

Okay so here’s the deal. Quality skincare can be expensive, and some of us may not always have the cash to throw down on our favorite skincare products. OR, like myself, some of you may just be too lazy, or keep procrastinating taking that trip to the store to restock. Regardless of the reason, here are some some simple ways to take care of your skin, using inexpensive ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.

1. FACE EXFOLIANT: For those of you who have a Trader Joe’s in your area, did you know of the plethora of potential skincare goodies that exist within Trader Joe’s?! Read and learn! My personal favorite low budge exfoliant, Bob’s Redmill GROUND FLAXSEED MEAL. Yes indeed. Put just about teaspoon in the palm or your hand , add a little water and presto! Massage into your skin and rinse. Feel the difference for yourself! The nice thing about the ground flaxseed is as it absorbs water it progressively softens, so it’s never too harsh. You can also mix flaxseed meal with water and drink as a fiber supplement, just mix a tablespoon into 8oz water. Fiber supplements can be very beneficial for everyone and certainly for people with acne prone skin. It helps move every thing out (if you know what I mean), more often and more efficiently and that’s all ima say about that. Cleaner body = clearer face. Not to mention it only costs about $3. Uh huh, that’s right babies! A couple other ingredients to try as facial scrub: ALMOND MEAL and WHOLE PSHYLLIUM HUSKS (also a fiber supplement) both found at Trader Joe’s! Booyah!

2. TONER/LIQUID EXFOLIANT: Raw/unpasturized APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. IT MUST BE LABELED RAW/UNPASTURIZED! Why? Well, Raw ACV still contains the natural enzymes required to breakdown dead skin so, when applied to a cotton round dead skin sloughs off easily. Just mix equal parts ACV and WATER, add a small amount to a cotton round and sweep across your face and neck. I love what this does for my skin, it gives it a nice an fresh glow! I do recommend this to be done at night, because the aroma of the ACV can sometimes linger. Unless you dig the aroma of course, and then you’ve got a new parfume eu de toilette! Make sure you mix with water, otherwise it’s too concentrated and might cause sensitivity. My favorite brand is Bragg, which I buy at Whole Foods. You may purchase online @ www.vitacost.com, $3 for a 16oz bottle, say WHA?! Thas cheeap! Other benefits of RAW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, use to aid in digestion! Whenever I get acid reflux or heartburn or any kind of indigestion I take a tablespoon of raw ACV and problem solved! I know it seems weird, but try it, it works you’ll see.

3. MOISTURE MASK: RAW HONEY!!!!!!!!! Yes babes you’ve read correctly. Again, it must say RAW on the label for the same reasons as mentioned above. RAW HONEY is moisturizing, full of enzymes that gobble up dead skin, it’s antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial, and it never spoils! Umm got blemishes? Goodbye! Did you know raw honey has been known to be medicinal since ancient times? Trust the ancients my friends! RAW HONEY can be found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and health food stores in general. Organic raw honey produced in your local area is best. Or order online here. A small jar is about $6-$10.

4. BLEMISHES: Do yourself a favor, go to your local nursery and buy an ALOE VERA plant right now!!! A beautiful plant with the most incredible healing properties. Break off a small piece and rub it’s lovely ooey gooey-ness on blemishes, burns, sunburns, cuts, scrapes, rashes and the list goes on! It’s an inexpensive plant to buy and super easy to take care of. It’s truly amazing how fast it can help your skin heal. It also prevents scarring! Caring for your plant- Full sun, indoors or out, water every few days (and that’s a generous suggestion) of course depending on how hot it is. Honestly though, I can’t even remember the last time I watered mine and she’s still thriving! NOTE* the aloe vera gel you see in the grocery store is no substitute, it’s processed and usually full of alcohol. That junk is bunk!

5. OKAY DRUM ROLL PLEASE, last but not least, my best kept secret up until now………………. COCONUT WATER KEFIR! YESSSSSS! It’s my new skincare discovery. You may be asking yourself “wha da fuh is she talkin bout?” Well COCONUT WATER KEFIR is manufactured as a supplement you that you drink. It is similar to yogurt or traditional dairy kefir because it contains the same probiotics, including the more famliar acidophlius. You may be asking yourself, “and how it this good for my skin”? Well to make a long story short (because this is a bunch of science and an explanation that could take me days), the same way that eating yogurt helps your digestion by putting friendly bacteria into your intestines, COCONUT WATER KEFIR helps your skin. When you have more good bacteria than bad, bad bacteria cannot grow and cause infection, AKA whiteheads, and pimples which are a small scale infection caused by bad bacteria. I poured some CWK in a brown glass spay bottle, I keep it in the fridge and spritz a little on my face before I put on my moisturizer. You can also just pour from the original bottle onto a cotton round. But, you must keep it in the fridge and it must be kept in a glass container only.  Now, what you should also know is that probiotics when ingested are also beneficial for helping to clear acne. So feel free to take an occasional swig of your CWK!  I also take probiotics in capsule form before meals for the same purpose. In conclusion, your skin will love this! Since I started doing this, I rarely get whitheads anymore. As a person who’s had more than my fair share of blemishes, I seriously recommend! I buy mine at Whole Foods. A small bottle costs about $7 and a large bottle will run you about $13. Here’s a list of nationwide carries of the “TONIX” brand. OR, if your feeling ambitious brew your own at home! Check out Body Ecology for details on that.

Well, that’s all for now. What are your DIY beauty tricks?

Inside Out Beauty BLOG launch!

Hello friends, welcome to the world of Inside Out Beauty! My goal in creating this blog is  not only to share my knowledge as a professional makeup artist/hairstylist and skincare expert but to give advice on where, in my opinion, beauty starts. From the inside out. Here, I will be sharing my recipes for homemade skincare, beautifying foods & supplements, as well as my professional and more conventional product favorites. Whether conventional or unconventional it’s my intention to share techniques, products, and tips that in my experience, actually WORK!  So stayed tuned my lovelies, I’m going to divulge all of my health and beauty secrets!

Much love-

Danielle