Dianne You are Beautifully and Wonderfully Made
Check out my latest video which shares 5 life-changing daily habits about how to look pretty without makeup!
I created this video for women over 50, like myself, who are interested in looking and feeling younger from the inside-out. The items I suggest will take some effort, but if you care about good health, looking pretty, feeling younger and living your best life, this is the video for you.
While I am not suggesting that you should skip wearing makeup, this post is about looking younger and feeling more radiant; therefore, how to look pretty without makeup?
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1. Practice Mindfulness
Stress
Consider incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine to lower your stress level and look healthier without makeup. When stressed-out, our bodies produce the stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol wreaks havoc on our bodies and affects our appearance. Specifically, it breaks down our skin’s elastin and collagen. Elastin is a protein which makes our skin stretch and bounce back, while collagen helps to keep our skin thick, supple and firm. When an exorbitant amount of cortisol is present in our bodies, we look older, feel older, and are less healthy. Reducing stress is one of the key factors to look younger, look more beautiful and look healthy without makeup.
Quiet Time
Set aside ten or fifteen minutes of quiet time, once or twice every day, to gain the benefits of mindfulness. You can do this practice anywhere you can safely have some time alone to shut your eyes, and focus on your breath for 10-15 minutes. Setting aside time for mindfulness is an intentional process of slowing down. You may choose to practice this in the morning before you start your day, mid-day while taking a break for lunch and/or in the evening when you are winding down to go to bed.
Quieting the Mind
The steps are simple, while the process may take some practice. Calming your mind and neutralizing your thoughts is the purpose of this exercise. Consider it a brief vacation away from worries, fears, and anxiety.
To get started, (1) sit in a comfortable, but upright position in a chair or on the floor. Based upon the time you have available, (2) set a timer – I use the one on my phone. (3) Simply close your eyes and focus your attention on your breath. (4) Start by breathing in to the count of four, then exhale to the count of four.
Your mind will bounce around…don’t worry….just work on bringing your focus back to your breath. This will take time and practice. If you have difficulty at first, start with completing five minutes of quiet time, then work on increasing the time as you get more comfortable.
If this feels uncomfortable, you may wish to start with a guided practice. This is where someone walks you through the practice. You may which to consider using apps such as headspace and calm.
Journaling
Take some additional time to at the end of your quiet mindfulness time to write:
- Three things for which you are grateful, and feel blessed, such as, I am grateful for my healthy; I am grateful for my friends; I am grateful for my home, etc….
- Three powerful “I am statements about what you aspire to be, such as I am strong, I am healthy, I am happy, I am prosperous, etc.
Reverse the Signs of Aging
The good news is practicing mindfulness helps to lessen the signs of aging and potentially dial back the hands of time. Research, including one at UC-Davis and Rutgers University, shows mindfulness reduces cortisol levels for those with a mindfulness practice, thus helping you to look prettier and younger.
2. Smile
Smiling is good for you and research proves it!
Researchers found that people who smile appear younger than their actual age, while people who frown appear to be older than they really are.
Even if you feel like there is nothing to smile about, fake it until you make it and you will look younger without makeup, feel better, and live a healthier life.
Another enormous benefit is smiling reduces stress and makes you feel more positive.
Makeup or not, smiling is a sure way to look pretty without makeup. So, turn that frown up-side-down your health, wellness and beauty depend on it!
3. Use Argan Oil
Argan oil? Yes, it’s a great oil for helping you to look younger.
Moroccan women have been using argan oil for years to moisturize and protect their skin and their hair from free-radical sun damage.
Moisturizer and Sunscreen in one
Argan oil is a fabulous moisturizer with built-in sunscreen properties. Specifically, argan oil contains vitamin E which is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps keep moisture in the skin, making skin appear healthier, more radiant and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Since argan oil is such an excellent moisturizer, I fully expected to find it in the ingredients of high-end moisturizers on the market (those costing several hundred dollars). Not the case! In fact, the pricier moisturizers found in department stores include lesser ingredients, such as mineral oil and glycerin.
By using argan oil, you avoid the chemicals found in separate sunscreens, and are using a higher quality product than many expensive moisturizers found in department stores.
