We always hear and see commercials trying to sell us products to make us look younger or give us healthy-looking skin. While it may be great to have healthy-looking skin, I think its much better to have actual healthy skin. I am by no means a dermatologist, so before making any radical changes in your routine, feel free to consult a specialist. Many skin's characteristics are hereditary, but here are some simple tips to help you make the best of what you have.
Drink tons of water…
One of the easiest things you can do to promote healthy skin is drink a lot of water. Maintaining proper hydration goes a long way with detoxifying the body, providing moisture, and maintaining elasticity of your skin. If you have problem skin, sufficient water will help stop and prevent breakouts.
It's called “Beauty Sleep” for a reason…
If at all possible, get at least the recommended eight hours of sleep. Your body uses sleep to repair itself, so give it a chance to do its job. Sleep helps with everything from helping relive puffiness and bags around the eyes to reducing the occurrence of breakouts to having enough energy to make it through the day.
Stop consuming toxic waste…
Excess sugar, greasy food, fat, cigarette smoke, and alcohol contain properties that do not promote healthy skin. Keep everything in moderation. A diet high in any of these is sure to age your skin much faster than nature intended.
Eat your rabbit food…
I know it's boring, but your skin will reflect what you put in your body. You treat it well, and it will return the favor. Try making sure you're following your food pyramid and eating your fruits and vegetables.
Your face and your body have different needs…
Don't be fooled into buying every product a skin care line offers because the brochure says you need to. All that is truly needed for a decent skin cleansing routine is a wash (not soap) and a moisturizer (not lotion) for you face and a soap and lotion for the rest of your body. The skin on your face is much thinner, sensitive, and more exposed than the rest of your body, and therefore, has different needs. Using soap on your face may cause excessive dryness and using lotion may clog the pores.
Wash, rinse, repeat…SERIOUSLY…
When you wash your body or face, wash it TWICE. I know this might sound crazy, but the first time you wash your face and body, you are washing off the existing products, dirt, and oil. The second time you wash, you are actually cleansing the skin. You'll notice that the lather is much more rich the second time around.
Pores do NOT open and close, they harden and soften…
When washing your face, you should use lukewarm water to wet the skin before the first and second wash. The lukewarm water will soften the pores and allow for cleansing. Using hot water can dry out your skin too much, causing it overcompensate by producing more oil than necessary. When you rinse your face for the last time, use cool, or cold water. This will harden the pores and prepare your skin for the moisturizer.
Moisturize while skin is still damp…
Moisturizer is designed to keep moisture in, not give you moisture. When you put lotion on your body and moisturizer on your face, you should do so when the skin is still slightly damp. Otherwise you're just paying for something to make your skin smell good.
It takes 30 days to make or break a habit…
If you change products (or start using a product) your skin may have an initial negative reaction. It takes 30 days for your skin to get used to something new. If you have a break out that continues for longer than a couple weeks or so, consider trying something else.
Don't blow your whole paycheck on products…
There are skin products available to fit almost any budget. You don't have to spend a fortune to obtain healthy skin. Cleansing and moisturizing has more of an impact on your skin than the actual product line does. If your skin can handle it, you should exfoliate and/or mask once a week (twice if you have oily skin). However, the basics of healthy skin are simple: watch what you put in your body, clean, and moisturize. Follow these tips and develop a routine that works for you.