A breakout-free, radiant skin feels like an unattainable goal at times. So many products on the market shelves and as many pieces of skincare advice on the Internet. After a point, what is right and what is wrong looks blurry.
The truth is healthy skin isn’t a matter of magic. You cannot get flawless skin by using a dozen products. Instead, skincare is about adopting the ideal skincare habits and using the right products.
This article lists the rulebook for skincare — must-know do’s and don’ts to glowing skin.
The 4 Must Do’s in Skin Care
1. Use Products According to Your Skin Type
Do you hoard products and use them throughout the year? If yes, your skin isn’t happy with you. A product might work well for your skin in summer, but it can make it sad in winter.
There are two things to consider here –
- Your skin has a type — oily, dry, normal, combination, or sensitive. Each of these types has different needs.
- Seasonal shifts have consequences for your skin. A sudden rise in humidity and temperature may make your normal skin behave oily. Cold temperatures can draw the moisture out of your skin.
Observing your skin type is the first step to caring for your skin. You should choose skincare products that go well with your skin type. Another thing to remember is noting your skin changes with the weather. For example, if your skin experiences moisture loss, use cleansers that contain moisturizers.
2. Hydrate Inside and Out
Skin experts focus specifically on skin hydration. Many research suggests that people who drink large amounts of water are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and soft lines. It also shows lesser signs of aging in comparison to those who drink little amounts of water.
Lack of water makes your skin less radiant and saggier. Wrinkles may begin to appear at a faster rate. Moreover, your skin needs hydration, but when it does not get it, it produces more oil. It is to compensate for the lack of moisture on your face. Naturally, more oil leads to more breakouts.
Increase your water intake — seven to eight glasses of water are vital. Also, use skincare products – cleansers, moisturizers, anti-aging creams – that have hydrating formulas.
Read: Dehydrated Skin VS Dry Skin: The Differences and Remedy
3. Exfoliate
Do you know we lose 50 million skin cells every day? These dead skin cells need a little nudge to leave our skin. If we let them hang around, they can leave your skin looking sullen.
It’s more essential to exfoliate as you age. Your skin naturally renews itself every 28 days, but it slows down with age. It leads to dead skin cells piling up, making your skin look rough, dull, and dry.
Exfoliating breaks the bond that glues all the dead skin cells together and removes them. As new skin cells surface, you get an instant boost to your daily glow.
Read: 10 Amazing Ways to Exfoliate Your Skin Naturally
4. Wear Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an elixir for your skin, and not just in summers. Many people believe that you need to put on sunscreen only when you step out on sunny days. However, UVA and UVB sun rays can travel even through glass doors and windows.
UVA rays have a longer wavelength than UVB rays, and they can seep deep into your skin and break down collagen, causing wrinkles, skin aging, and skin cancer.
The blue lights emitted by the electronic devices also cause skin damage and sunscreen can help you block those harmful rays. Ensure you use sunscreen with high SPF ( Sun Protection Factors ). The higher the SPF, the better the sun protection.
The 4 Don’ts in Skin Care
1. Don’t Neglect Your Neck
We think the primary skincare focus for skin care is our face. Our face is more prone to wrinkles and dryness. However, the skin beneath your chin is as exposed to aging factors as your face and needs care.
Ensure your skincare does not stop at just your face. Take it beyond your face — to your neck, ears, and even other parts of your body.
2. Don’t Over Exfoliate
Exfoliation is a brilliant addition to your skincare routine. As we mentioned earlier, it makes room for new, healthy skin cells.
However, over-exfoliation can backfire on you. Exfoliating daily can strip your skin of its natural oils, making it overly dry. It can lead to skin irritation and inflammation. With physical and chemical exfoliants, you need to give your skin a break to rest in between. One to three times a week provides the best results for most skin types.
However, another tangent to exfoliation discussion says that its need depends on your skin type. If you have extremely oily skin, daily exfoliation can help reduce the oil production and clumping of dead skin cells, preventing skin breakouts.
3. Don’t Sleep With Your Makeup
You must have heard this advice several times. However, if you still let laziness take over your skin health, you need to know what this makeup beauty sleep can do to your face.
Your makeup traps dirt and other pollutants inside the skin throughout the day. It can cause collagen degradation, premature aging, clogged pores, and acne breakouts. Also, your eye makeup can cause infection or inflammation in and around your eyes.
Read: How to Clean Your Face Naturally Everyday – 10 Expert Tips
4. Don’t Take Hot Showers
Who doesn’t like a long, hot shower after a tiring day, especially if it’s winter? While mild-warm water is acceptable, extremely hot water is harmful to your skin.
It can strip off your skin of all the skin barriers that keep your skin healthy, making your skin flaky, itchy, and dry. It’s also because the natural oils of your skin wear away. Dryness leads to overproduction of oil, causing back acne and face acne.
Read: 8-Step Skincare Routine for Acne
Also, do not indulge for more than ten minutes if you shower with warm water. Also, use a hydrating cream right after to lock in the moisture.
Stick by these do’s and don’ts in skincare to bring the change you always wanted to see in your skin. It’s never too late to adopt the right skin care habits.
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