Skin care is an important part of your well-being, especially because blemishes and other skin problems are plaguing so many Americans. According to one organization, approximately 50 million Americans have acne, making it the most common form of skin problem in the country.
Aside from blemishes like acne and blackhead, other conditions could make your skin look less than stellar. Premature crow’s feet, cracking and dry skin can be just as distressing as acne.
If you want to keep your skin as fresh and as healthy as possible, you don’t have to result to drastic measures such as chemical peels or worrying about preservatives in cosmetics. Sometimes, the best solutions for improving or maintaining your skin are the ones that require the least effort.
Here are seven simple but effective ways to preserve the beauty of your skin.
Hydrate
Dehydration can be deadly, but it can also make your skin look terrible. Without adequate water, your skin will begin drying up which can cause any number of problems. Your skin may get flakey from the lack of moisture and you’re more likely to develop miniature cracks in your skin. It may also lose its firmness, leading to sagginess. Drink plenty of water, at least one glass an hour, and more if you’ve been sweating a lot.
In addition to drinking water, consider the benefits of an IV for dehydration to combat these skin issues. This method delivers hydration directly into your bloodstream, ensuring rapid and effective absorption. It can replenish your body’s hydration levels more efficiently than drinking water alone, helping to maintain your skin’s elasticity and prevent dryness and cracking.
Wash Face Regularly
Too many people go to bed without washing their face. This is unwise because through the course of the day, your face is exposed to multiple particles that could block your pores and lead to acne. Makeup in particular can be quite damaging, especially because a lot of them are abrasive and cause microscopic damage to your face. Before going to sleep or when you get back home after a long day, wash your face with warm water and soap as part of a skin care routine.
Moisturize
Your body doesn’t just need water inside, it requires water on the outside as well. Hydrating your skin is essential in preventing the same damage that can happen to your face if you don’t drink water. Masks and lotions are your skin care ally in this effort. For example, a mud mask infused with macha will not only moisturize your face but also protect your skin from dying out with its covering.
Wear Sunscreen
If dehydration and drying out is the enemy of your skin, then you have to do your best to minimize direct exposure to sunlight. Although the sun is an essential for vitamin D development in your body, too much ultraviolet radiation can begin frying your skin at a cellular level. This is why it’s important that you apply sunscreen whenever you need to go out into the sun for a prolonged time. Whether you’re doing some yardwork or enjoying an afternoon at the beach, sunscreen will help keep ultraviolet light from wrecking your skin.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is great not just for relaxing, but it also gives your body the time it needs to recuperate. Your body repairs itself while you sleep: muscles are knit together; bones are strengthened and your skin gets a new layer of cells. However, if you don’t sleep, you’re going to have less fresh-looking skin. A lack of sleep will also affect your stress levels. Enhanced stress levels lead to spikes of cortisol, which wear out your body and your skin.
Determine Skin Type
Each person’s skin care means different needs and requirements. You need to determine your skin type if you want your efforts to be more effective. Generally speaking, there are three types of skin: oily, dry and combination.
Oily skin produces excessive sebum, this leads to more acne but fewer cracks due to the protection the oil provides. Dry skin produces less than ideal amounts of sebum, meaning your skin may be more affected by temperature and particulates. Combination skin is, as the name implies, a mixture of both. Identifying which skin type you have is important in determining what products you use, among other things.
Watch Your Diet
What you eat will naturally affect what your skin will look like and a recent study determined that diets from the Western hemisphere tend to contribute to more acne and other blemishes. This is the result of more processed foods and grains in the diet. If you want to keep your skin healthy, you also need to make sure your diet remains healthy. Eat more natural food like green vegetables, long grains and fresh fruits while cutting down on white sugar, breads and junk food. This will help maintain clearer, more lush looking skin.
Your skin is more than just a covering, its part of your identity. Keeping it lush and healthy serves more than just improving your appearance. Skin care is an important aspect of your well-being.