Creating a new habit requires constant repetition. We thought we’d review our top tips to beautiful, ageless skin. May they become your new skin care habits.

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A question that comes up frequently in the beauty industry—whether it’s beauty editors, news publications, blogs, founders of beauty brands or friends asking me for advice—is “What is your top beauty secret?” or “What is the most important thing that I can do to keep my skin looking great?”

There is No Magic Bullet

The truth is that there is no one THING, product, practice or secret that will keep you looking like you are 19 through your 90s. Like everything else in life, looking—and more importantly, feeling—great takes work and consistent care. If your skin is really important to you, take care of it by going for regular facials, even if you only go quarterly. Preventative care is essential. Also, commit to some kind of a regimen. You don’t have to spend endless hours with masks and all types of steps, but commit to cleansing, and toning; Lavido Purifying Face Cleanser and Hydrating Facial Toner are great choices for the summer. And find a serum and moisturizer that works for you and use it. Establish some type of ritual for morning and evening. If you are lazy like me, your night ritual might consist of using an Ursa Major Essential Face Wipe and following it with Emma Hardie The Midas Touch Face Serum. It takes about 60 seconds. The point is, just do something!

Tuning Into What We Need

Whether we are talking about hair, skin or body, the first step to taking proper care of ourselves is tuning into what our bodies need. If you have been to a good nutritionist, (I was lucky enough to find Joy Bauer) she will go over basics of what are and are not good food choices, but she will also tell you to listen to your body. If we take a moment to sit still with ourselves and listen, our bodies will tell us what we need. It is really remarkable. Have you ever been thinking about what you wanted to eat for dinner and felt like a big juicy steak and spinach? Now, I am not a physician or nutritionist (and vegans, please cover your ears), but it’s possible that at that moment, your body was in need of iron and animal protein. Similarly, ever notice on really hot summer days, we tend to gravitate towards salads and fruits and eat a little lighter? Those foods are mostly water based and our bodies are likely in need of hydration. In the same way that we should be listening to our bodies to know what they need on a given day to perform optimally, we also need to learn to listen to our skin.

Notice Patterns

In the winter skin tends to dry out from the cool frosty air and wind, so we might mix a face oil with a rich moisturizer, Cosmetics 27 Huile 27 with Baume 27 for example, to give our skin the protection that it needs. Whereas on a warm summer day, skin is more vulnerable to congestion as it produces more oil than usual. On days like this, mixing a few drops of a serum (Right now I am using Cosmetics 27 Essence 27) with a daily anti-aging sunscreen, such as Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Face Cream SPF 20, or a light BB Cream (B. Kamins makes a great one), is all that is needed. (Side Bar: Institut Esthederm Time Technology Cream is a great moisturizer for summer evenings. It is light and contains just a bit of sparkle, which looks beautiful, especially on sun kissed skin.)

There is No One-Cure-Fits-All

In other words, there is no one best beauty or skin care tip that’s a one-cure-fits-all. Do your own research, see what the experts are saying, but then tune into your skin. Take a moment and look at your face in the mirror and examine its landscape. Is there a part of your face where blemishes tend to pop up with seasonal weather changes? For me its on either side of my chin and begins when temperatures change significantly, so at the beginning of the summer and then again when the temperatures really drop transitioning into winter. Start to notice these patterns and shift your facial care regimen slightly to accommodate your skin’s needs. There are no hard and fast rules for certain seasons, either. You may find during the summer that after a day in the sun, your skin is really dry and needs some TLC…have that rich winter moisturizer on hand!

A Word on Anti-aging and Massage

A tip that I picked up from both from skin care expert Yasmine Djerradine and Michele Evrard, the pharmacist that founded M.E. SkinLab, the company that manufactures the Cosmetics 27 skin care line, which I love…is massaging the face.

Massaging The Face

When applying product, morning and evening, take an extra 30 seconds or more (if you have the patience), and actually massage the product in. Whether you are using a serum, face oil or moisturizer, literally spread it on from the bridge of your nose in horizontal downward strokes toward your cheeks and press hard, then move your fingers up the bridge of your nose, between your eyebrows and smooth down those annoying lines that start to form in your mid-thirties. I do this at least 8 times. Next, spread your fingers, position them on top of your eyebrows and applying pressure, move them up to your hairline and repeat. Then do the same in your temple area. Just try it, it feels good. It will also release any tension that you may already carry in that area, which will prevent future lines that may appear as a result of scrunching your forehead.

Massaging The Eye Area

While applying under eye cream, apply pressure, and starting from the under eye area closest to your nose, sweep your fingers up the half moon shape of your under eye area all the way through where your crows feet might start. Repeat this 3-4 times. Apply even more pressure where the crows feet appear. Don’t be afraid to message it in. There is a myth floating around that applying pressure to this area will have a negative impact. It isn’t true! I’m using Emma Hardie Age Support Eye Cream right now. It’s all natural and extremely moisturizing. The under eye area is the driest patch on the visage. Using an eye cream is a good habit to get into, even if you are in your mid twenties.

Got Smile Lines?

Make sure to apply pressure in that area, horizontally intersecting the smile lines in an upward motion. If you are uncertain, moving your fingers up your face is usually a safe bet. You will wake up the dermis and muscles directly under it as well as get the blood flowing. Think of it as exercise for the muscles in your face.

Final Tip

Remember to smile, even if it’s just with your eyes; happiness always radiates beauty.

Stay tuned for more holistic beauty tips that actually work from our panel of beauty experts and us regular girls at Travel Beauty.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter @AlyssaBarrie

Perhaps you’ve noticed, detox is the buzzword du jour. Everyone is juicing, cleansing and cupping their way to a totally toxin-free body. I ain’t mad at them – it’s a worthwhile pursuit. But no matter how detox-dedicated you are, you may draw the line at colonics. Perhaps you think about colonics in the way I did: sounds interesting, intriguing even, but nothing I could ever go through with it. Colonics just seem too:

A) mortifying

B) degrading

C) the absolute physical manifestation of a TMI

When it comes to detoxing, though, colonics are the gold standard. If you’ve always been colonic-curious but have yet to climb up on the table, read on.

Do I Really Need A Colonic?

This is the question I grappled with…the question that kept me “off the table” for years. But the information on the myriad benefits of colonics, and the rationale behind their purported necessity, is overwhelming. For instance, our bodies fully empty our colons once, very soon after birth, and then never again. That one complete colon cleansing happens after just nine months in utero, before we’ve had a single Dorito. Imagine what can accumulate over a lifetime of even the most careful consumption!

It is this toxic accumulation that can cause and/or contribute to a number of health problems: Acne, allergies, anxiety, bloating, candida (yeast), constipation, depression, fatigue, headaches, hormonal imbalances, insomnia, irritability, poor posture and weight issues. This list, by the way, is far from exhaustive.

After my first pregnancy, I considered getting a colonic (or three) before my next pregnancy. Then pregnancy number two happened sooner than expected, so that plan fell through. The plan remained in the back of my mind, though, as something I’d like to do…someday.

Someday came recently, when I went through two rounds of antibiotics (thank you, wisdom teeth extraction), which is as many times as I had been on antibiotics in my life up to that point. After that ordeal, I really wanted – felt I needed – to reboot my system. It was this feeling that had me finally book a colonic appointment.

How It Actually Goes

The therapist I saw, Gina Mikan, uses the Wood gravity method. A colonic irrigation with the Wood gravity method is an “internal bath” (probably my favorite euphemism ever) that helps cleanse the colon of gas, mucus and accumulated fecal matter. There is no discomfort (really!) and no internal pressure, just a gentle flow of water in and out of the colon, expertly controlled by the therapist. Gina explained, step-by-step, what was going on so I felt as at ease as possible, given the circumstances.

The colonic appointment is one hour. You wear an ankle-length exam gown, naked from the waist down. During the colonic you lie on a massage table below the temperature-controlled holding tank – this is why it’s called the “gravity” method. Water flow, which is always under the direct control of the practitioner, flows into the colon via a small tube and out through a wider evacuation tube, carrying with it waste from the body. As the water flows out, the practitioner (and/or you) gently massages the abdomen and acupressure points to help the body release as much waste as possible. You can actually see this expelled waste through a clear section of the outflow tubing. I know – sounds vile – but if you’re going to get a colonic, it is rewarding to see the results in real time! After the colonic, you spend some time in the bathroom before you go on your way.

