Skincare Tips and Advice :)

Have you ever looked in the mirror and just smiled because you are happy with the way your skin looks? Or has your whole mood been brought down because you notice a pimple that just seems too huge to be seen in public with? Our skin is a big part of our lives and how our skin looks can have a significant impact on our mood, our day and our confidence. Sometimes though, it just seems like the odds aren’t in our favour, and our skin just doesn’t want to cooperate. It looks dull or oily or dry, or you are breaking out, and that experience can be quite depressing. Well, I know how horrible it can feel when your skin isn’t looking the way you want it, but you don’t have to utterly despair. There are quite a few tips and tricks you can use, that are easy enough to implement, that might make a massive difference to your skin. My mom has always been militant that I look after my skin and treat it properly, and that can be done through a lot of different avenues. So today, I will be sharing with you some skincare tips and advice for when your skin is being recalcitrant. All it takes is a little effort to implement them. I hope you enjoy today’s blog post!

*Please note though that I am not a dermatologist. If you have severe skin concerns, rather go and speak to a professional. These tips are just little suggestions that I have found can help with certain, relatively small skin issues.

Hydration

You wouldn’t think that staying hydrated had anything to do with your skin, but you’d be surprised how many benefits there actually are to drinking the right amount of water. No matter who I ask, they always say that staying hydrated is critical to looking after and having good skin. Drinking enough water is really a health no-brainer. Especially when you see that models, people renowned for having pristine skin, say their top skincare secret is to always stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Not drinking enough water can lead to dull-looking skin and fine lines becoming more emphasised/prominent so if you’re going to start with anything, start by drinking two litres of water a day.

Exercise helps

There is very little that exercise doesn’t help, and skin is one thing that can benefit hugely from an increase in activity in your life. Wow, I can’t believe I just said that (dad I hope you read that) but no matter how you try to refute it, there isn’t really a downside to exercise. Exercise is good for your skin because the increase in blood flow helps nourish and revitalise your skin cells. Exercise can also help flush cellular debris from your skin, making it look healthier (note that exercise doesn’t detoxify your skin specifically, but it supports all the other body processes that do detoxify).

I’m sure you’re also aware that exercise can help control hormones, and especially stress. Hormone cycles and stress aren’t always the nicest to our skin. I break out like you cannot believe when I’m really stressed and I’m sure I’m not the only one who suffers from skin difficulties when I’m stressed. So, because exercise can help get those pesky skin-problem-creating-hormones like cortisol and adrenaline under control, exercise, therefore, will help improve your skin.

Don’t pop!

I know it can be tempting. Trust me, I know. The temptation to pop a pimple or a blackhead just to get rid of it, so you don’t have to see it in all of its glory can sometimes be overwhelming, but you must resist the urge. Why? Surely getting all of that gunk out of your skin is a good thing? The problem with popping pimples yourself is that you will most likely end up spreading the bacteria or giving yourself a scar. The other problem with popping a pimple is that you might think you’ve gotten everything out, but there is so much happening underneath the skin that you can’t see, and that is the stuff that stays inside and makes it worse. Also, by popping a pimple, you are risking getting more dirt into it if it’s not done correctly, so try to just leave your pimples alone. Or, if you really can’t resist, at least check out some skin site that shows you how to pop a pimple safely.

Wash your face

Okay, I know this one seems really obvious, but not everyone does it, and it can be the trick to getting your skin looking healthy again. There is so much dirt everywhere, and it all goes onto our face. Not to mention all the filthy things we touch before touching our faces, or just the natural toxins or chemicals our own skin creates that need to be washed off (like sweat or oil). To put it straight, a lot of filth gets onto our face every day, and that can be the cause of a lot of issues if you don’t take the time to wash it off. By simply washing and cleansing your face in the morning and evening, you get rid of all of that disgusting stuff and give your skin a chance to revitalise itself. So, if you don’t make a habit of washing your face, try it out. You’ll be surprised what dirt comes off it, and I’m sure your skin will sing a huge thank you to you.

