Essential Skincare Tips For Everyone

Our skin is one of the first things people see when meeting us, so it’s understandable that we want to put our best face forward at all times. While it would be nice to leave our skin issues and raging breakouts in our high school days, the reality is many adults suffer from skin issues that leave them self conscious.

To complicate matters, there is an overwhelming amount of information out there and products to buy that will treat every skin condition you can imagine (along with some you have no idea existed). Some of the information may even contradict what you have previously read, heard, or been told.

That’s why skincare advice is best when coming straight from the professionals over people you may know who only have anecdotal evidence for you, not scientific proof with case studies backing their recommendations.

Most people, no matter what their age or gender, don’t have a regular daily skincare routine in place beyond washing, basic moisturizing and going about their day.  Either that or they are on the opposite end and have an extremely complicated routine yet still have skin issues.

Having a regular basic skincare routine that goes beyond the products put on the skin is very important to the condition of your skin. After all, it is the largest organ in your body after all and directly effects other body systems with what it absorbs. It is also considered a reflection of the internal state of your body.

Dry skin may indicate you are dehydrated, while an acne outbreak could be from a hormone imbalance or a reaction to certain foods.

Having a set daily skincare routine helps manage the severity of outbreaks because you are taking care of your skin to ensure it’s already in good condition and health. Similar to a person who is very healthy being exposed to the flu, they most likely won’t get quite as sick as someone who has unhealthy habits.

Creating a routine that works for you keeps your integumentary (skin) system in good shape and therefore able to stay healthier when something upsets the system.

If you have the same routine with the same products, and something goes wrong with your skin, it’s easier to rule out your skin products as a possible cause and focus on the other potential factors.

Is it perhaps something you ate? A hormone imbalance? A change of season? Possibly a switch in your laundry detergent? Your makeup? There are many potential causes and you are only helping yourself by limiting possible contributors.

What exactly makes for a good skin care routine?

There will be a fair amount of variables when considering this and creating one that works for you. Everybody is different and so is the skin they are in, each having different needs. There are however some baselines that work across the board for everyone and we have compiled them here in one spot so you can start right away!

Hydration

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Both from the inside (getting plenty of water) and from the outside with moisture replenishing products suitable to your skin type.

The recommended amount of water varies individually and has different determining factors. This article breaks it down to help you understand how much water you need and how to get it without taking in too much. If you aren’t a fan of water, flavoring it with citrus fruit will help the taste and possible health benefits or choosing green tea for some of your daily liquid intake also has skin benefits.

Moisturize from the outside with skin appropriate moisturizing cleansers, serums, and lotions as a part of your daily routine while supplementing with a moisturizing mask once every week or two.

Nutrition

Often overlooked as a cause of skin issues, but what we eat really does feed our body- not just our taste buds.

A balanced diet that focuses on whole foods while limiting sugar, refined carbohydrates, caffeine, fried foods, and alcohol will help your skin look its best. Dairy is also known to cause acne in many people, both adults and children. Replace those foods with food that will support your skin and body such as; lean proteins, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, spinach, bell peppers, and eggs.

You don’t have to only eat those foods, just ensure you are eating them frequently. These skin boosting foods may also help correct hormone imbalances that could be the reason for your skin and other health issues you have been having, talking with a nutritionist or your doctor can help you target what hormone imbalances you have.

It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that a food allergy may also be the reason behind your acne, outbreak, or rash.

Supplementation

In today’s world, unfortunately, you may not be able to get all your nutrients from food for various reasons. Fortunately, there is access to supplements that are beneficial to skin health and may actually help improve the look of your skin.

Following the advice of a professional is a sound idea, especially when choosing nutritional supplements, as there are a lot of claims out there that may or may not be factual.

Exercise

When you exercise, chances are you sweat, and sweating opens up your pores. It also pushes whatever has been clogged in your pores out of them, helping to clear your skin up. However, sweating can also be bad for your skin if left to dry on it.

The sodium in sweat can dry out your skin while if not washed off, the dirt that has just been brought to the surface may cause breakouts.

Proper Skin Care

Taking care of your skin on a daily basis with the best skin care routine for your skin type improves skin condition from the outside. A good daily routine goes a long way with a weekly mask, peel, or gentle exfoliation for a more intensive treatment.

Another way to take care of your skin is to always wear sunscreen when outside to protect from getting sunburnt, which can damage several layers of the skin depending on the severity.

As you can see, skin care goes far beyond just the skin. However, by choosing to take a holistic or whole body approach, you are setting yourself up for great skin all the time.