5 Ways to keep a Summer Glow all Winter!

I'm secretly counting down the days 'till summer arrives. One of my favorite quotes of all time is Thomas Edison's "everything will come to him who hustles while he waits."  I've taken that motto on fully which is why I'm hustling to maintain my summer glow all throughout winter.  There are five things I'm doing to "stay summer glow ready" all winter.
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Inspired by Sanaa Lathan's healthy skin regimen, I've made multiple trips to the sauna in hopes of making a positive impact to my skin.  The act of sweating has been phenomenal overall.  What's most amazing is that my entire body receives the benefit, not just my face.  We're all aware that sweating is one of the major ways that our bodies detoxify the cells. Imagine if someone goes for 3 months without sweating.  All that congestion from toxins just remains under the surface.  How can anyone's skin glow under those conditions? Sweating is critical for our health.  When our skin temperature rises, our pores open allowing toxins to be secreted, along with the sweat, as it leaves the body.   Getting rid of toxins is critical if you want to appear healthy. No sweating= No glow. Even without access to a sauna, we can get moving with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise until we sweat.  I'm getting so much enjoyment from being in the sauna that I'm considering purchasing a small, in-home infrared sauna so I can make it a daily practice. 

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  Our skin is constantly shedding.  Without consistent exfoliation the layers of skin cells just build on each other causing dullness. You have all that beautiful fresh skin sitting underneath the surface but unfortunately it's covered by old unhealthy cells.   I'm sure you use a clarifying shampoo once in a while to remove product buildup on the hair. Well your skin creates build up on a daily basis.  So it's a really good idea to exfoliate on the regular.  I exfoliate my body pretty much every day.   The results? Soft skin all the time.  I'm totally in love with Tree Hut's Shea Butter and Sugar scrub.  It's gentle enough to use daily.  Oh, and let's not forget our feet.  Many years ago, I would have the worst feet by summer because I pretty much neglected them all winter.  The only thing I worried about was whether I had a warm pair of socks on them at all times.  Come summer, I'm working like crazy to get them to look soft and pretty again.  That all changed after watching a Youtube video.  I wrote about it in detail in this post.  Now, I never have to worry about dry, cracked feet 'cause I stay scubbin'!

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 Back in the day, I would be on a constant quest for a quality lotion. Every where I went I bought a body butter. After a while, I realized that these creams and lotions just weren't cutting it. That's when I went the natural route and started using coconut oil (or shea butter) as my body moisturizer.  Everything changed after that. Now I stay with soft skin all day long.  One thing that puts me at ease about using natural oils on my skin is that I don't have to worry about my body absorbing all those chemicals and preservatives found in most lotions.  Remember that whatever we put on our skin gets absorbed so "I ain't got no worries" when I think about my body absorbing some of the yummy coconut oil.  Plus I'm in love with how it gives my skin a non-greasy shine.  Can't get no better than that.

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 Man, I can't tell y'all how important it is to keep swigging your water.  Ever since I purchased my 56 oz bottle water I've been unstoppable with my water intake.  Swiggin' my water has given me so many benefits.  There's no better feeling than having well hydrated skin.  Dry skin will never glow not matter how hard you try.  So if you have no plans on drinking a bunch more water, you can give up the grandures of having a summer glow.  Imagine what would happen if you doubled or tripled your water intake over the next few weeks, your skin would improve while everyone else's dries up in the cold winter air.  The result would be an overall healthier appearance from being ultra-hydrated.

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 When I want to add a little glow to my skin, I reach for my bottle of  MAC Lustre Drops in "Sun Rush".  It's this tiny bottle filled with liquid shine.  I'm loving how it gives just the right amount of glow to my cheeks.  There are a few video reviews online and everyone pretty much raves about it.  Just a couple of drops to the cheeks and you get and instant, natural glow.  Since I can seem to find a blush that works for me, I opt to sport glowy cheeks instead.   To be completely honest with you, I used this product more when I wasn't taking FCLO, wasn't drinking as much water, wasn't sweating regularly in the sauna. Now, even in winter, my face is sporting its own natural glow.  If we stay ready, we don't have to get ready.  Let's stay ready for the summer by looking fresh and fabulous all year long.