(Invitation To The Butterfly Ball)

Beauty is definitely not even close to skin-deep.  That’s why I started this beauty section of The Tao of Dana- to help open more minds to the ways in which beauty is actually energetic, nutritional, emotional and available in infinite quantities to all of us.    Today I am very excited to have very extensive, very enlightening Fall beauty tips from a nutritionist, yogi and dear friend McLean…and I know you are about to learn some amazing stuff!  I research every day and I learned so much!  Enjoy!

(via)

From McLean:

Hello Beauties!

I wanted to pass along some tips on how to take the best care of your body while transitioning into the new season. Fall! My favorite. This is the time to get warm, hydrated and cozy (and eat tons of pumpkin everything).

If you live in a big city or in warmer climates like here in LA, with hard water and dryer air, you may tend to get dry skin and dry hair. This can lead to more breakouts (awesome) and a general lackluster vibe in our body. We need to hydrate the inside of our bodies as well as the outside to correct this.

1. Shower with oil. In order to prevent or reduce dryness…OIL UP! That’s right. Put oil on your body either before or after you bathe while your skin pores are open. It is a personal preference. If you have never applied oil before you bathe, give it a try. It’s pretty cool! Pick your favorite all Organic oil (I highly recommend Pangea Organics Lavender and Cardamom body oil or raw organic coconut oil) and spread a hefty amount all over your body. Then get in a warm shower. The warm water will open your skin pores and allow the oil to deeply and quickly penetrate the skin and then also wash away the excess oil.

2. Use oil on your face. Now this may sound scary to most of you but you also need to put oil on your face. That’s right. Oil on your face. This pretty much sounded like my worst nightmare (I have a past of acne and very oily yet sensitive skin) until I discovered Pangea Organics Balancing Oil. This oil literally changed my skin for the better overnight. Strangers were even coming up to me asking what I used on my face, within days.

We are programmed to believe that we need to get rid of all oil on our bodies. From a young age we are programmed. Think Stridex, Cetaphil, Neutrogena, Seabreeze, Proactiv, St. Ives Apricot Scrub, and face masks that leave your skin immobile and cracking. By using these harsh not to mention extremely toxic products we inadvertently train our skin to produce more oil. Agh!!! When you mess up the natural balance of oil in the skin, the skin sends a message to the brain to produce more oil to compensate for what has been stripped away. It’s very sweet actually. As we dry out the skin, the little worker skin cells freak out and say “Nooooo we need more oil down here ASAP!” And our amazing bodies go “Okay okay we’re on it! Here is a big dose of oil”.  And so the cycle goes.

3. Switch to non-toxic bath & body products. So how you may ask do I get out of this vicious cycle?? Well, first you must stop using harsh and toxic products. You need to replace them with real, food-grade ingredients. We absorb up to 80% of what we put on our skin. The skin is our biggest organ, so most of what we put on our skin is absorbed and makes its way into our organs and blood stream. If you are concerned about what foods you eat and paying the price of buying organic produce and filtered water but still slathering your body in toxic skincare products, then there is a disconnect.

Secondly, you need give to your skin proper hydration. It may freak out for a few weeks until it evens out, so just be patient and breathe. It’s like dieting. When you restrict your body of needed nutrients and calories, the body starts to conserve its energy because it realizes that you are not going to give it enough. Then when you start eating more your body often gains weight and holds onto the calories. And that causes the infamous yo-yo dieting. It’s the same cycle with your face and oil. We must find the right balance for each one of us.

4. Eat more oil. Add high grade raw organic cold pressed oils into your diet. A tablespoon of hemp oil a day is wonderful for your skin. Your body is able to process hemp oil easily and the healing properties are rapidly transported to skin cells. I also love coconut oil for cooking.  You can add coconut oil into your soups, smoothies or just eat it from a spoon.

5. Try oil pulling. I also highly recommend oil pulling, which is an Ayurvedic practice where you rinse and gargle with oil (I like coconut oil the best bust sesame oil works too) in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Best to do upon rising before you brush, eat or drink but if that’s not possible can do later in the day away from food. This really helps heal your teeth and gums as well as pull out a ton of toxins and bacteria that are living in your mouth and trying to make you sick! Ew. Major note: DO NOT swallow this oil. Seriously do not. After you have gargled, it’s toxic waste. Spit out into the trash.

(turmeric tea…recipe HERE)

6. Warm up your foods & get nutritious!  Drinking warm spiced teas with warmed up almond milk with a dash of cinnamon and other spices is a great way to warm up your insides as well.

Drinking a warm glass of water with lemon in the morning helps to get your digestion moving, especially as we start to eat heavier foods as the seasons change. And to have clean clear skin you must have regular bowel movements. As in 1-3 per day. For real. If you are going less than once a day then you need to troubleshoot that right away (P.S.-eating oil will help).

You may find yourself craving heavier foods like root veggies, proteins, beans and more fats. This is fine. Follow your gut 😉  Try to keep to all organic proteins and healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, raw butter and nut butters.

In heath and happiness – xoxoxox- McLean

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McLean McGown is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga teacher, Vinyasa Yoga & Pilates teacher as well as mama, wife and Buddhist. She became a Beauty Ecologist with Pangea Organics because she realized that there was a huge void in what people know about skincare products. She was determined to find a skincare line that was non-toxic, affordable and most of all worked!! Pangea Organics products are made with the finest food grade ingredients and NO filler. You can find (& buy!) her favorite Pangea products HERE.