What is true beauty?

Beauty begins the moment you started to accept yourself regardless of skin tone or physical structure. Everyone deserve to be address as beauty. I strongly believe in natural beauty. Hiding your face behind makeup doesn’t make you good in any way. You might get temporary compliments but remember this is not going to last forever. You can’t spend the entire day with makeup on starting from the moment you wake up until going to bed. Hiding your imperfections behind makeup wasn’t a good practice. Skin is the largest organ of human body and it really need extra time and attention to achieve healthy and glowing skin. It need to breath. Makeup is a temporary solution to have flawless skin. But learning to accept yourself and understanding your skin needs help you to achieve everlasting clear and healthier skin without need of makeup.

“ You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”- Amy Bloom

A years back, I have encountered serious acne problem which left visible dark spots especially on my cheek area and forehead. I couldn’t identify the issue, but I can’t stand looking at those acnes and dark spots. Thus, I have decided to consult skin doctor to address this issue and get it resolved. As per suggestion, I agreed to get chemical facial done and purchased a serum which literally cost me at RM500 without a second thought. I'm suffering from extremely sensitive and dry skin. I tend to get flaky skin from time to time. I always find struggle to look for the right product that works best for my skin. I bought the serum thinking it will help to resolve my face problem. I started using the serum for about one week and realized that it just causes the situation worse instead of getting the face appearance better. Upon checking, the main ingredient is bergamot which falls under citrus category and I’m allergic to citrus. On top of this, I used to apply foundation with SPF every day to work. I put a halt on all the products to identify root cause forming the acne. Then, I have come across the Ayurveda products: PotionsMy by two sisters which is 100% natural, suitable for vegan and free from harmful ingredients like Parabens and SLS. At first, I purchased their bestseller cleanser, Vedaglow to give it a shot and later purchased their complete set. Guess what? I have completely fallen in love with their products as it help to improve the entire skin complexion. Since then, I didn’t go after any conventional products which bad for both our skin and health. I started exploring more natural or organic products to find the right one works for me.

Here, I want to share a few tips on having healthy and glowing skin.

1. Understand your skin type

It’s vital to know what your skin need and feed your skin with the right product. The skin mostly falls under 3 types: Oily, Dry or Combination. Understanding your skin type not only help you to choose the right product but also help to improve your overall complexion. Identify your main skin concern and work towards it.

2. Accept your skin

Learning to accept your skin is very important. Being human being, we are blessed with different skin tone and physical structure. Darker or fairer, you are beautiful in your own way. I always admire those people who are blessed with darker skin and they look absolutely gorgeous. Influenced by actress, most of us started going after fair skin treatments or cosmetic surgery to correct our skin tone or appearance. Often, we forgotten that this comes with higher price and side effects. In our society, fairer skin perceived as beautiful comparing darker or dusky skin tone. Thanks to the social media which brought this to spotlight and society started accepting those with darker skin tone. Avoid going after chemical treatment, instead go after natural products which help to enhance your skin complexion in a safer way.

3. Eat and Drink right

Drink at least 2 – 3 liters of water per day to keep yourself hydrated. Getting yourself hydrated throughout the day help to combat with dry skin. Add a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet and avoid foods especially dairy products, fast foods and oily foods. Reduce the intake of sugar and salt on daily basis. Everything need to be taken in moderate level. Anything excessive, will cause problems to you.

4. Use natural or organic products

The lesser the ingredient, the better the result. Think before spending on expensive conventional products which promises better skin. And often full of harmful ingredients. Going after natural or organic products will help you to achieve healthier skin and free from harmful ingredients that often leave side effects in long term run. At home, you can apply DIY masks like Turmeric face pack. Turmeric rich in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits. It is excellent remedy for acne skin and calm skin. Adding some potions of patience is another key to improve skin as the natural or organic products might take months or years to achieve desired result. Be consistent with your skin care routine to see the result before trying out new products.

5. Exercise and lifestyle

Indulge in stress free lifestyle might sounds impossible. Despite your tight schedule, find some time for yourself. You could be working woman, housewife or mother of two kids. You don’t have to hit gym but simple workout at home will do. It could be a simple yoga, jogging or walking around your residential area. Stress can cause breakouts on your face in the form of acne as it disrupts the balance between good and bad bacteria. Thus, allocate some time for yourself by indulging in activities that help you release stress: meditation for 10 – 15 minutes, painting, watching movies or any activities that makes you feel calm and peaceful.

6. Trial and Error

There is no one know about yourself better than you. Products that work for someone else, might won’t work for you. It’s need a lot of trials and errors to know which one work best for you to resolve your main skin concerns.

7. Have a proper skincare routine

Make sure to apply cream with SPF and reapply every 2 hours to prevent from getting pigmented skin. Remember to remove your makeup before going to sleep. Ingredients found in makeup products can clog pores and again might cause breakouts on your face. Doesn’t matter how exhausting your day is but make sure to remove makeup properly. You can go for virgin coconut oil as it can do better job than any other makeup remover available in the market. You don’t have to worry about applying moisturizer afterwards as coconut oil acts as great moisturizer. Your skin will go through renewal process overnight. Moisturizer or cream works best at night.

8. Love yourself

The last secret weapon is start loving yourself. When you start to love yourself, you will take extra conscious before taking any steps to do with your skin care either choosing the products or before taking unhealthy junk foods. Occasionally, pamper yourself with skin care treatments like facial, massage, steam bath or sauna.

Hope the tips will help you towards your skin healing journey. Stay positive throughout your journey of achieving healthy, clear and glowing skin. Enjoy the process!