Most women have some sort of skin care practice in addition to daily habits, such as maintaining a balanced diet, getting in regular exercise and all manners of self-care.

A well-rounded skin care regimen is especially important for aging and hormonal skin, and while establishing one can be a matter of habit as well as trial and error, there are some key practices to incorporate. For example, starting with a good topical routine specific to your skin type, in addition to high-quality natural health supplements containing all or some of these skin-nourishing elements:

• Vitamins A, C, D, E, K
• B vitamins, especially biotin
• Zinc
• Collagen
• Silicon – a naturally-occurring element that, when supplemented orally, not only improves skin’s appearance, but also lowers the fall rate of hair and improves nail strength
• Ceramides – a class of fatty acids (lipids), often found naturally in high concentrations in the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis)

Combining these nutritional practices with a few lifestyle tips will ensure that your skin, hair and nails stay beautiful from the inside out.

We’ll get to those lifestyle tips in a bit but first, let’s focus on establishing a good topical skin care routine. We’re making it easier than ever to implement natural, holistic skin care with a few simple DIY recipes!

Natural Topicals: 3 Holistic DIY Skin Care Recipes

Let’s highlight three incredibly simple DIY skin care recipes featuring multi-tasking probiotics. They’re not just for gut health!

In essence, your skin is home to a ton of good bacteria that helps support its barrier functions. Several factors can reduce levels of these bacteria, like overwashing your skin or using harsh cleansers. This increases your risk of certain age-, hormone-, and environmentally- related skin conditions, such as:

• Acne
• Rosacea
• Eczema
• Sun damage
• Wrinkles and sagging

However, there is good evidence to support that when probiotics are applied topically, they may help to rebuild a healthy bacterial balance in the skin. This is similar, not to mention complimentary, to how probiotics, when taken orally, increase the diversity of gut flora – and may improve these types of skin conditions from the inside out.

So, without further ado, here are those easy, holistic DIY skin care recipes!

This first one is especially good for congested skin with cystic acne, as one might experience in the menopausal years.

Probiotic Face Mask for Congested Skin

Recipe yields one mask, for immediate application:

• 1 Tbsp plain yogurt (no sweeteners or other additives)
• 1 tsp jojoba oil or argan oil (also known as Morrocan oil) or 1 tsp of each (note: jojoba is particularly good for oily skin, but can be drying for other skin types)
• 1 tsp raw honey (consider splurging on Manuka)
• 1 capsule probiotic, broken open (e.g. CanPrev Pro-Biotik 15B)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, oil(s) and honey. Open the probiotic capsule, empty the contents into a bowl, and mix well.
2. Apply thick and evenly over your face and neck – it will be a bit messy!
3. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse well, and pat dry.

Can be used in place of a cleanser one day per week.

Follow up with toner, and then moisturize with a hydrating, creamy moisturizer (like the Super Hydrating Probiotic Moisturizer – recipe below) or a few drops of a skin-balancer like rosehip seed oil immediately afterwards.

*Not for consumption.

Inflammation-calming Probiotic Toner

Using a 100 mL / 4 oz spritzer bottle:

(Cut the recipe in half for smaller spritzer bottles)

• 1/4 cup witch hazel (make sure it’s alcohol free, otherwise it will be too drying)
• 2 Tbsp aloe vera gel (pure, no additives)
• 1 capsule probiotic, broken open (e.g. CanPrev Pro-Biotik 15B)
• A few drops of your favourite essential oil
  • tea tree for acne
  • lavender for extra calming properties
  • pure rose oil for an amazing aromatherapy experience

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a clean spritzer bottle using a small-mouthed funnel. You may need to coax the gel through the funnel with a popsicle stick or toothpick.
2. Shake the bottle vigorously to mix.
3. Spritz the toner liberally onto a cotton pad and swipe in upward motions on face, neck (back and front), and decolletage.

When used immediately after cleansing, the purpose of toner is to:

• Dissolve soap residue, and help skin absorb whatever products come next — like a moisturizer!
• Neutralize your skin’s pH
• Reduce the visibility of pores

Note: Shake before each use. Refrigerate when not in use.

Super Hydrating Probiotic Moisturizer

Using a 60 mL / 2 oz container:

(Half the recipe for smaller containers)

• 2 Tbsp shea nut oil (pure; avoid using shea nut butter as it may harden too much and become difficult to use when cold)
• 1/2 tsp raw honey (consider splurging on Manuka)
• 1 Tbsp aloe vera gel (pure, no additives)
• 2 capsules probiotics, broken open (e.g. CanPrev Pro-Biotik 15B)
• 6 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops rosehip seed oil (great for regeneration and anti-inflammation) OR sea buckthorn oil (great for sun damage) – or 4 drops of each for extra benefits

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with a popsicle stick until well incorporated and smooth – the mixture will be runny at first.
2. Pour into a pot container with a screw top lid.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

** Be sure to refrigerate your DIY skin care recipe products as there are no added preservatives. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Holistic lifestyle tips for healthy, glowing skin

In addition to incorporating a few healthy skin supplements, a good topical routine, and the above DIY skin care recipes, you may also find that implementing some lifestyle tips can really round out your regimen. This includes:

• High quality, restorative sleep
• Eating healthfully, including plenty of whole foods and vegetables
• Limiting sun exposure (e.g. cover up, wear a hat, seek shade, use sunscreen)
• Reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking
• Facial massages (e.g. cupping, tapping, vibrations)
• Stress reduction and management
• Exercising regularly

Did you know?

Many skin conditions that are heightened by stress, like acne and eczema, can also be improved through regular exercise. Studies have shown that stress hormones impact the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing oil in the skin.

Hopefully, you’ve found some great suggestions here that will help you pave the way to smooth, radiant skin at any age or stage of life. Go ahead and put your best skin forward!

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