Transformative Skincare Beyond the Surface for Lifelong Luminance

But then also is your emotions. Your emotions will show on your skin. So if you are stressed, if you are anxious, if you are angry, if you're happy, like even the good, emotions are going to show on your skin. So, really, if you have any emotion that's out of balance, do your best to get it back in balance, because your body needs to be in alignment, your body needs to be balanced and that's when your skin is going to be in its best light.

Hey there, welcome to the Grace Health Podcast, your source for aging strong in your physical, mental and spiritual health. My name is Amy Connell. I'm a weight neutral certified personal trainer and nutrition coach who loves walks with friends, chocolate and Jesus. Whether you're looking to grow stronger as you age, nourish your body, mind and spirit, or fit all the pieces of your health together to holistically thrive, this is the place for women over 40. I am here to guide you in the areas I can and bring on experts in the areas I'm still learning, and, of course, we cover it all in a whole lot of grace. I'm glad you're here. Every now and then I like to just mix it up a little bit, lighten it up and have a different kind of conversation. This interview with Natalie Bevins helps us understand how to take care of our aging skin. I will be honest even though I have said so many times that we take care of our body so we can do what we are called to do, I still want to look good. I'm not going to lie. And also, since our culture has changed to a video first way of communicating with just about everything, I want to look good Like. I want to look fresh. I want to have that little dewy glow Now. If you've been listening a while, you may remember I talked with Stephanie Leonard on season 12, episode 8 about that no makeup look for women over 40. That is a nice compliment to today. But today we are talking more about skincare. Natalie Bevins has been a master esthetician for 20 years and has seen the struggle women go through with skin. She has worked with everything from acne to aging to rosacea and anything in between. She has a passion for educating women about their skin and teaching them how they themselves can understand their skin and the issues they are having with it. She loves getting them back to that healthy, beautiful glow. Let's bring on Natalie Bevins. Natalie, welcome to the show.

Hi, thanks for having me.

I'm excited to be here. Well, I am too. I tell you what I mean. Talk about a beautiful, healthy glow. I think a lot of us define that in a lot of different ways, but in general, I have yet to meet someone who either wants to just totally age naturally naturally all the way to using all of the resources out there to help them feel that way or to help them feel their best. I'm really glad you're here.

It is a poor opposite, isn't it?

It is. It is, and I want to be clear that. I think wherever you land is fine, but I'm excited to have this conversation, too, about just educating too, because, as I have learned as a trainer, it's not just the outside that makes the most sense and the or the. It's not just the outside that exhibits the health of our body, it's also the inside, and I have a feeling you're probably going to have the same message with our skin. So let's start off here. I mean, as you know, most of my community is women in their 40s, 50s, 60s. I've got some 70 year old women as well, so I want to have this conversation through that lens. Talk to us about some of the unseen changes that are happening to our skin as we get older.

Yeah, as we age, our skin is definitely changing and each person is going to be very individual and it's going to depend on your lifestyle, how you've lived, your past years, where you live, your environment so many things contribute to it. But most of the time you're going to start getting, maybe a little more dry. Your skin is going to change in that aspect. Maybe, if you were really really oily, you're going to start becoming dry Sometimes not as often as people going dry, but you can get a little more oily as well. So, just as far as that, your skin is going to change and you need to be aware of that and then tailor it, tailor your skincare towards that. But then internally, you're going to start losing a collagen and elastin. You're going to get that kind of more saggy, not plump, look to your skin as you used to. You're probably going to start getting some more pigmentation from damage that you had done from the sun in your younger years. But things like that you're going to get, of course, your fine lines, increases, wrinkles, things like that as well. So those are kind of the visual changes that you're going to notice in your skin as we age.

