What’s the easiest and best way to take care of your skin? Go natural!

Everyone wants healthy radiant skin, but sometimes the stress of modern day life or bad habits wreak havoc with the largest organ in your body. Keep in mind that healthy skin starts from the inside out and is a reflection of what you eat and drink, as well as your lifestyle. Natural skin care is about using natural skin care products to clean, exfoliate, tone, and moisturize your skin--and remove make-up if you wear it.

5 Tips for Natural Skin Care

1. Use extra virgin olive oil to remove eye make-up. Pour a few drops on a cotton swab or cotton ball and gently wipe away eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara.
    

2. Cleanse your skin with real soap made of glycerin. Most of the soaps sold today are made with synthetic detergents that can strip natural oils from your skin.
    

3. It’s easy to make your own exfoliating scrubs that are gentle on your skin. Try this recipe: Honey & Brown Sugar Face Scrub.
    

4. Toner is an astringent that helps shrink and tighten the skin temporarily. You can make your own toner by steeping a few raspberry leaf teabags in some boiling water and letting it cool. Apply toner using cotton balls after cleansing skin thoroughly.
    

5. Jojoba oil made from the desert plant of the same name is a wonderfully light moisturizer that will make your skin look and feel supple—and won’t leave your skin feeling oily or too dry.

The 5 Basics of Healthy Skin

1. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, adequate amounts of protein (primarily plant-based), healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon, trout, and sardines, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
    

2. Drink water, water, and more water. Nothing quenches your thirst better, especially after exercising.
    

3. Exercise aerobically to get your blood pumping. Walking at a fast clip, jogging, biking, dancing, skating, and swimming are all aerobic activities that will get your blood circulating. Better circulation means that more oxygen rich blood is reaching your vital organs—including your skin--to nourish them.
    

4. Stay out of the sun. After allotting yourself the 15 minutes sans sunscreen that is needed for your body to manufacture vitamin D, slather it on. Your skin will thank you when you turn 40, look in the mirror and see a 30 year old looking back at you.
    

5. If you smoke, quit. If you never tried it, don’t start now. There are better habits to acquire. And no, drinking martinis isn’t one of them. Alcohol dehydrates your body including your skin, so for your skin’s sake it’s best to limit alcohol consumption as well. Try these instead: Refreshing Herbal Drinks