Stepping into Lara Botanica off of Spruce Street is like walking into a cool oasis. The palette and the light are soft and the scents are soothing. Larissa Day specializes in botanical skincare, and she shares her tips here for keeping summer skin healthy, naturally.
As is often the case, the factors that lead to health on the outside often start on the inside. Day shares that there are many factors that affect skin but she believes that our diet and lifestyle choices can have the biggest impact overall. Our digestive system and lymphatic system’s ability to effectively filter out waste and toxins, as well as absorb and assimilate nutrients, will significantly impact our skin. If there’s sluggishness in these body systems it can result in a buildup of toxins and pathogens in our body which can then migrate up to our skin and cause havoc, as well as deprive our body’s ability to assimilate nutrients to give our skin cells what it needs to thrive. A healthy diet and lifestyle choices such as reducing our daily exposure to toxins, prioritizing whole plant foods in our diet, getting regular exercise, drinking plenty of water and being mindful of reducing stress will have beneficial effects on our skin health.
Since there are so many skincare options out there and ingredients can feel confusing, we wanted to drill down on what truly natural skin care looks like. The Lara Botanica definition of natural skin care includes the use of skincare products made from organically grown ingredients, free of toxic and unnaturally derived ingredients. It also means keeping the skin’s protective moisture barrier (acid mantle and stratum corneum layers) intact to aid in hydration, skin health and immunity. Lastly, it employs facial massage modalities as a key component in facial treatments and at-home rituals to increase circulation and help deliver nutrients and oxygen to skin cells.
Another element we deal with, particularly in Boulder, is keeping the skin hydrated. Of course, drinking adequate water and eating an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that naturally have high water content is key. Additionally, it’s best to avoid salty food and alcohol, as these are very dehydrating. Also, avoid skincare treatments and products that strip the skin’s protective moisture barrier, such as chemical peels, dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, and laser treatments, as well as foaming facial cleaners. Hydrating and moisturizing skincare products, as well as a mineral SPF, can be helpful.
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Sunscreen? Yes!
Larissa suggests using mineral sunscreen on the face daily and eating antioxidant-rich foods that increase the body’s ability to protect itself from sun damage. It also helps to avoid drinking alcohol, as consumption significantly increases the body’s risk of sun damage.
Choose a mineral sunscreen (with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as the active ingredients), using the teaspoon rule: apply a teaspoon of at least SPF 30 to your face and an additional teaspoon to each area of your body.
Mineral sunscreen, which contains the active ingredients zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, are the only SPF active ingredients the FDA has considered safe for use. Chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, has been discovered to penetrate through the skin at much higher levels than previously thought, and there aren’t adequate studies to prove its safety.
Sunscreens we love:
Forah everyday mineral face sunscreen- sinks in, smells good
Dune- love both mug screen and the mineral melt for body. Lightweight, sheer, effective
Supergoop- Play 100 SPF 30 with green algae. Protects during swimming, sweating and sport.