Okay, yeah, the collagen too. You know, I had a conversation with Sue Hitzman and she was talking a lot about the connective tissue, which, of course, is everything is so related, and she had mentioned the lack of collagen as we age as well, having a big impact on our body. Talk to us some about the mistakes that we make, and I can kind of think of one that I'm wondering if you're going to say but I'm going to wait until, and then I'll say it after you say something, but what are some of the common skincare mistakes that we make as we age?

I think my biggest thing that I see is kind of an overall picture is your skin is an organ. It is the largest organ of your body and I think a lot of times we don't put that together. We don't put it together as being an organ trying to serve us. We mostly think of skin as aesthetic it's just how it looks on the outside and that's it. But really it is part of your whole body and it is trying to function properly, and so I think a lot of times we just think we just have to do all this topical stuff and that's what's going to make our skin look better. But really it is two parts it's internally and externally. Like you said previously, it's all connected.

Externally, I think people probably get, and I was wondering if you were going to say one of the mistakes is that we're still treating our skin like we did, or using the same products or doing the same thing as when we were 20.

Yes, that's 100% a totally mistake you're doing because that's so common, because that's what you learn, that's what your mom taught you, that's what you've been doing, so you just keep doing it. I think that happens in makeup as well. It's not just skincare, but yeah, that is definitely something I see as well. Yeah, you have to change your skin care.

Yeah, it's funny. I actually just had this realization. I used to use this a lot and then I haven't, and I pulled it back out because I've kind of been changing the way that I do some things and I have I make up remover that is oil free, because that's what I got when I was an oily teenager. Well, I'm 48 years old now and I was like you know, I don't think I need to be using oil free anymore. In fact, it would probably be very helpful if I used oil products. So I may I may actually just decide to throw that away and start using, start using something else, but talk to us some about the internal things that we need to be doing to take care of ourselves.

So a lot of the stuff comes to diet and all of like every part of your body is going to interact with your skin, right. But if we just talk about diet right now, you've got to make sure you're eating a wide variety and you're getting all of the main main sources. And so you're going to eat all your fruits and vegetables. Don't just eat the same Like if you love apples, don't eat apples every single day, not that you can't, but just add in some other stuff as well. So you're getting the variety of the vitamins and the minerals that your skin needs. And then also they provide really good fiber for your body. Now, one of the functions of your skin is a detoxifying organ, so if you are not detoxifying internally, then the load on your skin is heavier, and so that can come out in acne and rashes, and it can come out in premature aging as well. So make sure you're getting your fruits and vegetables for the vitamins and fiber. And then you also want to make sure that you're drinking your water and eating your protein. Your body is made up of water and protein, and if you're not taking in enough, your skin is, for sure, not getting enough. And then, on top of that, you want to make sure you're eating your good fats, and I know that that's kind of some people shy away from that. They're afraid of that because of past, what we've been told. But your body needs good fats. It's down to a cellular level. You need good fats and your skin is no different. It needs the fats. So internally, as far as food, definitely do that. But then also is your emotions. Your emotions will show on your skin. So if you are stressed, if you are anxious, if you are angry, if you're happy, like even the good emotions are going to show on your skin. So really, if you have any emotion that's out of balance, do your best to get it back in balance, because your body needs to be in alignment, your body needs to be balanced and that's when your skin is going to be in its best light.

So I have seen this in my life and I have seen it in other people I care about life too Like when they, their stress level has gone down and you can see it in your skin, you can see it in their face. Do you know and I'm kind of putting you on the spot here, so I apologize but do you know the physiological reason behind that? Because it's kind of intuitive. You can see it, but I'm wondering why that is.

I am not a doctor so I will give you my answer. But you're right, when people are in a state of balance and happy, they get that glow right. You can see that they're happy and a lot of times sometimes, if you haven't seen that person for a while, you're like, what did they do? Like, did they change their makeup? Did they change their skincare, did they change their diet? Like, what have they done? But really it can be as simple as they've aligned their emotions and they are happy. But it increases blood flow and so that when you increase blood flow, you get more nutrients and oxygen to your cells and really your body is just so connected to your emotions you cannot separate them. They are not two pieces, they are all functioning together. But yeah, if we go back down to science, it's the blood flow and stuff.