Oil Reducer
If you have oily skin, fear not!
Not only is argan oil is a wonderful natural moisturizer, it also has oil-reducing properties. A study found that when argan oil is applied twice a day to skin, it significantly reduced sebum and oiliness within four weeks.
If you are also struggling with acne, argan oil has anti-sebum effects, which regulates the amount of sebum on the skin and helps to treat and manage acne with a smoother, more beautiful complexion.
You need argan oil in your life if you have oily skin.
Anti-Aging Properties
Another one of the many benefits of using argan oil on our skin is its anti-aging properties. In a recent study with postmenopausal participants, research confirmed that by ingesting argan oil and using it topically users saw a significant increase in elasticity of the skin, making it an effective anti-aging treatment.
From my experience, I have found a lot of value in using argan oil. After applying it to my skin first thing in the morning, I notice an immediate improvement in the moistness and radiance of my skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves my skin smooth, younger looking which helps me to feel more confident without makeup. Besides, the oil is very cost effective and I feel good about applying a natural produce to my skin, thus avoiding products with fragrances and chemicals.
Argan Oil for Healthy Hair
Similar to skin, when applying argan oil to hair, we realize similar benefits. Add a few drops to your bottle of daily conditioner to give it a boost and elevate the manageability and shine of your hair.
As a bonus, research has shown that oils such as argan oil that contains linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid helps to protect hair from dryness and split ends caused by heat styling tools.
After hair coloring, argan oil is also effective in protecting hair and reducing breakage. Rub a few drops of argan oil between the palm of your hands apply it throughout your hair to realize the moisturizing and conditioning benefits.
4. Basic Daily Habits
Nutrition is of the greatest importance if you want to look good, feel good, maintain a healthy weight, and live your best life. While drinking water and daily exercise are extremely important too, nutrition is #1. There is no doubt we built our bodies in the kitchen.
Healthy Diet
To have a healthy diet, it is important to eat primarily fresh, non-processed fruit, vegetables, and a protein source, while avoiding and/or minimizing sugar, gluten and dairy.
Meal planning is a great way to help you eat a healthy diet. My daughter recently shared a great website that is ideal for helping us to plan healthy meals, called Skinny Taste. Not only do they update their meal plans weekly, they also provide a shopping list to make your grocery shopping easy!
Check it out.
Drinking Water
Drink enough water everyday is important to minimize lines and wrinkles, reduce the signs of aging, reduce the likelihood of scaring and help our bodies operate at their best.
How much do we need? Mayo Clinic recommends about 11.5 cups (92 oz, 2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women (from all sources including food).
My recommendation is to get a large water bottle (24ox to 40oz), fill it up twice a day and drink it all. I shoot to drink one bottle in the morning and one in the afternoon. While I am not always successful, striving for adequate water consumption everyday will help you look younger and be your best!
Exercise 30 Minutes a Day
Strive to get 30 minutes of exercise everyday. According to my reading on the topics, WebMD suggests to “…aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more.”
Exercise helps to nourish skin cells, flush cellular debris from skin and carry away free radicals from the skin. In effect, this makes skin look younger and more radiant.
My husband and I get up every morning to hammer out our exercise for the day. We find that this works best to ensure consistency. Life gets busy, and it is easy for other activities to get in the way and run out of time if we leave it for later. While it’s important to incorporate weights into your routine to help with bone density and maintaining metabolism, I recommend taking a 30-minute brisk walk each day as a starting point. I use an Apple watch to track my movement everyday to keep me accountable. There are several tracking tools you can use to help you keep track of your activity level.
4. Get Enough Sleep and Get Up Early
Seize the day! Getting enough sleep and getting up early are two great ways to reduce stress, prepare you for the coming day and help you live a healthy life.
By getting up early, you create a block of time each day that is all yours! You can do anything you want to do. Whether you decide to prioritize exercise, mindfulness, planning, or all three, it’s yours to decide.
For more fashion, beauty and lifestyle tips, check out these posts:
- Makeup Over 50: Look Good Up Close
- White V-Neck Tee: Look Modern & Chic
- How to Style an Outfit
- Autumn & Winter Capsule Wardrobe Stylebook
