The No Makeup Movement

If you’ve decided to join Alicia Keys, Gabrielle Union, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mila Kunis, and other non-celebrity women in the #NoMakeup movement, more power to you. Everyone should nurture and embrace their inner beauty and let it radiate outward. It’s all about self-confidence and believing you can do it. If you feel your skin is not up to the task for the movement, here are a few pointers to get you started on the right path.

1. Eat Healthy

     Beauty begins on the inside. What you put inside your body shows on the outside. Consume nutrient-rich fruits like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mangoes, papayas, guavas, pomegranates, avocados, and tomatoes. Eat omega-3 fatty acid dense foods like wild-caught salmon, eggs, yogurt, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. Indulge in powerhouse vegetables like Chinese cabbage, chard, beets, spinach, collard greens, kale, arugula, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Get plant-based protein from legumes. Sip green tea for its storehouse of polyphenols.

2. Exercise and Physical Activity

     As you exercise, the increased blood flow to skin nourishes your skin cells. The blood also carries away waste like free radicals, which damages your skin cells. As your bloodstream flushes these wastes from your body, you maintain healthy and vibrant skin.

3. Develop a Natural Skin Care Routine

     Easy and natural are the key words here. Practice oil cleansing on your face in the evening to rid your face of the day’s dirt and grime. Basically, use castor oil blended with another gentle oil like olive oil or jojoba oil. Massage it all over your face for a couple of minutes before wiping it off with a warm, wet (not soaking) washcloth. In the mornings, cleanse with honey. Wet your face with warm water, put a small amount of raw organic or Manuka honey in your palm. Rub hands together then massage the honey all over your face. Rinse off with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize.

     Exfoliate your face once or twice a week. You can use this DIY honey facial scrub recipe. Follow up with an anti-aging face serum. Alternately, you can treat yourself to a monthly facial.

     When you’re heading out for the day or evening, employ the use of a tinted, anti-aging serum to even out skin tone. During the day, use a sunscreen with SPF 30. Moisturize your lips with a green-friendly nude lip gloss. Use an eyelash curler to enhance your eyes.

4. Beauty Sleep

     Get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Sleep is like a fountain of youth. With proper sleep, you get fewer wrinkles, glowing skin, brighter eyes, and no dark circles or bags. When you get proper sleep, you have a happier, healthier appearance.

Easy and natural. Effortless and beautiful. Now go forth and get your #NoMakeup groove on!