It's no secret that healthy skin is easier to maintain with a healthy diet. But make no mistake about it – healthy does not have to mean boring. There are all sorts of flavorful foods and drinks that benefit the skin (dark chocolate, red wine...need I say more?)
One of my personal favorites is avocados. Specifically, avocados in the form of guacamole. And I don't mind telling you that I'm known to make a mean guac. (And that's about all I'm known for in the kitchen.)
I prefer my guac fairly simple, with a few fresh ingredients. It's easy to make and just as good for my skin as it is for my tastebuds.
Avocados contain vitamins, essential antioxidants and minerals that fight free radical formation, moisturize skin from within, and provide anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial goodness to help keep skin clear and youthful. So, yep - I'm doing it. I'm officially declaring guac a healthy skin treatment.
Today I'm sharing with you my simple, clean, beauty-from-within guacamole recipe.
In a medium bowl, roughly mash avocados and stir in lime juice. I prefer to rough-mash my avocados at first, because as you mix in the rest of the ingredients, they break down even more.
Mix in cilantro, onion and (optional) serrano pepper. I use only the leaves of the cilantro plant...it's a little extra work, but the stems can have a bitter taste. And of course a jalapeño works well in guac, too. We discovered the serrano pepper a few years ago and love it for its very true "peppery," but still relatively mild, taste.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with thin slices of radish. A restaurant I love taught me the radish trick and now I can't do guac without that little pop of pink. So pretty and I love the crisp crunch.
Serve with sturdy white or yellow tortilla chips. And a skinny margarita, if you please.
In total, I have 8 incisions from these surgeries that have needed care. My Story Skin Care products have been there with me throughout each of my surgeries, in every phase of healing. From softly cleansing, to gently moisturizing, once the wounds would close and heal.
When our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at age 4, Tim immediately went to work on a gluten-free recipe that would taste just as good as the non-GF version. After several taste tests with the most discerning young palates, he nailed it. Light and fluffy, perfectly golden – gluten-free – perfect pancakes!
Here's the reality – there is no cure for acne. There's no silver bullet, no magic cream that can make it disappear forever. Hormonal ebb and flow, genetics, and personal habits all play a part in the appearance of acne, or lack thereof. And of course, we can only really make changes to one of those factors. Focusing on personal habits, I recommend this clear skin regimen for tweens and teens to treat and help keep acne at bay.
Carmen Kubista
Author
founder of story skin care, wife & mom