Throughout each season, my skin acts differently. In the winter, my skin becomes dry. How to get healthy skin from the inside out has been one of my goals. Have you ever struggled with finding the right products for your skin?
When I need help, I turn to April Kensington of Be Pure Beauty in Carrboro, North Carolina. I absolutely love going there for my skincare and makeup.
When you enter Be Pure Beauty, you are in for a treat. April is the kindest soul. Plus, I leave her store feeling pretty.
April recommended her Hidden Forest line. I started to use Glow and Morning Dew. Both are lifesavers during the Fall and Winter season. I asked her to share the story behind it.
Hidden Forest
“Starting Hidden Forest Naturals came with my fascination and b=obsession with the science of skin. Most of us are taught a backward model of skincare, and it ends up leading us to ineffective treatments and solutions. We look at removing, scrubbing or peeling, in order to “fix” skin issues. I set an intention with Hidden Forest Products to care for the foundational cellular structure of our skin. Meaning, keeping the acid mantle intact, not stripping the skin with harsh products that remove helpful bacteria and oils. Each product has a formulation that aids in healing the skin cells instead of “fixing” a problem.
With my background as a skin therapist and extensive understanding of ingredients, I began to work on my first product. Theo – Sacred Ground Cleansing Mask and Wash. This was the breakout product. It worked on all skin types and was solving a lot of skin issues many people were experiencing. They even mentioned their skin looked noticeably clearer and softer.
I still needed to get my skin’s pH in balance, and all the toners I was testing had witch hazel or alcohol in them, and that always left my skin more irritated. So, I developed three toners, Glow (for dry skin) Bright (for normal combination skin), Calm (oily acne skin) without witch hazel and alcohol and made sure they only had soothing and pH balancing ingredients.
The final piece was something that would keep my skin hydrated all day long without it feeling heavy. I spent a lot of time researching the ingredients that would hydrate but still light on the skin. This turned into one of our best-selling products – Morning Dew. Anyone and everyone who has used it, and even tested it has loved its efficacy. It immediately hydrates the skin with the sea algae and kelp, and then the baobab feeds the cells’ fatty oils, which they love when they are dry.
Four years later, I am adding a new serum for sensitive acneic skin, and Hidden Forest has undergone an entire rebrand and truly embodies the natural divinity of the ingredients and our skin that we should adorn every day to honor how it serves us.”
The Right Products Make a Difference
I have noticed my skin looks moisturized versus looking dry. My skin feels excellent using Glow and Morning Dew. In the past, my skin would get irritated with toners because they had harsh ingredients, so I stopped using them. That is not so with this line.
Next, I reached out to Serena Poon for her helpful tips and knowledge on skincare. I love what she shared. What goes on inside of the body is as important as what is applied externally.
“It’s increasingly apparent that skin disorders are connected to an imbalanced gut. One of the main contributors to an imbalanced gut is an overgrowth of candida- which is a naturally occurring fungus located in the intestinal tract. Candida can actually break through your intestinal wall and enter into your bloodstream, releasing toxins that have a negative impact on our skin and overall wellbeing.
There are numerous things we can do to naturally reclaim our gut health. My number 1 tip is to make sure you are incorporating both probiotics and prebiotics into your diet. Probiotics help increase the healthy flora in your gut, and prebiotics feed the good bacteria you already have in your gut. You can take probiotics and prebiotics in capsule or liquid form, or you can find them in many different foods. Just Add Water™ is a great and easy option to get in all the probiotics and prebiotics that your body needs, along with superfoods, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, and plant adaptogens, which all work together to give you that glowing clear complexion!”
Learn What Works Best For You
I love Just Add Water and that it includes everything that I need in one packet. Throughout the years, I have had to learn what healthy skin means for me.
There have been products that have worked amazingly well. However, there were other products that did not. I trust what these two beautiful women recommend. It all starts with education on ingredients and the reason why they do what they do.
I used to try all kinds of products and then felt disappointed when they wouldn’t work. My skin has been through Melasma, Rosacea, breakouts, and hormonal issues as well. An important thing to remember is to give a product time to work.
Depending on how you take care of your body makes a difference. Using products with harsh ingredients and a bad diet will not give you healthy skin. I am now much more informed on what I apply and am still a work in progress with cleaner eating.
Happy to Use The Right Things
It has taken me a long time to figure things out. I try to keep in mind that different seasons play an important role in my products. What works in the summer may not be what I use in the winter.
In the past, during the winter, I even tried a Hydrafacial. As a result, that helped hydrate my skin too. Healthy skin is attainable once I make sure I use the right things. It makes me happy when I achieve the results that I am looking for.
You can have great skin too when you know how to care for it. Don’t you crave glowing skin without issues? I know I do.
Lastly, I am including The Inhale which is aromatherapy spray. You can use it with meditation or on your yoga mat. It smells wonderful and calming. I love spraying it on my bed.
I look forward to continuing to learn great things about skincare, health, and wellness, along with helpful tips. Be sure to watch or listen to Serena Poon on her platforms to learn more.
Not only does she give you informative, helpful tips, but she has awesome interviews with influential people making a difference in the world.
What do you do for your skin?