How You Feel After

I felt very tired, especially that evening. I was asleep by about 9 pm…and what a great night’s sleep it was! I did feel…lighter, too. I felt good! Since I felt so good, and since I didn’t die of embarrassment (initially I thought I’d only be able to go through with it but once), I decided to see Gina for another session a few days later. It’s beneficial to cluster your first few treatments close together – one sole colonic ain’t gonna do much. You need a series to reap the real benefits, though the exact number of treatments will vary from person to person. Once the colon is clean, it is then recommended to have a regular colonics (Every month, at the change of seasons, etc.)  to maintain bowel (and overall) health.

Did I Lose Weight?

Sorry, I don’t weigh myself so I can’t really tell you. But if I had to guess I’d say yes, as my whole abdomen was flatter; trimmer. I was surprised to notice how much more pronounced my waistline was. And it wasn’t only the bottom of my stomach that flattened out, but the top as well, around my ribcage! After two kids, any degree of abdominal flattening is, of course, warmly welcome.

I’ve done 3 colonics so far. Will I do it again? Absolutely. It wasn’t the horrifying, mortifying, I could never face that person again type experience I thought it would be. This is in large part a function of Gina’s consummate professionalism and gentle manner. She made the entire experience as unawkward and educational as such a thing could possibly be. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

A lot of what I feel is hard to articulate – it is an overall feeling of wellness. I wake easier in the morning. Food feels more satisfying; when I eat, I feel more in tune with what and how much I actually need to eat. My insides are just…happier. As nearly three quarters of the immune system resides in the digestive tract, I am curious to see how my cleaner colon helps me through cold and flu season.

Intrigued? Colonics Q & A for Beginners

I asked Gina some “colonics for beginners” questions, below. To find out more or book an appointment with Gina, visit her site here.

Q: What are some examples of good times to start a series of colonics? I know anytime is good, but in particular?

A: People start a series for countless reasons, some of the most common being for constipation, IBS, during a seasonal cleanse, to compliment lifestyle changes (healthier diet and exercise), for maintenance, illness, inflammation, psoriasis, eczema and candida. Personally, I have done multiple colonics when healing my bladder infections – antibiotic-free – in conjunction with diet, herbs and lifestyle choices. When starting a series, I emphasize that it takes a lifetime to get to where we are with our health, so there is no quick fix. We don’t go to the gym and expect to lose 50 pounds on one visit, or run a marathon on our first day, so it is important to have reasonable expectations when beginning the journey.

Q: What are some surprise benefits of colonics – conditions you’ve seen improve from colon hydrotherapy?

A: In combination with dietary and lifestyle changes, I have seen the skin heal significantly – whether it be from psoriasis, acne or eczema. The clients glow!

Q: Anything else you want to share about colonics, and/or your practice?

A: I learn a lot from my clients, and everyone has a unique journey. What I’ve gathered is that, although there are fundamental “no-brainers” that are important to everyone’s health (i.e. whole food diet, exercise, adequate rest), we all have different histories and different needs. I enjoy supporting clients to solve their own health puzzle, drawing from all the resources available (allopathic medicine, ayurveda, chinese medicine, living foods lifestyle, etc.) to create their personalized regimen.

A question that comes up frequently in the beauty industry—whether it’s beauty editors, news publications, blogs, founders of beauty product lines or friends asking for advice—is “What is your top beauty secret?” or “What is the most important thing that I can do to keep my skin looking great?”

There is No Magic Bullet

The truth is that there is no one THING, product, practice or secret that will keep you looking like you are 19 through your 90s. Like everything else in life, looking—and more importantly, feeling—great takes work and consistent care. If your skin is really important to you, take care of it by going for regular facials, even if you only go quarterly. Preventative care is essential. Also, commit to some kind of a regimen. You don’t have to spend endless hours with masks and all types of steps, but commit to cleansing and toning your skin and find a serum and moisturizer that works for you and use it. Establish some type of ritual for morning and evening. If you are lazy like me, your night ritual might be using an Ursa Major Essential Face Wipe and following it with 5 drops of Cosmetics 27 Huile 27. It takes about 60 seconds. The point is, just do something!

Tuning Into What We Need

Whether we are talking about hair, skin or body, the first step to taking proper care of ourselves is tuning into what our bodies need. If you have been to a good nutritionist, (I was lucky enough to find Joy Bauer) she will go over basics of what are and are not good food choices, but she will also tell you to listen to your body. If we take a moment to sit still with ourselves, our bodies will tell us what we need. It is really remarkable. Have you ever been thinking about what you wanted to eat for dinner and felt like a big juicy steak and spinach? Now, I am not a physician or nutritionist (and vegans, please cover your ears), but its possible that at that moment, your body was in need of iron and animal protein. Similarly, ever notice on really hot summer days, we tend to gravitate towards salads and fruits and eat a little lighter? Those foods are mostly water based and our bodies are likely in need of hydration. In the same way that we should be listening to our bodies to know what they need on a given day to perform optimally, we also need to learn to listen to our skin.

Notice Patterns

I hope this does not sound too out there, but think about it: in the winter, our skin tends to dry out from the cool frosty air and wind, so we might mix a face oil with a rich moisturizer, B. Kamins Replenishing Moisturizer Kx, for example, to give our skin the protection that it needs. Whereas on a warmer summer day, when you might find a blemish appearing and you skin is already feeling moist from the humid air, you might mix a few drops of a serum (Right now I am using Cosmetics 27 Essence 27) with a daily anti-aging sunscreen, such as Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Face Cream SPF 20, or a light BB Cream (B. Kamins makes a great one), and call it a day.

There is No One-Cure-Fits-All

In other words, there is no one best beauty or skin care tip that’s a one-cure-fits-all. Do your reading and research. See what the experts are saying, but then tune into your skin. Take a moment and look at your face in the mirror and examine its landscape. Is there a part of your face where blemishes tend to pop up with seasonal weather changes? For me its on either side of my chin and occurs with seasonal weather changes, mostly at times when temperatures change significantly, so at the beginning of the summer and then again when the temperatures really drop transitioning into winter. Start to notice these patterns and shift your facial care regimen slightly to accommodate your skin’s needs. There are no hard and fast rules for certain seasons, either. You may find during the summer that after a day in the sun, your skin is really dry and needs some TLC…have that rich winter moisturizer on hand! (Think Cosmetics 27 Baume 27 It is perfect for after sun care.)

A Word on Anti-aging and Massage

A tip that I picked up from both from skin care expert Yasmine Djerradine and Michele Evrard, the pharmacist that founded of M.E. SkinLab, the company that manufactures the Cosmetics 27 skin care line, which I love…is massaging the face.

Massaging The Face

When applying product, morning and evening, take an extra 30 seconds or more (if you have the patience), and actually massage the product in. Whether you are using a serum, face oil or moisturizer, literally spread it on from the bridge of your nose in horizontal downward strokes toward your cheeks and press hard, then move your fingers up the bridge of your nose, between your eyebrows and smooth down those annoying lines that start to form in your mid-thirties. I do this at least 8 times. Next, spread your fingers, position them on top of your eyebrows and applying pressure, move them up to your hair line and repeat. Then do the same in your temple area. Just try it, it feels good. It will also release any tension that you may already carry in that area, which will prevent future lines that may appear as a result of scrunching your forehead.

Massaging The Eye Area

While applying under eye cream, apply pressure, and starting from the under eye area closest to your nose, sweep your fingers up the half moon shape of your under eye area all the way through where your crows feet might start. Repeat this 3-4 times. Apply even more pressure there and repeat specifically in that area.

Got Smile Lines?

Make sure to apply pressure in that area, in the opposite direction that the lines tend to flow. If you are uncertain, moving your fingers up your face is usually a safe bet.  You will wake up the dermis and muscles directly under it as well as get the blood flowing. Think of it as exercise for the muscles in your face.

Stay tuned for more holistic beauty tips that actually work from our panel of beauty experts and our regular girls at Travel Beauty.