Want to know about how to have a naturally glowing skin? Yes you heard it right, completely natural.  It is in harmony with nature and self.   Try the Go Eco Love’s natural skincare 30 day challenge and let us know how you get on.

I personally suffer from dry skin.  When I was young, I had eczema.  In my teenage and later years, no more eczema but dry skin!  Sometimes my foundation would crack up because my skin was dry.  It was horrible.  I wanted to correct it. But! I didn’t want to use toxic skin care as I was already having a hard time with my skin.  I was so nervous that I was going to make things worse. I was really scared of all the chemicals.  I just wanted to stick to natural products.  This way I thought that I will be in control over my skincare.  

So I started to do a lot of research.  I spoke to industry experts, my doctors and researched a lot on the internet.  So what I am telling you below is based on all this.  I have used it and that’s how I know it works.

The key elements are: Daily Cleansing, Daily Nourishing, Exfoliating every 4 days (7 times a month), Using a Face Mask on day 3, 10, 13, 20, 23, 30 (6 times a month) and having a balanced lifestyle which includes ocean breathing (a part of yoga).  

You will see rose water below that’s because I love all things roses.  Plus making rose water can be an expensive exercise.  However there are alternatives.  In the next lesson we shall explore alternatives to rose water. 

Cleansing:

As part of your daily skin care routine, cleanse your skin two times a day.  As soon as you wake up and before you go to bed.  

People who have dry skin like me, use half a cup (120ml) of cold milk and add ½ teaspoon (5ml) of coconut milk into it and mix.   Dip a cotton wool or cotton pad into this mixture and dab it all over your face and other areas you want to cleanse.  You can always keep the remaining mixture in the refrigerator.  As standard, it should last a minimum of 3 days.

If you have oily skin, then use cucumber juice and lemon (or lime) juice in equal parts and add half teaspoon (5ml) of rose water.  Dip the cotton wool or cotton pad into this mixture and dab it all over your face and other areas you want to cleanse.  You can always leave the leftover mixture in the refrigerator.  As standard, it should last a minimum of 3 days.

After Cleansing:

After either of the above cleansing routines you should relax your skin.  To do this, you need to pat the skin with cold rose water using cotton pad or cotton wool.  So I recommend keeping the rose water in the fridge overnight so that it is nice and cold. 

Nourishing:

For nourishing skin of all types on a daily basis, add  honey to a teaspoon of lemon (or lime) juice and mix these together.  Then apply this paste like mixture to your face and skin like a mask.  It will make your skin soft, smooth and blemish-free. Wash this mask after 20 minutes. You can do this any time of the day.  So again, you are completely in control. 

Exfoliating:

Exfoliate using scrub.  So over a month, you will need to do this 7 times.  On the  4^th, 8^th, 12^th, 16^th, 20^th, 24^th and 28^th day of the month.   You can easily use one of Go Eco Love’s scrubs: rose, coffee, or cinnamon.  These scrubs already have inbuilt ingredients that will help you have glowing skin.  If you want to completely make your own scrub I recommend doing the following. 

Use 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds or castor sugar, 1 teaspoon of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of honey, and ½ teaspoon of rose water. 

Apply on the face and rub gently with circular movements. Wash off with water.  

Detailed instructions on how to use a scrub can be found here.

Face Mask:

Apply a Face Mask 6 times a month: on the 3^rd 10^th, 13^th, 20^th, 23th and 30^th day of the month.  I would swear by the Go Eco Love Rose mask.  It’s one of the signature products and even has crushed rose petals.  It’s divine.  However, if you want to make your own that is fine too.  

I would recommend making a face mask by mixing 2 teaspoons of oats, 1 teaspoon of finely ground almonds, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon yogurt, and 1 egg white or 1 teaspoon rose water.  1 banana or papaya, and 1 teaspoon of lime, lemon or orange juice can be added as optional ingredients.  This home made mask will lose moisture quickly when you put it on the face.  It means the mask will get dried up quickly. So it is important that you keep dabbing this mask with milk.  Keep the mask for 30 minutes and wash it off with cold water.  

