Top Five Tips for Basic Skin Care
Written for Walgreens.com
It may be hard to believe, but if your skin were stretched out, it would comprise nearly two square yards. That makes it the body’s largest organ. The skin has some very important work to do for your body. It protects you from foreign substances, guards against infection, and provides a sturdy casing for everything that is you. But despite its amazing work, skin isn’t always treated with the respect it deserves. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of top five tips for basic skin care, to help you care for the skin you’re in.
1. Lead a healthy lifestyle
The health of your skin is tied to the health of the rest of your body, so maintaining a healthy lifestyle can go a long ways towards giving your skin the best foundation possible. This includes eating healthy food, such as raw fruits and vegetables, drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day, exercising regularly, and enjoying enough rest.
2. Stop smoking
One of the best things you can do to maintain the health of your skin is to not smoke. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, which decreases blood flow. That makes it harder for your skin to clear away impurities and get the proper nutrition it needs. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin, the fibers that give skin its strength and elasticity. And puckering up repeatedly for that cigarette can cause significant wrinkling around the mouth, leaving you looking old before your time.
3. Wear sunscreen
There are many reasons to wear sunscreen. It can help protect your skin against skin cancer, guard against wrinkles caused by excessive sun exposure, and even help prevent fine lines that can date your skin. But it’s not enough to simply wear sunscreen when it’s sunny. Even on cloudy days, your skin could be soaking up more than its fair share of UVA and UVB light. Make sunscreen part of your daily beauty routine and you have a great shot of improving the look of your skin down the road.
4. Figure out your skin type
By leading a healthy lifestyle, not smoking, and protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure, you’re already helping your skin to look its best. But there’s more to be done. Next, one of the best things you can do is to figure out your skin type and play to it. Is your skin dry, oily, or combination (meaning you have patches of both dryness and oiliness on your skin)? The answer will determine what kinds of skin care products you should be using, from cleanser to moisturizer to makeup. Knowing your skin type can help you play to your skin’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses.
5. Establish a beauty routine
When life gets busy, it’s easy to ignore the skin. You may find yourself forgetting to wash your face or apply sunscreen. That’s why one of the best things you can do for your skin is to have a great beauty routine. When you make things like face washing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying sunscreen a habit, you’re far more likely to accomplish them. Make your routine easier to do than to forget. Place all of your favorite products in a convenient place. If you go to the gym, keep an extra cosmetics bag stocked with everything you need to take care of your skin. By being consistent, you can have consistently great-looking skin.