The Skin You’re In- Skincare Tips

From blackheads and pimples to uneven skintones and sunspots, the battle to keep beautifully clear skin is oftentimes met with disaster. Sometimes life gets too busy to stop and spend time on your outward appearance, especially when there’s a million other things that need to be done, and after a busy day of dealing with school and life, the last thing you want to do is wash your makeup off and go through a skin cleansing routine. So you go to bed thinking it will be fine, only to find an unwelcome intruder on your nose the next morning. You have no time to attend to it properly, so you just put a little makeup over it to cover it up- and the cycle continues.

Visious cycles like this one are hard to break, sometimes due to the lack of time or because of a lack of knowledge about the skin and how to care for it properly. Here are a few quick and easy tips on how to keep the skin looking clear and vibrant.

Misconceptions about the skin

Misconception #1: Squeaky clean is best! Your skin goes through a cycle where it produces an oil called sebum. This oil is actually good for the skin. Using facial cleanser that is too harsh and gets rid of sebum can cause damage to the skin, like dryspots or peeling, and leaves skin vulnerable to harmful impurities until pH balance is restored. The best way to get the skin clean without stripping it of what it needs is by using a water- soluble cleanser.

Misconception #2: Foundation is good for the skin. Foundation is great for covering up blemishes, but when it comes to the actual health of the skin, it does more damage that it does good. The skin absorbs what is put on its surface. The foundation gets absorbed into the skin, clogging the pores. Clogged pores result in breakouts and blemishes. Covering those blemishes with more foundation fuels the ongoing problem. This is why many women who never broke out before using foundation have trouble controlling this problem when wearing it. At night, be sure to wash all the makeup off (with a water- soluble face cleanser). Also try not to wear makeup everyday because that will decrease the chances of getting blemishes. Another detrimental effect of foundation is it blocks the “pathway” tonxins use to escape the skin during elimination.

Misconception #3: If I wash my face an excessive amount of times, then I will not get breakouts. There is a such thing as having the face too clean. Washing your face too much makes it vulnerable. This can cause a number of problems. One of sebum’s purposes is to protect your skin from outside impurities. Without that line of defense, you are prone to impurities that can also cause breakouts.

Tips for Caring for Skin

1. Drink plenty of water. The skin is an organ, and like all organs, it cannot fulfill it’s purpose without proper hydration. Eight cups of water per day should be plenty.

2. Take prenatals and eat well. The additional vitamins and minerals does wonders for the skin. Also, avoid an excessive amount of sweets. Just like with the rest of your body’s systems, the skin needs nutrients to function.

3. Homemade facials with natural products are good for hydrating the skin without the harsh chemicals. A combination of honey, aloe vera, and egg whites give the skin hydration and makes it glow.

Skincare can prove to be a difficult and confusing task, but with the right knowledge of the skin and what it needs to stay clear, you can make the right descisions for the health of your skin. Keep the skin hydrated, clean, and don’t disrupt the natural sebum production cycle.