The largest body organ is the skin. Its layers shield the body from harm when it is healthy. However, when it is compromised, its ability to act as a barrier diminishes. The skin serves as a window into your body, revealing the stories that shape it, from acne breakouts in your teenage years to a radiant glow during pregnancy and the sunspots of aging. It reflects your health and age.
It’s, therefore, crucial to keep your skin healthy, smooth, and radiant. It will protect it from the sun’s UV rays, dryness, or premature aging. It’s not just about cleansing, toning, and moisturizing; several factors and habits affect your skin health. Fortunately, you don’t have to follow intensive skin care tips to have healthy, glowing skin. You can gain beautiful skin if you lay off certain habits and embrace the basics right. Therefore, here are five healthy tips to follow.
Tip#1: Keep the Skin Moist
Moisturizing creams can keep the top layers of your skin cells hydrated. Many contain humectants, occlusive agents, and emollients to nourish and retain moistness in the skin. Here are some methods recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology for keeping moisture in the skin and preventing dry skin:
- Shower for five to ten minutes every day. Washing too much strips the skin of its natural oil and dries it out.
- Replace hot water with warm water.
- Reduce the use of harsh soaps. Choose a mild cleanser without fragrance.
- Dry your skin gently using a towel.
- Launder with hypoallergenic detergent.
Besides these, you can use Masque Visolastine to keep your skin moist. The innovative moisturizing action of this mask leaves the skin feeling soft throughout the day. Biologique recherche lotion p50 contains active ingredients that hydrate, protect, and replenish lipids. This moisturizer enhances skin hydration by adding moisture to the outer layer of skin and preventing moisture loss.
Tip #2: Stock Up On Skin-Healthy Foods
Do you get breakouts after eating junk food? The Mayo Clinic notes that refined carbohydrates, like bread and chips, can aggravate skin conditions, including acne. It further states that some nutrients, like fatty acids, vitamin C, and probiotics, can promote healthy skin.
Essential fatty acids are critical for cellular health. These fats contribute to developing the skin’s natural oil barrier, vital for keeping your skin youthful and hydrated. NIH recommends women consume 1.1 grams of the nutrient per day, found in foods such as chia seeds, walnuts, and salmon.
Also, stock up on vitamin C, found in citrus fruits and parsley. Based on a 2012 review in Dermato Endocrinology, it is a critical antioxidant that keeps the skin healthy. It has antioxidant properties because it produces collagen and fights free radical damage.
Yogurt has probiotics, which can be beneficial to your skincare routine. There is increasing evidence that probiotics improve immune function and gut health. They also appear to reduce acne, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and photoaging, resulting in skin wrinkles.
Tip #3: Avoid Smoking
Smoking makes your skin older and wrinkled. Because of this, smoking reduces blood flow to the outermost layers of skin, causing the skin to appear paler. It further depletes the skin of nutrients and oxygen crucial for its health.
Smoking also destroys collagen and elastin – the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. Smokers’ repetitive facial expressions, such as pursed lips when breathing in smoke and squinting their eyes to keep smoke out, can also lead to wrinkles. It also increases your chance of developing squamous cell skin cancer. If you currently smoke, giving up is your best protection.
Tip #4: Reduce Skin Pressure
Pressure on the skin, especially on the face, can cause pimples. For instance, headphones, cell phones, and hats promote outbreaks. You might get acne at the neck if your shirt is too tight. A backpack’s weight can lead to acne breakouts as well.
You can reduce skin pressure and promote smooth, healthy skin through these tips:
- Rather than using your phone placed on your head, try putting it on speaker.
- When possible, refrain from wearing clothing or using items that might irritate or rub your acne-prone skin.
- Using earbuds instead of large headphones can also ease pressure and irritation on your face and ears.
- Avoid wearing shirts with tight, rubbing collars if you get breakouts on your neck.
Tip #5: Sleep Well
Your sleep quality affects your skin, too! If you lie on your stomach or side and press your face into the pillow, your skin will prematurely age since your pillow tugs at your skin and deepens wrinkles during sleep. It would help to try sleeping on your back to avoid contact with your skin. Use silk or satin pillowcases to prevent skin friction for healthy, smooth skin.
While sleeping, your pillowcase gathers dirt, bacteria, and dead cells. The accumulation of all this junk in your mattress can lead to pimples, inflammation of the skin, and other health problems. Change your pillowcase every two weeks to prevent breakouts, or switch your pillows frequently. You can also wash your pillow every three to six months.
Conclusion
Your skin can glow if you take care of it. Having glowing skin can sometimes be challenging due to stress, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and other health conditions. Despite this, various healthy tips mentioned above can help you. So, which one will you implement today?
