My Clear & Healthy Skin CARE Guide

By Alison Carton ~ Holistic Health Practitioner, Coach & Advocate

6 Steps to Clear Skin On Your Own Terms

Hello and welcome! The intention of this guide is to help you create a holistic forward skin care routine that encourages your skin and body to shift into a more restorative state of health where clear skin that glows from the inside out is possible.

The goal is to create an individualized routine that cultivates an internal healing environment for your skin that works synergistically with your topical skincare products to reveal your healthiest and most radiant skin, every day. We want to ensure that this routine makes sense for you and serves your life. 

Let's Get Started!

Step 1: THE RIGHT SKINCARE

The foundation of a holistic skincare routine is a simple regimen of topical products that nurtures your skin back to a sustainable state of health, clarity and suppleness, without intoxicating your body.

I formulated clariSEA products to achieve this by prioritizing 4 main ingredient pillars that work together to continuously and gently exfoliate the top layer of skin without causing irritation or extreme purging, while immersing skin in essential plant nutrients and vegan actives that create an optimal environment for a healthy microbiome to thrive so a clear and glowing complexion can emerge.

1) Nutrient rich, organically grown plants at the top of the ingredient list:

Immersing your skin in the polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals of organically grown plants gives your epidermis and microbiome the strength, resilience and vitality it needs to flourish on a daily basis.

Organically grown plants are not routinely treated with synthetic pesticides which means they are more nutrient rich and free of the many chemicals that can disrupt your skin's health. Depending on the crop, organically grown plants can contain higher percentages of antioxidants because without synthetic pesticides they must fend for themselves, as nature intended, amidst the challenges of their environment by deploying their own protective mechanisms.

The resulting antioxidants then help keep your skin protected from your individual oxidative stressors by donating electrons to unstable free radicals to help neutralize the damage they can cause to skin. Organic plant ingredients in the top half of the ingredient list (meaning they comprise a substantial percentage of the formula and therefore effect on your skin) in clariSEA formulas include:

  • Organic Rose Hydrosol (Rosewater), Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Organic Baobab Seed Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Lavendin (Lavender) Hydrosol, Organic Rosehip Hydrosol, Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Rosehip CO2, Organic Lavender Flower Powder, Organic Turmeric Root Powder, Organic Evening Primrose Oil, Organic Grape Alcohol, Organic Safflower Seed Oil

The diverse plant compounds found in these organic ingredients support your skin's innate repair processes by feeding your skin the nutrients nature intended for a healthy and thriving microbiome, an essential part of cultivating a sustainably clear complexion over time. 

2) Biocompatible actives for targeted support & restoration:

Niacinamide, PHA, Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides:

  • Niacinamide, aka Vitamin B3, is essential for repairing acne prone skin. This biocompatible lab-made Vitamin has many important functions. It helps support and enhance the lipid barrier by stimulating ceramide production. The resulting stronger barrier then helps skin retain moisture, resist irritation and reduce the appearance of surface redness. Antioxidants enhance these effects even further to help reduce the appearance of large pores, fine lines and wrinkles.
  • PHA – Gluconolactone is probably my favorite active overall. It’s responsible for that smooth, silky feeling many of the products impart. Of all the Hydroxy Acids, PHA is the most gentle and non-irritating which is why I love it so much for acne prone skin. It’s gentle so skin can heal and repair yet extremely effective, helping to continuously slough off the top layer of skin without causing irritation or major purging. It also supports the skin barrier by acting as a humectant and locking in just the right amount of moisture to help promote a smooth and healthy glow while helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can find it in many of the products including the Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser, Pretty Skin Moisturizer, Pretty Plump Hyaluronic+ Peptide 5 Lotion, Daily Glow Purifying Rose Cleanser, Deep Pore Detox Charcoal Cleanser, and Charcoal Salt Crush Clarifying Scrub.
  • Peptides – In the Pretty Plump Hyaluronic+ Peptide 5 Lotion, we use a tri-peptide blend, produced synthetically from amino acids, with a unique sequence that mimics the human body’s own collagen producing mechanisms.
  • Also in the Pretty Plump Hyaluronic+ Peptide 5 Lotion, Hyaluronic Acid works as a powerful humectant, attracting and binding water molecules to the skin’s surface, keeping skin hydrated, supple and plump.