Use proper products

Let me just say, I know that proper skincare products can be incredibly expensive. Like, punch you in the gut, why don’t I just give you my car expensive. I’m not saying that you need to go out and by the whole range of expensive skincare lines because that is just excessive and not necessary. What I mean by using proper products is to use stuff that is designed for your face. As much as you need to wash your face, the skin on your face is more delicate and sensitive than the rest of your skin so while soap is a good start, you’ll get far better results if you use products that are engineered for faces. There are many amazing and affordable products for your skin, you just have to go out and find them (usually in pharmacies/drug stores, or even grocery stores). You don’t have to get the most expensive face wash, but you do need to get an actual face wash to give your skin the proper care it deserves.

Don’t overuse products

I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say that ‘more is better’, especially when it comes to skincare. In fact, ‘more is more’ is never a good rule for skincare. By using too much of any product, you are only piling excess onto your skin. This could irritate your skin, block your pores or cause another issue. Plus, it is a total waste of your product and money when you put too much on because your skin can’t absorb it all anyway. If you’re unsure how much product to use, don’t just squeeze a blob into your hand thinking it should be okay. Rather read the back and see if they indicate how much to use, or check out a formula sizing chart on a skincare/beauty website. That way, not only do you not waste your product unnecessarily, but your skin also gets the right amount of product it needs.

Try a skincare routine

I said earlier that there is so much dirt and filth that gets onto our skin, so washing and cleansing twice a day is a logical idea considering we want all of that dirt off our skin. Why not take that one step further and try a skincare routine, if you are serious about your skin. Looking after your skin daily will help to prevent skin problems in the long run, but your skin also needs time and a consistent routine to get the nourishment it needs to look the healthiest and best. We also shed skin cells daily, so even if we have vibrant, glowing and healthy-looking skin today, that can easily look dull tomorrow because those skin cells are ready to shed. So having a daily skincare routine will help you keep that vibrant look but also, there is more to skincare than just washing your face. There are plenty of other types of product we should apply to get healthy and vibrant skin, all of which can easily slot into your daily skincare routine. Try it out for a while and see what a difference that daily, detailed attention does to your skin.

Protect your skin

If there is something that every skin specialist will tell you, it is that sunscreen daily is critical to help protect your skin from the seriousness that is sun-related skin damage. Sun exposure, while it can give a beautiful tan, is never helpful when it comes to our skin because it can lead to premature ageing, skin problems and even skin cancer. What’s great though is that it is so easy to protect your skin from sun damage – you just have to take those few extra minutes to apply sunscreen every day. Even if it is cloudy, the sun is still there emitting it’s damaging UV rays, so put SPF 30 and higher sunscreen (or special facial sunscreen) on every day, and your skin will thank you for it.

Healthy is good – avoid junk

Our body is like a mirror of what we put inside it. Think about it. If you eat lots of junk food, your body is going to reflect that by maybe putting on some weight and not looking as vibrant as it used to. Our skin does the same thing. No matter how many fantastic and expensive products you use, if your diet is horrible, then your skin is not going to be at its best. To get the glowing, beautiful skin we all want, help your skin and body out by eating lots of healthy fruits and veg and foods with lots of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. On the flip side, try and avoid foods that you know don’t have any benefit to you, your body or your skin. If you know that eating too much sugar causes you to break out, then maybe that’s a sign to cut back on sugar? You don’t need to give everything delicious up to have good skin, but you do need to make a choice of whether you want a healthy, happy body or that extra bar of chocolate.

Go see a specialist

At the end of the day, though, sometimes you actually need to see a specialist. You can try out all of these tips yourself, but if your skin is concerning you and nothing is working, then you need to go and speak to someone. At the end of the day, skin health should be a priority. If you are experiencing problems, then you need to have a consultation with a dermatologist who can give you professional advice on how to fix those issues. They are the expert, and as much as these tips and tricks work for some, other people do need professional treatments and advice. Don’t be afraid to get that help, though because, at the end of the day, you having skin that makes you feel happy and confident is what is most important.

And there you have it! I hope that you all enjoyed today’s blog post and found at least one useful skincare tip that you’d like to use in the future. If you have any skincare tips that you’d like to share or stories you want to tell, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section – I’d love to hear them! As always, thank you all so much for reading. Please don’t forget to hit that little like button if you enjoyed the post, share with your friends and subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any future blog posts. That’s all I have for today, but I wish you all the best in your skincare endeavours!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx