With the arrival of the New Year, we are in the mood to organize and clear out the clutter in our homes, offices and closets.  The same needs to happen for your beauty regimen.

Most of us have way too many products in our bathroom cupboard and probably use too many of them in any given day.  For freshness and effectiveness, the less you have on hand at one time, the better.

There is something very liberating about paring down on your beauty routine.  In our busy, hectic days it seems we need to let go here and there, and if you can shed a few minutes off of your get-ready-time in the morning you are off to a great start.

You really only need a handful of good beauty products to keep your skin happy and healthy, starting with a good cleanser.  You may need to switch to a more moisturizing cleanser in colder months, like a milk or cream cleanser.  The lowest cost and most effective cleanser for dry skin is an oil.  Only a small amount is needed to remove makeup, dirt and impurities and if you are especially in need of more moisture, simply forgo any toner.

Toners can refresh the skin and remove oils.  Those with oily or acne prone skin types find toners especially effective but they can be too harsh or drying for dry or sensitive skin.  If you do like to use a toner be sure to keep it simple and gentle.  Witch Hazel is a gentle yet effective toner for those with acne.

As for moisturizers, an oil and a nurturing lotion or cream (depending on your skin type) should be all you need.  Rosehip Oil is an excellent choice.  It helps prevent signs of aging and breakouts, soaks into skin easily and is suitable for all skin types.  Rosehip Oil can be used on clean skin at night alone or before your moisturizer.  A thicker, creamier moisturizer may be needed in the winter when the skin is at its driest.  You may wish to stick to your lighter moisturizer (along with the use of a facial oil) if your skin is very oily.  But be sure not to confuse skin that is prone to breakouts with skin that needs less moisture.  Often skin that is not receiving enough moisture will produce more oil, causing skin to breakout.

 Experts say it is best to use sunscreen all year round.  Be sure to use a mineral based sunscreen, like those made with zinc or titanium oxide.

And remember to exfoliate too.  When the skin is drier, and more fragile, we need to use a gentler exfoliant.  Plain organic yogurt is an amazing exfoliant and leaves skin bright and glowing.  Mix with olive or grape seed oil for added hydration.  Once or twice a week is plenty.

These simple skincare staples should carry you through winter beautifully.  All you need are a mineral foundation and blush and a nontoxic mascara and you will be ready to go most any day!

Purchasing and using nontoxic skincare and personal care products is of the utmost importance for our health.  Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs approximately 60% of what we put on it, and if that is harmful chemical/synthetic ingredients….you get the general idea.

While healthy skincare products equals better health overall, how much does it affect our appearance?  After all, we all like to look good and spend a fair sum on products that we feel help us achieve this goal.  But we need to take a look at the bigger (and, yes, slightly more scientific) picture.

Our toxic body burden lends a huge hand in the premature aging of our skin, more so even than sun, stress or gravity.  “No matter how many anti-wrinkle serums you rub into your face, your body is crippling under the weight of the industrial toxins that have entered our food, air and personal care products in the last fifty year,” says Julie Gabriel, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, in her new book, The Green Beauty Guide. 

“It’s a well-known fact that vitamin A supplementation is very helpful for acne, and drinking green tea can prevent skin cancer. The opposite – that certain chemicals can trigger DNA changes in our skin – can be true for many artificial ingredients in food and cosmetics that we ingest daily,” says Julie.

Since most of us cannot afford to completely revamp our grocery spending, start by taking a look at your produce, meat and dairy.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists which produce absorbs more toxins and are therefore most important to purchase organically grown.  Most conventionally produced meat and dairy products contain added hormones, so be sure to check the labels on these, as well.

What goes in shows up on your skin, so drink lots of pure water, eat a healthy mostly organic diet and use nontoxic skincare products.  It will show.