I have received many a question from readers asking about Project Glow, so I though I would lay it all out in a post. :) Seeing as today is MAY 1st (Can you believe it!?), I thought it would be great to hold this challenge for the month of May.
As I mentioned, Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point, emailed me asking for me to put together a Skin Care Challenge for her!
And this is what I came up with:
Project Glow: 1 Month To Healthier, Glowing Skin
What You’ll Need:
1) St. Ives Apricot Scrub (if possible buy the tub as you will be using this in the shower on your body too!)
2) St. Ives Blemish Fighting Cleasner (For Oily/Acne Prone Skin)
3) Exfoliating Gloves
4) Neutrogena Daily Moisturizer (SPF 30/45) OR Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Cream in SPF 15
5) Optional: Coconut Oil for body moisturizing (Found at health food stores or bulk stores)
6) Optional: Oil Blotting Sheets
Your Prescription for Glowing Skin!
1) Skin care
Morning/shower: Remove any leftover raccoon eyes. :) Put on one exfoliating glove and wet. Place a quarter sized amount of St Ives Apricot Scrub on wet glove. Gently exfoliate your face with circular motions. Pay close attention to problem spots where blackheads form: around the nose, chin, etc. I always give those spots extra scrubs. Optional: Gently scrub underneath your chin and neck (I skip this part because I’m lazy). Rinse face well. Use exfoliating glove and some more St Ives Scrub to exfoliate entire body. When you get out of the shower pay dry and while skin is still damp, apply Coconut oil everywhere except your face. On your face, use Neutrogena moisturizer when skin is still damp. If you are applying concealer or foundation, apply it when moisturizer is still a bit damp. It will go on smoother.
If you find that your face gets oily throughout the day, use oil blotting sheets to soak up oil and prevent clogged pores.
Before bed: Remove eye make-up. Use St Ives Blemish Fighting Cleanser. Be sure to clean entire face well. I always rush washing my face at night because I just want to get into bed, but it really makes a difference if you wash face well and get all the dirt out. Pat dry and apply your favourite night cream. Be sure that the night cream won’t clog pores. I simply use more of my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle cream. It has SPF, but I couldn’t be bothered to buy the night cream!
2) Glowing from the Inside Out: FOOD
Green Monster: Drink 1 Green Monster each day.
Week 1: 1-2 cups of kale or spinach
Week 2: 2-3 cups of kale or spinach
Week 3: 3-4 cups of kale or spinach
Week 4: 4 cups of kale or spinach
Note: The more greens you use, the more liquid you need or your smoothie will be too thick- ick! :) Kale is much chewier than spinach so if you can’t take the kale, get out of the kitchen errr…use spinach instead ;) Spinach is the super blending veggie! See my recipe page for green monster recipes: www.ohsheglows.com/recipes
Limit Dairy– especially heavily processed dairy like cheese and ice cream. In some studies dairy has been found to cause breakouts. Whether this is true or not is a personal thing, but it is worth trying out for yourself. If you know that dairy doesn’t cause you problems, by all means go on eating it!
Eat lots of vegetables and fruits! That one is a no brainer. The more V + F you eat, the less processed foods you will eat.
Drink 1 cup of green tea each day.
Drink lemon water when possible.
3) Reduce Stress
Stress causes breakouts and dull, sallow skin. Do you have too much stress in your day to day life? Take steps each day to reduce it. Target what is making you unhappy and write down a game plan how you can improve the situation. Read, get enough sleep, exercise, meditate, stretch, listen to music, laugh, dance, be with friends, create good karma. All of these things will help reduce stress and make you feel GOOD. Endorphins eliminate bacteria that cause breakouts. Ok I made that part up, but it would be cool, no?
Important tips:
1) Always wash face before working out if you have make-up on. Don’t worry about it if you are working out first thing in the AM though. Give your face a quick wash post workout with St Ives Blemish Fighting Cleanser. Moisturize if necessary.
2) If you have sensitive skin you may not want to exfoliate every day. It is fine for ‘tough’ skin, but everyone is different! You are the best judge of your skin type.
