7 Healthy Habits for a Radiant and Youthful Skin
Skin health is more than just wanting to look young and beautiful, but also about aiming for holistic health that lets you enjoy life more fully. As much as possible, you want to avoid skin problems that can cost money and time to treat. For many men and women alike, unhealthy skin also means a loss of self-esteem that can affect one’s positive outlook about interacting with people or building friendships.
With that said, you should aim to achieve holistic health by following simple but effective habits that can greatly impact skin health. Here are seven ways to care for yourself inside out.
1. Wash and exfoliate your face
Dirt, oil, and bacteria can enlarge and clog the pores on your skin. Even when you’re sleeping, your face excretes oil, which makes it vital that you wash it off, as well as any dirt that may be on your pillows. At night, before going to bed, you need to wash your face, too, after removing makeup, to get rid of grime and sweat that have accumulated on your face.
Use a gentle facial wash that does not contain harsh ingredients for the skin. Then, follow it up with exfoliating agents like toners to remove dead cells, draw moisture to the skin, and help the skin absorb products that you’ll apply after cleansing and exfoliating.
2. Aim for more sleep
As you know, sleep is the perfect time for your cells to rejuvenate and repair themselves. When you lack sleep, it’s harder for your skin to produce collagen, which helps improve its elasticity so that it doesn’t sag. Try to get eight hours of quality sleep or more every night to give your skin a glowing appearance.
3. Avoid pollution
Clean and fresh air is relaxing for the skin, but polluted air and cigarette smoke are bad because they can form skin-damaging free radicals. These free radicals are responsible for skin problems like wrinkles, dark spots, and loose skin.
In the same manner, you should avoid harsh artificial fragrances that can irritate your skin. If you can’t avoid getting exposed to these harmful elements, help your skin repair itself by using organic facial wash or cleansers.
Then, eat foods rich in antioxidants to limit the production of free radicals, such as lean meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, and nuts, among many others.
4. Exercise regularly
Exercise is good not only for physical health but also for skin health. When you exercise, your blood circulation improves, causing oxygen to be drawn to the skin while drawing free radicals away. Plus, exercise helps reduce stress and sleep problems. Just make sure to wash your face after exercising or working out to remove sweat.
5. Hydrate
Water is one thing that provides nourishment that your skin needs. With a lack of water in your skin, it will look dull and make fine lines and dark spots more prominent. Dry skin also tends to be itchy.
To keep your skin hydrated, drink more water instead of alcohol or coffee, eat a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables, and live a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and consistent sleep times.
6. Wear sunscreen
Sunscreen is your reliable protection against harmful UV rays. As you know, too much sun exposure can cause different types of skin problems, including sunburn, dehydration, skin aging, and skin cancer.
Using sunscreen should be done properly to maximize its efficacy. For instance, you should choose sunscreens with an SPF of 30 or higher and provide coverage for both UVA and UVB rays. UVA and UVB are the sun’s rays responsible for the aging and burning of the skin, respectively.
You should also wear water-resistant sunscreen because it can stay on the skin, even as you sweat or engage in activities like swimming. Still, you should reapply sunscreen after every two hours or so. Using beauty products with a built-in sun protection factor can also be a solution.
7. Take vitamins
Regardless if it’s in topical form or oral supplement, you can help your skin become healthier by giving it the right vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C does great things for your skin as protection against UV rays and collagen production booster. Vitamin E has antioxidants, while Vitamin K works well in healing wounds.
Skincare for holistic health
It’s a lot easier to make your skin look and feel healthy with these habits, so make sure to follow these steps and make them part of your daily skincare routine and overall lifestyle.
