Less is more when it comes to ethical beauty, but we all need to take care of our skin. Obviously, the right products at the right time will do great things for your skin. I know that, but, I also know that every single time my skin gets out of whack, I can take a look at my lifestyle and pinpoint the problem. Once I get things back in balance, I see a huge improvement in my skin. It is a direct reflection of how healthy I am, physically and emotionally. And, while a great serum and a luxe moisturizer do wonders, I have noticed that great skin has less to do with the products I use, and more to do with my lifestyle, and anything that I can do to reduce inflammation internally, will show on my face.  And so here are 7 ways to clear skin without a single product:

1. Food

Years ago, when I was less concerned about health, every time I went on a diet, my skin would improve. It is often the first thing I noticed, well before my jeans started fitting better and wwwwaaaayy before the scale even started to budge. And for some reason, it always surprised me. “Oh! look at my skin this morning! I wonder what is different?” and then I realized, it is my diet. I realized that

What I put in my mouth is just as important, if not more important than what I put on my skin.

Now, I try to stick with a skin friendly diet most of the time. When I notice my skin looks a little dull and tired, I can look back on my week and realize, oh, I did not eat all that well. I usually can feel it in my body as well.

My clear skin diet includes:

• Leafy greens, the darker the better. I notice that when I keep up with my green drink every morning routine, I see a huge difference, and it almost doesn’t matter what I eat the rest of the day. That one smoothie shows on my face
• Lots of colorful fruits and veggies, especially tomatoes, strawberries, and blueberries
• Good fats, especially avocados, but also olive oil
• Lean protein, especially fish and eggs (mostly because I love eggs, so it is easy to add more)
• Whole grains. If I can fill up on oatmeal or quinoa, or something like that, I am less likely to snack on other things when I am out and about
• Green Tea
• Spices like turmeric and cayenne

I do my best to eliminate:

• As much sugar as possible (I love sugar. This is hard!)
• As much wine as possible (I love wine. This is hard!)
• Processed foods
• Fried foods
• Bread and other white flour based foods
• Dairy

And when I do, my skin looks better. And the added benefit is more energy and general well being. Woohoo!

2. Sleep

I’m a newish mom, and I will tell you, there have been mornings when I’ve looked in the mirror and have been convinced I aged 12 years overnight. I always knew that sleep deprivation took its toll on my skin, but I had no idea how bad it was. I always assumed that the reason I looked so terrible after a night of partying was because I had been partying. I now know, it was the sleep deprivation. On the nights when I get a non-interrupted 7 and a half hours of sleep, I wake up looking glorious.  Well, maybe not glorious, but at least much better.

Beauty sleep is the real deal.

And it is an easy way to get rid of the eye bags, the puffiness, the redness and the dark circles without products. It also gives a little extra brightness without products. So get some rest! For skin’s sake!

3. Exercise

I love that quote, “The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea.” And in the case of skin issues, sweat is truly a partial cure. Exercising does a few great things, it gets some of the impurities out through sweat, it gets the blood pumping which brings nutrients to your face, and it increases collagen production to plump everything up. It also is an relieves stress, which is one of the worst things for your skin. Which brings me to…

4. Meditation

There is a lot of science (and sciency terms) behind it, but meditation relieves stress, which reduces inflammation, which leads to better, younger looking skin. That’s it. If meditation is not your thing (it should be), find something else to help your de-stress. Whatever it is, do a lot of it, relieve your stress, and watch your skin glow.

5. Laughter

I’m still on stress reduction. But, it also relaxes and exercises the face, which improves skin tone and condition, and brings sparkle to the eyes.

6. Love

The glow is real. Have you ever noticed how brand new (I mean like hours new) moms always look beautiful? Really tired, but beautiful. Or how when you fall in love, you have a certain beautiful glow? You can thank oxytocin, the love hormone. It gives that flush feeling, aids inflammation, So, fall in love, with your significant other, with a baby, with a pet, with yourself and get those hormones flowing!

7. Hydration

You know it, I know it, and yet most of us still don’t drink enough water. No amount of luxurious moisturizer put on your skin will help if you are parched internally. Water hydrates the skin, making it appear less dull, it gets rid of toxins, which will show up on your face if you don’t flush them out somehow, plumps up your skin, helping to hide the fine lines and wrinkles, and it gives you energy, which also looks good on you!

So drink up, and watch your skin radiate. And if drinking water is tough, try to fancy it up a bit!

Glow from the inside out with these 7 ways to clear skin without a single product. Combine with actual products, and your skin will thank you for years to come!

Is there anything non product related that you do for your skin? I would love to know, and maybe I’ll add it to my routine!