Skin is the body’s first layer against the outside world. It’s a waterproof barrier that helps protect from environmental elements, helps regulate body temperature, and allows us the sensation of touch. It does a lot of amazing things for us each day without us even noticing.
Taking care of our outer layer should be a part of our daily routine, too. Check out the skincare tips below to learn more about maintaining healthy skin.
Drink Plenty of Water
This is an oft-repeated health tip, partly because it’s easy to underestimate the importance of staying hydrated. But your skin needs this life-sustaining liquid just as much as the rest of you does.
Water helps flush out the toxins in your body, many of which can have harmful effects on your skin over time. Staying hydrated also helps your skin maintain its elasticity, which can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin. Water is one of the best natural ways to promote glowing, healthy skin, so make sure you’re drinking enough.
Wash Your Face Every Day
From makeup to dirt to sweat, our skin takes a lot of hits throughout the day. All that build-up can clog pores and cause acne, which is why it’s important to wash your face at least once a day with a gentle cleanser. Too much washing can dry your skin out, though, so be careful to not overdo it. Most people see their best results when they wash their face every morning and night.
Remove Makeup Before Bed
After a long day, skipping your nighttime routine and slipping blissfully into your comfortable bed can be an irresistible temptation. But while it may be satisfying in the moment to go to bed with your makeup still on, it can come back to haunt you if you make a habit of it.
Our skin renews itself when we sleep, but it can’t do that effectively under a layer of makeup. The makeup becomes a barrier to the skin’s natural exfoliation and replenishment process, which can lead to skin damage. Furthermore, sleeping with makeup can damage one of our most sensitive areas—our eyes. Eye makeup rubbing against your skin all night can increase the risk of inflammation and redness.
So, help your skin get the beauty sleep it needs by removing your makeup every night before you go to sleep.
Wash Your Pillowcase Regularly
A good rule of thumb is to wash anything that touches your face regularly—your phone, makeup brushes, bedsheets. Pillowcases are especially important because our faces are—hopefully—rested against them for several hours each night. It doesn’t take long for oil from your face and hair to rub off onto your pillowcase, not to mention dust mites and other allergens that like to settle into soft materials.
Try to wash your pillowcase at least once a week. If that’s not doable, keep a few extra pillowcases on hand and switch them out as often as you can. A clean pillowcase helps ensure your other skincare practices—like washing your face and staying hydrated—will be more effective.
Eat Less Sugar
Collagen and elastin are what keep our skin soft and supple. Sugar causes the skin to dry out, which can lead to occasional acne and the appearance of wrinkles.
One of the best ways to reduce your sugar intake is to drink fewer soft drinks and other sweetened drinks, like fruit juices—this is where many people get the bulk of the sugar in their diets. High-sugar drinks are also dehydrating, so drink water with meals whenever you can.
Also pay attention to nutrition labels on packaged foods and avoid any that contain high fructose corn syrup. Try eating whole fruits when you get that craving for sugar—natural sugars found in whole fruits don’t have the detrimental effect on your skin that refined sugar does.
Wear Sunscreen
Over time, UV rays can harm our skin. Too much sunshine on an unprotected face can increase the appearance of wrinkles and spots, and also cause sunburn. Sunburn can occur in as little as 10 minutes so it’s important to have proper sun protection in the middle of the day.
Many daytime moisturizers contain sunscreen, which makes it easy to make sun protection a daily habit. (Plus they help prevent your face from drying out—another skincare plus!) Many are fragrance free as well, so you don’t have to worry about smelling like sunscreen all day. Look for moisturizers with SPF 30 or above and apply every morning. If you will be outside for an extended length of time (over 30 minutes), put on some SPF 50+ sunscreen and reapply every two to three hours.
Enjoy Unicity Oasis every day
True beauty comes from within! That’s why it is also worthwhile to choose the right nutritional supplement for your skin. Unicity Oasis with collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and supports a firm, radiant complexion. And it's tasty, too –try it!
Support the Skin that Supports You
Keep your skin in the best shape possible by following the healthy skincare tips outlined in this article. And share some of your favorite skincare tips with us in the comments!