3) Dual purpose plant powered preservatives:

Aspen Bark Extract – aka Botanical BHA, Honeysuckle Extract, Leuconostoc (Radish Root) Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate

Instead of taking a short cut by using potentially harmful preservatives like Phenoxyethanol and Parabens, I built dual purpose plant powered preservatives into each formula to help improve your skin through the natural powers of their prebiotic and antioxidant functions and most importantly to protect your health. In addition to preserving the formula, these mighty ingredients also help boost the effectiveness of the organic ingredients and skin compatible actives by supporting a healthy microbiome that is prepared to thrive.

4) Naturally clarifying minerals, elements & plant powders:

Pacific Ocean Sea Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, Kaolin Clay, Bentonite, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Activated Bamboo Charcoal Powder, Activated Coconut Charcoal Powder, Rose Petal Powder, Orange Peel Powder, Licorice Root Powder, Ginger Root Powder, Oat Powder, Bamboo Powder, Mica (ethically sourced), Zinc Oxide (non-micronized), Ground Coffee

  • The sodium chloride in our Pacific Ocean & Himalayan Pink Sea Salt blend deeply cleanses and exfoliates clogged pores. Existing blemishes are clarified more quickly, and emerging blemishes are brought to the surface to be naturally clarified as well. Essential sea minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium work to tone, soften and smooth out skin while balancing moisture and minimizing the appearance of surface redness. With regular use this cycle repeats and skin is returned to its most natural state.
  • Kaolin Clay and Bentonite naturally absorb impurities in pores, helping to maintain a clarified complexion without irritation while conditioning skin with restorative minerals.
  • Activated Bamboo Charcoal Powder & Activated Coconut Charcoal Powder also help unclog pores and keep skin clarified without the harsh, irritating effects of OTC acne treatments like Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid.
  • The polyphenols and antioxidants naturally occurring in flower powders can help protect skin against oxidative damage that can result from other topical products as well as UV rays and the daily pollutants we face in our home, work and community environments.
  • Bamboo Powder gently resurfaces without irritating skin while simultaneously helping to restore a natural plump and tautness to your complexion. It’s my exfoliator of choice in the Skin Like New MicroDermabrasion Gentle Resurfacing Paste, Daily Glow Purifying Rose Cleanser and Deep Pore Detox Charcoal Cleanser

RECOMMENDED SKINCARE REGIMEN

In my opinion the most important aspects of a topical skincare routine are using the right products for your skin and your health (more on that to come), being consistent with those products over time and being gentle with your skin and yourself; meaning try not to overwhelm your skin with too many products that may contain incompatible ingredients and try to be patient with your skin and your body during the healing process. It can take time.

Skin turns over and renews every 6 weeks so you’ll be able to see if your products are working for you in both the short and long term.

In the short term, you’re looking for your skin to gradually clear up without getting worse in other ways, i.e., redness, irritation, worsening breakouts, small bumps, extreme purging, dryness, peeling, etc. Sometimes when skin renews it also must detox and “push out” the accumulation of bacteria, dead skin, impurities and toxins. Therefore, some purging may be necessary when you start using new products to help clear up your skin, but extreme purging can be a sign that the products are overwhelming your skin’s natural repair processes and are therefore not the right solution for your skin.

Below are my recommended AM & PM skincare routines for 1 week. This regimen starts you off slow so your skin can adjust to the ingredients without any major purging or irritation. It’s built to help gradually clear up your skin while protecting you and your skin from environmental stressors and oxidative damage. And allowing time for your skin to cycle through stages of clarifying, restoring, strengthening and recovering.

1 Week Topical Skincare Regimen:

Day 1:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer or other lightweight nourishing and emulsive hydration.

Step 3: Mineral Sunscreen with non-nano Zinc Oxide – at least SPF 30. I use and recommend Whole Foods 365 Sport Lotion Mineral Sunscreen. It’s 80% organic and does not contain any of the chemical sunscreen ingredients (Octinoxate, Homosalate, Ozybenzone, PABA) that can cause breakouts or aggravate acne prone skin.

Night:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer or other lightweight nourishing hydration.

