7 Best Beauty Tips for Gorgeous Skin

I'm not just talking about having a good diet, but true inner health. Stress happens. It's part of life and you can accept that parts of life suck and get to finding solutions and ways to make things better or you can kick the dog and let stress ruin your health and natural beauty.

There will be times when people and circumstances are really horrible to you, and although it's easy to react hurt and angry or just internalize the pain as if you deserve it; the best possible response will almost always be to treat yourself well and with the respect you deserve. You don't need to demand these things from anyone else if you're capable of giving them to yourself.

Good clean (not quite lukewarm) tap water and a clean washcloth. Wash your face and neck using small circular motions first thing in the morning, midday or late afternoon to remove makeup and before bed (especially if you reapply makeup for the evening.) Do NOT use a washcloth that has been laundered with a dryer sheet or some other "leave in" product (the residue might stay on your skin) and ALWAYS use a fresh clean cloth and NEVER use soap or cleansers. In three days you'll notice a remarkable improvement in the tone, clarity and condition of your skin.

If you think you need special cleansers to remove your makeup, now is the time to rethink the products you are using. Skin is the largest organ, and it needs to be able to function as it was designed, sacrificing it's health so you don't have to reapply foundation later in the day is ridiculous.

By the by, start moisturizing your skin from the inside as well and make sure you stay properly hydrated during the day.

Honestly, I think any gentle moisturizer that has UV protection built in will work so long as it's agreeable to your skin (we're all going to be a little different here) and you can afford to use it every day. I use Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF30; because it works on my skin with or without foundation, it stays on all day, it smells divine and a little goes a long way. I really like that I don't need to change moisturizer when I get a hankering to bomb down rad trails at brain smashing speeds instead of gussying up and being all ladylike, not all moisturizers can pull double duty so be prepared to try a few different brands for your needs before finding one (or two) that do the job.

Avoid anything overloaded with Vitamin E, since it's actually been shown to make skin more sensitive (it is a mild acid) and steer clear of cheap moisturizers that are loaded with alcohol or benzoyl peroxide as these too can be too irritating for daily use. Also, aloe is on my suspect list, as it seems to cause as many skin problems as it solves in certain people.

Yes, I just told you that you need to use a moisturizer with sunscreen and now I'm telling you to go outside and play (even on overcast days) for at least 15 minutes a day (this is the completely arbitrary time my grandmother gave me, so I'm passing it on to you.) Sunlight on your skin stimulates the production of Vitamin D which is thought to have a beneficial effect on the immune system.

When was the last time you had a flu and felt really sexy at the same time? You need to stay healthy for your skin to stay healthy and like the above tips, a small daily effort will give you big positive results in a short amount of time.

A moderate amount of exercise will improve the quality of your sleep, which is why I paired these two things together, and I'm sure by now you're seeing a theme here: A healthy body does equal healthy skin, and healthy skin is beautiful skin.

I'm not saying you need to be a gym rat to have beautiful skin, but taking a good brisk midday walk or bike ride twice a week and making sure you set a healthy sleep schedule will do wonders for your skin as well as improve your energy and your ability to handle stress.

Specifically, eat and drink more fruit. Not only will you be boosting your water intake for the day but you'll be adding essential vitamins to your diet which will nourish all of you (and your skin.) Blue berries, pomegranates, and blackberries all have important antioxidant properties (antioxidants are what protect you from free radicals that can cause cell damage which leads to wrinkles and sun damage. Cucumber will provide your body with a little extra hydration boost as well as give you Vitamin C (which boosts collagen and elastin) and caffeic acid (an antioxidant.)

When possible go for fresh fruit and veggies first, as canning and cooking may destroy some beneficial nutrients. Fresh-frozen fruits make for some awesome smoothie goodness. Then again I'm partial to greek salads and making my own fruit and yogurt parfaits (side note: the calorie count on fast food fruit parfaits is freakin' criminal, if I ate one of those I'd end up giving up half a meal later in the day.)

Cosmetics can and do go bad. Once oil, shed skin cells, and bacteria are introduced to pretty much any cosmetic, those little nasties do their best to colonize. Once a sufficient colony of bacteria is living in your make up, that bacteria is going to do it's best to live on (or in) your skin.

Label your foundation, lotion and eyeliner with the month and year of the first date of use, throw it away when that baby has it's first birthday. If you can purchase any of your wet or creamy cosmetics in smaller sizes do so, or try to find the same products in packaging (such as a pump) that doesn't allow for the introduction of bacteria. Always use clean applicators and cap products when not in use.