How To Go Foundation-Free & Get That Natural #NoMakeup Glow

Make-up is great. We love make-up. But we don't love to need make-up, you know? There's nothing better than the feeling of going foundation-free, knowing your skin looks gorg as-is, and getting that perfect, dewy #NoMakeup glow. But how??? A few years ago, not wearing makeup out in public was a panic attack waiting to happen. Flash forward to today and we're allll about that life. Today, we're breaking down our best tips and tricks to help you get your most beautiful, natural, summer skin ever - no makeup needed.

1. Eat to Glow

We know it's cliche, but healthy skin starts within. It's an unavoidable fact of life. *Shoulder shrug* The good news is you don't have to stop eating your favorite foods or adopt an extreme diet to get that lit-from-within glow. Simple shifts, identifying which foods make you breakout, and incorporating more nutrient-dense foods can go a loooong way. We wrote a whole blog on The Gut-Acne Connection with a ton of tips and food ideas to get your skin-gut game on point - read it here.

You can also check out one of our fave eat-to-glow bloggers, Celeste Thomas of The True Spoon, for more inspo. 

2. Stop avoiding oils

If we see one more "oil-free" ad, we're going to lose it. Okay, we're a little dramatic, but seriously - stop avoiding oils in your skincare. Oils are a natural, healthy component of your skin and incorporating them into your skincare is a must on your journey to foundation-free skin. 

Quality plant oils are amazing for all skin types - even oily and combination skin. It's all about finding the right oils for your skin. A few things to know about oils in your skincare...

- Not all oils are created equal. Look for high-quality, cold-pressed, Organic and non-comedogenic oils. Everything else is questionable. An easy way to tell if oils are high-quality? Most natural plant oils have some color (ie. a golden yellow, orange, forest green, or thick creamy beige) and a distinct earthy aroma, while oils that are completely colorless and/or odorless are almost always heavily refined or adulterated! 

- If you have an oily, combination or acne-prone complexion, looks for oils that are high in Linoleic Acid like this one. Thank us later!

- Oil cleansing is a game-changer, for real. If you're thinking whaat? or you have oily skin and don't think oil cleansing can work for you, read our blog on why it's the best here. Our favorite, amazing-for-all-skin-types oil cleanser is this one. 

We always say: the fountain of Youth is filled with oil, not water. Or a mixture of both. But oil is definitely not your enemy. It's one of your skin's BFFs. If you want to know more about facial oils (how to use them, what to avoid, etc.), you can watch Elysse's video here.

3. Stay hydrated

Speaking of water, H2O is another one of your skin's BFFs. Dehydrated skin is itchy, dull, has more fine lines and wrinkles, and even has a sunken appearance. No thank you. Your skin naturally loses water throughout the day (another reason why oils are so great - they help trap water in the skin!) and things like aging and sun exposure cause your skin to lose water faster, so it's absolutely essential that your skincare and life in general involves lots of hydration.

The easiest way to keep your skin hydrated throughout the day is with a good mist. We love using one of these in our skincare routine (between every step!) morning and night and they create a super-fine mist that's perfect to refresh during the day. Other hydrating ingredients to look for include low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin B3 (aka. niacinamide.)

Don't forget your insides! A good rule of thumb for women is to drink at least 9+ cups (or ~74 ounces) of water per day. 

4. Let your skin breathe

Ironically, one of the best ways we've found to get our skin in makeup-free shape is...to stop wearing make-up. Make-up, especially foundation, can be really heavy and suffocating on the skin. Giving your skin a chance to breathe a few days out of the week can do amazing things for your complexion, trust. Try picking one day out of the week that you don't wear anything on your skin except your morning skincare and see how you feel. Another way to let your skin breathe is to remove your make-up immediately when you get home from work or what-have-you instead of leaving it on until your evening skincare routine.

5. Allllll the Vitamin C

Out of all the vitamins, vitamin C has to be one of our faves. It works as a powerful antioxidant for your skin, stimulates collagen, helps to minimize and prevent hyper-pigmentation, and brightens up your complexion. Non-'L-ascorbic acid' forms of vitamin C have also been shown to have major benefits for acne-prone skin. In other words, make sure vitamin C is a part of your morning and evening skincare rituals. 

6. Don't forget your (tinted) SPF

A vital part of getting that coveted #NoMakeup glow is keeping your skin protected from the summer sun's UV rays. UV rays are the #1 cause of premature skin aging, so...enough said. We love a good non-toxic, reef-safe mineral SPF with Zinc. Better yet, since you're going foundation-free, you can use a tinted mineral SPF to get some sheer, lightweight coverage while also protecting your skin. We love Honua's MALU Protecting Day Cream, Ayuna's Velo 6-in-1 Suprastratum Protection, and Sundaze's C-Shells Sunscreen if you're looking for a new fave!

7. Be a sweet talker

One of the biggest obstacles to going foundation-free is your own negative self-talk. If you're standing in front of the mirror san-makeup and you feel ugly, like you can't leave the house because you're breaking out, or whatever it is your head is telling you...take a breath and girl, give yourself a break. One of the most beautiful things about a natural, #NoMakeup glow is that it (quietly) screams confidence. It's like walking out the door and saying I am enough. When you go sans foundation and your self-talk heads south, be a sweet-talker and remind yourself that you're actually beautiful. Like really, really beautiful just as you are. Period, the end. 

That's it! Feel free to share the foundation-free love with your bestie and let us know how these tips work for you.