Late Summer Hydration from the Outside InWhat is your body’s largest organ and what does it have to do with hydration? Your skin. Did you forget not all body organs are on the inside? Without your skin you’d evaporate. And if you’ve been doing the last body experiment I suggested about drinking more water, you don’t want your dry skin to leak out all the goodness.
Today I’m going to recommend that you take good clean care of your skin to keep it hydrated and see how good that makes you feel. Because when your skin is hydrated it can perform better, which is a good thing because your skin needs to protect you from the elements, make vitamin D, sweat out toxins, support your immune defenses, keep you warm, cool you down, and give you sensory information.
About 5 years ago I began the process of cleaning up my skincare act. I eat clean. I drink clean. I even allow quiet time to clean out my monkey mind. So why was I putting lots of chemically things on the largest organ in my body that has so many important jobs?
I’m going to challenge you with the simplest change I made that had me feeling better, looking better, and saving time:
Body Experiment: Over the next 2 weeks, hydrate yourself from the outside In by moisturizing your body with olive oil. This will save you time and help your skin look, feel, and perform at its best.
Get some organic olive oil and put it in the shower. You probably have some in the kitchen right now. So grab a small container–maybe one of your travel bottles in your toiletry kit–fill it with olive oil, and put it in the shower.
At the end of your next shower, while the water is still running, use a small squirt of olive oil to moisturize your body. The oil will seal in all the water that’s been hydrating your skin in the shower. Rinse off briefly and towel dry. You are now ready for the day with happy healthy skin that looks and feels good while it protects you from the late summer elements.
Will you smell like olive oil? Nope. I promise. You can always add a few drops of an essential oil of your liking to give it that extra luxurious touch. Sometimes I add jojoba oil, but if this is all new to you, just start with the basics.
If you want to stay on the clean skin journey, here’s some of the changes I’ve made over the last 5 years as inspiration. I had a lot of things that go on my skin so I started slowly and let the process unfold gradually:
- After I changed from using lotion to olive oil as body moisturizer, I got some mineral based sunscreen.
- I got shampoo and hair products that I could read all the ingredients on the label.
- I tried all sorts of natural deodorants.
- I got lip gloss that was made from things I could eat.
- I started replacing the rest of my makeup with mineral makeup.
- I started using coconut oil as a makeup remover.
- I switched to really all natural soap.
I’ll be posting some of my clean skin successes on facebook over the next few weeks. Let me know how your hydration from the outside in goes and what benefits you experience.
P.S. In a couple weeks I’ll share another experiment about the power of water for your spirit!
Upcoming Events:Come join us at one of the upcoming state of mind workshops in August. It’s the best way I know how to help you make healthy changes effortlessly and enjoy the journey along the way. Because with a deeper understanding of how thinking, moods, and behavior work, it becomes easier to listen to your wisdom and reconnect with your true nature of wellbeing.
Resiliency 101, The Art and Science of Thriving
Pick a date and click the the link above to get more information and save your seat now. If those dates don’t work for you, click this link to see the schedule for the rest of 2018. Find a date that works for you and register to save your seat. Or drop us an email or a phone call and we’ll register you.
I believe in the power of this understanding so much that the first class is free for patients. And you can bring a friend for free, because learning blossoms among friends.
Online Scheduling:Kids are going back to school and our schedule is about to get busy. Let us know if you want us to be part of your self care while you adjust back to the late summer routine. Existing patients can book online here. Or you can access our online booking anytime by clicking anywhere on our website that says “make an appointment” or “book now” and follow the breadcrumbs to “Existing Patients” and “Book Online”.
Make sure you get a pop up window after you hit the “Submit Appointment Request” button and then follow the instructions in the confirmation emails. If you don’t get a pop up window, it means some info is missing or the info you provided is not the same as we have in our system. For example, you have to use the email we have on file, otherwise the system won’t recognize you.
Existing patients are always welcome to call or email us if you prefer to schedule that way. New patients need to call or email us to set up their first appointment because there is just too much information we need to share with them.
Happy Hydrating from the Outside In!
Christina Ness-Hawks, LAc
