Who doesn’t want fresh, hydrated, and glowing skin?
So, do you want to know how to get great clear skin? The #1 way you can get a great complexion is determined by what you put inside your body and wearing SPF. I love and have fun with trying different skin care products and love makeup. For my first beauty post instead of posting a product, I thought to address the most important issue of doing what’s best for your skin health. If I didn’t have a healthy diet, my complexion wouldn’t be great. Of course, everyone’s skin is different, and if you get acne it can be a hormonal issue, or you could be allergic to an ingredient in your makeup/skincare item that causes you to have breakouts. So, if you feel your complexion is not at your best try the following below!
1. Drink Plenty of Water
Our skin is our largest organ, so it should be no surprise that water is the best thing we can drink for healthy skin. Water removes toxins for our body and helps replenish the tissue of the skin. There are health experts out there who advise people to drink 1 gallon of water a day! That’s a lot of water, but I would say aim for at least 8 glasses a day(that’s like 4 water bottles worth). You can space out your water intake from the morning to nighttime.
2. Wear SPF 30+ Everyday
The best way to prevent against skin cancer and signs of aging is always to put on that sunscreen. You should apply it at least 20 minutes before going outdoors so it can sink in. And, you should reapply every 3 hours again. If you are like most people and won’t reapply your makeup during the day then consider a powder foundation with SPF or even an SPF setting spray. In general, though, don’t rely on the sunscreen in your favorite makeup products only because, studies found you would have to use a lot of the product to actually get the recommended sun protection the product states it can provide. Look for sunscreen with SPF 30+ and one that has both UVA( protect against premature aging) and UVB(protect against sunburns) protections. And, remember to wear that sunscreen even on cloudy days!
3. Eat colorful fruits and veggies
This shouldn’t be a surprise. But, you are what you eat to a certain extent. Eat all those healthy fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fishes. I could make a blog post of hundreds of healthy foods and how they benefit your skin. But, if it is healthy food, then you can be sure it will benefit your skin in one way or another. For example, the following foods help in the following ways:
– Blueberries: loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C which prevent against aging skin.
– Tomatoes: are full of vitamin C, and helps to firm skin
– Fish: have healthy omega-3 fatty acids which are great for healthy supple skin. Try eating wild salmon which is full of good omega-3 fatty acids
– Dark Leafy Greens: Kale and Spinach are my go-to items in my fridge. Why? Because its full of antioxidants that help with anti-aging. And, improves your skin’s hydration.
4. Drink Green Tea Daily
It’s no secret antioxidants are the gold standard when it comes to healthy food and anti-aging. And, green tea is chock full of antioxidants and is full of polyphenols which help reduce redness in the skin, and can help aid in skin issues like eczema.
5. Eat A Low Sugar Diet and Cut Out Refined Sugar
Sugar causes inflammation in our body. Eating a high sugar diet affects the blemishes we have already by boosting our skins oil production. To make matters worse sugar breaks down our collagen which leads to wrinkles. You shouldn’t have a diet filled with refined sugar(like bread, sweets, and other processed foods). But, you should also not go overboard with your fruit consumption either. Fruit may breakdown in our body slower than processed foods filled with refined sugar, but to me sticking to a low sugar diet is best.
6. Wear Sunglasses Everyday
Eyes are said to show the first sign of again. The skin around our eyes is the most delicate. So, it’s important to wear sunglasses that protect against both UVA(Ultraviolet A rays penetrate deep into the skin where they can cause aging and damage) and UVB( Ultraviolet B rays cause sunburn). So, in wearing sunglasses, it can help us prevent wrinkles under our eyes. Also, wearing sunglasses protect our eyes from getting cataracts. ( Some experts say there is no real way to prevent cataracts because it is something we all get when we get old from normal aging. But, I believe if you start where sunglasses religiously when you are young it can prevent you from getting cataracts.
