My approach to soothing any skin condition is to work on it from the inside out.  I also think that it is important to determine if the cosmetics that you are currently using may be contributing to possible skin problems.  By eliminating irritating cosmetics, replacing them with products that nourish the skin, while making a few dietary changes, you can find the balance that your skin needs.

Bringing a glow to dry skin isn’t impossible, yet will take some diligence and natural products.  Beautiful radiant skin is possible for all skin types.  Here are a few suggestions to console and hydrate dry skin from the inside out and with natural topical solutions.

1. Drink Pure Water

Coffee, sodas, and processed drinks can actually be dehydrating to the skin.  Although they may quench taste buds and temporarily energize the body, there are other better ways to fuel the body and care for the skin.  Drinking lots of pure water is one of the most important things that we can do for our body.  Our goal is to drink half of our body weight in ounces daily.

Instead of beginning our morning with coffee, why not make a yummy smoothie that will give the body so much more than a jolt of quick energy.  Check out a few smoothie recipes here, here, and this one with raw cacao here.  Fresh juices and herbal teas are also wonderful drinks to start the day with.

2. Add Healthy Fats

With all the talk about which fats are good and which fats are bad for you, there are some very important fats that give your skin a radiant glow from the inside out:  healthy saturated fats and vital omegas.  Adding avocados with healthy monounsaturated fat, coconut oil with lauric acid, and flaxseeds or flaxseed oil with amazing amounts of omegas to your diet will nourish dry skin and hair.  Coconut oil is also the best oil to cook food with as it will not change under high heat.

3. Eat Whole Foods

Processed foods are not our friends.  When I used to eat anything and everything, I remember being on tour while doing a high intensity show and getting fast food for dinner one night.  I could hardly get through the two hour show.  By intermission I was completely depleted of energy.  That experience as well as myself and half the cast getting food poisoning from a popular deli sandwich joint was a major wake up call that processed foods do nothing for the body.  Eating whole foods with a balanced diet of protein and vegetables, or carbohydrates and fruit will give your body the fuel it needs therefore nourish your skin.

4. Ditch Synthetic Cleansers

Many synthetic cosmetics have ingredients that dry out and irritate skin.  For instance certain preservatives and sulfate cleansers are toxic, drying, and irritating to skin.  Read Beauty No-Nos to see the chemicals I avoid with a bunch of natural cosmetic suggestions.

A super simple facial cleanser that works on all skin type is cleansing with raw honey.  Read more about raw honey as a healing face wash here.  Another wonderful cleanser is the MyChelle Dermaceuticals Honeydew Cleanser.

5. Create An Exfoliating & Hydrating Facial Mask

It is so important to get rid of dead skin cells regularly to allow your cosmetics to penetrate the skin better, and also to reveal the glowing new skin cells underneath.  Dry skin needs an exfoliating and hydrating mask in one.  A super simple mask that you can make in your kitchen is with honey, plain yogurt, and ground oatmeal or rhassoul clay.  Mix one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of yogurt with two teaspoons of ground oatmeal or rhassoul clay.  Apply to your face avoiding the eye area for twenty minutes.  Gently massage with damp fingers and rinse completely.  After exfoliating the skin an herbal facial steam will truly hydrate the skin.

6. Use Simple Hydrating Toners

I love making my own toners because it is extremely cost efficient, all natural, easy to make, and without alcohol.  Adding a tiny amount of vegetable glycerin to a DIY toner will give dry skin the extra moisture that it needs.  You can easily create your own hydrating toner using a hydrosol and vegetable glycerin.  Cucumber hydrosol is especially soothing and hydrating for dry skin as well as an anti-inflammatory.  Calendula hydrosol is particularly healing for many skin disorders and also very nourishing to dry skin.

You can also create your own toner such as this one with dried calendula and catnip herbs.  Adding 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to 8 oz of a simple hydrating toner will help the skin maintain the moisture levels that it needs.  You can also carry your toner with you throughout the day to give your skin a spritz when it feels drys or needs to be refreshed.  If you’d rather buy a natural toner, an amazing toner to try is the 100% Pure Organic Aqua Boost with vegetable hyaluronic acid, rose hydrosol, and cucumber juice.   Pure aloe vera and raw honey masks also will aid in hydrating the skin.

7. Moisturize with Natural Potent Ingredients

Carrot seed, neroli, and geranium essential oils all bring balance to dry skin.  Olive, hemp seed, wheat germ, and rosehip seed oil are also especially nourishing to dry skin.  Definitely check out this list of oils if you are acne prone.  Mixing thicker oils with a lighter carrier oil such as jojoba or grapeseed oil along with a few drops of essential oils is all you need to create a potent all natural moisturizer.  A few recommendations for outstanding store bought moisturizers are the MyChelle Dermaceuticals Deep Repair Cream and 100% Pure Organic Acai Berry Antioxidant Facial Cream.

You can find dried herbs, hydrosols, natural and essential oils, as well as vegetable glycerin at Mountain Rose Herbs.

What solutions have you discovered to soothe dry skin?

(Image by D Sharon Pruitt)

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