Day 2:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Gently exfoliate with Skin Like New Resurfacing Paste.

Step 3: Pretty Skin Moisturizer or other lightweight hydration.

Step 4: Mineral Sunscreen.

Night:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or if dryness is an issue, double cleanse with the Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser and Pretty Skin Cleansing Oil & Makeup Remover. First cleanse skin with the Cleansing Oil and then wash everything off with the Ocean Cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Day 3:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Step 3: Mineral sunscreen.

Step 4: As needed, apply Mattifying Healing Dust to breakout prone areas that get oily, shiny or congested during the day.

Night:

Step 1: Daily Glow Purifying Rose Cleanser

Step 2: Treatment product of choice.

Day 4:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Step 3: Mineral Sunscreen

Night:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Rapid Detox Clarifying Mask

Step 3: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Day 5:

Morning

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Step 3: Mineral Sunscreen

Night:

Step 1: Daily Glow Purifying Rose Cleanser

Step 2: Kona Love Moisture Stick

Step 3: Treatment product of choice

Day 6:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Gently exfoliate with Skin Like New Resurfacing Paste

Step 3: Pretty Skin Moisturizer or other lightweight hydration.

Step 4: Mineral Sunscreen.

Night:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Day 7:

Morning:

Step 1: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 2: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Step 3: Mineral Sunscreen

Night:

Step 1: Dissolve Clarifying Salt Soak in water and soak face for 5-10 minutes.

Step 2: Ocean Saltwater Clarifying Cleanser or other gentle cleanser.

Step 3: Pretty Skin Moisturizer

Step 2: REDUCE PORE CLOGGERS & TOXINS 

As you work toward refining your topical skincare routine with ingredients and formulas that nurture your skin back to a state of health and vitality, it’s important to look at the ingredients in your current routine – skincare, makeup, suncare and haircare - to see if there are any pore cloggers, irritators or toxins that could be contributing to breakouts. Here is a list of ingredients to eliminate from your daily routine:

Pore Cloggers, irritators or toxic ingredients to eliminate from all topical products – skincare, makeup, sun care, haircare:

Synthetic Fragrance

Synthetic Dyes

Coconut Oil (more than 5% of formula)

Avocado Oil

Propylene Glycol

Acrylates Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Parabens

Talc

Mineral Oil

Paraffinum liquidum

Petroleum

Retinyl Palmitate

Oxybenzone

Avobenzone

Octinoxate

Octisalate

Step 3: REDUCE BREAKOUT TRIGGERING FOODS 

It’s also essential to begin to identify possible root causes of breakouts resulting from the foods you eat by first reducing the most frequent culprits:

  • Cow Dairy – especially casein A-1 *
  • Gluten - Pasta, breads, pretzels, crackers, etc.
  • Other potentially inflammatory grains like quinoa and brown rice (this is person dependent – meaning the effect of different grains on blood sugar and gut bacteria can vary)
  • Refined sugar and sugar in general
  • Alcohol
  • Highly processed, inflammatory snack and prepared foods like certain chips, crackers, breads, frozen foods, especially those containing corn and soy-based ingredients including industrial seed oils.
  • Unhealthy, inflammatory saturated fats like processed cheese, ice cream, baked goods and fast food
  • Soy lecithin
  • Soy milk
  • Diet soda
  • Artificial Sweeteners
  • Red meat
  • Fruits and vegetables with high levels of lectins (this is also person dependent)
  • Eggs can be a breakout triggering food for some people

As you begin. to reduce these foods, it’s important to create a sustainable plan that considers the role emotions play in the foods we crave. An approach I recommend is “reduce and replace”. Begin to reduce the breakout and/or gut triggering food, replace it with a similarly satiating food that doesn’t cause the same inflammatory response in your gut and skin. As you eat less and less of the inflammatory foods, your brain and gut will crave them less (that’s science and biology) which will in turn help you stay on track and continue to reduce them over time below a threshold that is healthy for you.

