Healthy, radiant skin can make anyone stand out, and it can be just thing you need for that extra confidence boost.
Much like weight loss, body toning and many other beauty goals, though, finding all of the necessary steps for healthy skin can be a difficult and frustrating journey.
To help you get started, here are five major tips to getting the happy skin you deserve.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
One of the best ways to keep your skin happy and healthy is to work from the inside out.
This means staying on top of everything you consume, including food and water. Staying hydrated is a critical part of keeping your skin healthy. Dehydration can lead to dull skin for both dry and oily skin types, even if it seems less important to people with more oily skin.
Additionally, failing to keep hydrated can cause and worsen wrinkles and other signs of age related to the elasticity of your skin.
In terms of diet, it’s no secret that nutrient-poor, fatty foods can lead to skin problems. However, there are also foods you can actively try to eat that will actually help you.
A generally nutritious and well-balanced diet will always be helpful, but actively aiming for more fruits and vegetables, omega-3 rich fish, nuts which have a great deal of vitamin E and any foods rich in iron and vitamin B12.
Lastly, substances like alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs can be a huge roadblock with maintaining healthy and happy skin.
Smoking is a surefire way to irritate your skin and prevent it from getting the much-needed oxygen and nutrients to keep it glowing and flexible. Additionally, the damage to your skin’s elasticity can cause wrinkles and other signs of aging way sooner than you would anticipate having them.
Alcohol is another way to deplete the nutrients in your body, drying out your skin and making your eyes puffier than usual.
By just making sure you are much more on top of all of the things you put into your body, you are already on a promising road to healthy skin.
Take the Leap to Address Imperfections
Some of your imperfections are what make you unique, but some are unnecessary and completely fixable!
Everyone is unique and has their own insecurities, but with modern medicine and other advancements, it is likely that there could be a solution for you and your unique circumstances. And, if that’s the case, it’s worth looking into.
Chris Meyer, a surgeon who specializes in conditions like chronic swelling, varicose veins and spider veins, firmly believes that everyone deserves skin they can feel confident in:
“A lot of people think that there is some sort of taboo around procedures and surgeries that aren’t directly linked to health. If you have something like spider veins or varicose veins keeping you from feeling confident in your favorite swimsuit or summer outfits, you should absolutely feel empowered to correct it. There are resources and options available, and if it will make your smile brighter, it’s worth it.”
Even if swelling, spider veins or varicose veins aren’t the things keeping you from feeling good, there are a number of other insecurities that can easily be addressed.
Of course, you should feel confident in your skin as you are. But there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel better about yourself, whether that be erasing imperfections, losing or gaining weight, getting rid of acne or any other number of alterations you could make.
Develop the Right Skincare Routine
Everyone has unique skin and needs to keep their skin healthy and happy, so a major part of achieving that radiance is finding the right routine for you.
Luckily, there are some fairly universal tips that benefit virtually all skin types. Moisturizing, exfoliating and staying on top of SPF protection are a few crucial examples.
Finding the right moisturizer for your skin is just as important in keeping it hydrated as drinking water. Many people with oily skin types may believe that they should avoid moisturizers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!
Finding the right moisturizer for your skin type may take some trial and error as well as consultations with specialists in a store or dermatology office, but it will make all the difference in keeping your skin youthful and glowing.
Exfoliating is also important in terms of keeping your skin smooth and clean. Our skin is perpetually creating new cells and accumulating older, dead cells that can build up and lead to dull, dry skin.
By making sure you regularly exfoliate, you can clear away these dead cells and keep your skin much brighter. Plus, it’ll make it easier for other products like cleansers and moisturizers to really get through and make a difference.
Of course, it’s also invaluable to make sure you stay on top of protecting your skin against the sun. Not only can this help avoid premature aging, it can also help avoid more serious things like skin cancer and severe burns.
Get Enough Sleep
Making sure you get enough sleep is, of course, important in all aspects of life. It helps you feel more energized and focused, keeps your body healthy and, unsurprisingly, can also keep your skin happy.
Our skin renews and replenishes itself as we sleep, behaving differently than when we are awake and moving about. Collagen production also increases to add to the youthful appearance.
To avoid dull skin, puffy eyes, dark circles and other concerns, it’s important to make sure you get a healthy amount of sleep.
Plus, having more energy and motivation throughout the day will have you looking brighter and happier anyway, and this is an easy way to make anyone’s skin seem more youthful and confident.
Relax
Stress is an easy way to make everything in your body function less effectively, and skin is no different.
Chronic, regular stress can accelerate cellular aging and lead to premature wrinkles and other marks like frown lines.
Additionally, stress is terrible for any existing skin conditions. It has been known to exacerbate instances of things like eczema, acne and more.
Lastly, we already mentioned that sleep is crucial to maintaining healthy skin. Stress is an easy way to lose sleep, tossing and turning at night and putting you in a cycle that just leaves you more exhausted and stressed with each day.
Make sure to take a step back every now and then and give yourself a chance to breathe, reflect and engage in activities (yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.) that help to keep your stress levels down. Your skin will thank you!
In Summary
Achieving that glowing skin you’ve always dreamed of can be much easier with practice and good routines.
Maintaining a good diet, addressing imperfections, sleeping, and relaxing are also incredibly necessary things to keep in mind.
