Hello, Beauties! I hope you all are enjoying your day so. So, we are going to dive into skincare especially our lovely faces! Here is an obvious fact: everyone is different, every skin, especially from different ethnicities is different as well. Therefore it’s important to embrace and learn about YOUR OWN skin such as learning if certain soaps, makeup foundation, lotion, deep cleanser, or even facial masks that could improve your skin and NOT cause an adverse reaction to it. There are a GAZILLION ways and I mean GAZILLION regimens, facial routines, skincare tips, natural/organic facial masks/soaps, lotions, etc that could definitely work for your skin! But understand that what works for some, may not work for others. Be careful when you introduce new products or natural/organic items to your skin. It’s good to do research in-depth and speak to a dermatologist who can definitely help you navigate on what’s best for your skin and how to take care of it daily. But here are some foundational skincare tips from Mayo Clinic and Huda Beauty that everyone should do to take care of their skin..
SKIN CARE: 5 BASIC TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN
Don't have time for intensive skin care? You can still pamper yourself by acing the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay natural aging and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.
1. Protect yourself from the sun
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.
For the most complete sun protection:
Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.
2. Don't smoke
Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow and makes skin paler. This also depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health.
Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.
In addition, smoking increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
3. Treat your skin gently
Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle: limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.
4. Eat a healthy diet and drink water!
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.
5. Manage stress and go to sleep!
Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Get enough sleep, set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.
6. Get to know your skin type
Understanding and getting to know your skin type is the most important thing you can do for your skin. If you’re unaware or misinformed, you could compromise your skin’s natural balance and trigger irritation, inflammation, breakouts, and even premature aging by using the wrong products. The most common skin types are oily, acne-prone, dry, sensitive, and mature skin; it’s also important to note that you can be more than one type and it can change over time or through the seasons, so always listen to your skin.
7. Never forget to do a patch test
Before you start using a new product, you should always do a patch test to avoid the risk of irritation or an allergic reaction. Just apply a small amount of product to your inner arm to see how your skin reacts to the formula.
8. Don’t use expired products
Hanging onto products past their expiry dates is a big no-no: It’s bad for you. Sadly, your beloved beauty products harbor bacteria (especially if you use them frequently), and these can lead to infections and irritations, not to mention, they don’t perform as well – we’re talking to you, gunky mascara! After a while, products can produce harmful toxins that can be dangerous to your health as well as your skin. As a general rule, if you can’t remember when you bought your face cream, SPF, foundation, mascara or eyeliner – get rid of it
9. Your skin type will change as you get older
Everyone’s skin is constantly changing and adapting to its surrounding environment. This is why it’s so important to switch up your skincare, not only for the seasons, but also according to your age. As you age, the levels of collagen in your skin begin to decline (bummer, we know), and your skin tends to dry out.
10. Remember, your hormones impact your skin
Our hormones don’t just impact our mood and our energy levels, they majorly impact our skin too. By understanding your monthly cycle, you can tweak and tailor your routine to ensure your skin’s living its best life, all year round. For instance, from days 1-7 as your female hormones are low, it’s important to load up on vitamin c and zinc to up your immune system and hydrate your skin.
11. Leave your pimples alone!
As tempting as it may be to pop a pimple, try to resist the urge as you’ll most likely spread the bacteria and you could even leave a scar. Also, while it may feel like you’ve sanitized the area and cleaned the pimple, there’s so much stuff happening within your skin that you can’t see, and it’s this bacteria that you’ll spread.
12. Vitamin C is the ultimate glow-getter
Vitamin C is one of the strongest antioxidants on the shelves, which means it helps to protect your skin from environmental stressors that can accelerate aging.
RESOURCE:
Mayo Clinic
Huda Beauty
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