*Thousands of years ago, a protein found in cow dairy called casein A-1 evolved out of a mutation in Northern European Cows as the prevalence of breeding cows for milk increased. This protein is predominant in the type of cow most American cow dairy comes from and it can be more difficult for our guts to digest. If you have a dairy intolerance, it may not just be a lactose intolerance, it could also be this protein causing inflammation in your gut and systemically as a result. Casein A-2, which is predominant in Southern European cow dairy, is known to be less inflammatory. It is available in certain parts of the country but it can be hard to identify since it can be mixed in with Casein A-1 protein as well.

Step 4: THE IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH

Speaking of reducing breakout triggering foods, the ultimate goal in doing this is to heal your gut. To help you further understand and prioritize the relationship between your gut health and skin health, you can think of your gut as your skin turned inside out. With that visual in mind (even if it’s a little gross at first), you can imagine how important it is to feed your gut the foods it craves for health and stability. When your gut is healthy and populated with gut-friendly bacteria, your best health, including your best skin health, is possible. But when your gut becomes leaky or permeable because of the foods you're eating, certain food compounds can pass through the gut lining and cause systemic inflammation in your body, including acne breakouts.

So what does healing your gut mean and how do you do it?

You just started the process with the most important step – Step 3 – which we outlined above. Reduce inflammatory foods below a threshold that allows for the good bacteria in your gut to stay put and thrive. This is the first and most important step, because over time, the inflammatory, breakout triggering foods we eat can feed bad bacteria and cause the good bacteria to be diminished. Bad bacteria taking up more space in our gut can negatively impact our body’s ability to create and maintain a clear complexion. We want to work to replace the bad bacteria with good bacteria.

2)    The next step in doing that is to work towards cycling 20 different nutrient rich whole plant foods through your nutrition every week. This will help support the re-populating of your gut microbiome with good gut bacteria from all the health-promoting polyphenols and diverse soil environments the different plants were grown in. Here is a list of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and fruits to cycle through your meals and snacks every week – USDA Organic or small farm grown wherever possible to reduce your pesticide load over time and to increase the percentage of antioxidants you consume:

  • Romaine, spinach, arugula, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purple cabbage, mushrooms, orange sweet potato, avocado, celery, carrots, multi-colored carrots, beets, artichoke, radish, chickpeas, cucumber (without the seeds if necessary), hearts of palm, kale, radicchio, endive, bok choy, mustard greens, turnip, red, orange and yellow sweet peppers, cantaloupe, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, ground flax seed, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, olives, kalamata olives, EVOO, basil, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, thyme, mint.

The next step is to add in prebiotics to your daily nutrition. Prebiotics are non-digestible plant fibers that feed good bacteria, aka probiotics. Prebiotics travel through the small intestine without being digested, and then are fermented in the large colon by gut bacteria. My favorite prebiotics are just ripe bananas, cabbage, artichokes, flax seed (ground so the probiotics can digest it), and onions (as long as onions don’t cause you too much gas and indigestion).

Probiotics on the other hand are live strains of bacteria and yeasts that add to the population of good gut bacteria. They are found in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi. Probiotics improve digestion, bowel regularity and overall gut health.

It’s okay to take prebiotic and probiotic supplements to help improve your gut health, but the most fundamental and sustainable solution for improved gut health is through your daily nutrition. Being consistent with foods that promote a healthy gut while crowding out foods that do not is what will lead you toward both the short and long term health outcomes you desire, including clear skin!

Step 5: NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION & SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES

It’s important to be diligent in reducing or, if necessary, eliminating the foods that are disruptive to your gut – meaning cause gas, bloating, irritation, inflammation and/or irregular poop. Because these gut disruptions are likely contributing to skin disruptions as well.

But oftentimes, since many of the processed foods readily available to us are engineered to be addictive, it can be difficult to reduce or eliminate them. That’s where awareness around emotional eating and why we eat to soothe certain emotions or to cope with stressful or challenging life circumstances comes into play.

The first step is to collect the most important data of all – your current nutrition - what foods you are eating right now. I like to call it a shame free food diary.  Meaning, you are not collecting this information to feel bad about yourself, you’re collecting it as an essential first step forward toward better health. To get where you want to go, we have to know where you are now. I have included a template of a food diary on the second to last page of this guide. You can copy the format and use any journal or notebook to keep track of your current nutrition for at least 1 week. The shame free part is also meant to encourage you to not leave anything out because it’s the little details of the foods and drinks you’re consuming that maybe you don’t want to admit to yourself that could be the most important ones to build awareness around so you can adjust how you approach eating them in an empowered way.

