“If you’re having a bad day, catch a wave.”
-Frosty Hesson
My husband surfs and today is his birthday so this post is for him.
I chronicled this year’s experience at my dermatologist visit over here. Upon hearing the appalling remarks of my own skin from the dermatologist, I remember saying to the doctor, “Wait until you see my husband’s face.” ( his appointment was the next day)
Mike has noticeable sun damage and I guess I needed some confidence that mine surely wasn’t as bad as his. Mike usually surfs at first light, so the sun isn’t bright at all, he mostly remembers to wear sunscreen, and his diet is good, but overtime skin damage still happens.
His skin has both dark and red spots typical of surfer skin. In October of this year, I purchased our first Beautycounter charcoal mask. We were unsure what to expect from the mask so we took a before photo on October 3rd just in case we happened to notice any changes in his skin.
His typical skincare regimen has been Beautycounter charcoal mask application all over his face once a week with an occasional spot treat and infrequently applies the Beautycounter cleansing balm after the mask (he says maybe 2x a month). He uses the charcoal bar on his face about 4-5x a week in the shower.
We started to notice changes in his skin about a month into the regimen. The after photo from 12/27/16 is the same lighting in our bedroom and neither of these photos are filtered. He does not have a recent sunburn in the before photo either. Even after visibly watching his skin change, it is hard for us to believe his skin was that bad before, but it was. The redness has disappeared and the sunspots are noticeably lighter.
When I asked him how his skin feels, all I got was, “It’s like butter, only smoother.”
Read any blog on surfing and you will find a post about sunburns, skin damage, and melanoma from UV rays as well as dry, chapped skin from the wind and salt. Salt water on your face can be a natural exfoliant, but it can also create skin irritations. Surfers don’t take the winter season off. The winter weather coupled with salt water really dries out the skin. Hydration is a must!
3 ways to Hydrate
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Green Tea Extract
is rich in antioxidants to soothe and calm the skin. It can be found in the Beautycounter purifying charcoal mask, and nourishing cream cleanser
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Witch Hazel
is an organic oil that hydrates the skin and helps pre-vent trans-epidermal water loss. It leaves the skin feeling fresh and taut. It is foud in the Beautycounter charcoal bar
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Aloe Leaf Juice
contains vitamins A, B, C, and E, minerals and over 20 amino acids. It has moisturizing properties that promote smooth and soft skin. It is found in in the day cream, cream cleanser, the sunscreen, and many other Beautycounter products.
*Remember it is of utmost importance to drink plenty of water and eat a diet rich in antioxidants and Omega3’s to fully hydrate your skin.
3 Ways to Protect
photo courtesy of Beautycounter
Beautycounter sunscreen is made with non-nano zinc oxide, which is an effective, natural mineral sunblocker that is not absorbed into skin the way that chemical sunscreens can be. It delivers sun protection while nourishing skin with organic coconut and acai fruit oils.
Chemical sunscreens, like those with the ingredient oxybenezone, absorb through the skin and may disrupt the hormone system. Did you know, Retinyl palmitate or retinol may speed the development of skin tumors when applied to sun-exposed skin?
Since our skin is our biggest organ, it is important that whatever we apply on it be nourishing and not harmful. Check out the following three sunscreens from Beautycounter. Remember to apply to skin 15 minutes before exposure to the sun and reapply at least every two hours.
3 Ways to Replenish
photo courtesy of Beautycounter
I wrote about the benefits of Activated charcoal in an earlier post. Activated charcoal helps to deeply clean and draw out impurities within the skin. It clarifies by drawing bacteria and dirt to the surface of skin and can adsorb thousands of times its own mass. Although Mike used the cleansing balm, I chose the Nourishing day cream for replenish because everyone needs a good daily face cream and it contains both the green tea extract and the aloe leaf juice.
1. Charcoal Bar
contains charcoal, organic witch hazel, and organic green tea extract to create an ultra clean and hydrating treatment to the skin. It helps refine pores as it absorbs impurities. Lather the charcoal bar soap into hands and massage onto face. Rinse with warm or cold water. Pat dry.
2. Charcoal Mask
contains two main ingredients: kaolin clay and charcoal powder. They works to gently exfoliate, draw out impurities, deeply clean pores, improve skin clarity, and soothe. Like many of the products, it is nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, fragrance free, and never tested on animals. Apply all over the face and leave on for 1o minutes then rinse with warm water.
3. Nourishing Day Cream
helps to lock in moisture throughout the day. It contains a mix of organic coconut oil and aloe to provide nourishing hydration, plus antioxidant-rich acai to protect against dry skin.
This post is not to claim that you will get the same results as my husband. Beautycounter products are clean and highly effective, but everyone’s skin type, diet, activity level, environment, and skincare regimen all differ. You can see other reviews and read the ratings on the Beautycounter website. You can also read here why Beautycounter is setting a new standard for the skincare and beauty industry. Consider these products for yourself, your teens/pre-teens, and your husband and I would love to hear your results.
Need more inspiration?
- The Myths of Summer Sun Exposure
- Check out the Surf box with tips on detecting melanoma
- 8 reasons to try a purifying charcoal mask
