Okay, so you know the post won’t be that short
This post is for girls like us- who are jealous of the natural beauties who roll out of bed with flawless skin and sparkling eyes.
Imagine just living in your body- not having to change who you are every morning in order to be seen as presentable. Not feeling fake when you’re ready to leave the house.
This is health-maxxing, semi-hardmaxxing and a little bit of LARPING.
There are going to be two parts to this series:
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Healthmaxxing and Social-Maxxing
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Beauty treatments and fillers
It’s not for the faint of heart. Would you sell your soul and god knows what else to be a “natural beauty” ?
Let’s find out.
Step 1. Fresh Face
So if you’re gonna be a VSCO girl, you’ve gotta have flawless skin. What’s that you say? It’s an unrealistic standard? Well yeah, true.
But shut the fuck up because i have a few solutions:
You can either do a “no makeup makeup look” or be a skin care R A D I C A L and sacrifice everything (including your first born child) to achieve it.
Glowing Skin:
So, skin care is a big topic and i’m a noob. But there are plenty of resources online for figuring out what routine works best for you and what type of skin you have.
Other important factors are diet, water, sun exposure and exercise. You should also keep an eye out for stress because that can age you a lot.
Check out r/skincareaddiction if you want to really dive deep into it. If you’re like me and don’t know that much, there are a few things you need to do:
Figure out your skin type.
This will be important in determining which products you use. Using products for oily skin on dry skin can really cause a lot of damage.
If you have skin conditions or are older then look for products tailored to your needs.
This goes for acne too. There are different types of acne- some can be caused by diet, others can be hormonal. After being on the pill for a few months, mine actually cleared up. And after that I just used a microfiber cloth and sometimes a cleanser to wash my face. I’m not on the pill anymore because I had some medical issues I had to sort out, and my acne came back. RIP.
Make sure you wear sunscreen
That isn’t sunscreen mixed with foundation or moisturiser. It’s a trick that companies do- when it's mixed with foundation the spf is much lower than what’s on the bottle because they measure it in higher amounts. For what you put on your face, you won’t get anywhere near the SPF you need.
The sunscreen doesn’t have to be oily or thick, and there are many benefits of wearing sunscreen.
Sun damage can really do a lot to your face- hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, cancer, etc; so being careful even just in everyday situations can really help your skin.
Chemical peels are a godsend.
Here are some of the benefits of skin peels:
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Reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth
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Treat wrinkles caused by sun damage and aging
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Improve the appearance of mild scars
Treat certain types of acne
Reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches (melasma) due to pregnancy or taking birth control pills
Improve the look and feel of skin
Warning!
After a chemical peel, skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen every day. It should say "broad-spectrum" on the label, meaning it protects against the sun's UVA and UVB rays. Also, it should be a physical sunscreen and be above SPF 30. Limit your time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
If you have darker skin, you may also have good results, depending upon the type of problem being treated. But you also may be more likely to have an uneven skin tone after the procedure.
Try products containing hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance found naturally in our skin that holds water and helps keep it hydrated and plump. The molecule holds a thousand times its weight in water to not only retain all that moisture in our skin, but also prevent all that moisture from evaporating into the air.
When applied to the surface of the skin, hyaluronic acid serums can reduce wrinkles, redness and dermatitis.
Hydrated skin also reduces the appearance of wrinkles, which may explain why several studies show that supplementing with it can make skin appear smoother.
Some dermatologists even inject hyaluronic acid fillers to keep skin looking firm and youthful
When used in skincare products like creams and serums, hyaluronic acid hydrates and soothes dry skin. “Because of its ability to draw and hold water, it can be used as a humectant in your skincare regimen,” says Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a dermatologist at the Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. “It continually keeps skin moisturized throughout the day.”
Warning!
Hyaluronic acid plays well with most other ingredients and can be paired with peels, retinols, vitamins, and other acids. Nazarian says the only exception would be acids with low pH levels, like glycolic acid, because it may degrade the HA and make it ineffective.
Try eye masks that reduce puffiness, dark circles and lines
Dr. Jaliman explains that eye masks are loaded with beneficial ingredients, which you place on the periorbital area. Before applying them onto your under-eyes, she suggests making sure any eye makeup is removed from your face. Once cleansed, your remove the clear film usually attached to the masks, and applying them to the skin around the eye.
