A Wine Fountain and Six Italian Beauty Secrets

Italy just got a wine fountain, so what does that have to do with skin care? Not much directly, but hang with us here. Right about now, when we’re all just a little stressed (okay, a lot stressed) over what the future holds, you might find yourself wondering what is going on with your skin. Bumps, irritations, impactions, redness. (Do not let anyone tell you that stress does not trigger breakouts.)

And then you see an article that says, the first wine drinking fountain just opened in a small town in the Abruzzo region of Italy and it’s free, and you think, if we live in a world where wine flows from a fountain free for all who pass by, maybe everything is not so bad after all.

And that gets you thinking about your next vacation. Perhaps a gentle wandering through the hills of the Abruzzo region where wine flows freely? And this makes you consider how beautiful the whole of Italy is, including its people, and you begin to wonder just what it is that makes their skin so glowing and radiant. Do they even get pimples? (They do.) That question takes you to Google where you discover a wealth of advice from Italian models and grandmothers (along with some simply gorgeous photos of Sophia Loren), and you think maybe you’re on to something here. And so, in a somewhat “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” sort of manner, we have gone from Italian wine fountains to Italian skin care. And, as the Italians would say, ecco, here we are.

Six Italian Beauty Secrets For Healthy, Clear Skin

Eat Well

Tomatoes, olive oil, fresh vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, red wine. The Italian diet is full of antioxidant flavonoids and omega 3 fatty acids, which help fight free radical damage, reduce inflammation and build skin health from the inside out. The anti-inflammatory effects of omega 3 fatty acids work to combat the age-accelerating effects of free radicals. So, mangia bene.

Garlic For Your Face

Garlic is known to have anti-bacterial properties. Many people eat garlic soup to knock out a cold. In Italy, a raw, peeled clove of garlic is often used to knock out zits, rubbing directly over the blemish. If you don’t mind the smell, it may have some benefit. Our alternative is rubbing ice directly onto a blemish to reduce inflammation. Follow that with a bit of BP 10% Gel Medication to kill acne bacteria and clear impactions.

The Pureness Facial Treatment at Four Seasons Florence

The Renaissance city is known for its architecture, its art, its food, and its luxurious facial treatments. Italian beauties check in at the spa at the Four Seasons Florence for regular complexion tune-ups. A little over the budget? Our skin fitness system is the perfect DIY treatment for a clear, untroubled complexion. Perhaps a bit less romantic, but regular use will have you looking like you just spent a week in Florence.

Oversized Sunglasses

The Italians love their sunglasses, and so do we. The bigger the better. And not just because they look extremely chic and sexy. They’re also a surefire way to ward off the paparazzi and crow’s feet. In addition to your daily dab of sunscreen, oversized sunglasses help protect the delicate eye area from the UV radiation that causes wrinkles and aging.

A Signature Fragrance

A lot of our perception of beauty has to do with fragrance. Italian women find one they love and stick with it. We don’t make fragrances, but if we did, we’d want to do it with as much elegance, history and gorgeousness as Santa Maria Novella in Florence.

Nonna Knows

Italian grandmothers swear by olive oil for shiny, lustrous hair and DIY face masks for clear, radiant skin. One of their favorites is a particularly gloopy one involving yogurt and tomatoes. We’re all for the olive oil hair washes, but draw the line at messy food facials. We’ll stick with eating those items for healthy skin from the inside out, and go with a more manageable clay mask for the face. For the definitive detox try our Sulfur Clay Mask with zinc sulfate and salicylic acid.