I Think I Might Be Falling for the Paleo Beauty Craze!

Ok guys...have you heard of this??  Paleo Beauty.

There are a ton of product lines out there that tout their chemical-free, "good for you" ingredients like FatFace and Ava Anderson just to name a few.   If I am being entirely honest, the skincare passionista in me is skeptical.  Listen, I love good, safe products (and insist on paraben, sulfate free products when I can).  But sometimes a girl has got to use the good stuff which includes her fair share of retinols and acids.

All of that said, I recently stumbled across an article about the Paleo Skincare trend....and I think I like it.

Whoa whoa whoa....Don't go throwing away your serums and chemical peels just yet.

Here's the thing, I am in my mid-30s and have officially turned the skincare corner of needing the heavy hitters (you'll never sell me on a serum that doesn't have hyaluronic acid and nothing hurts so good like a chemical peel).

I have no intention of walking away from crucial skincare ingredients that give me the results I need. But, there are some products out there I'd love to try that mine pre-historic diets and ingredients to help us better manage our skincare needs.

As a self-admitted sugar lover and dairy-a-holic, I've always been intrigued by the Paleo diet.  I recently had an opportunity to meet with a skincare line and, in an effort to give myself the best glow, I spent a week denying myself my morning coffee (with sugar and cream), opting instead for hydrating hot water and lemon.  And I easily noticed a difference in my skin.  Eliminating the sugar and the dairy for one week and I saw results....seriously....

It makes sense from an anthropological point of view- our cave ancestors didn't have access to many of the ingredients that have taken over our diet (specifically dairy, sugar, and coffee beans in my case) and they thrived long enough to evolve into today's modern, skincare obsessed, human!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, either.  Being objective here and acknowledging that we can't vouch for beautiful, glowing, radiant cave lady skin...but fine, for the sake of skincare, I'll take a leap...

I really do like the idea of experimenting with more minimalistic, wholesome, from-the-earth ingredients.  I firmly believe that the less we mettle with nature's ingredients, the better.  From a wholesome medicinal perspective, it's obvious that maintaining a proactive and healthy diet prevents many of the diseases that require complex treatment- so why would it be different with skincare?

I sort of look at this the way I look at antibiotics, the less often you have to use them, the more effective they are.  So using more holistically mined ingredients and natural preventatives help to optimize the effectiveness of some of the "add-in's" we need once we meet our mid-30s- encouraging our skin to respond more rapidly to the more powerful ingredients.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!

Now, where's that skincare line that marries the two....  minimalistic and wholesome, from-the-earth ingredients with science-back technology for the skin we crave.  Pssst....I may have found it...but stay tuned for that!

Tis the Season of the New Year's Resolution! - Ring it in with Lemons!

Resolutions make me nervous!  I usually tend to live my life according to the theory of "everything in moderation", but as we wrap up this indulgent season and as my pregnancy cravings (hopefully) come to an end, I really DO want to make a better effort at eating better!  I am also really curious about how small changes in my diet can help my complexion and skin tone.

For some time now, a friend of mine, who happens to have beautiful skin, has been touting her morning ritual of hot water with lemon.  I recently stumbled across another article that was singing the same praises so I've had to give it a shot.

Of course I forgot to take a before picture (and I am in no mood for an after picture), so I'll just stick to google science and share my top 5 reasons!

• Helps to flush the body of toxins
• Aids in digestion and regularity
• Rich source of Vitamin C- helping to strengthen our immune system
• Helps prevent infection
• Aids in the prevention of wrinkles and acne

I've been doing this for just over a week now (after learning that I have an in-person meeting that I'd like to really "shine" for).  I must say I've noticed a difference.  I've been even more strict about my skin treatment rituals and haven't been wearing as much make up (doing a little make up detox) so that helps too!!  But the big kicker, I've switched my lemon water for my morning decaf coffee.  THIS IS UTTERLY SHOCKING to me!  

I honestly live for my morning coffee.  It's more of the ritual of holding a nice hot cup of creamy sweetness than anything else.  And if I am being entirely honest, there is something about making my own coffee and the fact that the act of coffee making is the first thing in my morning that I do for myself (you know, after dressing the kids, feeding the kids, letting the dogs out, feeding the dogs......).

For as long as I have the will power, I'd like to keep this up and save my decaf coffee for special occasions (or for the days when I REALLY need a bit of caffeine!).

What do you think, could you make the switch?