7. Get Yearly Skin Checks From Your Dermatologist
I didn’t go to a dermatologist for the first time until I was 20 and wanted to know a way to fade an acne scar I had just gotten. I never had a real need to go to a dermatologist since I didn’t have any skin issues or acne growing up. It was then I had my first skin check and do so every year. Especially if you are someone who enjoys spending their days outside. Going for a skin checkup can actually save your life; because skin cancer is on the rise. If you notice a change in color or size of a mole on your body, you get it checked out. People go for annual physicals and go to their dentist for cleanings twice a year. So, when it comes to your bodies biggest organ your skin, you should get it looked at every year.
8. Don’t Touch Your Face and Pick At Blemishes
I try so hard to follow this rule, but when it comes to a blemish that is big and juicy, I can’t help but pop it. And, then 70% of the time it leaves a scar and doesn’t go away for months. Our hands touch many dirty things. From our phones, computers, door handles, to escalator railings. There are germs all over, so if we touch our face with our hands before washing them we are just transferring all those germs to our face, and it makes our face more likely to get clogged from dirt and oils from those surfaces. And, when you pick a blemish with your fingers even if you clean them you’re causing your skin to get irritated and inflame your already inflamed pimple and can allow more dirt to get in. Just don’t touch your face unless you’re washing it or putting products on your face.
9. Use Your Headphones When Making Calls
Ever notice yourself getting breakouts on the side of your face you hold your phone? Cellphones have so much bacteria on them we can’t see, so when you put your phone by your ear all that bacteria transfer to your face. Just use your headphones or make sure you wipe down your phone with a disinfectant wipe.
10. Take Breaks From Wearing Makeup
I love makeup, but I don’t wear it every day. Why? Because I believe in letting my face breath. Instead, I focus on skin care for that day. Think about everything a typical makeup lover wears in this order: Sunscreen, Primer, Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Highlighter, Blush, Finishing Spray. So, while it may not feel heavy on your face, you are clogging your pores temporarily with products. But, over the long term, you are actually causing enlarged pores. A lot of the time makeup can cause us to break out, especially if we don’t know there is an ingredient that we are allergic to. Most makeup even the ones that claim to be 100% “clean” makeup have ingredients that are harmful to your face in the long run. So, when you give your skin time to breath, it helps with your skin’s cell turn over which leads to healthy complexion.
11. Get Plenty Of Sleep
When you sleep your body repairs and renews itself. During sleep, the body fights off infections and fights off infections even happening in a blemish. Also, having a poor sleep can cause imbalances in of skin which causes our skin to be dehydrated and leads to blackheads. To be safe just get eight hours of sleep. One of the easiest things you can do for your face.
12. Change Your Pillowcase Weekly
If you think about it, you spend eight hours a night with your face laying down on a pillowcase cover that over the week collects dirt and bacteria from our dead skin, oils from our skincare and haircare products, and sweat. There are so many ways we can get blackheads and acne, so the least we can do is change our pillowcase weekly.
13. Always Take Your Makeup Off At Night
At night our skin regenerates itself and heals, but it can’t do that efficiently if our skin is clogged with makeup that we wore for the whole day. We need to unclog our pores from the makeup we caked on it and the pollution from the day. When our face is clean at night, our pores are relaxed, and sebum is produced which hydrates our skin. So, if you don’t want to get a blemish just wash your face.
14. Wash Your Face With Cold Water
Hot water dries out your skin. No one likes dry skin. We all want glowing and dewy looking skin. There are thousands of products out there that give the promise of hydrated skin. But, the simplest thing you can do for hydrated skin is to not dry it out in the first place by washing your face with only cold water. For all of my life in the morning, I just splash my face with cold water, and I don’t use any face wash in the morning. Although, if you have oily or acne prone skin it would be wise to use some acne face wash in the morning.
15. Don’t Smoke
I think by now the whole universe knows the dangers of smoking. Here’s what smoking can do to your skin; causes baggy under eyes, premature aging, dry skin, duller skin, uneven skin tone, and a higher risk of getting psoriasis ( a skin condition). If you smoke, you should just throw away all your skincare items because smoking is the #1 most destructive thing you can do for your skin and really your whole body.
16. Clean Your Makeup Brushes Often
You clean your face daily, so why not clean your brushes often? Dirt, oil, and bacteria can become trapped in your brushes that you use every day. The best thing to do would be to clean them weekly. Personally, I remember to wash mine bi-monthly.
