While it is no secret – your skin is the single largest organ in your body – sometimes it can be extremely difficult to keep it looking and feeling its absolute best! Whether you are seeking skin care advice for skin disorders, protection, or cosmetic purposes, the following tips and tricks are an excellent starting point.
To avoid drying out your skin you should stay away from harsh chemicals and cleansers. Those cleansers with exfoliating beads can be bad, too. A gentle cleaner is all you need to wash away makeup and oil that has built up throughout the day. If you use other products with harsh chemicals, you run the risk of irritating your skin or drying it out, as they contain ingredients that can cause excessive drying or inflammation.
Take good care of your skin by drinking enough water. Your body is made up mostly of water, and your skin is no exception. It needs water to repair itself and to create new skin cells. The standard recommendation is to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, but you may find you need to drink more or less to have plump, moist skin.
One way to improve your skin is to drink plenty of water. Water is the largest part of what makes us up our body at the cellular level; drinking lots of water will not only keep you hydrated, it will keep your cell walls nice and plump. You can also freshen your complexion throughout the day with a micro-mist of water on your face.
If you have problems with enlarged, empty pores, apply a small amount of milk of magnesia over the affected areas. This helps by absorbing excessive oil and creating a smooth surface over which you can apply your foundation. For an enhanced matte effect, apply an oil-absorbing toner after the milk of magnesia and before applying foundation.
You should stay away from heat if you have a red skin. Extreme heat can cause broken capillaries and make your skin look flushed. You should avoid saunas, steam rooms and stay inside if it is extremely hot. Eating spicy foods can have the same effect: choose milder foods for a better skin.
When shopping for sunblocks, look for products that contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, as these two ingredients form a physical barrier and not just a chemical one. Also, be aware of the differences in coverage implied by the different SPF ratings. Even an SPF 50 product blocks only 98% of UV rays; in other words, no product blocks absolutely everything.
If you smoke, quit. Aside from all the other major risks associated with smoking, it can also cause wrinkles and make you look older. Blood flow to the outer layers of skin is reduced in smokers, which cuts off the supply of vital nutrients, like oxygen and vitamin A. Moreover, smoking reduces the skin’s elasticity and makes it more prone to stretching and sagging from the repeated expressions, made while smoking.
If you have serious skin issues then you should consider a chemical skin treatment. In these treatments, special substances destroy the bonds between cells and remove keratinized layers. This will leave your skin looking smooth and healthy. However, this can cause reddening and allergic reactions in certain circumstances.
Keep an arsenal of skin care products next to your bed. Make sure to apply items like lip balm, cuticle oil, and hand cream before going to sleep each night. You are more likely to use these skin rejuvenating products if they are convenient for you to access.
For healthy skin, stay away from unhealthy items: Caffeine drinks are particularly bad for your skin. Drinks such as soda, tea, and coffee, will damage your skin. Alcohol is also. It may be hard to stay completely away from these things, but if you can use them in moderation, your skin will thank you. Smoking will both damage and age your skin quickly!
Give your skin a break. Always remove your makeup before going to bed, using a gentle cleanser. Go makeup-free one day a week if possible. This gives your skin a chance to breathe and rejuvenate itself. If the thought of going completely barefaced doesn’t appeal to you, use tinted moisturizer for a little color.
Be sure to moisturize every day to take care of your skin. The best time to do this is right after a shower or a bath to seal in the moisture that you already absorbed in the shower. You can try a variety of different lotions and moisturizers to see what works best for you.
Try to keep stress levels under control to aid in healthy skin. People that are subjected to constant, high levels of stress will generally have more incidents of acne breakouts and sensitive skin irritations than those that don’t due to the chemical imbalances stress can create within the body.
If your skin is oily, do not use any moisturizers or sunscreens that contain oil. Oil from moisturizers and lotions can clog your pores and lead to blackheads. Your skin is already producing enough oil naturally during the day, so you should look for oil-free products to stabilize the oil production on your face.
Add humidity to your air during the winter. If you have a furnace or heater, it may dry up the air in your home significantly. Dry air will dry up your skin. You can use a purchased humidifier or you can put water near a heat source to add water to the air.
The key to getting your face really clean is to scrub your face longer. A lot of people think that you need to scrub your face harder. However, this does not help. Scrubbing your face for a longer period of time is the best way to get your face clean.
Now that you are more familiar with some of the tips and tricks used to protect, maintain, and improve the texture, tone, and appearance of your skin, apply this information to your daily skin care regimen. Take good care of your skin! Someone has to look out for your largest organ! Your time and effort, doing so, will be well spent!
