In between monthly breakouts, the appearance of fine lines and the occasional sun damage, it’s no surprise that many of us think that having smooth skin is out of reach. Thankfully, skin experts disagree; there are several things that you can incorporate into your daily skincare routine to improve it significantly. We’ve listed just some of the best ways to improve the appearance and health of your skin.
Tip #1. Cut Down on Skin Products
With so many skin creams, lotions and scrubs out there all promising to give you radiant and healthy skin, it might seem counterproductive to cut down on using them. However, according to experts, ‘less is more’ doesn’t just apply to makeup – using too many anti-aging products and other skin creams can lead to irritation of the skin. Overuse can even lead to fine lines and wrinkles – exactly what you were trying to prevent! So, don’t be afraid of letting your skin breathe and using nothing but a light moisturizer.
Tip #2. Stay Hydrated
When it comes to looking after your skin, it’s not just the things that you put on it that you need to be careful with. Since your skin is the largest organ in your body, what you eat and drink has a huge effect on its appearance and health. To retain its elasticity and optimum performance, it’s important that you make sure your skin is properly hydrated. To do this, you should aim to drink around 2L – or around eight glasses – of water per day. This will improve your skin from the inside out and have a positive impact on other areas of your health and appearance.
Tip #3. Exfoliate
To get instantly smoother and softer skin, you will need to get rid of the layer of dead skin cells that are on the surface. Exfoliating is one of the best ways to do this. You can use a specially designed exfoliating glove or sponge, or alternatively, you can get exfoliating soaps with beads that will scrub the dead skin cells away, revealing the soft skin underneath. Exfoliating your skin regularly will speed up the process of cell regeneration and allows your body to produce more moisture-rich properties, for example hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin, all of which will make your skin look and feel much better.
Tip #4. Prepare Well
If, like most women today, you shave, wax or epilate your skin to remove hairs, then it’s important that you prepare properly. Waxing in particular can be very damaging to skin without the right preparation beforehand, and aftercare. Before you use hair removal wax, it’s important to take steps to ensure that your skin is protected. You can do this by gently exfoliating your skin a day or two prior, letting the hairs grow out a little and making sure that your skin is hydrated and moisturized. This will help you to avoid any adverse effects of waxing, and can even help to ensure better results so that you can go longer before your next hair removal procedure.
Tip #5. Use Sun Protection
If you only ever think about using sunscreen when you are on vacation or when it’s really warm outside, then you may want to consider increasing your usage. Even if it’s dismal outside, the harmful UV rays of the sun can cause more damage to your skin than you realize. To prevent this, you should always use a moisturizer that contains sun protection factor (SPF). Along with keeping your skin hydrated, this will protect it from sun damage whenever you step outside. Also consider using indoor tanning lotions.
Tip #6. Wash Your Makeup Brushes
Be honest – how often do you give your makeup brushes a good scrub? Since it can be difficult to tell if they’re getting dirty, many of us don’t clean our makeup applicators as often as we should. However, not doing so can lead to problems with your skin. Each time you apply makeup to your face using a brush or sponge, it picks up dead skin cells and bacteria from your skin. If you don’t wash your brushes, all this gunk will end up being transferred back onto your face, where it can get into your pores and cause breakouts. Ideally, you should aim to thoroughly clean your makeup brushes and sponges at least once per month with a natural soap.
Tip #7. Try Home Remedies
Although there’s a plethora of skincare products readily available for you to buy from your local drugstore or grocery store, many great products for your skin can already be found at home. For example, coconut oil has a great reputation for its many health benefits, one of which is moisturizing and hydrating the skin with all-natural ingredients. You can also use olive oil, strawberry face masks, yoghurt masks, lemon juice and much more to improve the appearance of your skin.
Tip #8. Moisturize
It cannot be stressed enough how important regularly moisturizing your skin is. Using a good day moisturizing lotion then switching to a specially designed night cream will help your skin to stay smooth and hydrated and looking its best. For the night time, experts advise using a moisturizing product that contains a retinoid; this will help to normalize skin cell turnover and stimulate collagen growth, leading to smoother and more elastic skin.
Tip #9. Skin Treatments
Lastly, if your skin is particularly damaged or you simply feel that it’s in need of some TLC, you might want to consider going for a skin treatment. Microdermabrasion, for example, is a popular treatment that you can find on offer in most good dermatological clinics. This treatment uses non-allergenic crystals to remove the outermost layer of dead cells on your skin, revealing the youthful, smooth and healthy complexion underneath. Or you can opt for PRP skin treatment, which is treatment that uses your own blood to stimulate collagen production and cell migration. If you have suffered from acne in the past that has left you with scarring, there are various treatments that you might want to consider that will reduce the appearance of marks and scars.
Flawless skin is more achievable than you realize! With the right skincare strategies, you can stop worrying about breakouts and enjoy your youthful looks.
