Ee covered some really important topics, so I wanted to give you all a recap of the workshop. Read on for the conversation concerning ingredients, skin rituals, and lifestyle practices promoting youthful skin!

• What ingredients can help me to achieve youthful looking skin?

Awesome question! Remember, things that are grown naturally from the earth (plants) are always the best way to go. So when looking at key ingredients, our philosophy is to always look for plant-based ingredients. Plus, they are powerful! You won't have to sacrifice results while going a more natural route, which is the beauty in switching to a more holistic lifestyle! Here are some of my favorite ingredients to keep our skin looking youthful (P.S. you can find all of these ingredients in our products):

-Aloe Vera: Healing, soothing, full of vitamins, and lightly moisturizing.

-Coconut Oil: Antibacterial, anti-fungal: softens, hydrates without being too heavy.

-Gotu Kola: An awesome herb that can promote collagen growth in the body. It's extremely healing and improves blood circulation. It also has amazing minerals and Beto Carotene properties (Vitamin A). It's often called the longevity herb for its amazing benefits either taken internally or applied topically.

-Sandalwood: Super active ingredient. When you put on the Sandalwood Cream and feel the almost tingling, cooling effect - that’s the sandalwood at work. It’s a hero ingredient because it’s both anti-aging (awesome at fighting wrinkles) and great at preventing breakouts with its antibacterial properties.

-Botanical Hyaluronic Acid: Our bodies are born with a certain amount of hyaluronic acid in our skin. The levels decrease as we age, so our skin can become more dry and prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid is so amazing because it can hold 1,000 its weight in water, making it an amazing moisturizing ingredient you don’t want to skip.

-Lavender: Calming, healing, and helps to normalize oil production.

-Vitamin C: Firming and protective; it can also promote collagen growth.

-Chamomile: Anti-inflammatory, soothing, and antiseptic; it is full of antioxidants.

-Carrot Seed Oil: Can lighten hyper-pigmentation, super protective for the skin and is full of antioxidants.

-Frankincense Oil: Super rejuvenating for the skin, helps to reduce stress and may even help balance your hormones. An amazing and complex oil with an endless list of benefits.

-Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory, lightening, healing.

• What are the best skincare ingredients and products for preventing sun damage, hyper-pigmentation and aging skin from getting worse?

First things first: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! It's never too early or late to start. Don't leave the house without it, especially on your face! I love using a sunscreen in my foundation, like Well People's Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer. It has all the coverage you'll want in a foundation, stays put and is super protective. I use the "light" color. For body or if you're not into wearing tint on your face, the entire Suntegrity line is pure gold.

Prevention: In addition to sunscreen, cover up - especially between the hours of 11am-4pm. I have a big dorky hat that covers my entire face. But you know what's not dorky? Youthful skin. ;) Don't forget to cover your arms (lightweight cardigans) as this is another area of the body that is typically most exposed to the sun.

Hyper-Pigmentation: Ugh, the dreaded dark spots and patches that seem to pop up overnight. You're not alone! I started seeing it in my mid-20's, probably due to the fact that I was terrible about sunscreen and sunglasses for most of my life up until that point. Other things like hormones and genetics can make us more vulnerable to the condition. To avoid the damage from getting worse, read the top two tips above. For treatment in lighting the damage, there are a few things we can do. In general, you should see improvement if you stay out of the sun. You can also use lightening skin ingredients like carrot seed oil, frankincense oil, sandalwood and turmeric. If you're already using our Sandalwood Cream, you've probably seen results as this includes several skin lightening ingredients. Our Cocoa Eye Butter also has carrot seed oil in it, which is awesome for any dry part of your face and neck.

Aging Skin: Well, let's face it, we're all aging. And that's okay! It's a fact we all have to face and although cultural norms would tell us differently, there can be a lot of beauty found in the process. But at the same time, none of us wish for more wrinkles than we already have. So, how can we keep skin looking fresh and healthy no matter what our age? I can't say this enough: hydration!!! Make sure you're adequately hydrated internally by drinking plenty of water, especially in times where you're consuming caffeine and / or alcohol. Externally, moisturize your skin both day and night as this is going to be your #1 in softening dry and aging skin - and preventing it from getting worse. 

Read part 2 of the conversation where we cover these topics:

• What are ingredients to look for if my goals are anti-aging?
• What is an ideal anti-aging skincare routine (AM and PM)?

From my heart,

Monica