While there are tons of eye masks on the market, Dr. Jaliman suggests using ones with ingredients that can tighten and brighten the under-eye area.
“Look for ingredients that target puffiness, dark circles, dry skin, and fine lines,” Dr. Jaliman tells HelloGiggles. “Some of these ingredients include hyaluronic acid, cucumber, peptides, collagen, retinol, and caffeine."
There are also important eye mask dos and don’ts to keep in mind. Dr. Jaliman advises using an eye cream to lock in both moisture and the nourishing ingredients from the masks. However, she notes that it’s important to use your product with caution, as you won’t want to leave the masks on for longer than the recommended time or risk getting a reaction. She also says that the skin around the eyes is very delicate, so if you feel uncomfortable and irritated after applying on the masks, you should probably discontinue using them.
Treat your Rosacea (if you have it):
This is just a short section, but if you want an in-depth view of treatments click this link.
General measures:
Avoid the triggers of flushing, as discussed above.
Avoid skincare products and make-up that cause stinging, burning or irritation, eg products that include fragrances, waterproof cosmetics, toners and astringents, menthols and camphors or sodium laurel sulphate.
Use a gentle cleanser and moisturiser.
All topical products must be oil free (non-comedogenic).
Never apply topical steroid to rosacea as it will make the rosacea worse.
Protect your skin from the sun with sunscreen and by covering up with a hat.
Keep your face cool to reduce flushing.
Topical treatments:
Topical products can be used in isolation or in combination with oral treatment. Examples of topic products include: topical metronidazole cream or gel, topical azelaic acid, topical erythromycin gel, topical sulphur in cetaphil lotion, topical clindamycin, and topical tacrolimus 0.1%.
Topical brimonidine can be used to reduce redness.
Oral treatments:
Oral antibiotics
Isotretinoin
Other oral treatments to reduce flushing include alpha 2 receptor agonists (such as clonidine) or beta-blockers (such as carvedilol).
Procedural therapies:
Vascular laser
Rhinophyma
Treat uneven skin tone (if you have it )
We may wish for perfectly smooth, even skin, but many of us have uneven skin tones. This may take the form of redness, acne scars, age spots, or sun damage, which can cause blemishes or patches of color on the skin. Uneven skin can be temporary or permanent, and may result from:
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sun exposure
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age
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medications
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hormones
Fortunately, no matter what the cause of your uneven skin, there are plenty of remedies to help you smooth out your complexion.
Stay hydrated
Use sunscreen
Avoid certain foods and drink:
Certain foods can trigger flushed, uneven complexions. Some, like sugary snacks, may even speed up development of wrinkles and age spots. Avoiding them can help to preserve that even skin tone you’re looking for. Foods to avoid include:
alcohol, which can cause the blood vessels to dilate and lead to a flushed face
spicy foods, which can increase redness
foods high in refined sugars, which can cause wrinkles
nonorganic dairy that may contain growth hormones
processed foods like chips
greasy foods
Use Witch hazel
Witch hazel is soothing, with anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce irritation and redness. You can apply witch hazel topically directly to the skin, or find it in products like lotions, toners, or soaps.
Health Maxxing:
Add more veggies to your diet!
There was a scientific study that found that eating vegetables specifically ones that contained carotenoids gave skin a healthy looking slightly orange glow. When they showed people pictures with the skin edited to look more orange, the orangest faces were rated as more attractive regardless of how light or dark the skin was. No, I'm not talking about trump level orange- but you get what i mean. (study: orange skin more attractive)
Reduce your salt and refined sugar intake
A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.
One study found that people who frequently consumed added sugars had a 30% greater risk of developing acne, while those who regularly ate pastries and cakes had a 20% greater risk.
Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index.
Sugary foods quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing increased androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which play a role in acne development
Consuming excess fructose (fruit sugar that can be found in sugary drinks) has been found to cause resistance to leptin- the hormone that regulates hunger and tells you to stop eating. This increases your appetite and can lead to weight gain. Drinking a lot of sugary drinks such as sweet tea or coke has also been found to increase visceral fat accumulation. Visceral fat is stored around the belly.
I thought it was fake when I read it too, but it’s from a reliable source. So yeah im gonna be drinking less coke from now on.
A diet full of excess sugar can also lead to obesity, inflammation and high triglyceride, blood sugar and blood pressure levels — all risk factors for heart disease
Here’s an article by Harvard Health on how to reduce salt and sugar intake.