Detailed instructions on how to use a mask can be found here.

Lifestyle:

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.  

For diet, make sure you eat raw salads, leafy green vegetables, fresh fruits, proteins such as sprouts and soya bean or tofu, as well as yogurt.  If you are non vegetarian, add fish and red meat into your diet.

Keep yourself hydrated.  Squeeze 1 lemon or lime and have it with a glass of warm water first thing in the morning.   Throughout the day, have at least 6 glasses of water daily.  

Make sure to include 10 minutes of breathing exercises, especially ocean breathing as part of your daily exercise regimen.  At Go Eco Love, we promote balance, equality and cultivation of inner energy.  We recommend ocean breathing.  We are advocates of peaceful and harmonious living with the world.  Ocean breathing is part of yoga.  It is energizing and calming.  I know, its contradictory but it works.  By controlling your breathing, you achieve inner peace and balance.   It’s also really good for people with respiratory issues for example, asthma.  

We have an entire blog post on the 4 quadrants to skin care.  So please make sure your lifestyle includes these 4 elements.

Watch out for the next lesson: Alternatives to Rose water. 

Calendula is a plant.  It is also known as the “Pot Marigold”.   Calendula is known for its diverse gardening, culinary, and medical benefits.  It can be used as a medicinal plant.  It has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.  Therefore it is a strong candidate for healing.  It is known to have been traditionally used in Indian and Traditional Chinese Medicine.  The extract and petals provide antioxidant protection, soothes skin and reduces discomfort.

Calendula flowers can be ground into powder or made into oils, creams, and ointments. Their ingredients can also be used in cosmetics, soaps and shampoos, body creams, and wound treatment, both internally and topically.  Calendula flower is also used for wounds, rashes, infection, inflammation, and many other conditions. 

What are the benefits of Calendula?

1. Calendula helps soothe and visibly improve skin, it helps to reduce discomfort.  It helps skin look smooth, radiant and dewy.  It even helps prevent skin aging.  It also prevents dull skin, dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles, and uneven skin tone and texture.
2. Heals Wounds

Calendula is known as a healing plant because of its soothing abilities. It is beneficial for any wound healing you may have.  This includes insect bites, bruises, blisters, cuts, and cold sores. Calendula is used to keep wounds clean and help new tissue growth.

It is also effective in treating minor burns, including sunburn. Calendula’s anti microbial properties help towards  wound healing.  These help to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Their antifungal properties prevent secondary infection thereby leading to a quicker healing process.

3.It’s anti-inflammatory. 

Calendula’s soothing effects benefit breakouts, rosaces, eczema, and dry skin.  These have the ability to reduce redness, pain, allergies and inflammation. 

4. Hydrates and Nourishes Dry Skin

Calendula helps soothe dry, itchy, or irritated areas of the skin .It is beneficials towards symptoms of eczema, dermatitis, and dandruff.  

As a result of this, it is very good for babies.  Calendula is so safe and effective with babies and is used to treat diaper rash and cradle cap.

5. Moisturizing. 

Essential fatty acids, like the linoleic acid in calendula oil or extracts nourish the skin externally.  These Give skin cells the ability to absorb nutrients and hold water longer. So the skin becomes supple, nourished, smooth. 

6. It keeps your skin healthy.

Calendula has wound healing properties.  It has the ability to increase blood flow and oxygen to the skin. This increased blood flow to your skin helps your skin function at its healthiest and look its best. 

7. Reduces Wrinkles

Calendula also reduces wrinkles. Calendula allows to keep skin hydrated and healthy.

8. Reducing Scarring

Calendula increases blood flow to the injury and helps towards a fast healthy healing process.  It also helps towards the growth of healthy new tissue. The increased blood flow and newly grown tissue work to prevent scarring.

9. It can firm your skin. 

The surface of your skin becomes firmer and tighter and more supple with the use of calendula. Both the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help protect against  the loss of precious collagen and elastin supply.