I’m prepping for a photo shoot tomorrow, and it got me thinking: what are my best natural beauty tips? I talk a lot about how to get glowing from the inside out, but how about getting your skin and body looking great on the day of your big event? Your wedding, a photo shoot, a hot date, a big presentation? If you’ve got a big event coming up or just want to look radiant, use my natural beauty tips to get glowing from the inside out!
Here are some natural beauty tips to get glowing using chemical-free products.
These tips will reduce overall puffiness and inflammation (maybe result in weight loss) and give you a glow from the inside out.
7 DAYS BEFORE THE EVENTÂ (if you have the luxury of planning way ahead for said event)
- cut out gluten (hopefully you already have), dairy, sugar, coffee, alcohol. These foods/drinks increase inflammation, make your skin look dull, and make you look puffy and tired.
- increase consumption of omega3 fatty acid-rich foods like wild salmon, grass fed beef, cage free eggs, walnuts, leafy greens. Increase good fats like avocado, coconut oil, olive oil.
- don’t consume processed salt! Sea salt is fine.
- drink hot water with lemon every morning. Great to alkalize the body (offset acidity) and good for the skin.
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Beauty sleep is real!
THE DAY BEFORE THE EVENT
- stay well hydrated.
- during your workout, do some sprints to increase blood flow and give you a rosy glow.
- make a DIY face mask. My favorite is 1 tbsp powdered vitamin C, a few drops olive oil OR 2 CoQ10 capsules, few drops filtered water. Mix to form a paste to desired consistency. Apply for 5-10 minutes, then rinse. Apply apple cider vinegar as a toner, pat dry, then apply coconut oil.
- Condition hair by warming olive oil & applying through hair, then letting it sit for an hour. Rinse hair with apple cider vinegar rinse to remove build-up and make a nice shine. Hair salad, yum! Who cares, the big event is tomorrow, right?! You can shampoo if you wish, but I often use homemade honey shampoo.
- take an epsom salt bath the night before to foster relaxation and good sleep and reduce puffiness. Use 4 cups of epsom salts, 1/4 cup baking soda, and several drops lavender essential oil. Exfoliate with a DIY sugar scrub in the bath. Slather yourself with coconut oil when you get out of the bath for silky smooth skin overnight. Rub your feet with a pumice stone and apply foot lotion. I like Burt’s Bees.
DAY OF EVENT
- hot water with lemon in the AM, and continue to stay well hydrated!
- apply cucumber slices or green tea bags (steep and then cool) to under eye area to reduce puffiness.
- if you have time, do more sprints for more rosy glow!
- have a green juice or a spirulina smoothie for bright eyes.
- wash your hair and condition. I like Genuine African Formula products. No chemicals, and they make my dry hair very soft.
- splash your face with water, but don’t wash with soap. This will prolong the rosy glow from yesterday’s mask. Apply coconut oil, then Burt’s Bees Radiance lotion, which gives you an awesome glow. If you have oily skin, just do the lotion and skip the coconut oil first. If you have time, slather some yogurt on your face for a bit, then wash off. The lactic acid contributes to the glow!
- use coconut oil on your collarbone, neck and chest for a nice glow, then apply the Burt’s Bees radiance lotion all over arms and chest.
- apply makeup as you see fit. Gabriel cosmetics, Eco Bella, and Caren are chemical-free.
What tips do you have to glow on your big day?
Check out this post for tips to heal acne.
Click here to buy the Skintervention Guide filled with more tips to heal your skin.
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
