Disclosure: I've been invited to attend the R3 Prevention Summit and related VIP events for free as a brand ambassador. I was not otherwise paid to write this post. My opinions are, as always, my own.
I recently met Jessica Chia, the beauty editor for Prevention Magazine at the R3 Prevention Summit Preview Dinner. It was a treat to talk shop about natural beauty with someone else in the biz, so I enjoyed swapping tips and discussing hot ingredients and trends with her. During our conversation Jessica asked me a really great question - one that took me a few minutes to answer.
She asked me to tell her about my personal skin care philosophy. It's been years since I relied on commercial products for the bulk of my routine, but making my own products has become so much a part of my everyday life that I sometimes take it for granted. While I've been knee-deep in the subject lately while working on my book, it had been a while since I'd had the chance to explain my motivation or methods in person.
For the most part, I avoid commercially produced skin care products because trying to figure out which products that are both natural and effective can be totally exhausting. I could spend a lifetime (and a fortune) scanning labels and trying out bottle after bottle of natural shampoo, or I could just make my own from baking soda and vinegar. When it boils down to it, I'm cheap, I'm lazy, and I don't trust big companies to decide what's safe for my body.
What I've found over the years, is that given the opportunity, your body will pretty much take care of itself. When freed from the cycle of over-drying shampoo and silicone-filled conditioners, your scalp will learn to produce just the right amount of oil to keep hair healthy. Your skin does the same thing when it's cleansed only with simple, gentle ingredients.
In regards to food, Michael Pollan said "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." In my opinion, natural skin and hair care should be approached in the same way. Keeping things simple is the key to success. Your skin will love you for it, as will your wallet and your sanity.
I'm looking forward to attending the R3 Prevention Summit two weeks from now, as I'll have the chance to rub elbows with a whole lot more health-minded people. There will be some fun programming on natural beauty, including a custom fragrance bar, one-on-one skin consultations, and a mini hair salon.
There is a lot more going on at the Summit than just natural beauty. The conference's schedule is packed with programming focused on fitness, food, and mind and body wellness. In addition to the healthy cooking demos, which I am naturally planning to attend, there are two events that I am really excited about. The first is a screening of Resistance, a documentary focused on our growing antibiotic resistance. Scary stuff, but a truly important topic for mankind to take notice of. The other panel I'm pumped for is on "eating clean". That term is thrown around quite a bit in the food and fitness world these days, so I'm looking forward to hearing how experts are approaching it.
Tickets are on sale now for the R3 Prevention Summit happening October 17 and 18 in Austin, texas. You can save $20 on your ticket with the following discount code. If you are headed to the Summit please let me know. I'd love the chance to say Hello!
