Want to start on the path to clear skin and happiness? Here are 10 simple things that you can start doing right now to begin your journey to a shiny happy face:

1) Start Loving Yourself

No, I’m not joking. Stress is a HUGE factor in creating an acne condition that’s a heck of a lot worse than it needs to be, and a lot of unseen stress is created by not loving and accepting ourselves despite our flaws and insecurities.

2) Take Stock of What’s in Your Cupboard

Are you seeing more processed food in there than that of the  real, fresh, wholesome variety?

Start coming up with some ways that you can replace some of that junk with healthy foods like fruits and vegetables that are essential for gorgeous skin. Go to the farmer’s market, research some recipes, and clear out the fridge to make room for the good stuff.

3) Pick up a Jump Rope

A healthy lymphatic system that can remove toxins from your blood effectively is going to have a very positive effect on your skin’s health. Guess what the best exercise is for moving your lymphatic system is? Jumping!

Plus jumping rope is an exercise that’s easy, fun, quick, and cheap. Click here to read more about why I love my jump rope. 

4) Drink More Water

Something as simple as replacing all the soda, milk, juice, coffee, energy drinks, and alcohol you drink with water can make a humongous difference to your skin! Not only are you hydrating your body with an essential, life giving substance, but you are also eliminating all the other not-so-great-for-you stuff in the things you were drinking before – like sugar and caffeine.

5) Start Practicing Mindfulness

Most of our stress comes from either imagining the bad things that are going to happen in the future, or from dwelling on things that happened in the past. Most of us are so stuck in the past and future that we end up missing out on the right now. This can result in an imbalanced state of mind, poor digestion – and yes, could even lead to more acne.

Start by paying attention to what you are doing right here right now. When you eat, sit down and really taste the flavours. When you walk, notice the leaves on the trees and the way the wind feels in your hair. When you play, really play – don’t let your mind be somewhere else or you are missing all the fun.

Learning to be more in the moment – called being mindful – is one of the most important skills you can learn to increase your happiness quotient.

6) Get More Omega 3s

Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely important nutrients in our diet that are essential to so many things – brain power, hormonal balance, cardiovascular health, and the integrity of your skin and hair. Plus, it’s powerfully anti-inflammatory, which means starting to get more of it in your diet can go a long way in getting rid of acne.

The best, most absorbable forms of Omega 3s come from cold water fish such as wild salmon and sardines. You can also find it to a lesser degree in things like grass-fed beef, and seeds like flax and chia.

Admittedly, it’s difficult to get enough Omega 3s in your diet, due to the small selection of foods that contain it. Taking a fish oil supplement is a good idea, but if you take one that is of inferior quality it can do more harm than good. I highly recommend fermented cod liver oil as one of the best supplements you can take for your skin, as it contains Omega 3s as well as other important nutrients for lovely skin such as Vitamin A and D.

7) Throw Out all Your Harsh Commercial Products

Your skin would probably be a lot better with a lot less acne if you would only stop attacking it with all those harsh cleansers, moisturizers, and acne creams. Sounds counterintuitive to what we’ve always been told, but it’s true. Those aren’t helping you to have nicer, smoother skin.

Try switching to gentle, completely natural skin care. Or you could even try foregoing all skin care completely, for some surprising results.

8) Try Having a Green Smoothie for Breakfast

Dark leafy green vegetables such as kale, chard, spinach, nettles, collard greens, mint, beet greens, or countless others pack a big punch full of nutrients that can make your skin glow.

Getting enough of these in your diet is though, because they aren’t always a lot of fun to eat.

The solution?

Try a green smoothie. It’s when you mix these nutrient packed greens with fruits in a smoothie – the sweetness of the fruit covers up the greens to the point where you can’t even taste them. But you are still getting all benefits! Genius!

9) Plan to take a Month Off from Dairy Products

Dairy products – milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and everything else made from milk – are the single most common food that can cause acne. Not everyone is sensitive to dairy products (and it’s certainly not the reason behind everyone’s acne), but there are numerous reports of people that had struggled for years until they cut out dairy and it cleared right up.

Make a plan to see if you can cut out dairy products completely for at least one month to see if it makes  a difference for your skin. You might be surprised, and you don’t know if you don’t try.

10) Invite More Fun and Laughter Into Your Life!

Don’t take life and yourself so seriously! Life is full of pleasures and is meant to be enjoyed.

It’s okay if you don’t eat 100% healthy food ALL the time.

It’s okay if you don’t look like a supermodel on the cover of the magazines. Nobody does. Not even the supermodels themselves look like that, due to the use of professional makeup and an excessive use of photoshop.

It’s alright to have some spots. In fact, it’s normal. No one except you really notices them that much. People actually like you for who you are – and you have amazing unique qualities that are so much more important than what you look like. If you disagree because of the culture of sex and objectification that we live in – well, you need to realize that our culture is purposely fabricated in this way because the worse we feel about ourselves, the more money it makes for people who want to sell us things. That’s the truth, and don’t think it isn’t. It’s difficult not to let it get to you, but believe me – you DO have self worth that is so much more than your looks.

You need to do what makes you happy, and don’t let acne hold you back. So many people create their own acne by allowing their spots to control them. It seems like a paradox, but letting go a little and allowing yourself to laugh, play, go after your dreams, and really enjoy yourself no matter what life throws at you can be one of the biggest steps you take right now to make your skin, and your life, better.

Watch This Article In Video Form

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksf6k7ExDXo

Need more help with clearing your skin naturally and effectively? Check out my in-depth guide, Ultimate Secrets to Acne Freedom. 

photo by lanuiop