Kari Gran's Eight Steps To Healthy Skin
Kari Gran’s Eight Steps to Healthy Skin are easy to understand, memorize and follow. Take these tips to heart — your skin and your body will thank you.
1. Learn to Read Labels.
Many beauty products are full of ingredients potentially harmful to your health. Parabens and toxins can mess with the body and are known hormone disruptors. Remember, what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream. Key ingredients to avoid include anything that ends in “paraben,” phthalates (synthetic fragrance), polyethelene glycol (PEG) and propylene glycol, just to name a few.
2. Mineral and Petroleum Oil–Stay Away!
Manufacturers use mineral oil and petroleum in products because it’s dirt cheap. However, mineral oil can cause numerous skin problems and interferes with the body’s own natural moisturizing process. Mineral oil molecules are large, and do not easily absorb into the skin — instead, the oil just sits on top, clogging pores, preventing skin from absorbing water and oxygen, and not allowing it to eliminate toxins. Always opt for products with natural plant and essential oils instead.
3. Sugar, out. Essential Fatty Acids, In.
Skin is built from the inside out, so what you eat impacts your “glow factor.” Sugar breaks down collagen and elastin, the proteins that make skin look radiant and youthful — avoid excess. Skin loves essential fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s — gobble these up. They are the building blocks for healthy skin membranes and also help produce the skin’s natural oil barrier, critical to keeping skin hydrated, plump and youthful.
4. Cleanse and Moisturize Every Day.
It’s essential to implement a daily cleansing ritual to remove dirt and bacteria from the skin. Moisturizing skin is also important to maintain your skin’s natural moisture levels while keeping it soft and fresh with a healthy glow.
5. Manage Stress.
Stress hormones inflame the skin. Over time, those stress hormones can cause acne and accelerate wrinkles. Exercise is a great way to manage stress, lower blood pressure and, in turn, help your skin.
6. Eat Your Vitamins.
A diet rich in vitamins and minerals helps combat the natural aging process that decreases the skin’s elasticity and alters pigmentation. The best way to consume vitamins and minerals is in their natural state. Buddy up to nuts and berries, which contain antioxidant vitamins that speed up the skin’s natural repair systems and inhibit further damage.
7. Protect Skin From the Sun.
Simply put, sun exposure wreaks havoc on skin. Use sunblock every day, with an SPF 15 minimum and wear a good, wide brimmed hat. Kari Gran ideally recommends a sunblock that is 100% mineral based broad spectrum UVA+B and free of nanoparticles like our Essential SPF. Hydrate and then hydrate some more. Water helps keep skin looking and feeling great.
8. Get Your Beauty Sleep.
A good night’s rest plays a big role in your complexion. Sleep deprivation can reduce the skin’s ability to stay hydrated and supple, leading to a dull, dehydrated appearance. Turn in early, and avoid caffeine several hours before bed.
Kari Gran’s Eight Steps to Healthy Skin is an easy simple way to approach skin care. If you take these tips to heart your skin and your body will thank you. For more information, check out Kari Gran's bio.
