Let’s face it-- everybody wants radiant-looking skin. Whether you stick to the basics or have a strict 15 step process, there’s always something we can be doing to improve our overall skin health. Our skin is the biggest organ in the body and can be a significant indicator of our overall health. However, during the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that our skin is a constant active organ that needs our attention. Dermatologists all agree that a healthy diet, proper hydration, and sleep are the fundamentals of proper skincare. Aside from these, let’s talk about what we can do to revive our skincare routine without getting sucked into the deep vortex of skincare products.
1) Sunscreen Is Always A Must
Ever since we were kids, we’re all used to being reminded to put on sunscreen when we head out to the beach. Yet nobody tells you that SPF is your skin’s BFF. Sun damage is no joke! Sunscreen is a preventative measure to ensure you keep your skin’s natural glow against harmful UV rays. Adding a morning SPF sunscreen to your skincare routine can help prevent premature aging as well as skin cancer. Make sure to keep it handy to reapply throughout the day when you feel you’ve been outside for long periods.
2) Keep The Moisture
To adequately demonstrate how moisturizers work, picture your skin like a dry sponge. If you put cleaning products on a dry sponge, the product stays on top and does not properly seep into the sponge. To properly clean, your sponge needs-- MOISTURE! The same can be said about our skin; for moisturizers to absorb into our pores, our skin needs to be damp. That’s why you should always use a moisturizer after you shower to fully reap the benefits of your moisturizer.
3) No Over-Exfoliating
We all love exfoliators with little beads that make our skin feel nice and clean. Unfortunately, there’s a misconception that exfoliating every day keeps your skin clear and looking fresh; Not true! Too much exfoliation can damage your skin and reduce its ability to retain moisture, resulting in dehydrated, dull-looking skin. If you exfoliate every day, you may be destroying your skin’s healthy cells. Any exfoliating products should be used two to three times a week.
4) No Alcohol Toners!
It’s no surprise that too much alcohol makes your body dehydrated. The same thing can be said about facial toners. Although everyone likes the tingling feeling of an alcohol-based toner, it causes your skin to look dehydrated and flaky. The purpose of a daily toner is to give your skin a nice tall glass of moisture. Try using non-alcohol toner to your routine at night to increase your skin’s natural glow!
5) Let It Heal
We’ve all been there, you get a skin blemish the day before a big event, and the mere thought stresses you out even more. Oh, the horror! You apply anything you can think of to make it go away. Please stop! It’s important to know that your skin needs time to heal; by plopping on a ton of products, you’re prolonging the healing process. Picking at it only makes it worse. Relax, try a gentle warm compression, and let your skin heal on its own time.