I get a lot of compliments and questions about my skin so I’ve decided to let you in on a few of my skin care secrets. Besides having good genes, there are many important things that you can add to your skin care regimen to achieve a flawless complexion.

First and foremost is your diet. You truly are what you eat. If you eat greasy fried food, it will just make your skin look dingy. If you eat fresh, organic and minimally processed food your skin will glow. Just by eating more fruits and vegetables you can drastically improve your skin tone.

Staying hydrated is also extremely important for beautiful skin. Watch your intake of caffeinated drinks, like coffee and tea because they are dehydrating. If you must have a cup of two you must balance it out with at least twice as much water. For example, for every cup of coffee you drink you’ll need to combat it with 2 cups water.

Ok, so you’re drinking plenty of water and you’ve cleaned up your diet. Next, you’ll need a great facial scrub. I’ve been using Avalon Organics Lavender Enzyme Facial Scrub ($15.95 or less). You can get this at any health food store or buy it online (I have a link below if you like).

Before I jumped on the paraben-free bandwagon (and I’ll address that in another post) I was using St. Ives Apricot Scrub with salicylic acid, which helps skin to rejuvenate itself. Look for this in products if you have oily of acne prone skin. It costs about $3 and you can find this in every supermarket or Target across America.

Avalon Organics Lavender Enzyme Facial Scrub	St. Ives Apricot Facial Scrub

Don’t be afraid to get a grittier scrub. The whole point is to get one that really takes off the dead skin. This is key. I wash my face 2-3 times a day and always after a workout and before bedtime. Don’t make it a habit of sleeping with your makeup on. You’ll be sorry the next day. Every now and then I’ll use Ahava’s Dead Sea mud mask from Israel. The minerals from this ancient sea can do wonders for the skin and I’ve seen great results, so I’ll buy pretty much anything from the Dead Sea that’s authentic. In the winter when my skin gets drier I use Avalon Organics Vitamin C Cleansing Milk or Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Gel (CoQ10).

Ahava Dead Sea Mud Mask	Avalon Organics CoQ10 Facial Cleansing Gel

After you’ve scrubbed away the dead skin, your next step is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! You’re looking for a product with SPF and ideally paraben-free. For under my eyes I use Avalon Organics Vitamin C Eye Cream and for the rest of my face I use Jurlique’s Hydrating Recovery Gel followed by Avalon Organics Vitamin C Moisture Plus Lotion with SPF 15. I’m definitely not a sun worshiper. Just the opposite. Vampire actually. But I like my pale skin. If you want a tan with your melanoma then go right ahead, but I like to stick with a bronzer.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel	Avalon Organics Vitamin C Moisture Plus Lotion with SPF 15

That leads me to my makeup. I’ve been hooked on Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup, but recently switched to Jane Iredale’s Mineral Makeup. Both are lightweight, has added SPF and makes your skin look absolutely flawless.

So there you have it – diet, water, scrub, moisturize, sun protection and mineral makeup. What works best for me may not for you, but these are my “secrets”. Try one or try them all. And as you can see, except for the Recovery Gel (which lasts a really long time), I spend no more that $35 on any given skincare product and most of the products you can get for under $20. I don’t believe good skin has to come with a high price tag.

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