Beauty Bit, Skincare

By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Ever since I was a young adolescent, my mother always told me the importance of not skimping on a good skincare routine, and of course, to always eat my vegetables! Mother always prided herself on taking really good care of her skin, mostly because she's too afraid to go under the knife for any obscene procedure, but it's a tip that i've kept up with most of my life. I believe that good skincare reflects good health care, which is why i'm so adamant about it. I get complimented on my complexion all the time, and now I'll fill you in on my favorite products that I swear by!

I want to start off with one of my tried and true products pure, unrefined, shea butter. Most of you may have heard of cocoa butter but this butter is far more moisturizing with some elements of natural sunscreen protection. It also doubles as an oil for hair. You never have to worry about having dry skin with some shea butter around, I like to use this on my face as a moisturizer, but never too sparingly or you will feel very oily! I've been using this [shea butter] for years and it's really inexpensive, a 16 ounce tub for only $5. It's a definite yes!

Next product I've been using for years, is Bragg's apple cider vinegar. It's one of those wonderful products with multiple uses such as a facial toner, hair rinse, energizing and weight loss supplement. It's simply remarkable! If I ever feel a breakout about to happen, I swipe some ACV on a cotton ball and apply it to the area, and the next day it's significantly smaller to gone!

The next product I absolutely love, it's the Aztec Secret Healing Clay. It claims to be "The World's Most Powerful Facial!" and it really lives up to it. This product gets deep inside your pores like none other! I like to use it once a month because of how strong it is and it's another product that I like to use in my hair too. Seriously, if you have any sort of facial problems, this will wipe it away and you will notice yourself reaching less and less for that tube of concealer!

"Beauty starts from the inside, out," something that my mother always tells me, which is why I take my vitamins religiously! Also, since I am a vegetarian I need to insure myself with all of the nutrients i'm not getting from all the foods I don't eat. This multivitamin by Nature's Way is amazing, it contains everything a woman needs in a supplement, and it does not make my skin break out. I've taken others in the past that always gave me bad pimples, not a good look! Another thing to note about this vitamin is that it's a natural energy enhancer, always a plus when I don't need to reach for coffee!

As a great night time cream and eye cream replacement, I like to use Bio-oil. Like the shea butter, this product also leaves my skin feeling like a baby's bum and I love it! It helps with uneven skin toning, scars and anti- aging. All in all, fantastic!

The best way that i've found to achieve the healthy, dewy skin look is by using the Melvita Rose Water. Just a few sprays on top of your moisturizer and your set for the day. I was introduced to this product through a Birchbox sample and it's been a match made in heaven! It also feels like a refreshing skin drink that smells like roses!

There you have it, all of the products that attribute to my skincare routine. I like to be able to walk around with out makeup when ever I feel like it. It's very liberating when you don't feel constrained to your tube of concealer or tinted moisturizer! These are product I definitely can't live without! Good thing they're all relatively cheap! Dear readers, have you used any of these products? what are your favorite skincare needs?