Expert Advice: Best Beauty Foods For Healthy Skin

I am very excited to have health food expert, nutritionist and food blogger Monique Cormack, sharing er expertise. I met Monique a little over a year ago when she booked me as makeup artist for her wedding. Her knowledge blew my mind, so I feel grateful that she took my invitation to write a guest post for my blog.

Having radiant, clear skin makes you feel great and is really a beauty feature in itself.  While I take care of my skin externally by using simple, natural skin care products, I also make sure to nourish my skin from within by eating an abundance of foods that support skin health and regeneration.

So, what foods are good for healthy skin? A fun and helpful way to look at this answer is to think of the qualities we would like in our skin, and see them reflected in what we choose to consume.

Clear. This one is a bit of a no-brainer; I am talking about water! It is so important to stay hydrated, this will keep your skin looking brighter and fuller. Dehydration will be reflected in sallow, dry skin and tired-looking eyes. You can help to hydrate with liquids such as water, coconut water, herbal tea and vegetable juices. Also try to consume water-rich, hydrating whole fruits and vegetables e.g. watermelon, grapefruit, oranges, berries, cucumber, tomatoes, celery and lettuce varieties.

Clean.  It’s a bit of an overused term at the moment, but by eating “clean” I simply mean to cut back on processed foods and focus on eating as many foods as close to nature as possible. Fresh produce, lean meat, fish, eggs, raw nuts and seeds, smart carbs like sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat can be flavoured with herbs, spices, homemade sauces and dips without any chemical additives.  By removing processed foods you will also eliminate a lot of excess sugar from your diet, which can be a key trigger for bad skin.

Fresh. Making sure that the majority of the food you eat is actually fresh food, as opposed to pre-packaged convenience food, will help you on your way to having great skin.  Add a handful of fresh spinach to your scrambled eggs or breakfast smoothie.  Enjoy an orange or an apple together with a handful of raw nuts for afternoon tea.  Make sure that your lunch and dinner includes your favourite veggies, trying to include 2-3 different varieties (aim for 2 cups of veg) for a colourful plate; by eating the rainbow, you canvass a larger number of nutrients.

Vibrant.  Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables contain various micro nutrients which help to support healthy skin. Citrus, kiwi and berries are rich in Vitamin C, essential for collagen production (collagen is a major structural protein of the skin). Dark leafy greens are packed with fibre, minerals and antioxidant compounds which will improve digestion and help eliminate toxins from the body. Orange foods like carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A, an antioxidant which is also essential for skin health.

Glowing.  What helps you glisten and glow? Healthy, shiny FATS. I cannot stress enough the importance of including good quality fats if you want great skin. A number of nutrients needed for skin health, including Vitamins A, E and K, are all “fat-soluble”. This means that our digestive system absorbs them via a molecule of fat.  Include quality fats such as a few tablespoons of cold-pressed coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil and/or organic butter. Chia seeds, raw nuts and seeds, oily fish, whole eggs, avocado and tahini are also excellent healthy-fat items to regularly include in your meals.

Toned. Protein! This is used in the construction of every tissue in your body. Skin cells are constantly regenerating, so we need to make sure we regularly consume adequate protein. This might be 2 whole eggs or approximately a 150 gram serve of meat or fish; plant-based sources include nuts and seeds, legumes and protein-rich “grains” such as quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth.  If you wish to use a protein powder, choose an additive-free one (I like Sunwarrior for a vegan protein, and the Bare Blends range is also very good).

Nourish Everyday Recipe: Skin Food Smoothie Bowl

This meal is so easy to throw together very quickly and makes a great breakfast, lunch or even a light dinner if you get home late and want to eat something that’s not too heavy before you go to sleep. I have chosen to blend together a selection of ingredients that are especially great for skin health. Avocado and chia seeds for essential healthy fats and a little protein boost.  Hydrating cucumber.  Cleansing, antioxidant-rich spinach for some essential leafy greens.  Pear for sweetness and an excellent fibre hit.  Top it with berries for your Vitamin C and also a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds, which are rich in zinc (great for skin and nails) and also magnesium (great for stress management - brides-to-be this is an important mineral for you!)

