Who doesn’t want to have better, more ageless skin? You don’t have to indulge in expensive and time-consuming beauty regimens just to ensure that your skin is in its best shape. Today we’re going to give you a handful of tips that can help you maintain a glowing skin – without breaking your bank in the process.
Here are some of the things you should consider when wanting to have healthy skin.
- Sun protection – It goes without saying that the prolonged exposure to sunlight can give you age spots, wrinkles, dry your skin, and cause a host of other skin problems – not to mention, makes you susceptible to skin cancer. As such, you should always make it a point to wear sunscreen or sunblock each day, even though you’re just staying indoors. The UVA and UVB rays can still penetrate your skin through the windows – such as your car’s windshield or the window next to your cubicle. Make sure that you follow the succeeding items:
- Your sunscreen must at least be SPF 15 and higher. Apply liberally and reapply as needed, applying more if you have been sweating or swimming.
- Avoid the sun during its peak – between 10 AM to 3 PM, although this can vary depending on the season. This is when the sun’s rays are the strongest and are therefore more likely to cause skin damage.
- Protect your skin by wearing protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants, whenever you are working outdoors during the heat. If you must stay under the sun, then remember to wear a wide-brimmed hat if possible to keep the sun’s rays away from your body and neck.
- Wear sunglasses every time you’re going outdoors as doing so can protect your eye area from wrinkling and aging. This also helps you better as you would no longer have to squint!
- Eat a healthy diet – We’ve talked about the kinds of food you should eat if you are aspiring to have young-looking skin. Indulge in vegetables, plenty of lean proteins, and fruits. Take supplements such as Vitamins A, E, and C to keep your skin healthy, and always remember to drink frequently during the day. Getting enough liquids in your body can hydrate your skin, thereby improving its elasticity and giving you a more youthful glow.
- Live healthier – This means you should give your body enough time to rest so that it can recuperate from your day-to-day activities. Also, high levels of stress can trigger an influx of hormone production in your body. This can trigger acne breakouts, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin problems. If you are dealing with an unhealthy amount of stress in your life, then take a step back and try to set aside time for yourself each day to relax.
Aside from letting go of your stressors and getting enough sleep, you should also think about quitting smoking. Smoking contributes to many health problems, chief among them lung cancer. However, it can also narrow the blood vessels in the topmost layer of the skin, which can decrease blood flow. This means your skin is not getting enough oxygen and nutrients, which can hamper its ability to rejuvenate. Not only that, but smoking also damages elastin and collagen; these important fibers strengthen your skin and improve its elasticity. When you have insufficient collagen and elastin in your body, your skin tends to sag and wrinkle. Lastly, smoking can dry your skin and can contribute to wrinkles – particularly if you add the repetitive facial expressions smokers make, such as squinting their eyes or pursing their lips to inhale the smoke.
- Be kind – Lastly, you have to be kind to your skin. Give it frequent breaks from all the products you use and pamper yourself once in awhile. You can do this by:
- Minimizing your exposure to hot water, as this strips oil off your skin, giving you dry skin. If you cannot tolerate cold water, then opt for a warmer temperature.
- Choose mild beauty products, such as soaps and detergents. This means that you’ll be using gentler materials that are not as laden with strong chemicals as their other counterparts. A trick to know if you’re using gentle materials is this: would you use this item to bathe a newborn? If the answer is no, then you may be using materials harsh for your skin.
- Be careful when you groom your skin, particularly when you shave or wax. Prepare your skin before shaving or waxing, such as by applying a shaving cream or lotion to the area. This way, the blade would glide through and would not cause as much damage to your skin.
- Remember to always moisturize your skin. You can opt for a moisturizer that has SPF capabilities during the day, while you can use a hydrating lotion or heavy cream at night. Doing so would ensure that your skin is properly moisturized and hydrated.
- Keep your makeup clean! For some reason, some women tend to forget this routine when it comes to taking care of their makeup products. Clean and sanitize your sponges or brushes. If you don’t clean them, bacteria and dirt collects on the sponges and can give you nasty breakouts. Also, please check the expiration date on your makeup! Some women tend to hoard makeup products that they do not realize that many of these products are already way past their efficacy.
- Wash your face before going to sleep at night, which also means removing the day’s makeup. Make an effort to do this even though you feel tired.
- In the same vein as keeping your makeup bag clean, you should also make an effort to sanitize your smartphone. You are holding your phone for a long period of time over the day. Just imagine the amount of bacteria and germs that may be on your smartphone’s screen every single time you pick it up to make a call or to SMS! Wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe several times a day – or at least try not to bring it with you to the washroom.