Got it Okay? Well, and I love to hear you say that, because even if we are talking about something like skin which I love that you're educating, like this is not just a topical thing, it's an organ, it has a purpose, but we talk a lot about that on other podcasts or other episodes. Where it's not, we can't just separate out our emotions and the rest of our body because it is so interconnected. So I love that, even when we're talking about something totally different, it all comes back to that.

Yeah, and I know a lot of people have our time like gathering that concept in their brain, thinking like you know, skin, it has nothing to do with anything, it's just my skin. But really I always give this example Remember when you were in high school or college and you had that giant exam coming up and you were stressed about it and you were staying up late and working hard on studying and all of that stuff. What would happen almost every time you get a breakout? Well, that was because your body is stressed, like it. It's very connected and sometimes we just need that tangible thing to be like oh okay, you're right, it is connected.

So let's go a bit back to more of the topical stuff, a little more. I don't want to say aesthetic, but in terms of a morning and an evening routine, rhythm. What do you recommend for that? Because, again, I think a lot of us will do things that we've just always done, because that's the way we always do it, and since we do have different needs for our skin, I was wondering if you could help guide us through that in a, in a simple way, because, like I told you, we're all about simple things here.

So the very basics of topical skincare, the very basics that I would recommend is you're going to cleanse, you're going to exfoliate, you're going to moisturize and you're going to sunscreen. Now that is the absolute bare minimum that I would give somebody, and of course, I do virtual consultation. So I work with a lot of women and men that have very specific concerns and a lot of times, like, maybe somebody has aging and acne and just the aging is bothering them. Or the same situation the aging and acne, but the acne is bothering them. So I really make sure that I narrow it down to exactly what it is it's bothering you. Because in my opinion, if it's not a health concern and it's not bothering you, then I say don't worry about it. Like, if it's not a health concern at all, then don't worry about it, because I think we have enough stress in our life and irritations and things that we're just overwhelmed with. That's what I always say If it's not bothering you, just leave it, it doesn't matter. And so I really work with somebody and find out what is very specific bothering them, and then, of course, skin types, skin tones, a lot of different factors come involved in that and then we can get some very specific. What cleansers should this person work and what exfoliator and how often, and what's the best kind? And so it really is very, very dependent on you as an individual. I don't give anybody the same regimen. I don't even give mother and daughter the same regimen, because it's so individual, even though you think, oh, she's my mom, we have the same skin, right, it's not the case. So those are the basics that I would recommend for somebody. But I would definitely say reach out, get some help so that you're not wasting your money. It's not a trial and error. You're not trying this and trying that and then never really fully knowing what you should actually use on your skin.

That makes a lot of sense, because there's I mean, it makes me think about lipstick. I am forever looking for a lipstick that works with me, and I can't tell you how many like I could fill a landfill with lipsticks that have gone to die in my drawer, because I get it and I try it and I'm like, oh, that doesn't really work. So it's the same thing. Why get cleanser and why get moisturizer and all of that kind of stuff that is not going to work for us one way or the other. And I will say, too, I tried a product that was I don't even know how about the call, but all natural, all you know, non-toxic, all that kind of stuff, and it broke me out. I am going to see, though, if you can guide us on the sunscreen, if there's a sunscreen that you recommend, because I have always liked one, and, in fact, I even recommended it this past summer, and I started using it, and it's been drying my face out, so I'm like, dang, now I need to find another one. So I was. This is just purely selfish.

