by Susie Kuse

There’s a quote by Timothy Egart, the poet, that’s everywhere on social media right now. It says,

The beauty of you is how you wear who you are. 

Does this resonate with you? 

Beauty today is becoming more about expressing yourself. And rejecting the notion of adhering to anyone else’s standards of perfection.

It’s a liberating idea. But like having too much freedom in other areas of life, it can be really stressful. 

How do you know you’re chic, not shabby? 

The secret to being confident is having clean, healthy skin. 

Clean, healthy skin always looks great. And it makes any trend you choose look awesome. Today I have a few tips for you on how to achieve it. But here’s why I love this “wear who you are” idea...

When my daughter was little, I would try to speed up the morning routine by pulling out 2 outfits and saying, “Which would you like to wear?” 

She would reply, “No!!” and reach for something completely different. She was 2 years old. Strong-willed girl. Don’t know where she gets that (wink).

It didn’t take many attempts for me to realize that as long as it was weather appropriate, she may as well wear whatever she wanted to.

And as she did, her personality would shine right through. That’s what I love.

The clothes don’t matter. The hair doesn’t matter. The makeup (she’s 22 now) which she does so beautifully, doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you see HER. Her unique personality, reflected in her unique look.

What matters is that WE SEE YOU.

So authentic or perfected, doesn’t matter. I say, embrace your individuality, and let us celebrate YOU.

Now, the one thing that hasn’t changed is that you still need to have clean, healthy skin. And there are literally millions of products on the market for that - skincare can be so complicated, right?

At Indie Beauty Market, our customers run the gamut from having 2 minutes in the morning to devote to self care...to embracing the 10 Step Korean beauty regime.

Whichever YOU are, here are the 3 basic things your skin needs to be healthy. 

1. It needs to be clean. 

2. It needs to be moisturized. 

3. It needs to be protected. 

Cleanse Twice a Day

I didn’t say this was rocket science, right? This is so basic, yet so many people won’t invest the 2 minutes it takes to care for themselves twice a day. You brush your teeth, don’t you? (Please say yes.)

But there is one thing that can be irritating about washing your face, and that’s all the splashing and water running down your arms and just the mess it can create.

So here’s a simple 4 step method for you:

Step 1. Put some cleanser in one hand. (You don’t have to wet your hands or face yet.)

Step 2. Now turn on the water and run your other hand through it, just to get it damp. Then turn off the water.

Step 3. Rub your hands together, then massage your cleanser into your dry face and neck. If it gets too dry, run one hand under the water again, rub your hands together, and continue.

Step 4. Wet a washcloth (or cotton 4x4’s, or muslin cloth, whatever your preference is). Wring it out, and gently remove the cleanser from your face.

Tada! Beautifully clean face, no mess. 

(I’ve always recommended a double cleanse in the evening. The first one takes off the day - the grime, pollution, makeup and stress you’ve just lived through. The second one does the cleaning. But if you can only manage one cleanse, I’m not complaining. Just think about it, ok?)

Moisturize After Your Cleanse

Many people think that your moisturizer actually moisturizes your skin. And some do have moisturizing ingredients in them. But what a moisturizer really does is prevent your skin from losing moisture.

And that helps your skin retain its protective properties. Not only is it your largest organ, it’s also the one that protects the rest of your body from the elements.

Not moisturizing lets your skin lose moisture (called trans-epidermal water loss), and when that happens, well, you know. Your skin feels tight, itchy, and may even crack and bleed. 

That allows bacteria in, and pretty soon you have a rash or something else you don’t want.

Keeping that moisture in your skin helps your cells to stay firm and plump, keeps your barrier against the world intact, and wards off lines and wrinkles. Hydration and moisture are the things your skin needs most to be healthy and remain young looking. Even if you have oily skin, you STILL need hydration and moisture. 

So please, moisturize after cleansing. Don’t skip it.

Last Thing - Protect

I’m talking about sunscreen here. It’s the most important thing you can do to protect your skin against aging. Period. (Well, not smoking is pretty high up there too, but that’s a different article.)

And make sure it’s a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide. Every. Single. Morning. Rain or shine. Spring, summer, fall, winter. 

I know they typically don’t feel or look as nice as the chemical sunscreens. 

But if you still think that, you should see our sunscreens. They feel as silky and smooth as any foundation. Seriously. I use a tinted sunscreen as a foundation most of the time, unless I’m dressing up and need a more perfected look.

For the record, I go as natural as possible on a daily basis. But it won’t take much to break out my beauty bag and reach for the eyeliner. I love makeup, but I love not having to wear it too. 

So whether you prescribe to the “authenticity and self-expression” or “transformation and perfection” school of beauty, you will still need a great canvas, in the form of clean, healthy skin. 

And it’s especially important if you want to “wear who you are.” Don’t you think?

Remember it’s your body, you have to take care of it. I hope these three simple steps will help you!

Susie Kuse is Passionate About Great Skin and Co-Founder of Indie Beauty Market. She has been in the spa and beauty industry since 2002. She loves to help people understand that a little self-care goes a long way toward great skin, great health, beauty and happiness. And it’s important to keep your products safe, effective, natural, sustainable and ethical. www.indiebeauty.market