Disclaimer: The above tips are what has worked for my skin and may not work for you. Try this regime at your own risk! ;)
Now go get glowing!
Update: Caitlin emailed me today telling me that she is ALREADY seeing more clear skin!!
May 1st (Day 36): We are exactly half way through the BBBC! Can you believe it? It is time to crank things up a little. Today I want you to do what I’d like to call an ‘around the world’ targeting your major muscle groups.
1) Do 2 sets of calf raises (I do 50 at a time), 2) Do 2 sets of lunges on each leg (I do about 25 per leg), 3) Do your hardest core move (For me it is the side planks with extended arm), 4) 1 set of pushups, and 5) 1 set of tricep dips.
See you this afternoon for my decision about upcoming races! I will also be updating you on my BBBC progress.
Happy Friday!!!
I’m totally in for this challenge. Although I have already products for scrub and moisturize, I’ll join the green monster challenge. One per day? anything could enter in the green monster as long as I keep the greens, right?
can’t wait to see my skin clears up. :)
Hi Angela,
This is a great challenge. I’ve been using St. Ives FOREVER and love it. I always go back to it. :) :)
One tip that has helped me keep my skin on track is I use a Neutrogena toner after washing my face with St. Ives. Believe me, a little toner on a cotton ball gets off more makeup and dirt, even AFTER I washed my face! Neutrogena makes one that doesn’t have alcohol in it, so it won’t dry your skin.
I read in a magazine how European women use toner, but American women use astringent, which is harsh and dries out the skin.
Anyways, just a little plug for a fav product that has worked for me :) I’m off to take a shower with an exfoliating glove, thanks to your tip!
Oy, the skin. I suffer from adult cystic acne (like, the plague of Egypt. on my face. in my 30s. HELL!)
I use Obagi Clenziderm (which is like napalm for your zits) and Proactive (milder napalm) and alternate the two so my face doesn’t get scorched.
I’ve had mediocre results and still have the painful, impacted pimples. Over the past 3 weeks, I have not had A SINGLE NEW pimple (knock on wood).
Wanna know my secret, which can be yours for 10 easy payments of 99.99?
Just kidding. I wasn’t drinking NEAR enough water. I drank 1/2 pot of regular coffee a day and 64 ounces of water, max. I went to FitSugar’s water calculator and with my activity level (1 – 1.5 hours of vigorous activity 6 times per week) I should have been drinking ALMOST DOUBLE what I was drinking. Sheesh. Water? Who know.
I really, really recommend going over to their calculator and figuring out your individual needs: http://www.fitsugar.com/79480
That 64 ounces recommendation is really outdated, in my not so humble opinion. Happy glowing!
I have really sensitive skin, it’s not oily, do you think this stuff would agitate my skin and make it dry? The scrub/exfoliating part, I mean. I’ve been drinking green monsters the last four or five days and love ’em! Plus I’ve eliminated dairy, so maybe that will be enough to help my skin on its own, but who knows!
Is it too late to join the Project Glow challenge??? I hope not!! You know what’s a good idea?? I think everyone should take pictures of before and after skin. Without make up on. Is everyone brave enough to do this???? :)
Thanks!
Stephanie
PS – It’s my bday today!
Does the coconut oil absorb into the skin? In the summer I use Johnson and Johnson baby oil (in the gel form) but it never fully absorbs and as a result I end up with oily splotches on clothes, sheets, etc. so I only use it when I plan to be out for hours.
coco- Yes you can put anything into the GM as long as it has the greens! :) I find the greens are so cleansing!
Amy- I have actually wanted to try the neutrogena toner for a while now- thanks for the tip! I might pick some up this weekend :)
e- thanks for the water link!
weight and meditate- I’m not sure whether it would irritate your skin. I would test a small patch of skin first.
Stephanie- Happy Birthday!!! I think the B + A picture is a great idea..Caitlin is doing it too.
Kelly- I find the coconut oil absorbs pretty well. I havent seen any stains. It does leave a very slight feeling on the skin, so I wouldnt say it absorbs 100% but at the same time I guess that is why it works so well.
