HEALTHY SKIN TIPS I LEARNED FROM MY MOTHER BY FAITH HUNTER

The saying is true, “I get it from my Momma!” I’ve been blessed to have a beautiful, caring and supportive relationship with my mother. Not only did she teach me a variety of lessons related to living a full life as a dynamic black woman, but she also shared some amazing natural secrets to maintaining healthy, vibrant and young looking skin. At 75 years young, I’m still amazed by the even tone of my mother’s face, the plumpness of her skin, and how she is truly aging with grace.

Below are a few of her skin care tips I’ve carried into adulthood!

1. Hydrate: We all know the importance of drinking plenty of water. As a kid, my mom was constantly encouraging me to drink more water. I often push back unless I was super thirsty. Now I drink about 40–60 ounces of water per day. I start drinking water the moment I wake up, and I continue the process throughout the day. As water cleanses the internal system of toxins, your purity begins to show on the outside.
2. Moisturize: During my teenage years, I would take my mom’s hand and body lotions to school instead of her lipstick. For as long as I can remember, she moisturizes her face twice a day and always applies a body lotion within 10-minutes of taking a shower or bath. One of her beauty sayings is, “You have to moisturize daily…this is why my skin is so soft!” To this day, I love checking out and smelling the variety of lotions and creams in her bathroom. Mom always has the good stuff!
3. Cover Up to Reduce Sun Damage: I’m several shades darker than my mother. Growing up I often thought there wasn’t a need for me to use sunscreen. As a teenager, she mentioned that I could get wrinkles if my skin wasn’t protected properly. I didn’t believe her at first, and then one summer I had an awful case of sunburn. My skin was dry, flaky and my shoulders and face were peeling like crazy. It literally took months to restore the skin back to normal. After that, I committed to sunscreen and covering my sensitive areas with clothing while exposed to the sun.
4. Aloe Vera is Queen: Aloe Vera was a natural healing staple in our family. We used it for everything, but the primary use was skin care. It helped to heal wombs, burns, hydrate and moisturize, soothe, reduce inflammation, and she definitely used it improve skin elasticity after a sunburn episode. For time to time, she would also use it for digestion and constipation. A much better option for little bellies.