And sometimes my companies will change their formulation and not let you know. And then sometimes it's just if you've moved or have a different job, different environment, anything like that, and then your skin just changes as you age as well, and so it could be a number of those factors that suddenly you're like, oh, I don't like this anymore. But of course I do work with a brand that they have great sunscreen, so of course I would recommend them. It is called Glimed, but you can only get it through estheticians because of the pharmaceutical grade ingredient. So they can be very potent. So if it's used in the wrong way it can be very damaging. So it is only sold through estheticians. But I will touch on a couple of things. With sunscreen you have a physical sunscreen and you have a chemical sunscreen. I think most people at this point we've been educated enough to know that right. So the difference between the two and the pros and cons of them is let's start with physical. Physical is actually going to just reflect the light from the sun and so it just sits on the surface of the skin. It doesn't absorb in. The negative to that is there's two negatives to that Is if you touch your face you put a sweater on like you do anything that you've touched your face, it's going to move it and so it won't be full coverage anymore. And then the second is if you are darker skin tone, it will give you that white gray cast which we don't like, right. And then the chemical is it will go onto the skin and it absorbs into the skin and what it does is it actually chemically breaks down the sun rays, so it's kind of digesting them, if you will, and that is really great for anybody with darker skin tone. That's the way they're going to want to go is with a chemical exfoliant. And then the negative is if you have really high sensitivity level, it might cause some irritation. It's just because it is absorbing into the skin to a certain level and breaking down the sun rays at that level. So sunscreens there's a lot out there, but definitely make sure that you're picking a good one with really good ingredients, and I know that's kind of broad in general, but that's hard to say. You know, cause there's so many out there saying go get this one, because I could tell you a brand, I could tell you a sunscreen, and it will not be for everybody, because not every product is for everybody. So definitely that kind of goes back to get a consultation. I can help you find the perfect one for your skin, skin tone, skin type, all of that.

Okay, and that's fair, that's good to know. And thanks for breaking down that physical and chemical. And I will say too, I think, that you don't necessarily have to be darker skin to get that kind of white, ashy look. I mean, I get it. I really fight with that. I have tried and tried and tried and it doesn't matter how much I pat and rub and all of that stuff, my husband looks and he's like you know, I can tell, in a loving way, of course.

Yes, of course, but it is reflecting that light, so it's not discriminatory as far as just sunlight, right, it's going to reflect light when you're in your house. And I know I've heard of like wedding photographers and stuff saying don't wear physical sunscreen on the day of your wedding cause it's gonna make you look white and pale on your face. And I'm sure we've all seen those pictures either of ourselves or our friends, and you get that snapshot at. You know, way back when we had to go and print out our pictures and you'll see that one friend that has the white face. Well, that's most likely because of that. It was in the makeup or moisturizer or something like that.

Okay, natalie, I know you have a free download called Simple Daily Habits to Improve Anyone's Skin. Tell us about that, because the word simple I really like and it sounds easy and I like easy. So tell us some about that free download.

So, yes, they are very simple, they are things you can start implementing tonight and most of them don't take more than a couple of minutes and then so they are just kind of my approach to skin as overall health. And so I talk about breathing, how that is going to impact your skin. I talk about being mindful as far as like meditating or journaling or praying, anything that fits you, something like that, where you can really go into yourself and kind of sort through emotions really is what it's going to have you do, and so that you can kind of filter that. And again, as we were talking previously, your emotions show up on your skin. And then things topically when changing just the way that you're putting on your moisturizer and stuff, really getting in there and massaging your skin, being mindful and really aware of what you're doing. And I know self-practice is a buzzword right now. Everybody's talking about self-practice and their self-care and we talk a lot about. At times we think self-care is this giant thing where we've got to go to the spa or we've got to spend a weekend away somewhere. But really the way that I see it is just tiny, incremental things that you're doing for yourself, but changing the perspective and changing how you're doing it, so you're aware of what you're doing. You're not just like, as you're washing your face, you're just hurrying, like doing this and splashing it out, drying your face and moving on to the next thing you're actually, in the moment, thinking about. I am cleansing my face and this is going to be good for my skin, and just being aware of things. So it's just really simple. Things just like that, where you're gonna mostly it's gonna change your perspective, show you a better way, how to do things and add in a couple of things as well that might help you out and improve your skin because, again, your skin is overall it's all reflecting.