Stop Smoking and Drinking
It’s a tall order- and you can ignore me if you want.
But…
Alcohol dehydrates your body generally, including the skin – your body's largest organ. This happens every time you drink. Drinking too much is also thought to deprive the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients.
Over time, drinking heavily can have other, more permanent, detrimental effects on your skin. Rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can eventually lead to facial disfigurement, is linked to alcohol.
Alcohol can also cause your face to look bloated and puffy. You might find it bloats your stomach too. And then there's the cellulite; many believe the toxins in alcohol contribute to its build up.
Smoking increases risk of Psoriasis
To be fair, psoriasis is an autoimmune-related skin condition that can show up even if you never touch a cigarette. However, if you do smoke, your risk for the scaly skin condition goes up—a lot.
According to a 2007 study, if you puff a pack a day for 10 years or less, psoriasis risk goes up 20%; 11–20 years and your risk is 60% higher; and for those who pass the two-decade mark, the psoriasis risk more than doubles. (Even secondhand smoke during pregnancy or childhood is linked to a higher risk.)
Brown teeth:
The Nicotine in cigarettes stains teeth. If you’ve ever seen the photos on cigarette boxes, you know what i’m talking about.
Premature Aging:
Experts agree that smoking accelerates aging, so that smokers look 1.4 years older than nonsmokers, on average.
Why the wrinkly face? Smoking hampers the blood supply that keeps skin tissue looking supple and healthy.
Thinner hair
As if the wrinkly skin wasn’t enough, smoking hurts your hair too. Experts think the toxic chemicals in smoke can damage the DNA in hair follicles and generate cell-damaging free radicals as well.
The end result? Smokers have thinner hair that tends to go gray sooner than nonsmokers. That is, if they have any hair at all.
Men who smoke are about twice as likely to lose their hair as nonsmokers, after taking into account factors that increase the risk of baldness, such as aging and genetics, according to a 2007 study in Taiwan.
And other than that, smoking gives you cancer. So you know, it’s probably not a good idea to smoke.
Cut down on the Milk
Milk is known to increase insulin levels, independent of its effects on blood sugar, which may worsen acne severity.
Cow’s milk also contains amino acids that stimulate the liver to produce more IGF-1, which has been linked to the development of acne.
Although there is speculation on why drinking milk may worsen acne, it is unclear whether dairy plays a direct role. More research is needed to determine if there is a specific amount or type of dairy that may aggravate acne.
Make sure you include sources of nutrients in your diet.
Vitamin C is very important because not only is it needed to produce collagen (what makes your skin firm and young), it also boosts your immune system.
Omega 3 fatty acids.
Western diets contain large amounts of corn and soy oils, which are rich in omega-6 fats, and few foods that contain omega-3 fats, like fish and walnuts.
This imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids pushes the body into an inflammatory state, which may worsen acne severity.
Conversely, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids may reduce levels of inflammation and has been found to reduce acne severity
Niacin
Niacin is a nutrient that’s essential for skin, hair, and nail health. It can help restore uneven skin tone, reduce wrinkles, and brighten your complexion. It does this by helping to improve skin hydration. Niacin can be found in foods like:
poultry
green peas
mushrooms
tuna
Get your Beauty sleep!
Skipping sleep not only makes you feel worse- but can also make you look worse too.
A lack of sleep has been shown to lower your immune system, increase weight gain, high blood sugar levels, increase risk of diabetes, compromise your decision making skills and lower your sex drive.
If that wasn’t bad enough, i’ve got some bad news on how it affects your skin too.
Your skin becomes imbalanced,
which leads to a dehydrated complexion, redness, and breakouts*.* Not only does not getting enough sleep negatively affect your body, it affects the moisture levels in your skin, decreasing them and also lowering your complexion's pH levels, which is why your skin looks less youthful and has less of a glow.
When your skin's pH levels drop, they create an imbalance, causing your skin to not be able to produce the moisture it needs, so it makes it look drier. It can also create unnecessary redness, leaving your skin uneven and even trigger breakouts.
Alcohol is an REM inhibitor- REM is a cycle of sleep that we go through naturally. That’s why it’s harder to fall asleep when you’ve had a few drinks. During REM is the cell regeneration stage of sleep. If you want healthier skin- maybe drink earlier in the day.
Studies have shown that adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep a night. You can use an app to track your sleep schedule and what cycles you go through too.
