Clean Beauty 101: Clean Up for Clear, Glowing Skin

You’ve heard of ‘clean beauty’ – here’s The Clean Beauty Reset: how to clean up your skincare, diet + mindset for radiant skin.

Let’s be real – when it comes to skincare, most of us have been there: frantically Googling “best acne products,” slathering on everything with the word “clarifying” on it, and hoping for a miracle. But here’s the thing: clear, healthy skin isn’t just about what you put on your face – it’s about what you put in your body and how you talk to yourself, too.

So if you’re ready to clean up your skincare routine, nourish your skin from the inside out, and say goodbye to those self-sabotaging thoughts (because stressed-out skin’s a thing), consider this your ultimate guide.

Step 1: Cleaning Up Your Skincare (Ditching the Hidden Skin Saboteurs)

Your skincare products should be working for your skin, not against it. But so many formulas are packed with pore-clogging, hormone-disrupting ingredients that could be making your skin worse – not better.

Ingredients to Watch Out For:

• Comedogenic Ingredients. If you’re acne-prone, steer clear of heavy oils and waxes like coconut oil, cocoa butter, isopropyl myristate + lanolin, which can all clog pores + trigger breakouts.
• Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). These sneaky compounds mess with your hormones and can contribute to breakouts, hormonal imbalances, and even long-term bigger-picture health concerns. The biggest culprits? Parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances + oxybenzone.
• Harsh Sulfates + Alcohols. These strip your skin’s natural barrier, leaving it dry, irritated, and more prone to breakouts. Look out for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) + denatured alcohol in cleansers + toners.

Clean Beauty Skincare:

• Opt for non-comedogenic skincare with breathable ingredients that won’t clog your pores
• Choose fragrance-free or naturally scented products to avoid hidden irritants – just be careful with too many potent essential oils!
• Look for EDC-free labels (think “paraben-free”, “SLS-free”, etc.) when shopping for skincare + makeup

Swap out your skincare products gradually – if you change everything overnight, it can be hard to pinpoint what’s working (+ what’s not)… not to mention, pretty expensive + overwhelming!

Step 2: Cleaning Up Your Diet (Because Food = Skin Fuel)

You know what they say: “You are what you eat”. And what you eat has everything to do with how your skin looks and feels. Certain foods can trigger inflammation, increase oil production, and mess with your gut – leading to breakouts, redness, and dullness.

Foods to eat less of:

• Dairy. Especially heavily processed + large amounts. Research links consuming too much dairy (especially skim milk) to acne flare-ups due to its role in increasing the hormones responsible for oil production: insulin + insulin-like growth factor. In fact, we’re talking a 10-20% rise in these hormones – a flow-on effect of the antibiotics + hormones typically added to non-organic, conventional dairy products.
• Refined sugars + high GI foods. Too many of those sweet treats will spike blood sugars, triggering inflammation + excess oil production, and worsening acne. A super sugary diet also leads to an accumulation of AGE, which breaks down collagen in the body, whilst also robbing the skin of vital nutrients + hydration. Meanwhile, foods high on the Glycaemic Index (aka high GI foods) will elevate insulin levels, which can do two things: stimulate androgen secretion + increase sebum production (hello, acne!).
• Processed foods may survive for weeks, months or even years in your cupboard or on the supermarket shelf… because they contain a cocktail of preservatives, additives, dyes, false flavourings, and very few (/no) beautifying nutrients. Unless you’re keen on inflammation + free radicals running riot in your body and your blood sugars going straight out the window – cut the cr*p.
• Excess caffeine + alcohol will dehydrate your skin + disrupt hormone balance.. Alcohol is similar to sugar (and often full of it) in that overconsumption totally disrupts hormone balance. It also stresses your liver – a big no-no as optimal liver function is vital for removing baddies from your system. Meanwhile, too much caffeine can cause an increase in cortisol – the body’s stress hormone – resulting in wrinkles + belly flab, and not just the jitters. Caffeine throws out your body’s pH levels and overburdens your liver + adrenal glands. Oh, and it can prevent restorative beauty sleep.

Clean Beauty Diet:

• Focus on anti-inflammatory foods like wild-caught salmon, dark green leafy veg, berries, raw nuts + seeds, green tea, and turmeric
• Eat your vitamins – particularly Vitamins C + E. Vitamin C assists in collagen synthesis, reduces inflammation + prevents oxidative damage, and you’ll find it in rockmelon, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, citrus fruits + strawberries. Meanwhile, found in avocado, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds + silverbeet, Vitamin E helps to protect the skin from damage (including sun damage) and keeps skin looking young, supple + congestion-free
• Prioritise gut-loving foods like fermented veggies, bone broth, and prebiotic-packed asparagus + garlic
• Stay hydrated AF – soft, smooth, clear skin thrives on water + mineral-rich hydration, so grab that emotional-support water bottle and enjoy some herbal teas + coconut water

Remember, individuality is key when it comes to forming a perfect, healthy diet for you. What works for some won’t necessarily work for all, but start with the basics and consider your own environment, digestive system, allergies or intolerances + deficiencies to tailor your own beautifying diet.

Step 3: Cleaning Up Your Thinking (Because Your Mindset Affects Your Skin, Too)

Let’s talk about something we don’t always consider when it comes to skin health: your thoughts. If you’re constantly criticising your reflection, stressing over every blemish, or feeling unworthy because of your skin… you’re truly not doing yourself any favours. 

As a naturopath, I believe that underlying each physical issue is a mental/emotional component – certain thoughts, beliefs + patterns – driving it. And what I have noticed is that (when it comes to issues with the skin specifically) it’s highly likely that there’s some of the following going on…

Self-Sabotaging Thought Patterns to Ditch:

• “My skin defines my worth.” Spoiler: It absolutely does not.
• “I’ll be happy when my skin is perfect.” Please don’t wait until your skin is crystal clear to start giving yourself even an ounce of self-love or compassion – what a waste of your precious time + life that would be.
• “I should just cover it up.” Your skin deserves – and is basically crying out for – love, not punishment.
• “I’m not good/pretty/{insert adjective of choice} enough.” Categorically incorrect, babycakes. And I’m sure you’d never say this to a friend – why yourself?!

Clean (+ kind) beauty thinking

Consider this: How can you start to shift the beliefs + thought patterns keeping you stuck? Can you challenge or reframe them? Or can you start by becoming more aware of them (and then stopping them in their tracks)?

• Practice self-compassion. Talk to yourself like you would a best friend.
• Make your skincare routine more mindful – instead of scrubbing + picking the living daylights out of your skin… treat your routine as an act of self-care.
• Use affirmations like “My skin is healing. I am worthy. My beauty is not defined by my blemishes.”

This might sound cliche AF, and I know that changing your thoughts, beliefs + self-talk is a pretty huge (+ scary!) task. But you’ve got this. And you don’t have to do it alone – that’s what extra external support (whether it be a loved one, your health practitioner, a counsellor or psychologist, or all of the above) is there for. 

The Takeaway: Your Glow Comes from the Inside Out

Clean beauty isn’t just about switching to “natural” skincare – it’s about detoxing your products, nourishing your body + shifting your mindset so your skin can truly thrive. By addressing all those sneaky hidden irritants, food triggers + negative thought patterns, you’re setting yourself up for long-term, radiant skin health.

Ready to take your skin healing to the next level? Book a 1:1 consult with me, and let’s create a personalised plan that works for your skin, your body + your lifestyle.