You need: 1 small pear (ripe or even overripe will work best) ¾ cup cucumber chunks 1 big handful baby spinach ½ avocado 2 tsp chia seeds 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 scoop vanilla protein (I use Sunwarrior Vanilla in this) ½ cup almond/rice/coconut/oat milk ½ cup coconut water or water ½ cup berries (fresh or frozen) 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

What to do: Core and chop the pear up into chunks. Place the pear chunks and all the other ingredients, except the berries and pumpkin seeds, into your blender and process until nice and smooth. You can thin it out with a little more liquid if you prefer. Top with berries and pumpkin seeds.  (For a more indulgent smoothie you can also add some coconut flakes and cacao nibs as shown in the picture!)

You can find Monique for even more great recipes and services over here at Nourish Everyday

Monique Cormack Contact her via her directly via her contact form or follow her on social media for her latest foodie adventures: Instagram: @nourish_everyday Facebook: Nourisheveryday Pinterest: Nourisheveryday

Unique, Artisian & Holistic: Miskin Organics

Sometimes you stumble across an indie skincare label and everything about it feels right. This recently happened to me with the lovely line of Miskin Organics, an Australian made organic skincare line with a holistic approach. The minimal apothecary bottles, pretty photography and inspiring quotes on their website show the love for detail that goes into the products. Everything is very chic and minimalistic. But before I keep rambling on I better tell you about the actual products and my experience with them:

The Smooth Cleanser is a real winner, I have already mentioned and recommended it here. Suitable for all skin types it melts onto the skin and emulsifies into a milk on contact with water. It removed all makeup with ease and leaves my skin very soft and hydrated. I am a fan of cleansing balms and love the ritual of using a cloth or my Magic Mitt by Jane Iredale, it feels so good at the end of a long day.

I also tried the Detox Face Mask, which was a very intensely purifying treatment, I recommend this to everyone struggling with breakouts or congested skin. You have to mix it with water into a paste first, which is not the most convenient ready to use application, but I found it was well worth it. It's a really amazing natural alternative for problematic skin.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you can't go past the lip balm with chocolate and honey. Safe and edible and ultra moisturizing.

Last but not least to my absolute favourite in the line: The Silk Body Oil it doubles as an all natural fragrance with it's beautiful exotic scent of the Monoi de Tahiti oil. To me it smells of Summer and holiday and it makes me very happy. Beside that I personally LOVE the smell, it was one of the best textures in body oil that I have tried, it absorbed beautifully leaving the skin silky smooth with a lovely sheen. I used it as perfume, body moisturizer and hair treatment and will certainly get myself the larger bottle next time. I am currently on the hunt for all natural perfumes and this is so far my favourite.

Of course Miskin Organics does not test on animals and all products are filled with only the highest quality ingredients.

Create a Beauty Ritual

photo taken inside my bathroom cabinet by Liv

Do you have a beauty ritual? Do you look forward to your daily skincare routine? Do you absolutely love how your products smell and feel on your skin? If you do you are much more likely to keep up and you get to relax and have fun in the process. I believe that the pleasure of using products and to create a little self-care ritual around your routine is actually very beneficial to your skin and most importantly to the way you feel. I am so grateful I have recently connected with a fellow skincare lover and expert, the lovely Misty who is the inspiring woman behind the skincare line BLOOM. We send long long emails back and and forth chatting away about skin & health, I feel we connected in such a great way that I just made a new friend on the other side of the world. Created by a holistic nutritionist with a deep understanding of whole body health, this line truly felt different to all other natural skincare lines I have ever used. You can tell that it's not just another skincare line but rather one carefully researched and crafted with a holistic approach. Can you tell, that I am a bit of a fan? Within one week of using the products exclusively morning and night and having so much fun with the ritual in the meantime, my skin has transformed. The few blemishes I had healed quickly without leaving scarring or redness, my skin is smooth and even toned and very well hydrated. It glows, so that I even completely skipped wearing any foundation for a few days. I received my products after one really long and exhausting day a few weeks ago and I fell in love immediately, from the moment I received the products which came in the prettiest colourful wrapping.

I am of course a little picky when it comes to skincare, as I receive so many samples and constantly get to work with new and different products in my job, and I have to say: These products are different to anything I had ever tried before.

