Many factors decide the appearance of your skin, including:
Genetics Age Diet Hormones Stress Hygiene
Common skin problems include dry or oily skin and skin which is prone to blemishes. These problems can often be resolved with healthy lifestyle choices, and even some fun activities like daily scrubs. If you suffer from a more serious problem, however, like stubborn rashes or painful irritation, it may be wise to have professionals take a look at it. Simple techniques like these won’t treat serious conditions.
1. Yoga
Did you know that just by breathing, our bodies are removing harmful toxins which may otherwise end up in our skin, causing blemishes and other problems? Yoga is a healthy and low-impact way to improve flexibility, physical health, as well as our breath control. The deep, focused, healing breaths taken during yoga workouts is just what your skin needs to stay clear.
2. Take the Stairs!
Just as yoga helps control and maximize the detoxifying power of breathing, cardio workouts are a triple-whammy of positive benefits for the skin. Cardio exercise gets your heart pumping, which improves circulation and breathing rate. Cardio workouts are also shown to reduce stress. Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth during any cardio work to get the most out of it. Take the stairs, park at the end of the lot when grocery shopping, and always be on the lookout for opportunities to get your heart pumping.
3. Prepare for the Elements
The local weather can have a serious impact on the health of your skin. For instance, people who live in arid, dry places suffer from cracked, itchy skin, while people in humid places have issues with sweat and oil. Compensate accordingly by using proper skin regiments based on your local weather, and seasonal changes. This means moisturizing when it’s dry, and deep cleansing when it’s humid. The sun can also pose a serious threat to your skin! Always apply SPF 30 or greater when you intend to have some fun in the sun. Even a couple hours of exposure can be damaging without protection.
4. Exfoliation
By now, the word exfoliation should be synonymous with healthy skin. But why does it work? Exfoliation is the use of a gentle solution with an abrasive element, like using a pumice stone or soap with small, granular additives like rock sugar. This helps tear away dead skin, open pores, and improve circulation in the area, far better than using soap alone.
5. Followed by a Natural Clean
Once your skin has been exfoliated, it is perfectly primed to be cleaned with a natural, gentle soap that will moisturize and nourish. Avoid soaps with sodium lauryl sulfate (or SLS), parabens, “fragrance”, and other toxic additives.
6 Stay Seasonal
As mentioned earlier, depending on where you live, you could face different skin challenges. If you experience seasons, you know that winter is more dry, while summer is more humid and hot. Both seasons require a different skin regiment, so be sure to update yours every 6 months.
7. Cucumbers Really Work!
We’ve all seen pictures of women at the salon wearing cucumber slices on their eyes, but does it work? In short, yes! Cool cucumbers have a number of properties which compress puffy under eyes, improve circulation, and better our appearance.
8. Don’t Use Expired Product!
As tempting as it may be to stretch your mascara or foundation past its expiration date, doing do could damage your skin! As we use makeup, bacteria from our faces is transferred back into the container, and over time leads to dangerous levels of harmful bacteria in your product. If makeup ever starts to smell bad, or if it’s losing its original consistency, it’s time to throw it out.
9. Always Remove Makeup Before Bed
We sweat while we sleep, and excrete natural oils. Makeup left over from the night before gets caught in our pores, mixing with sweat and skin oils to create a nasty concoction. Always remove your makeup before bed to avoid waking up with blemishes or worse.
10. Limit Junk
Fatty foods and foods filled with sugar are known to alter our hormones. This can result in oily or dull skin, as well as blemishes. In moderation, fat and sugar can be part of a healthy diet, but for your overall health, always limit junk foods. Doing so will give your skin a chance to reach its full potential.
11. Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
Our skin is the body’s largest organ and requires plenty of rich nourishment from our food to maintain a healthy glow. Fruits and vegetables are ideal, especially those with the vitamin B complex, vitamin E, as well as zinc and sulfur.
12. Getting Enough Water
It is critical to a healthy lifestyle and glowing skin that you remain hydrated. Water helps carry toxins and sodium out of the body, and the average person needs to consume about 100 ounces per day. Consuming doesn’t necessarily mean drinking, though, as we get over a fifth of our water from food. To achieve more vibrant skin, replace the sugary drinks in your diet with water or unsweetened tea. When your urine is clear or light yellow, you’ll know you’re getting enough water.
13. Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol can be a fun way to relieve stress, but it puts more stress on your skin and immune system than its helping. Alcohol is full of toxins that are bad for the skin and dehydrates you to boot. Reduce your alcohol consumption to see better skin results.
14. Don’t “Pop” Pimples!
When you wake up to a new blemish, your first instinct may be to pinch it, but resist the urge! Breaking open blemishes can cause infections, make the blemish worse, and ultimately result in scarring. It’s always better to let the blemish resolve itself.
15. Pull Your Hair Back as You Sleep
No matter how freshly-showered, your hair is a source of oil and debris that when pressed against your face at night can lead to blemishes and redness. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back before bedtime. This will keep the oils from your hair away from your face, with the added bonus of keeping your hair untangled.
16. Keep Pillows and Pillowcases Clean
Just like hair is oily, so can your pillows and pillowcases pick up oil and debris from your face and hair while you sleep. It’s important to regularly clean your pillowcases (at least once a week), as you spend up to 8 hours in bed a day, and that’s plenty of opportunity for cross contamination. Don’t waste time with a before-bed regiment of exfoliation and deep cleansing, only to put your face on a dirty pillow at night! That’s It! Think you can follow these simple rules to achieve healthy, vibrant, glowing skin? We have faith that you can! By adding these steps into your daily routine, you’ll find that better skin is easier to keep than you ever imagined.