As you work toward refining your nutrition, you might wonder…if I’m no longer going to eat that comfort food on that afternoon or morning or night when that dysregulating thing happens or uncomfortable feeling bubbles up again, what am I going to do instead? A solution is to add in supportive regulating resources. These grounding rituals and timeless activities can provide the comfort and support you’re seeking by regulating your nervous system and therefore your emotions. This gradually trains you and your nervous system to process that overwhelm, sadness, grief or loneliness in more health promoting ways. Over time, this approach allows you to build the capacity necessary to choose the healthier foods, which in turn builds self-trust so you can feel confident in your ability to make those choices over and over again, gradually reducing cravings and increasing health outcomes.

Our autonomic nervous system is comprised of multiple branches including the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. Life challenges can send us into chronic states of stress where the sympathetic nervous system is over activated on a regular basis. Acne can add on to that stress and around and around in chronic states of stress you go.

To help reduce stress and reclaim agency over your skin, we want to send more signals of safety to your nervous system so your nervous system can send a higher proportion of signals to the appropriate parasympathetic nervous system tissues making it possible for your body to truly restore with improved digestion, less chronic inflammation circulating and more opportunities for healing.

If you also have a tendency to pick at your skin (like me) or obsess over your acne, both normal responses to stress, it is possible to reduce the frequency of those behaviors with these timeless activities and grounding rituals:

Walk in nature or forest bathing

Reading

Reflective journaling

Being creative

Dynamic stretching

Yoga

Walking meditation

Connecting with like-minded people and community

Soaking in sea salt

Listening to birds and other sounds of nature in order to exercise your senses

Home cooking with whole foods

Home baking

Sitting by water

Skincare routine that helps you decompress and release tension

Spending time with pets

Running or jogging

Strength training

Feeling the sun on your face for 5 minutes

Swimming in a saltwater pool or the ocean

Listening to nostalgic music

Listening to calming music

Listening to live music

Dancing

Singing

Humming

Chanting

Mantras

Tapping

Step 6: ADD IN MORE WHOLE FOODS

I saved the best for last! The majority of any health and wellness transformation is the result of prioritizing whole foods in every meal. And I mean every meal! We already talked about the importance of cycling at least 20 different plants through your nutrition every week. Here is a further breakdown of those foods and their nutrient benefits.

Add in cruciferous veggies to promote detox pathways, help reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially hormonal cancers and help heal your gut:

Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, kale, turnips

Add in Vitamin A rich foods to help promote skin cell turnover from the inside out:

Orange sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, salmon, cantaloupe

Add in dark leafy greens for all the most important vitamins including K, A, C, B, E and carotenoids. All nutrients that have been shown to aid in cellular repair and disease prevention. Dark leafy greens are foundational in helping to heal acne prone skin.

Spinach, green butter lettuce, red butter lettuce, romaine, kale, chard.

Add in healthy fats because they play an important dietary role in good health by helping your body absorb key vitamins such as A, D, E and by helping to repair cells, increase good cholesterol while rounding up bad cholesterol. Healthy fats are the last nutrients to leave your digestive tract, keeping you satiated for longer which can help reduce cravings for the crappy foods that don’t serve your higher self and well-being.

Avocado, avocado oil, olives, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, almonds (without the skin if you’re sensitive), salmon, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds (ground so your body can absorb them), chia seeds, sesame seeds, sesame oil, eggs (if eggs are not a breakout triggering food for you)

Add in berries because the antioxidants in berries help the body scavenge for free radicals, possibly helping to reduce oxidative stress and damage. Their Vitamin C helps synthesize collagen, an essential part of helping to heal acne prone skin from the inside out.

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries

Other foods to add in:

Superfood teas including green tea, ginger, turmeric, dandelion root, mint, rooibos, licorice root, lemongrass, hibiscus, rose hips. P.S. I drink Yogi Tea because as far as I know their tea bags are not made of plastic so when you pour boiling water over the tea bag, microplastics will not end up in your tea and in your body.

Fresh herbs & spices to add in:

Basil, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, thyme, turmeric, paprika