I'm a firm believer that the best kind of routine we can establish is one that benefits our mental health. Being a slave to fast beauty does not even enter the equation. Rituals that  help the health of both the mind and skin is where it is at.

As Coco Chanel said: "beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself" and as much as I believe this statement to be true - confidence comes with clarity - yet if for example, you're a new mum, a single mum, just busy juggling the demands of life then knowing who the hell you are can be a challenge at times!

Let's take a look at what we can do to build a nourishing regime that doesn't cost the earth or eat into too much time.

Skin kind is a latest trend in skincare, for me it underpins the values of Skin Elixir and my products centre around bringing bliss to the skin and senses, and are designed to 'nourish the skin you're in'.

Let's look at what skin needs to be well - bright, glowing and nourished.

Many skincare product touted as anti wrinkle creams use synthetic vitamin A in the form of retinol to keep wrinkles at bay. To my mind it makes great sense to nourish from the inside out with Vitamin A rich foods, as it's Vitamin A that triggers the production of collagen.

As food goes, top of the list for Vitamin A is egg yolk (organic pasture raised), grass fed butter and virgin cod liver oil (great for both vitamin A and vitamin D) these are all essential sources of fat soluble oils and massively beneficial for plumping and moisturising dry skin. Foods full of carotenoids (precursor to vitamin A - the orange, yellow and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae in their diet)  have lots of skin healing benefits too; not least the protective benefits of the phytonutrients. Factor in green leafy veg - kale and parsley are superheroes here, and as Dr Berg would say these are great blended with blueberries and a bit of water - WONDERFUL FOR SKIN HEALTH.

Avoiding foods with high levels of insulin, so minimising refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, will help keep skin in good condition. Intermittent fasting helps cells renew through the process of autophagy.  If you want to supplement with Collagen peptides, then Vitaprotein (grass fed pasture raised from Brazil) is said to be a great source. 

Vitamin E is the other skin super hero vitamin and many of the aforementioned foods contain good levels of vitamin E, add in seeds, olive oil, nuts and black seed oil as well as green leafy veg and you have a recipe for skin that will be well protected.

Vitamin E protects the skin from ageing, against sunburns and oxidising. It protects against wrinkles and helps prevent scarring. Importantly it supports the pituitary hormones so is a key nutrient for sex hormones that drop naturally once ovulation ends for those of us in that stage of life.

So we've looked at some basic building blocks to nourish the skin from the inside out, with foods that won't break the bank but that will nourish skin cells.  In terms of vitamin supplements, Vitamin B3 (in the form of non skin flushing Nicotinamide) is the skin powerhouse because if you're deficient in it this can lead to a condition called Pellagra, there is also a sub clinical version of a B3 deficiency which shows up as dermatitis  - dry, brittle, scaly red skin, cracking and bleeding skin. So it is essential for protecting the skin, it can help decrease acne and brown spots and at a very deep level protects and restores your DNA. It also helps decrease risk of depression. In 1931 a chemist discovered that by giving patients vitamin B3 that it cured Pellagra consequently many food stuffs were fortified with B3.

In terms of a beauty regime there's no need to be a slave to multiple products.

If you've not given Skin Elixir a go yet there's really something for everyone.

From the day or night anytime moisturiser packed with skin loving nutrients.

The Magnificent Night Oil or Intensive Night Cream if you prefer the texture of a cream or both if you want to layer.

The Super Natural Oil that works to balance skin tone, plump and firm skin and the trio of organic body oils that double up as uplifting natural perfumes or as bath or shower oils. In terms of cleansing I opt for a hot cloth with a small amount of the moisturiser before reapplying or some  CastleHouse Homemade luxury soap and for toning the skin I use witch hazel twice a week. Just 2 minutes a day to your best skin yet.

I (try and start the day it's a habit I find hard to maintain) start the day now with a five minute loving kindness meditation and a few yoga poses and pop on a 5 minute bedtime meditation when I put the kids to bed. Those minutes of 'zoning out' are so important to start and end the day with. A reminder that we are human beings and we are not supposed to be on all the time!

Go well you beauties.

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