Do you know what is in your skincare?

Many of us know that our skin is the largest organ in our body. We function like a sponge in so many ways, and because of this it is so important to be informed about what we are putting on our skin!

For the longest time I was not able to wear makeup, so naturally I was obsessed with my skin. I struggled with hormonal acne all throughout middle school and high school and tried everything under the sun. From Proactiv to home remedies, I still felt defeated and discouraged because I did not understand the comprehensive nature of skin CARE. Even after a round of Accutane, my skin went right back to the stubborn breakouts that pushed me to that extreme in the first place.

Now, in my early 20s I would like to think that I have a little more experience and knowledge about the best ways to approach my skin and over all health. Of course, even now, I approach my personal health journey with grace in trial and error, and these are just some of the steps I am taking to be more cognizant of my products in the hopes to prove that beauty is just "skin deep."

Here are some of the first steps that I take in order to evaluate

1. Run the ingredients list through Skin Charisma.

Personally this is just a small step that I am taking to learn more about products I am using as well as chemicals that are harmful to the body. A friend of mine introduced me to the cosmetic analyzer and it has helped my novice self feel more confident in my "research." At this point I am striving to invest in products that I know are 'scoring' 90% or above until I can find a full routine that I am confident in the manufacture and long term benefits for my skin.

my skincare.

2. Read, read, and try things you want to!

I know for many of the people in my demographic, social media, primarily instagram influences our shopping decisions, myself included! Many of the companies I have stumbled across have come from Instagram stories and feeds of people that I follow who 'know' what is 'best' on the market. I understand there are a lot of popular forms of skincare going around and its hard to tell what will be right for you in all the marketing madness. My encouragement to you is read what you can to inform yourself, then try the things you want to because it's your body and your beauty!

3. Focus on fueling your body with skin healthy foods!

I think one of the best things that I could have done for myself in the beginning of my skin health journey was come off from hormonal birth control. After doing more research about some of the long terms effects, I made the decision in what was best for my body and started the journey of healing from the inside out. This really prompted me to look into supporting my body, and especially my skin through clean foods that would encourage my body's natural detox pathways. Ever since I started focusing on my metabolic health, getting adequate rest and avoiding certain products/chemicals there has been a huge change in my skin for the better!

Another good resource that I look through is the EWG's Skin Deep database. These products are all EWG certified, which in short have gone through rigorous testing for this all clean certification!

I hope these little tips and insights are helpful! I will continue to share the products that I enjoy and work through with the hopes that the stories encourage you to shop in confidence!