Bestselling author and beauty expert Elizabeth TenHouten has cracked the code for youthful, glowing skin based on creative, natural remedies using a diverse array of ingredients found in nature. From healing mud from the Dead Sea to lavender honey from Spain, Elizabeth has traveled the world, looking for the best ingredients and methods for rejuvenating the skin and helping people feel beautiful both inside and out.
Her collection of knowledge and experiences, both as a globetrotting beauty and skincare expert and as CEO of BeautyRich Skincare, has inspired her to share her knowledge as a columnist and contributing beauty expert for publications such as DiscoverBeauty.com, ShareCare.com, and Beverly Hills Time Magazine. She has also provided a treasure trove of information in the books Cooking Well: Beautiful Skin: Over 75 Antioxidant-Rich Recipes for Glowing Skin and Natural Beauty: Homemade Recipes for Skin and Hair. Today, she has graciously shared some of her favorite tips and recipes so that our readers can begin their journey towards achieving the ageless, glowing skin that they've always wanted.
Consume Food High in Antioxidants
The idea for Cooking Well: Beautiful Skin began when Elizabeth discovered that antioxidants were an elixir of life for the skin while researching the role that nutrition plays in skincare. Antioxidants have a host of benefits for the skin, including protecting the skin from damage and wrinkles, hydrating the skin, and preventing the inflammation and blocked pores that cause acne.
While driving through Los Angeles, Elizabeth came across a billboard advertising a pomegranate juice drink high in antioxidants. This inspired her to do more research into which foods were high in antioxidants, as this was a topic that was often neglected in the fields of skincare and beauty. After diving deeper into all the literature on antioxidants, she concocted her first antioxidant-rich recipe that would be delicious and helpful for keeping the skin healthy and nourished.
This first recipe was antioxidant salmon with a sweet glaze made from berry puree:
Antioxidant Salmon
Ingredients:
– 1/3 cup water
– 2 (5-ounce) filets of salmon
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
– 20 blackberries, reserve 2 for garnish
– 20 raspberries
– 1/4 cup honey
– 6 leaves radicchio
Preparation:
• Place water in a small sauté pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Place salmon in pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover tightly with a lid or with foil. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 10–12 minutes, until salmon is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, make the berry glaze by pureeing the blackberries, raspberries, and honey in a blender or small food processor until nearly smooth. Set aside.
• Place radicchio on plates. Remove salmon from pan and place on top of radicchio. Pour berry glaze over salmon and garnish with whole or chopped remaining berries.
• Makes two servings.
Use Household Ingredients for Topical Remedies
In her second book, Natural Beauty: Homemade Recipes for Skin and Hair, Elizabeth explored ways to take advantage of the natural properties of common household ingredients such as avocados, grapefruit, olive oil, honey, and sugar. Taking a decidedly do-it-yourself approach, she repurposed these food ingredients into homemade skincare products and remedies. With a bit of knowledge about how these ingredients can be used, anyone can become a budding beauty expert in the comfort of their home.
One example of her creative home remedies is the cellulite-reducing body scrub known as "Circulation Circles":
Circulation Circles
Ingredients:
– 3 tablespoons olive oil
– 5 tablespoons coffee grounds
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– 3 drops of orange essential oil
Preparation and Application:
• Mix the coffee grounds and sugar in a small bowl.
• Brown sugar will add a sweet smell to your body scrub.
• The orange essential oil will add a pleasant aroma and add to the moisturizing benefits you get from the olive oil.
• Add oils to your mixture and blend together until you have a grainy paste.
• Apply to your inner and outer thighs in an upward, circular motion to diminish the appearance of cellulite and exfoliate your skin for a better shave.
Cultivate Your Inner Beauty
Throughout all of Elizabeth's work runs the inspiring ethos that beauty is not simply a matter of physical appearance but of cultivating your inner, authentic self and feeling comfortable in your own skin. It is not just about looking better but feeling better and having the unbreakable confidence to face every day head-on. For this reason, Elizabeth's books are not just a list of recipes but also a manual for self-care and developing a better mind-body connection. Her guided meditations and holistic approach promote a lifestyle that replaces stress with self-love. To this end, setting aside time for yourself is one of her most important beauty tips.
In addition to her many creative projects, Elizabeth has continued to inspire people as a beauty expert through her many speaking engagements and media appearances. She has appeared on television programs such as KTLA News and It's Your Health TV, as well as in online tutorials for eHow.com. She hopes to continue connecting with people and sharing her beauty secrets for as long as people are searching for that perfect, youthful skin glow.