I feel like you have been watching me wash my face in a very hurried and rushed manner and slapping on moisturizer, and that's common.

it's very, very common.

Something to work on. Okay, now you mentioned a skincare line and products that you sell. Tell us some about that.

So it is called Glimet and, like I said previously, it's only sold through estheticians and I do virtual consultations. And the reason that it's only sold through estheticians is because the line is very extensive. It is a, it is a completely full line. I can work with any skin type, any skin condition, any skin tone. I mean I can work with acne all the way to somebody who's doing cancer treatments, like anywhere in between, and then, given their factors of their environment and skin type and tone, I'm gonna be able to find a regiment for them and I think it's really important that everybody have that done, just because it cuts out so much trial and error. And I know women who have suitcases full of products under their bed and they've probably used, you know, one pump here, a little scoop here, like didn't, like, it didn't get the results felt weird, smelled, funny, like all of these things. But once you have a consultation, it's very tailored. I make it so, so tailored to your skin so that you're actually going to use it, you're going to get results, you're gonna use the whole bottle of it. And so a lot of times people think professional lines are gonna be a little more expensive. This one actually isn't, and especially if you factor in how many products you bought and don't use, it actually ends up being a little bit cheaper. So, yeah, it's a it's an amazing product line that actually has potent ingredients that you're going to get results. There's no fillers, so you're using just a tiny, tiny amount and then there's no fragrances or anything that's gonna cause harm to the skin in a negative way. And if you do smell something in the product, it's botanicals or essential oils, which I love, and they're put in there for a purpose. So that is also a benefit.

So there's nothing, there's no fake things in it, there's no gunk, there's no fillers really great product well, and as someone who has a lot of allergies and is very sensitive to fragrances, I appreciate that, because some there man, there's some stuff out there that just makes it sets my allergies off. Is that something where people can kind of drip into it where they? Okay, I'm out of moisturizer, so I'm gonna have a consult. Okay, I need moisturize, I'm gonna get a moisturizer, and then three months or you know a month later, whatever, I'm out of cleanser, so I'm gonna get a cleanser. I mean, is that something? Or do you recommend that? No, let's just kind of do the whole thing all at once you can do it either.

I am not a fan of wasting product, I just want you to use all of whatever you have, use it up. But what I would do is so we would have the consultation. I it's a. It's a pretty in-depth consultation. You've got to go through a questionnaire and so I really know about your background, your history, your skin. And then we go and I have a zoom meeting with you. So I'm looking at your skin, we're talking about it the whole time. You're talking to me, you're telling me all of your concerns, all your issues, and then from there I will put a very tailored regiment for you. I'll show you where to get it, I'll give you the links and I will explain how to use it, why you're using it, the ingredients and what they're going to do for your skin and how they're going to address your concerns. And then I also go into lifestyle and daily tips like it. As we've talked through the consultation and the questionnaire. If there's holes that I see that you're kind of missing, I'll show you where we can fill stuff in and then, so at that point it's in your hands. You can purchase the products at any pace you want, like you said, if you just want to start with the cleanser, start with the cleanser. You want to start the moisturizer, you can. If you want to go full in, go right ahead. I will say they do work better when they're together because they work synergistically. But I again, I'm not a fan of wasting product. If it's not causing you problems with your skin, don't waste it. Use it up. So you really can't go at any pace you want with that. You will have your own. Like every place, you can go to the store, you can buy the products at at any point and when you need refills and things like that, you can go in and purchase them yourselves. So it's, it's not really. You're not having to deal with me all the time, you just grab what you want when you okay with the confidence that it's gonna be the right thing for us.

Yes, yes, and you have very generously offered a nice discount of you said 500 dollar discount on a full offer. So tell us what a full offer means.