I took the skin type test on the website as all three steps in this skincare routine are uniquely created for a specific skin type. The test decided that I would fit best into the Combination Skin Type. I think the combination skin choice was spot on, as my skin is taking really well to the new routine. The smell of my Nourish Serum is very relaxing and grounding and I can feel all the muscles in my face relax immediately. Step 1: GLOW and POLISH Glow is a wonderful botanical oil blend, that you can use as eye-makeup remover. Within the beauty ritual you then mix it with Polish to create a wonderful deeply purifying facial cleanser. Polish is a powdery consistency, it buffes away impurities but isn't not harsh like other scrubs. It also contains natural lactic acid to brighten and soften, from organic whole milk powder. You can use turn your cleanse into a weekly face mask by leaving it on for 10 minutes before rinsing. And it feels incredibly nice! Step 2: HYDRATE and NOURISH Spritz your face liberally with HYDRATE and you will want to use it all day long! It's a lovely hydrating spritz packed with essential nutrients that will allow your next step to really lock in that extra moisture. Then you follow with a few drops of Nourish. I really love massaging the Nourish serum into my skin and personally love the smell so much that I inhale a few times to get the most out of the aromatherapy effects. If you are feeling dry, apply NOURISH directly to your skin after using POLISH. Step 3: RESTORE Apply a small amount of RESTORE to the area around the eyes and elsewhere on the face, as needed. The area between the eye brows and the "laugh lines" next to the mouth are especially nice. It's a very concentrated potent little balm that my skin loves.

All products are 100% Natural, Crueltyfree, All BLOOM formulas are vegetarian or vegan, gluten free and preservative + toxin free and only contain with the freshest, safest, most luxurious ingredients for your skin type. The line does not use any fillers (including water) and as such a little goes a very long way.

I am hooked on my luxurious beauty ritual! Please check out the BLOOM website which now offers a generous $20.00 shipping flat rate to Australia.

The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep PART TWO Cleansing & Exfoliating

You have still six weeks to go and I hope you enjoyed part one, on how to get your Body glowing. Let's focus on the delicate skin of your face next. Without question, everyone can benefit from regular exfoliation by using products with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid). Each provides multiple benefits, including fighting signs of aging and breakouts! Stick to products free of unneccessary synthetic fragrance and always ready the label!

GET THAT GLOW! Yay for AHA & BHA

Exfoliate once a week with a gentle AHA and/or BHA peel. This is my personal routine, some people prefer to use a mild exfoliation daily or every other day, everyone is different. My skin looks best when I exfoliate 1-2 times a week. There are pads, gels, masks and cremes containing fruit enzymes, glycolic, lactic or mandelic acids, some products use a combination of different AHA' s. AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content. If you are prone to break outs use a BHA product that contains Salicylic Acid. BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps because BHA can get through the oil that's clogging your pores, normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne.BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. Those are two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin. Both AHA and BHA work to reduce fine lines, stimulate collagen, and firm the skin. There is no need to to physically rub and scrub and your skin when using these products, they work by gently loosing up the "glue" in between the dead skin cells, so that the old skin can come off without any damage to your skin. You will be left with a radiant glow. One of my favourite ever exfoliating masks is by Tata Harper, it gives instant radiance and is very gentle. It smells heavenly and the jelly texture is so fun. I had the chance to meet the wonderful Tata in person in London and have been a fan of her products since. The resurfacing mask is available in Australia via Lulu&Lipstick, an awesome selection of beauty products from around the world that are hard to get in Australia.

NAY to scrubs Many scrubs have a rough and uneven texture that can cause skin damage by tearing into the skin, causing tiny tears that damage the skin's barrier. Scrubs often cause more problems than they could possibly solve. If you do want to use a manual scrub, you can simply use a gentle washcloth with your daily cleanser, which works just as well to exfoliate the surface of skin as any cosmetic scrub you can buy. As a bonus, washcloths are softer (thus gentler) and of course they don't contain pore-clogging ingredients that oily, acne-prone skin doesn't need. With all types of exfoliation comes sun sensitivity, mainly because there are fewer layers of cells as protection so be mindful of using your sunscreen and staying out of the sun while it’s at its strongest. For daily cleansing I recommend a very gentle cleansing milk, oil or balm that doesn't strip the skin. If you are a fan of natural cosmetics or got very sensitive skin, try using pure organic coconut oil as makeup remover. Another gentle and fabulous option to clean your skin is the Clearisonic. Use the sensitive skin brush heads, they are the best choice from my experience. I have the "Mia" which is a travel friendly version and I looooove it. If you prefer a foaming wash for your face make sure you will buy one without any harsh detergents like SLS or synthetic fragrances. For makeup junkies and daily foundation wearers I recommend a double cleanse: Step 1: Removing Makeup with an oil based cleanser. Step 2: Cleanser appropriate for your skin type

