Beauty 1-2-3

Vegetarian Times, March, 1999 by Tracy Epp

Get ready for spring with our three-step skin regimen

As the days get longer and your clothes get skimpier, you'll be revealing more of your skin. Our three-step natural beauty program can make your skin silky soft, just in time for spring.

STEP 1. Exfoliating layers of dead skin once a week to expose the new layers beneath it can give your body an all-over healthy glow. On top of that, exfoliation prepares skin to absorb the healing nutrients, like the vitamins, minerals and water in many of today's personal care products, says Tamara Marcus, an aesthetician at The Spa in Brooklyn, N.Y. One of the best natural exfoliators is salt, which draws out impurities from the skin while it scrubs away dead tissue. Try Salt Rub by Origins, an all-natural exfoliator for the body that's perfect for all skin types.

Facial skin, which is more delicate, needs a softer touch, like the Fresh Papaya Enzyme Peel from Zia Cosmetics. Rather than using abrasive ingredients, enzymes in papaya gently dissolve dead skin layers.

STEP 2. Twice-a-day cleansing is key for beautiful skin. Regardless of your skin type, use lukewarm water and vegetable-based, soap-free cleansers, like Honey Formula f21c soap by Fresh. Dry skin benefits from a milky cleanser, like Almond Cleansing Milk by Weleda, which nourishes skin and keeps it supple. People with Oily or combination skin should look for oil-free gel cleansers, says Marcus. A good one to try is the Light Foaming Cleanser by CamoCare Gold.

STEP 3. Moisturizing skin regularly replenishes the natural moisture that's lost to cold weather, dry indoor heat and long, hot showers. Body lotions, like Rose-Comfrey Moisture Cream by Nature's Acres or Wild Rose Body Lotion by Weleda, contain rich olive, coconut or almond oils that replenish moisture and leave skin supple. For faces, look for lighter formulas, such as ShiKai's Daytime Facial Moisturizer, that contain NaPCA, a nutrient that pulls moisture from the air and binds it to skin.