The Beginner’s Guide to Holistic Skincare

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Whether you are looking to educate YOURSELF about a different (better!) approach to skincare OR if you are a handmade skin care business owner looking for quotes and snippets to educate your CUSTOMERS, this guide to holistic skincare is going to be a slam-dunk resource for you.

A holistic skincare approach is not just going to help the skin look and feel better, but the rest of the body and mind as well.

If this is your first stop in learning about anything holistic, get ready to have your eyes opened to a whole new way of thinking about overall wellness (skin health included)!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links (at no cost to you). Please read the disclosure for more information.

What is Holistic Skincare?

In one sentence, holistic skincare is all about understanding that everything in your body, mind, and environment is connected and has an impact on your overall health and wellness (which directly impacts the skin’s appearance).

This type of skincare goes far beyond just using the ‘right’ type of product for your skin and addresses your hydration, diet, quality of sleep, stress levels, and more.

The definition of ‘holistic’ is to take into account the WHOLE person rather than just the symptom; holistic skincare considers every detail of the daily experience of an individual to benefit their skin’s health from the inside out.

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Is Holistic Skincare the Same Thing as Natural Skincare?

There are sooo very many ‘buzz words’ in the skin care industry: cruelty-free, all-natural, plant-based, vegan, preservative-free, green, clean, organic, handmade, holistic, etc.

While each of those phrases has its own unique definition, to the average customer, they all tend to get lumped together and simply leave the impression that these products are simply ‘better’ somehow than products that DON’T use those words on their packaging and marketing (spoiler alert, this is not always true).

‘Holistic skincare’ refers to a regimen and even a lifestyle, whereas ‘natural skincare’ refers to products that use naturally derived ingredients.

An extra note just to be clear: There are no FDA regulations in place to verify these claims on products – as an example, a company or individual maker could use one or two natural ingredients while also including synthetic ingredients and still label it as ‘natural’.

As an organic skincare maker and certified aromatherapist, I must say for the record that this is not honest and not ethical.

Educating yourself on how to read labels and do your research on a company is your only real defense.

Holistic Skincare and Plant-Based Products

Holistic skincare emphasizes and encourages the use of plant-based products that don’t include synthetic chemicals, water, alcohol, or preservatives.

You’ll want to look for oil-based products, cold processed soaps, face mask powders that you can add liquid to on your own right before application, and moisturizing bars and salves that use beeswax and unrefined butters.

These types of products are most easily found in small-batch, natural skincare shops that make most of their items to order. This omits the need for adding preservatives, as they won’t be sitting in the back of a big box store for months before even starting to be used.

Plant-based, chemical-free products are recommended in a holistic skincare regimen because they reduce the toxic load on your immune system.

When synthetic ingredients are placed on the skin, white blood cells have to do the work to remove those molecules from the body because they are seen as invaders.

When natural ingredients are placed on the skin, they are happily accepted by the body, freeing up the white blood cells to take care of more important business.

Personally, I would rather my white blood cells focus on taking care of abnormal cells, bacteria, and viruses instead of having to attack a serum that is loaded with synthetic fragrances and fillers…agreed?

It’s an absolute no-brainer (assuming you know what to look for…and now YOU do)!

Plant-based skincare products for the absolute win.

Making your own skincare products is the only fail-proof way to know exactly what is going onto your body.

My natural skincare recipe book below (written specifically for small-batch, handmade businesses) is full of 100% plant-based products ready to make and sell online (and use for yourself):

Holistic Skincare and Hydration

I’m sure you’re not surprised that hydration is on the list of holistic skincare topics.

Drinking plenty of water helps to keep skin hydrated from the inside out, which prevents dryness, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

Water makes up roughly 64% of skin cells, and being properly hydrated helps your skin look vibrant (not to mention its other amazing benefits such as flushing out toxins and improving blood flow).

In addition to drinking enough water, limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake is equally important.

Caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks) and alcohol actually cause DEHYDRATION, as they are both diuretics (increase urine production).

As a side note, on top of dehydration, these two very common types of beverages also cause increased oil production, inflammation, increased stress, and sleep disruption…each negatively affecting the health of the skin and zapping its ability to glow and regenerate cells.

This means that even if you ARE drinking enough water throughout the day, you can be canceling out the benefits depending on your intake of caffeine and alcohol in other parts of the day…in more ways than just hydration.

Fun fact: 12 hours after you take your last sip of caffeine 25% of it still remains in your system.

If you’re a ‘drink coffee until lunchtime’ person, try setting an alarm to remind yourself to put down that cuppa joe by 9 am to get better sleep (and skin…and stress management…are you beginning to see how everything is completely connected?).

Holistic Skincare and Regular Exercise

Getting regular exercise is about much, much more than maintaining your desired waistline. We’re talking about improved circulation, increased collagen production, reduced stress, and improved sleep…all of which directly impact skin appearance and health.

