manager_1 There is a lot of emphasis placed on buying products in the beauty industry as well as on social media. It’s so important that there is a term for it: beauty hauls. This basically means showing off your recent purchases.
Products won’t fix all your skin problems. Here are some untapped ways to care for your skin if you have exhausted the 15-step skin care regimen.
1. Be careful when you are out in the sun.
You can use sunscreen, but only for the product part. It’s time to hide and seek.
Sun exposure is responsible for approximately 90% of skin aging, especially in those with darker skin tones (!), skin cancer is a serious risk. This is a significant number. It’s important to avoid sunburn and seek shade whenever you’re outside.
Protect your eyes where sunscreen is not allowed! Squinting is not a good way to protect your eyes. If you insist on peering, you might end up with more wrinkles around your forehead and eye area.
2. Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase.
While you.can’t rub a wrinkle into your skin, you can cause them while sleeping! Side sleepers may find themselves smooshing their faces into their pillows, creating friction between skin and fabric. As we sleep for long periods of time, this can cause wrinkles.
Silk pillowcases allow your skin to “slip” and reduce the risk of developing wrinkles. It is also great for keeping your hair from getting frizzy!
3. Get water
Water doesn’t directly moisturize the skin, but it can help all body systems work better.
It helps the liver eliminate toxins from the body.
How do you know if you’re not drinking enough water? Take a look at your urine! It’s time to get up! The goal is to make lemonade the right color.
4. Sugar-free alternatives
Sometimes it takes skin a while for the body to adjust to what we eat or how we feel. You might notice the effects of refined sugars and added sugar on your skin if your primary energy source is added sugar.
Too much of any one thing can cause skin and body problems. Exfoliating too often can strip the skin’s protective layer, just as sugar overuse may lead to an increase in insulin. (the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels) and inflammation.
This causes an enzyme to attach to collagen fibers, causing them to break down and lose their strength and flexibility.
You may notice your skin becoming more susceptible to sun damage, loss of elasticity, increased acne production, and more appearances in the wrinkles and lines department.
Insulin surges can cause your oil glands to go into overdrive, which could lead to acne. There are products that can counteract this. So if sugar and refined carbohydrates are a staple of your diet, you can eat less and rely more on products.
5. Do not pick or touch your face
It’s tempting just to squeeze a pimple but you can do more permanent damage to your skin than this instant gratification. The first is acne mechanica. This is caused by friction when the skin touches the skin and pushes oil and bacteria back into a pore.
Second, picking and squeezing may result in scarring or a brown spot known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Although you may prefer to deal with scarring than acne, it is not an either/or situation. Both can be lived without!
6. Wash your face with warm water, not hot
The oil (sebum) that we have in our skin is wax-like. Hot water used to wash our faces or shower with “melts” the oil, stripping our skin of its essential moisture.
Lukewarm is the best option because it allows oils to warm up, allowing for a thorough cleanse without stripping the skin. To get the best out of your cleanser, massage your skin for at least one minute.
7. Wash your makeup brushes
Our makeup brushes can collect bacteria, oil, sweat, and dust. All that makeup gets smeared all over your face when you apply it. This can lead to inflammation, clogged pores and acne.
It is best to clean your brushes at least once a week.
8. Manage stress with these strategies
Cortisol is a hormone that our bodies release when we are anxious or stressed. This hormone triggers the fight or flight response, which is a good thing! But constant stress can keep this response in fatigued overdrive.
Cortisol can make our skin look duller, especially if it is high in excess. This happens by reducing the skin’s ability retain moisture and stimulating an increase in oil production.
Cortisol levels high
- Dryness can cause a decrease in your skin’s ability to retain moisture, which will lead to dryness and a dull, grey appearance.
- Rebound oil production can cause acne.
- Line and wrinkle development.
- Redness and inflammation.
- Inflame and acerbate skin conditions such as rosacea and eczema.
As if that weren’t enough, redness and puffiness can be seen in the face if you feel anxious, worried, or both. This can be caused by increased blood flow or dilation of blood vessels beneath your skin.
9. Exercise
It’s a well-known fact that sweating is good for the body. However, it can also have skin benefits.
Moving helps to circulate blood, which transports oxygen and nutrients to our cells. This not only gives you a quick glow but also allows your skin to heal faster.
Exercise has another benefit: it reduces stress levels and cortisol levels.
10. Avoid smoking cigarettes and second-hand smoke exposure
Tobacco is heated by smoking or vaping, and releases free radicals which damage the DNA of skin cells. This causes the loss of collagen and elastin.
It can also cause blood vessels to constrict, which can lead to the skin losing essential nutrients, vitamins, and oxygen. It can cause blackheads around the eyes and mouth, especially in the cheeks and areas where the tongue meets the skin.
Over time this leads to accelerated aging, dehydration, dark circles, broken blood vessels, and an overall dull-looking complexion. Studies also indicate that smokers heal slower than non-smokers. This means that if you get a pimple, it may take longer for it to heal. This can lead to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
11. Get enough sleep
Beauty sleep is the real thing! Our bodies regenerate and heal cells while we sleep.
Cortisol, which is responsible for skin discoloration and thin skin, can be decreased by sleeping. For the good stuff, sleep also increases the sleep hormone melatonin which acts as an antioxidant to fight fine lines, wrinkles, and skin cancer.
Snoozing can also help produce collagen, which keeps our faces plump and wrinkle-free.
Last, but not least: We produce large amounts of human growth hormone when we sleep. This helps to repair any damage that we experience every day.
