5 Golden Rules For Taking Better Care Of Your Skin
What should you actually take to heart when it comes to having beautiful healthy skin that ages successfully? Especially since the multifaceted task of taking care of your skin comes with the repercussions of following the wrong advice, or buying drugstore products unsuitable to your skin-type, or using ineffective DIY potions, or taking treatments that can cause more harm than benefit you. Yes, in this mind-boggling world of skincare, with all the complicated do’s and don’ts and its billion ways of achieving ideal skin, there is no one perfect solution to flawless skin. So here’s my simple advice ~ for healthy, glowing, and youthful skin ~ go back to ground root level with simple everyday habits. Follow these 5 golden rules for taking better care of your skin and help keep that glow going for years to come!
Much like most of you, I have always been mindful about nourishing my skin and keeping it healthy. I fulfill this by keeping my daily routine as simple and effective as possible. Yes, many of you may crave a more interesting routine but there is only so much time in a day, and you can take solace in the fact that you are not dedicating an unreasonable chunk of it to skincare. And luckily, the truth is that you don’t have to. You can keep things effortless and as easy as possible, to fit into your schedule.
1. Stay hydrated!
Are you staring point-blank at the screen after reading something as basic as this? I only want to reiterate how important drinking water is. It is the healthiest thing you can gift your body, barring the fact that it is the easiest and cheapest way of achieving that skin glow. For those of you that don’t enjoy drinking water, start with drinking purified, high-quality water.
A little game that you can challenge yourself to is drinking just 350 ml more than your daily consumption of water, every day for the next 2 weeks. See how your skin transitions in this time as the toxins leave your body with every sip! That being said, your minimum daily consumption of water should be at least half your body weight in litres. For instance, if you weigh around 65 kg, you should be drinking at least 2.5 litres of purified water each day.
2. Step away from processed foods
Your body is a temple and you have to offer it all that’s good and productive. Think of your skin like a mirror that reflects everything you put inside your body. A nutritious/organic diet will help reduce your exposure to toxins in your environment and your food. In other words, the moment you deprive your body of foods that do not have nutritional value; it will be evident on your skin.
Eating “real food” in its natural state also helps improve skin cell turnover, which in turn helps retain your youthful glow. Additionally, try limiting processed foods from your diet. You can start small by cutting down as much as is possible, and opting for ones that have fewer artificial ingredients. Yes, it’s really that simple.
3. Use an effective moisturiser
As I age, I’ve come to realise that healthy and beautiful skin is hydrated skin. I.e. the way you keep your body clean and free of toxins by drinking purified water, it is equally important to keep your skin hydrated and free from unwanted intruders. I would advise you to moisturise every single day ~ needed for healthy, youthful-looking skin. That being said, your skin is also a rather sensitive sense organ, so find a daily moisturiser with simple ingredients that can take care of all your skin’s needs.
A preferable option would be investing in organic products, readily available in stores or online. You will have to, of course, pick a moisturiser according to your skin type and sensitivity. What I like to do before making a purchase is to check out a product’s list of ingredients {the Environmental Working Group is a great resource for this}. Another option is to use natural oils like emu oil {in the morning and night} under your moisturiser, to give your skin that added boost.
4. Break a sweat
Consuming water and eating organically does boost toxin removal but given our current lifestyle and the environment we live in, our bodies are always exposed to unwanted toxins. An extra step to detoxify your body further is by sweating it out!
Try jogging, or a hot yoga class, or a HIIT {high-intensity interval training} class and keep your body active. An added benefit of hot yoga is reduced acne. Yes, it’s important to sweat often so you can clean out your skin.
5. Try dietary supplements
Eating healthy does give you your key nutrients but it’s very likely that you still are missing some {possibly due to low soil quality or modern farming techniques}. A rant to help the environment is for another day {believe me, it’s a LONG one!}, but what I can advise you, is to help your skin by taking a high-quality multivitamin daily. One that is preferably high in vitamins A, C, E, D, K, B3, B5, choline, and folate {folic acid or methylfolate}. These are geared towards improving skin health.
To conclude: As a person who has always been “skin aware”, I do like to keep my routine simple. And oftentimes it’s nice to get back to the basics. Let these 5 golden rules for taking better care of your skin serve as a reminder that achieving healthy skin is not a tough endeavour. You may start by breaking it down and working these simple strategies into your daily routine. You’ll find your skin will respond in positive ways. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and the same applies to your skin.
Do you have beneficial tips you’d like to add to the above? I’d love to have you share your skin health routine in the comments below.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.