When your blood flow and circulation increase, oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the skin while simultaneously flushing out waste products and toxins (don’t be afraid to work up that sweat!).

Exercising also increases a protein called collagen that helps skin to look plump, youthful, and radiant.

It isn’t commonly known that stress can actually express itself in skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis. A consistent exercise routine helps to reduce the level of cortisol (the stress hormone), helping to clear up skin AND mindset.

Last but not least (and I know you know this one!), exercise helps make that sleep so much more sweet and easy!

(Pssttt…tons of extra bonus points for skin and overall wellness if you take that exercise OUTSIDE into the fresh air to boost cell turnover and vitamin D intake!)

Holistic Skincare and a Healthy Diet

If you’ve been depending on that multivitamin to give you all of your needed health benefits, it’s time to read up.

While taking supplements is better than nothing, getting your vitamins and antioxidants from whole foods is always the best way to go.

Eating foods that are high in Vitamin A, C, E, Zinc, and Omega-3 fatty acids is key for skin health, as they not only help to stimulate collagen (keeping your skin firm and elastic), but they also help to protect your skin from environmental damage.

Some foods to always keep stocked and in your routine meal plan are avocados, berries, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and salmon.

Holistic Skincare and Deep Sleep

It may seem redundant to have a section on sleep since it has already been mentioned a few times (because everything is connected!), but here I want to talk about WHY sleep matters so much.

First things first, we’re not interested in any old sleep. What we want for your skin health and overall well-being is DEEP sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep.

This stage of sleep is the deepest phase of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and is essential for your immune function, memory, physical restoration, brain health, cell regeneration, bone growth, inflammation reduction, and mood regulation.

All are incredibly huge and important for the enjoyment of daily life.

Related to skin specifically, deep sleep stimulates cell turnover and collagen production, which helps to keep skin supple and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

This benefit of inflammation reduction during slow-wave sleep also helps to combat skin conditions such as eczema and acne, which are triggered by stress (…and sleep deprivation also leads to increased stress…I know you’re beginning to realize that when you think about it, everything is so DIRECTLY linked together!!!).

Holistic Skincare and Stress

Isn’t it amazing how you can tell right away when you, a friend, or a family member is stressed because it just…shows…on their skin somehow?

I’m here to give you ‘the why’ behind that thing you just can’t put your finger on, and it all has to do with a hormone called cortisol.

When cortisol levels are increased (which is what happens on your insides when you’re feeling ‘stressed out’, in that fight or flight red zone), it:

• Weakens the skin’s elasticity (which leads to wrinkles and fine lines)

• Increases inflammation (which leads to redness, itching, and skin thickening)

• Disrupts sleep patterns (which shows up as dark circles and puffy eyes)

• Increases oil production (which leads to acne and clogged pores)

There are so many ways that you can naturally combat stress, and many we have already discussed here today, through omitting dehydrating beverages, getting regular exercise, and allowing for deep sleep.

The lesser-known approach to stress reduction is by implementing mindfulness practices into your life, which we’ll discuss next.

Holistic Skincare and Mindfulness

Mindfulness by definition is a mental state that is achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment to acknowledge feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations as a therapeutic technique.

Much of our lives, when left unchecked, are spent either ruminating about the past or worrying/planning/thinking about the future.

While thinking about the past and future can have positive outcomes, such as reliving cherished memories with your loved ones or setting goals for a successful business launch, they can also deeply affect the brain and mindset.

Rumination in a negative way includes overthinking past conversations or experiences in a recurring cycle that causes stress and can eventually lead to depression.

Thinking too much about the future and worrying about factors you can’t control lead to anxiety and what is referred to as the ‘monkey mind’, a brain that bounces back and forth from detail to detail in a panic.

Practicing mindfulness can come in many forms, but some common and effective ones are meditation, using a gratitude journal, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and including affirmations in your daily routine(s).

Staying in the present and reinforcing positive thinking reduces stress and anxiety, which in turn also reduces inflammation, resulting in healthier skin health and appearance.

So yes, gratitude can actually help make your skin glow (from the inside)!

Passionate About Normalizing Holistic Skincare?

If you are a skincare entrepreneur who wants to take your brand and business mission to the next level, I strongly encourage you to add this information about holistic skincare to your offerings.

No matter what your platform, education is always a well-received topic for social media posts and weekly newsletters.

In the Holistic Skincare Template Bundle below, I have created eight PDF resources that are 100% editable for you and YOUR skin care business.

Simply add your own business name, contact information, branding details, and you’re done!

• Share the information as blog posts.

• Add printed resources to your customers’ orders.

• Provide them as paid printables on your own website.

• Pass them out at markets and events as freebies.

There are so very many ways that we can work together to share this information about holistic skincare to better our audiences’ lives and health – let’s work together to make a difference!

Click the red button below to see if this resource is right for you and your audience!

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