Prepping for a Boudoir Photo Shoot

Preparing to take it all off can be a simple and painless process.  In preparation for a boudoir photo shoot the key is proper hydration, plenty of rest, and to moisturize and exfoliate  the skin.  A mani and pedi the day before won't make or break the final image but it's a great excuse to pamper yourself a little more. 

Hydration is key for glowing skin any time of the year. The fall and winter months tend to be drier so you should increase your water intake.  If you don't know how much water you should be consuming to be properly hydrated the rule according to the Mayo Clinic is this: 2.2 liters or 9 cups for women a day and 3 liters or 13 cups for men. Typically in the winter I drink at least that much water a day and I add in either coconut water or aloe water for extra hydration for the skin. You can tell if you are dehydrated by pinching the skin on the back of your hand. If it snaps back into place, you're hydrated. If it doesn't, you need to grab a glass of water. 

Dehydration is bad for beauty because when you are not consuming enough water, the body pulls water out of your largest organ.... the skin. Once your skin drys out it can begin to wrinkle. Your skin is like paper, once you crumple a sheet of paper its nearly impossible to smooth it out and have it appear how it originally did. Every company that sells miracle creams will work hard to convince you that if you slather something on top of your skin you will save yourself from the inevitable aging process when in reality the only way to truly hydrate your skin is from the inside out.  Learn to love water, and put down the diet soda. Add a little lemon, cucumber, and mint to your water for flavor and detoxification. You will look amazing and feel great too! 

Sleep makes all the difference in how refreshed you feel and look. The average American woman sleeps between 5.9 to 6.1 hours a night. The recommended amount we all know is a solid 8.  To look refreshed you should be getting that 8 hours a night. (If you're me its more like 10) So how do you get more sleep? Well, if you have a night time routine start it a little earlier. Try 15 minutes of quiet meditation to calm the mind from the days activities before bed and to help you drift off to dream land. Don't sleep with the TV on or any glowing blue lights in the room. Mobile phone chargers can be a culprit of this indigo glow - which will actually make it harder for you to sleep. There are non-addictive sleep aids to help you too, and I don't mean anything you would buy from a pharmacy. Melatonin is a great sleep aid, is found in the vitamin isle and is drug free. But I find that the best sleep aid is exercise. Go for a walk or do other night time activities to tire you out. It can be fun, and you'll be refreshed in the morning. 

Moisturizing. I know I just told you that no amount of creams will hydrate your skin, which is true but adding a little topical cream will keep you from looking ashy the day of your boudoir session especially if you've been slamming those diet sodas again. I try not to apply any conventional creams or lotions to my skin which can carry and contain numerous toxins and parabins and can actually cause cancer, dry your skin out more, and cause premature aging. So what's a girl to do? I make my own exfoliant and I use natural, organic, cold-pressed oils to clean and moisturize my skin. Yes, I said oil to clean the skin. (I'll create another post just about that) My favorite oil for moisturizing is Organic Avocado Oil. I use this on my face, neck and entire body. Avocado Oil has anti-aging and restorative properties and my skin never feels greasy or dry. Plus my make-up doesn't slide off when I apply it over the Avocado oil. 

Exfoliation is self explanatory, but don't run out and buy a $20 jar of scrub when you can quickly and easily make your own right at home! This way you save money, and can control what you're applying to your skin - which will also be absorbed into your body. My general rule is "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin". Follow these simple tips and not only will you look great, but the recipe and directions for sugar scrub I've posted below makes great hostess or Holiday gifts. Enjoy! 

Sources: 
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
http://www.livescience.com/888-americans-sleep.html

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