We love hair, but we also love skin care! That’s why we’ve been asking our readers to share the secrets behind their glow! Today we have Beverly, a cosmetologist, author and herbalist who takes a natural approach to her skin and it shows! Find out how she keeps her skin healthy and glowing below. And if you’ve got a skincare story of your own, submit your story here!
Responses lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I’m an entrepreneur and licensed cosmetologist. I have been in the beauty industry for 45 years, and I’m also an herbalist; the two go hand in hand for me. So I merge them to create wholesome beauty solutions. As a stylist, my focus is Healthy Hair Care, which is a combination of preventive and corrective services and modalities, with a primary focus on preventing and correcting scalp damage…
As it relates to skin care… the skin is an organ. When I approach it from that perspective, I understand that it primarily has nutritional requirements, and that topical treatments help to support it so it can thrive and glow. Like, what’s the point in applying anti-wrinkle treatment every day if you’re not going to drink water? Because the only difference between a raisin and a grape is water.
…what's the point in applying anti-wrinkle treatment every day if you're not going to drink water? Because the only difference between a raisin and a grape is water.– How Her Skin Glows: Beverly Share on XHow would you describe your skin?
Healthy and wholesome
Are you makeup-free in all the photos you submitted? If so WOW!
Yes, I’m makeup-free in all the photos. I don’t even own any makeup. The only time I would wear it is if I’m doing a makeup gig to [demonstrate] my concept of makeup–if I wore it–which is to enhance one’s natural beauty as opposed to overwriting it.
Nature vs nurture: is your great skin due to genes or your routine?
I would have to say both. Nature has gifted me healthy skin, but without the wisdom to know and understand what my body requires to maintain it, I would not be able to do so. So I guess, nature granted me both healthy skin and an earnest desire to do what I must do to maintain my overall health and vitality naturally.
Name the three most important steps of your skincare routine?
- Proper cleansing.
- Detoxing & exfoliating
- Replenishing the skin with food-grade ingredients.
Can you share what type of products you use on your skin? I’m assuming you might make your own? What do you use to cleanse, exfoliate, and replenish?
As stated above, I’m a herbalist, a skill that began when I was about 12 years old, when I made my first product for my delicate, bruised, and blemished skin. I read herb books, ingredient books, brewed herbs, mixed oils, and made concoctions, and they worked. So my life became a quest to understand natural and chemical ingredients, to avoid chemicals, and always find a natural and safe solution to what ails me.
I never stopped mixing, brewing, and learning about the plants that everyone called weeds, because I knew they had healing properties, and I sought to understand them through product formulation. Consequently, I have a bath & body line, one of the products is an Oatmeal Facial Mask & Scrub. It’s a simple and effective product; it detoxes, brightens the complexion, lifts dead skin, shrinks the pores, improves elasticity, and softens the skin. It’s all natural and chemical-free, and has multiple uses, as do most natural products.
For cleansing, I use soap and water with a white towel, and I only use vegetable-based soaps that do not contain harsh dyes, chemicals, or synthetic fragrance.
For exfoliating, I use my Oatmeal Facial Mask regularly to prevent the buildup of dead skin. I find the most effective way to keep the skin vibrant is to use a facial brush to lift the dead skin before it builds up and causes dull, discolored, and blotchy skin.
To replenish, I mix cold-pressed plant oils because the nutrients have not been destroyed in the manufacturing process. When I’m not mixing, I use cold-pressed castor oil; it moisturizes deeply into the epidermis, softens dead skin, and helps plump the skin back up. For a lighter oil, I use wheatgerm oil, which is very high in vitamin E, or unrefined sesame oil, which has a high concentration of essential fatty acids.
Do you ever get professional skin treatments (ex. LED light therapy, microdermabrasion)?
No, I stay as close to nature as possible. I tend to look for the natural approach to everything.
Any other tips for getting that skin glow we all love?
The very first key to healthy skin is good sanitation. Keep your hands off your face, clean your phones daily, wash your hands often, and remember the things we touch the most harbor the most bacteria.
Use a clean washcloth every time you wash your body. Use only white towels to prevent dye transfer. Remember that once [once you’ve used a towel to dry off], the towel is no longer clean.
Take baths regularly to allow your skin, which is the body’s largest organ, to properly detox, relax, and restore its elasticity.
Regular foot soaks help to clear the complexion, and eating liver detoxing foods (bitter foods) will always improve not just your skin but your overall health.
Finally, you must drink water.
Thanks so much for sharing what makes you glow Beverly! If you’ve got great skin or have found a solution to a skin problem, don’t keep your secrets to yourself! Share your story here.