So the full offer, what I do is I. So I have a program and you go through the program. It's a course, video course, there's PDFs, all sorts of information like that, and you go through that course. You're going to learn all about your skin. Now what I say you don't need to become an ascetician. I'm not trying to teach you how to be an ascetician. I'm not trying to teach you how to learn everybody's skin and how to pick it out and help them and everything. I just want you to know your skin and your concerns and your issues that you have. So you'll go through this course and then for a month you have access to me, as far as you can go and email me at any time. You'd be like hey, I just watched this video and I think it applies to me, but can you tell me like does it? Am I right? Like am I wrong? Or this question popped in my head or I came upon this later. Anything you need me for, I'm there and you can go back and forth and I can kind of explain it. And at the end of going through the course, you're going to understand your skin. You're going to understand how to deal with your issues with your skin that you're having, that are that are bothering you, that are concerns for you, and then you're going to also be able to understand the changes and recognize those that your skin goes through as you age. And then you're going to know how to kind of put it together and kind of figure it out and be like, oh okay, this is means this, and so I need a thicker moisturizer or I need something less abrasive, or you know, you'll kind of be able to piece those pieces together for yourself so you're not dependent on me all the time. I think I want to give you the independence that you need and the car, and it really comes with confidence, like you're going to get the confidence that that you maybe you never had in your skin or maybe you're just kind of learning it, but that's kind of how you would go through. My program Got it.

And that's kind of like the full premium, but that's okay.

Offer.

All right, that's that sounds good, awesome, okay, so for the first questions I ask all my guests. The first one is I love learning about people's tattoos because I have found that when they have them, they often have a reason or a meaning behind them. So I was wondering, if you had any tattoos, if you would be willing to share what it is and the meaning behind it. And if you don't, but you had to get one, what would it be and where would it go?

I don't have one and I've often thought about that Like I wonder you know, if I were to get one, what would I get? But it comes to for me. I think I don't know what I would get that would be on there permanently. I think I'd have to get something that would be more temporary, one of those I don't remember what they're called, but they only last like a year or two. But I don't know. That is very hard for me. I would have to, for sure, be something very significant and probably have to do something with my kids, I would assume. But I think that it comes down to I can't decide.

I don't have one either. I just like to ask the question.

But it's true, they mostly mean.

Yeah, yeah, they do. And I think I'm the same thing. I'm like I haven't. I think I have figured out that if I had to do it, what I would do. But but yeah, I like gosh. What do I want on my body for the rest of my life? I mean, that's a lot of pressure, it is. It's too much. Yeah, yeah, okay. Tell people how they can connect with you, yeah you bet.

So you can grab my free guides at LPFordandBeautycom and that will get you into my newsletter and then you can just ask me questions from there. If you want to learn about my programs, or just consultation or just whatever, just email me there and I'll send you an email right back.

Sounds great. Okay, and then what is the one simple thing you would like my community to remember? It can be big, it can be small, but just one takeaway.

Just remember that your skin is an organ and it is trying to serve you, no matter what condition it's in right now. It is trying to serve you and it just needs all the tools so that it can serve you. And when it is serving you in the way that that is the most healthy, your skin will be glowing and it will look the way you want it to.

Fantastic. Okay, that is all for today. Go out there and have a graced day. Thanks for listening today. If this episode was valuable to you, could you do one of two things that are enormously valuable to me but super simple for you? Number one just share this with a friend. Super simple. Number two provide a rating and review, particularly if you listen in Apple podcasts. This is super valuable for me. Also, if you haven't yet subscribed to my monthly journal, why not? I send it out twice a month and it is a private fun space for me to share some of my favorite foods and recipes, movements, books, sermons and more. You never know what you're going to get, but I promise it will add value to your day. You can sign up at gracedhealthcom slash monthly dash updates and, of course, the link is in the show notes. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you next time.