Your pillow and bedsheets can also make your skin look worse- make sure you wash them frequently to prevent breakouts. Another good idea is buying a pillow case with a high thread count or a silk pillowcase. This causes less friction and is softer on your hair and skin.
As someone who has been struggling with sleep lately, here are some things that could help you:
Taking a hot bath or shower before bed
Getting enough exercise during the day (but not 2 hours before sleep)
Making yourself a warm cup of tea/milk
Listening to ASMR (optional)
Having a clean and tidy room
Fresh bed sheets and a scented candle or diffuser (it makes it a lot more relaxing)
Doing your skin care routine before bed
Meditation
Sleep mask (i need my room dark, its never dark enough.)
reading/drawing before bed instead of going on your phone
Waking up and going to sleep at a set time
Having an evening and morning routine.
Reduce stress.
When you’re stressed your body releases cortisol- and cortisol is not a good thing. Studies have shown that it not only lowers peoples immune systems, but increases the chance of other health issues happening. Stress takes a toll on not only your skin but also your mental health.
Stress causes a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. It can also make it harder for skin problems to heal.
Have you ever noticed that you break out more when you’re stressed? This is because stress causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which tells glands in your skin to make more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems.
Stress can also:
Make skin problems worse.
For example, stress can aggravate psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. It can also cause hives and other types of skin rashes and trigger a flare-up of fever blisters.
Interfere with daily skin care.
If you’re stressed, you might skimp on this part of your routine, which can aggravate skin issues.
Things that can help with stress:
Getting a good night’s sleep
Fighting procrastination
Learning to prioritise yourself over others
Learning how to say ‘no’ to things you feel pressured into
Meditation exercises
Getting a journal and venting
Talking to friends about your problems
Talking to a therapist
Learning better time management skills
Taking some time away to rest and heal
Step 2. Social-Maxxing
Yes, this has been a long post.
But hopefully you find it helpful and enjoy reading it.
So, i know most of you might be skeptical about what i’m going to say next. I know most of you have probably heard about the Halo Effect- how attractive people get seen as kinder, more hard working, etc; just because of their looks.
But according to science- get this:
Kindness really does make you more attractive!
The researchers tested 120 male and female adult Chinese participants, randomly divided into three groups, and asked each participant to rate 60 photos of unfamiliar Chinese women making neutral facial expressions. Two weeks later, participants rated the same pictures again. But this time, one group was given positive personality descriptions, like kindness and honesty, alongside the same photos. The second group looked at the same photos, but read accompanying negative personality descriptors (such as meanness or dishonesty). The control group was shown the same photos without any personality descriptors. All three groups had similar attractiveness ratings in the first round of photo rankings. But in the second round when the descriptions were added,
the group shown the same photos with positive personality descriptors assigned the highest attractiveness ratings to the photos, while the group with negative personality descriptors ranked the photos less attractive than the positive group and the control group.
Kindness can also influence what body type people find attractive
Zhang's research is part of a growing inquiry into the link between personality and physical attractiveness. A 2010 study found that kindness could influence the body type a person found attractive. A group of 2,000 male study participants reviewed photos of a diverse group of women, agreeing on a very narrow definition of body "attractiveness." But in a second experiment, when given positive personality information about the women in the photographs, a far greater variety of body types were deemed attractive by the group.
Why is this on a post about natural beauty?
Well makeup can boost you by 1-3 points and that’s pretty OP. going without makeup even when you have clear skin, bright eyes and white teeth is a challenge. Why? Because eye shadow, contour, and blush make the most difference in someone’s face. And you can’t get naturally green eyelids or whatever.
You need all the help you can get- and socialmaxxing gives you that boost. People will also see you as less tired/sick without makeup if you seem more energetic and positive. So hey, there’s that.
Acknowledge other people.
When you're walking past someone, even a stranger, acknowledge their presence with a simple "hello!","hi!" or "How are you?". Even a simple wave or a nod in their direction will show you are acknowledging them. Letting people know you see them is nice; it makes people feel a little more special.
If you're walking through a crowded city, it can be hard to acknowledge everyone you pass. Try to at least be nice to the people you end up sitting next to on a bus or plane, or those who accidentally bump into you.
Say "good morning" to your fellow classmates and teachers or coworkers in the morning when you walk into the school or your workplace. You'll soon earn a reputation as a nice person.
