Photo Credit: kangbch via Pixabay, Edition by Pamclamille for bitlanders.com
Ever wondered how to get a flawless skin or is it too much to ask for? Most of us try every new face wash, sunscreen, and anti-aging cream that hits the market, and we’re ever so willing to try anything under the sun to get a beautiful skin. We’re looking for amazing skin care tips that keep blemishes at bay and enhance our natural beauty. Whether we have time for intensive skin care or not, it’s still necessary to pamper ourselves by acing the basics.
Being healthy is something I learned from a very young age. Looking after yourself on the inside helps with your energy, makes your skin glow, and changes your whole outlook on life.
Video Credit: BRIGHT SIDE via Youtube
Late nights can lead to dark circles in the morning and expect yourself to spy a zit. Yes, when you’re stressed, you tend to break out more. It is because stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones that make the skin more oily. Even though we are well aware of the basic CMT (cleanser-toner-moisturizer) technique, healthy lifestyle choices are still the best way to help delay natural aging and prevent various skin problems.
While some spend thousands of bucks on cosmetics and in a beauty parlor for skin care treatments, why not follow simple tricks regularly to get beautiful skin naturally? Stop wasting so much money on honing your body and looks if there are many other ways you can do on a daily basis to keep your skin healthy without breaking the bank. Given below are the simple ways to make people say that you look 10 years younger.
1. DRINK enough WATER daily.
Photo Credit: PhotoMIX Ltd. via Pexels
Even with a small amount of dehydration, it will take a toll on your skin, causing it to look dull, flaky, saggy, and loose - which is a big NO for us. The skin, like every part of the body, needs proper hydration to prevent dryness and flakiness, which will prevent wrinkling and make lines less noticeable. The traditional guideline for water consumption is eight cups per day but fruits and vegetables also contain water. Watermelon, cucumber, grapefruit, cantaloupe, orange, and strawberry have high water content and a great diet regime for healthy skin. Eating them counts toward your daily hydration to achieve a soft, supple, and dewy look. Listen to your body about water consumption, so if you’re thirsty, drink up to keep your skin hydrated.
2. PROTECT yourself from SUN EXPOSURE.
Photo Credit: rawpixel.com via Pexels
It’s true that small amount of daily sun produce vitamin D and are beneficial, however, too much of it will damage your skin and lead to skin cancer. Furthermore, exposure to the sun without any protection also causes the signs of premature aging, including freckles, age spots, and wrinkles, and it destroys collagen and elastin. The rays of the sun are harmful beyond thoughts especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunscreen is a must for your skin whether the sun is out today or it’s cloudy. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF between 30 and 50 all year round and wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts with high collars, pants, and wide-brimmed hats.
3. REMOVE makeup and MINIMIZE makeup usage.
Photo Credit: Anderson Guerra via Pexels
The skin needs to breathe overnight so make sure you always remove your makeup before hitting the sheets. Even if you're too tired after a long party, your face needs to be cleared of all the chemicals from it. If you go to bed with all this makeup on, it clogs the pores which may cause blemishes and blackheads. Although using a blush, concealer, and foundation may add a fine coating to your skin making it glowing skin, what about your real skin? No matter how expensive the brand is, it damages your skin to a large extent so let it breathe from time to time.
4. QUALITY SLEEP is very important.
Photo Credit: Pixabay via Pexels
The skin rejuvenates and repairs itself mostly while you’re asleep so make sure that you sleep for eight hours a day. During this time, our bodies secrete certain growth hormones, and this leads to collagen production. When you don’t let yourself get enough shut-eye, your skin gets tired just like you – it sags and you get bags, so don’t risk it. Sleep deprivation lowers circulation, which is why you look pale and washed out every time you only get a few hours of it. Don’t forget to moisturize your face before going to bed because your body’s cellular renewal team has the night shift, this is when you want to equip your skin with as many nutrients and hydrating ingredients it needs to do a great job.
