If you've read our musings on skinimalism you already know that we believe in keeping things simple while providing the best care to skin and self from top to bottom. The holistic approach fits in with this philosophy quite well, as instead of breaking things up into innumerable parts, it seeks to take our wellness practices as a whole unit. Incorporating nutrition, self-love skincare, mindfulness, and wellness into one united front helps to establish care routines that are beneficial to the mind, body, and soul.
Anything that is done or viewed in a way that is comprehensive, balanced, and all-encompassing can be given the holistic label. An easy way to remember this is that you can't say "holistic" without saying "whole" (even if you can spell it that way). The holistic view of self-care posits that every part is interrelated with every other part.
In other words, the best way to care for the mind and body is to confront the self as a whole, treating it all as one unit to be lovingly yet meticulously maintained.
When everything is in balance, the best results will naturally be achieved. It's an approach that seeks to understand and wipe out the causes of negative symptoms rather than simply treating them when they pop up.
Our physical, mental, and emotional health are all important to maintain regularly and in conjunction with one another. When one falters, the others will be affected. By taking a holistic approach to our skincare and self-care, we seek to promote wellness in a way that goes beyond simply avoiding disease and dysfunction. The goal is to take actions to nurture ourselves inside and out to achieve harmony in our bodies, minds, and in the way we interact with the world.
We'll explain how you can best engage in having a holistic skincare routine
One of the most important things to do is to pay extra attention on the things that you put on your body. Avoid at all means EDC’s (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals), strong peelings, brightening treatments, abrasive scrubs, artificial dyes, fragrance, artificial colors, drying alcohols, parabens, petrochemicals, GMO’s, phthalates, sulfates, silicones, PEG’s, phenoxyethanol, BHT & BHA preservatives, and the list can go on and on. Be diligent, read labels, and be aware. Have in mind to nourish your body with the products that include the best ingredients. When you understand the needs of your body, you can avoid doing and consuming things that can harm it. When establishing your routine, it's important to think in the long-term rather than just doing what's quick and convenient in the here and now.
Remember that the ingredients in your diet are just as important as those in your skincare products. Eating in a healthy manner can work wonders for the health of your skin, your mind, and your bodily organs.
When looking to avoid acne breakouts, it's key to abstain from overindulging in foods with excessive sugar, fat, and carbohydrate content. Vegetables, beans, and nuts are all good for providing our skin with the nutrients it needs to stay hydrated and produce ideal sebum levels. Avoiding excessive alcohol, salt, and caffeine consumption while taking in fiber and vitamins from natural sources are an essential part of eating for skin health. Foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as dark green vegetables, berries, apples, tomatoes, grapes, many tree nuts, and beans should always be part of the plan. These are all great things to include in a diet that seeks to build the best physical health and mental acuity.
Obviously, when hydration is a goal, it's critical to drink a lot of water. Ideally, we should be drinking two liters (approximately 67.6 fluid ounces) of water daily. This works out to being a little bit more than the traditionally recommended eight-times-daily drinking of an 8 oz glass of water. When we stay hydrated, we have more energy and endurance to exercise. Exercise yet another building block within the holistic approach to treating your body as a temple. When we exercise, our systems are injected with endorphins, helping us to achieve feelings of exhilaration, joy, and peace. At the same time, stress hormones such as cortisol become more well-regulated, improving mental health as well as liver and kidney function.
Staying active during the day helps to improve blood flow, which is highly important toward keeping our skin in tip-top shape. It also helps to promote deep, restful, and restorative sleep. Quality sleep rejuvenates our minds to take on the next day. It also helps to reduce stress as well as feelings of depression and irritability. It's also during periods of deep sleep that our skin cells are best able to replenish themselves. Conditions such as psoriasis and eczema can worsen when we are deprived of sleep, as can cosmetic issues such as sagging skin, dark circles, and bags under the eyes.
To supplement eating right, exercising, and getting proper sleep, you should also indulge in a little "me time" each day. Self-care can mean many things, but at its core, it's about doing healthy things that bring feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and confidence. Whether that's watching a favorite TV show, spending time with a beloved pet, pursuing a hobby, or digging into a good book, you should set aside at least some time every day to just be happy. Treating yourself to a massage, reiki session, manicure, or other spa treatments can also go a long way in physical and mental tension. Just remember that you ARE worth it.
Staying happy and healthy, allowing for emotional expression, and having a good laugh on a regular basis will all prove to be sound strategies for overall good health. Abstaining from smoking, synthetic fragrances, and endocrine disrupting chemicals while avoiding unprotected exposure to the sun are practices that go hand-in-hand with the above.
Mindfulness is another important component of holistic healthcare. It's important to be aware of the status of your mental, emotional, and physical well-being at all times. This keeps you in a constant state of readiness to identify and conquer any trouble within your being when it tries to arise. Mindfulness extends beyond the realm of our inner being and feelings. It also branches out toward how we conduct ourselves as citizens of Earth and how our actions affect the planet and the life that inhabits it. That's why engaging in environmentally friendly behavior, establishing sustainable beauty routines, and watching what we consume is so important. An integral part of buying the right skincare products is ensuring that they're packaged in a sustainable manner, actively seek to reduce carbon footprints, avoid excessive consumption of resources, and come from companies that engage in fair trade practices. Check our Instagram to learn about other conscious brands focused on sustainability that we admire.
By successfully taking a holistic approach to wellness, you will reap immediate and invaluable benefits. Your stress level will go down, your physical and mental health will improve, you'll get proper rest, and most importantly, you'll be much happier.
Being at peace with yourself and knowing that you got there through means that help the environment and other people will prove immensely rewarding. Mental, physical, emotional, and social well-being are the ultimate goals of holistic care practices. Following them is a certain road map to success.