great skin trumps technique

You may know every makeup application technique there is to know, but that is not enough to produce beautiful and flawless results. 

Every great masterpiece begins with a smooth canvas. Your skin is the canvas, so it's important that the look, feel, and texture of your skin are smooth, even, and vibrant. 

Healthy skin has skin cells that have a high turnover allowing new skin cells to replace old ones; dead skins cells quickly slough off, revealing new, fresh skin cells. As our skin matures, this process known as cell turnover, slows down, making the surface of the skin appear dull and reflect less light.

(the effects of UV damage on the left)

UV damage, Free radicals in the environment, poor diet, and improper or lack of skincare can all speed up our skin's aging process. It's not difficult to fight back, as long as we follow some simple steps. 

Step 1: Drink lots of water. We've all heard this before. Water aids in digestion, but it also aids in the quality of skin. If our skin cells stay hydrated, this promotes healthier, plumper skin. 

Step 2: Maintain proper diet and exercise. Eating vegetables and staying away from processed foods can dramatically improve skin quality. Exercising increases blood flow to the cells, and therefore increases collagen production and healing. 

Step 3: Get adequate sleep. Your body begins its healthy process while you are sleeping. Your skin needs that recovery time from the stress it has endured during the day. Make sure that you get plenty of sound rest in order to allow your skin to heal itself. 

Step 4:  Maintain a proper skin regimen. Many women have asked me. Why do I need more than one product to take my makeup off? I tell them to think of it this way. Would you take a shower with a bathing suit on? Not if you wanted to be truly clean. The same goes for your skin. You wouldn't be able to truly clean your skin underneath while you still have makeup on. You must remove the makeup (I prefer Clinique's Take the Day Off), then you will be able to focus on cleansing the skin underneath. This process should not take long (maybe 5 minutes) but it is worth it because your skin will look remarkably better. 

It's a myth that you are either born with great skin or you're not. Having great skin is so easy. All it takes is a little effort, and knowing the steps to keep your skin looking and feeling great!