5. Find time to EXERCISE REGULARLY.
Photo Credit: bruce mars via Pexels
Exercise on a regular basis increases the circulation of oxygen and nutrients and releases toxins through sweat which leads to clearer skin. Each time you go running, jogging or even yoga, it will give your body the necessary blood circulation, which accelerates the cleansing process of your entire body, including your skin. Be sure to apply toner before heading out to help minimize oil production and rehydrate your body after a good workout. If you’re racing against time, just take a brisk walk around the block. Smiling is also the best exercise for your face that may slow down the skin’s aging process. Remember, sweat it out and keep on smiling!
6. DON'T SMOKE, it’s bad for the skin.
Photo Credit: silviarita via Pixabay
Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow making the skin look paler, older, and contributes to wrinkles. This also depletes the skin oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health, and damages collagen and elastin - the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, it increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer while the repetitive facial expression you make when smoking such as pursuing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke can contribute to more wrinkles. Smoking, like stress, has a negative impact on your health and speeds up how quickly your skin ages.
7. CUT DOWN on all UNHEALTHY food.
Photo Credit: Trang Doan via Pexels
A healthy diet such as eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help you look and feel your best. Although the association between diet and acne isn’t clear, some studies suggest that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements, and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote a younger looking skin. The fatty acids are crucial for your skin to look youthful while foods with antioxidants are the best resources your body has to fight disease and aging by reducing damage and inflammation. You are what you eat, and tomatoes, for instance, are great for the skin because it makes your skin smoother and boost collagen. Keep note of what you put on your plate to achieve more radiant skin.
8. Never forget to RELAX AND UNWIND.
Photo Credit: Adrienn via Pexels
High levels of stress will compromise your skin and trigger acne breakouts. The results of uncontrolled stress might be more dramatic than you expect. It can wreak havoc on your skin and body, as well as your mind, and the hormones your body releases in response to stress can exacerbate things like psoriasis, dermatitis, and acne. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list, and engage in activities that relieve stress. Make time to do the things you enjoy, or consider yoga and meditation. Eliminate problematic people from your life and find healthy ways to manage your stress.
9. CONSULT A DERMATOLOGIST if needed.
Photo Credit: rawpixel.com via Pexels
Seek professional help for irregular skin issues including unexplained hives, blisters, rashes, or scaling. Educate yourself about the things that irritate your skin, allergens, and other sensitivities so that you can distinguish between a regular reaction to something versus a skin change or condition that requires the attention of a doctor. Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells caused by DNA mutations, and the primary cause of these mutations is UV exposure – which needs immediate treatment – so keep an eye out for any signs of it. If you notice chronic inflammation, redness, itching, or discoloration that are not caused by bites, scrapes, scratches, or bumps, don’t hesitate to make an appointment to see a dermatologist.
Final Remarks
Video Credit: The Whole Happy Life via Youtube
There may not be a fountain of youth but the food you eat and how you treat yourself can slow down the signs of aging. As you get older, your body needs the right nutrients to fight off damage and help the cells replicate. Processed food, low-nutrient diet, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and lack of exercise will accelerate aging. If you keep these unhealthy habits throughout your life, you will never have a vibrant and youthful skin.
A build-up of toxins in the body due to the air, water, and food cause damage to the body, so cleansing your body is also important. Having a glass of water with squeezed lemon first thing in the morning is a good way of detoxing. While there are many foods that are good for you – such as fruit – that contain sugar, watch out for added sugar in processed food because sugar molecules attach themselves to protein molecules, that can damage collagen and elastin. Too much intake of it can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin.
Avoid “miracle cures” or overly-hyped results, your goal should be a healthy, happy skin, not the same skin you had when you were eighteen. Did you know that even claims like “clinically proven” are actually baseless? It just means that consumers were allowed to try the product before it was sold to the market and using too many anti-aging products can over-stress your skin, making it look even older. Don’t experiment with every cream and technique in the world, just choose the things that work for you. Skin ages naturally, we can only slow down the process but we don’t have the power to stop the clock. Your skin is the wholistic representation of who you are so let yourself age gracefully.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for reading and have a great day.
Come and join us in Bitlanders. Let your voice be heard!
All Rights Reserved, 2019.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