This sounds great! I can’t wait to get started. Thanks for thinking up a new challenge!
this sounds fantastic I cant wait to try this!
Thanks, Angela! I will have to post a before pic on my blog soon. :)
I have to say I completely agree with the Dairy fact. As a person with sensitive skin I cut out dairy and as soon as I did I noticed my skin started to clear. Yea I still get a pimple here or there during my time of the month or during stressful times but i’ve noticed a huge difference from cutting out the dairy.
I wonder if I could get that coconut oil over here. I’d love to use it on my skin before the wedding.
Any advice on the annoying skin that tends to happen on the back of upper arms? I find mine can get red/bumpy espec’ in the heat. Something I don’t want in wedding photos!
I love this regimen except that I’m worried using the Acne Prone skin wash may dry my skin so I’m only using it 2-3 a week, and I also already see a difference. Thanks Angela.
RE your question for activities that will be not only be fun but still gives you a good cardio workout, roller blading, swimming, bike riding which I think you already do, as well as Pilates. This also helps with building a strong core. Hope you feel better soon. Once again love your site. Can’t wait to order some of your goodies.:)
Just a quick heads up for those with or who live with people with nut allergies- the St Ives scrub has walnut shells in it. So it might not be the best product for everyone.
As for fun activities, do you have a canoe or rowing club in your area? It might be fun to get out and try that.
i just wanted to share with you this website:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php
it is the environmental working group’s cosmetic database. the cosmetic industry isn’t really regulated by the government so these products are FULL of toxins, allergens and, for example, chemicals linked to cancer. your skin is an incredibly important organ and literally soaks up everything you put on your skin– it all goes into your body. i just thought you may be interested in seeing this!
i have really sensitive skin and i have discovered that the reason for my problems is linked to the synthetic additives. the coconut oil is GREAT stuff, and any one with dry skin should use it liberally on their whole body, including their face!
Awesome! I’m so in. Do you think I could do green oat bran instead of green monsters? I use at least 2-3 cups of greens when I make it. (It’s spinach, oat bran, and then either raisins or kabocha for sweetness.)
I was going to share something similar to Ellen. I first read about “The Dirty Dozen in Cosmetics” on thegreenguide.com last summer. My husband and I had been making healthy changes such as eating more organics and switching to natural cleaning products. Then I found this article, freaked out and thought that I had to buy all new beauty products. Well since last summer I have gradually switched all of my beauty products to natural, non-harmful products. I highly recommend Origins make-up, cleansers, and moisturizers, as well as Alba moisturizers and cleansers. We also use Yes To Carrots shampoo and conditioner which I found at Target recently. They smell great! It feels good to know that I am feeding my body healthy foods and putting healthy products on my skin. Thanks for all of the great info you share on your website. I really enjoy reading your blog!
Take care,
Jennie
This is a question for Ellen and Jennie (or Angela) — I looked through the website you posted. A couple of products I use were rated as “5” (moderate hazard), but there was a data gap of 81%. This suggests that there is a rating that essentially means nothing at all b/c so much data is missing(although I do appreicate the group’s reporting method). Do any of you have any thoughts on this? I’d like to hear them.
Hi Angela,
I’ve been following your blog for a few weeks and just love it! You give such wonderful advice for living healthy and feeling good about our bodies. I’m planning this weekend to start my own “project glow” based on your recommendations above.
One quick question. I want to start making green monsters but really don’t like bananas. How should I modify the recipe. Is there another fruit that would be a good addition?
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Angela,
I got started on Project Glow 2 days back. I was wondering that if you take Green Monster smoothie on empty stomach early morning or you take it any time of the day. The reason I ask is cause I hardly have time to make it in the morning and I have had my GM in the evening. Is that ok?
Thanks so much!
I didn’t know about the spinach and kale.. But it makes sense! I actually enjoyed one of your smoothie recipes– much more tasty than expected. Also– I think the dairy products thing has some truth to it, I’ve cut back a lot and experienced great results!
-Sylvia