Do you need professional help? Trust your own judgement. Does your skin respond well to your home treatments and is clear and soft most of the time? Well then keep doing whatever you are doing and invest in good products for your home routine. Once you turn 30, it is wise to get a professional peel or microdermabrasion (if your skin is not sensitive and thick) treatment every other month to encourage cell turnover and keep your complexion clean, bright and youthful. With all acids, my recommendation is to make sure you stay under a 25% concentration. Over the counter products will always be 10% or lower, however if you get a professional facial, request a percentage that is no higher than 25%. This way you are ensuring a good result without too much irritation. Stay away from strong, medical peels that reach the dermis, which is the living part of your skin underneath the epidermis. In my opinion, those types of treatments are too invasive and do more bad than good by causing intense edema [inflammation] of the dermis, which ultimately ages your skin.

Other things to do 6 weeks out: If you haven't already done it, this is a good time frame for your hair & makeup trial with your makeup artist and hairstylist for the wedding day. Schedule in other beauty appointments like your regular cut & color, eyebrow appointments etc. Get your beauty sleep, eat well, worry less, move more. Be Happy :)

Happy Earth Day! The best fragrance free mineral primers

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Isn't this planet truly amazing? I love watching nature & animal documentaries to unwind or simply go for a walk by the beach or in the bush. I always find this very humbling, and grounding. As if they remind me that I am just a tiny little being in this huge universe. And sometimes that is very important to remember. I wish to see a lot more of this wonderful planet and really hope that we will preserve nature for generations to come. Living in Sydney, I feel I am surrounded by so much wildlife, the ocean and amazing exotic landscapes everywhere. Sometimes I just need to step outside and take it all in. In real life.

I think all women with half a brain know that today beauty products don't have to cost the earth to be effective. And if you don't believe me, do your own research :) I personally feel they will long term always give the better results. I aspire to be a green makeup artist using only the best luxury and natural products. I am always out discover the latest and best beauty products from around the world and share my experiences with you. Please note that the below primers all DO contain silcone and are therefore not entirely clean or 100% natural.

I want to sing the praises of some great primers in the natural/green/organic category. All of these are free of synthetic fragrance, crueltyfree, vegan, and paraben free as well as packed with essential nutrients and the most luxurious botanical ingredients. I hope you enjoy and give these goodies a go!

Youngblood Mineral Primer The overall best makeup primer I have ever used. This one is suitable for all skin types. It's does everything I could ever ask for. Minimizes the appearance of pores, smooths fine lines, controls that oily t-zone while still being nourishing and really helps any foundation to stay in place for longer! Pro tip: It works as magical makeup eraser when you apply one drop to a cotton bud: You can correct eyeliner shapes or error without disturbing the makeup! Magic! It's also filled with vitamins and natural goodness, and leaves out synthetic fragrances and nasty ingredients. Win win! Jane Iredale Smooth Affair A luxurious makeup base, great for dehydrated or dry or mature skins. It gives that extra glow and smells divine. I use it underneath my Glow Time BB Creme, whenever I feel I need a little extra moisture. Perfect for Glow during Summer!

Hourglass No28 Primer Serum This one is quite different to any other primer I have used. It is extremely rich and oily. So please don't try to use this in tropical summer weather or on very oily skin. This can still be a good product for oily skins, but I guess you are better of with a mattifying product. It is perfect for extremely and I repeat extremely dry skin, as well for harsh Winter months, when the skin can't keep up it's natural oil production. It's also great for dry mature skin as it's made from a cocktail of potent anti ageing ingredients and therefore really deserves the last name Serum. My pro tip: You can also use it on cheeks and brows for an glossy, dewy look as seen on current fashion weeks.

Hourglass Veil Primer: Quite the opposite of the above, this primer is perfect for humid hot days and/or oily skin. It makes any foundation that is used on top of this water resistant. Perfect for teary brides! As it has a milky white appearance, it can make very tanned or dark skins appear ashy. This can be counter acted with the correct makeup, but if you are after a bronzed look or have naturally dark skin, you might want to try out a sample before you purchase. While it completely absorbs really nicely and is super lightweight it only works for fair to medium skin tones. Which is clearly a bummer. I still find it a remarkable product, even if my very own skin get's to dark in Summer to use this. It's also perfect for anyone with redness that wants to even out their skin tone.

While Hourglass products are free of synthetic fragrances, cruelty free and free of many nasty ingredients, they do not claim to be a 100% natural, green or organic brand, please see ingredients for yourself and decide if these products are for you.