Be a good listener.
Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to see where they’re coming from
Listen more than you talk
Think about what they’re saying, don’t talk just to talk
Be open minded and curious, ask them about their opinions even if you disagree. That doesn’t mean listen to them if they’re sexist or racist tho.
Let the conversation flow naturally, don’t think of a list of topics and check them off one by one. Usually letting the other person talk more is an easy way of doing this.
Engage in conversation (pay attention) and make eye contact. Don’t flick your eyes away too often otherwise you look anxious. But also don’t hold it for too long because then you look creepy. It’s a hard balance to get, but the less you think about it the easier it gets.
Avoid comparing their situations to your own. You may think that this is the best way to be helpful and to approach the situation, but this type of thinking is actually reductive and can make the person feel like you're not really listening at all. Avoid saying "I" or "me" a lot. This is a good indicator that you're focusing more on yourself than on the person's situation.
Be courteous, polite, and helpful.
Always use your manners, say please and thank you. Be patient, caring, observant, and considerate. Treat people with respect, even those you don't particularly want to get to know. Offer help and assistance when someone needs it.
Not only does this make other people feel good, it also makes you feel good too.
Don't forget to always say "Excuse me" instead of "MOVE!" when someone's in your way. People aren't like the ground that you can just spit on. They are living beings like you. If you are respectful to that person, that person will usually act the same way.
If you're on public transportation and an elderly, disabled or pregnant person gets on board, offer your seat. It's the nice thing to do. (And in some areas, it's the law!)
If you see someone in need of a little help, perhaps picking up something he or she dropped or reaching something from a high shelf, help out.
she's smiling (kinda?)
Smile.
Smiling at people lets them know that you are pleasant. Look the person in the eye and give them a small smile or a wide grin - it doesn't matter which. This sets the mood of the encounter and usually encourages the other person to smile back.
This also helps the person feel comfortable around you. If they do not smile back at you, then maybe they are just having a bad day. That's okay; being nice doesn't guarantee a positive response, but it usually helps.
Smile when you pass people in the street, when you buy something from a shop clerk, when you walk into school in the morning, or anytime you make eye contact with someone else.
Smile even when you're feeling low. You can still be nice when you're in a bad mood. Why spread your negative energy to other people?
If you are in a bad mood and don't want to listen to people, try listening to music, drawing, or something else you enjoy. This can prevent you from acting harshly towards people or being rude (even if you don't mean to be).
Be positive.
When your friends look to you for advice or just to set the mood of a conversation, don't be negative or critical. Keep looking for the positive in any given situation. Cheer them up. There are two sides to every situation: the positive side and the negative side. Nice people help others see the bright side of things.
Praise your friends' accomplishments. If your friend does a good job on a test or wins a prize, congratulate him or her!
Compliment your friends. If you have a friend who doesn't like her hair, tell her you think it's fine, or compliment her on her pretty smile. Though you may not be completely truthful, you are being nice.
If it is a close friend, you can say something like "it looks fine, but what if. . ." and make a small suggestion that you think may improve the look.
Sometimes people need to let off negative steam. You can be positive and understanding when they are talking. It is not necessary to be overly cheerful; make sure the tone of your feedback isn't out of touch with what your friend is trying to tell you.
Be encouraging when you do speak.
It's important to use empathetic sounding back at appropriate intervals during the conversation so the speaker doesn't feel like you're not listening at all. It's helpful to "summarize and restate" or "repeat and encourage" the main points.
This will help the conversation feel fluid and will make the speaker less self-conscious about talking. Here's what you should do:
Repeat and encourage: Repeat some things the speaker said and, at the same time, provide positive feedback as encouragement. For example, you might say, "I can see that you didn't enjoy having to take the blame. I wouldn't have either." Go easy with this technique, though. Use the empathetic sound back as a nudge from time-to-time because if you overwork it, you will come across as patronizing.[5]
Summarize and restate: It is highly useful to summarize your understanding of what the "teller" has said and to restate it in your own words. This reassures the speaker that you have truly been listening to what he or she is saying and that you "got it". It also provides the speaker with an opportunity to correct mistaken assumptions and misconceptions on your part.
Make sure to leave the door wide open with statements like, "I may be wrong, but..." or "...Correct me if I am wrong." This technique is especially useful when you find yourself getting frustrated or you sense that your listening focus is wavering
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