Some people are born with great skin.
Then there are the rest of us who have to work to ensure our skin is even toned, acne free, and smooth.
I’ve always had a tendency to break out slightly, possess fine lines that have been with me since I was 18, and have an unenviable dose of freckles (why, oh why do freckles exist? They lack any cuteness after the age of 8!) I can’t do much about my freckles because of the constant sunniness and genetics. While I am not lucky to be blessed with smooth, line free skin like that of a few of my close friends, I have been following a few basic skincare steps in the last few years and my skin certainly has improved.
Beauty look from Versace Spring 2013
1. Protect
The first step to good skin is to protect your skin. Too much sun of the sun is too much of a bad thing, particularly because you will be exposed to UVA rays. UVA rays cause wrinkling and loss of elasticity in the skin which can lead to visible aging. I always use some type of sunscreen and the great thing is that so many products contain some type of SPF protection. I usually use beauty balm or mineral foundation with an SPF of at least 20 (30 is better though) and try to stay away from the sun during the peak hours between 10 am and 2 pm.
2. Cleanse
A clean palette is a happy palette. Clean your skin with a facial cleanser that both washes out impurities and does not irritate your skin. It may actually take some trial and error to figure out the right cleanser for your skin. But did you know that ingredients that are left in your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream after 30 seconds? Ouch. So ensure that your ingredients are safe. Cetaphil has been great for me, but I am seriously rethinking my use of the product after reading a bit more about the ingredients. A good place to research your skincare ingredients is the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database.
3. Tone
Toners are very gentle washes that are meant to shrink the appearance of visible skin pores. Many moisturizers contain humectants to maintain moisture in the upper layers of the epidermis. It is definitely useful to apply toner during the winter months to ensure that your skin doesn’t dry out too much.
4. Exfoliate
Take off those topmost, dry layers of skin and let the healthier skin shine through. The level of oil on your skin and in your sweat glands must be balanced. Washing and exfoliating are key to taking off and then getting beneath the topmost layers. I’ve reviewed Cure Natural gel here and still like this gentle exfoliant over any other that I have tried.
5. Moisturize
Healthy skin is moisturized skin. My skin certainly dries up with wind and cooler temperatures so I use both a daytime and nighttime moisturizer. Hot water or harsh cleansers may also dry out skin. My current night time lotion is Cerave moisturizing lotion PM because it is light and noticeably kept my skin moisturized during frigid weather (so I knew it worked!) Look for lotions with hyaluronic acid which will help to maintain water in the top layer of skin.
6. Treat (inside and out!)
All beautiful things start on the inside. Treat yourself right by getting enough sleep (there is a reason bags and dark circles don’t follow a good night’s sleep!) Let your body rest and repair itself or the results will show on your skin as well. Drink enough water as well to maintain your pH balance which will also aid in absorbing other products.
Of course we also need to bring out the heavy hitting products when we really want to combat the signs of aging or dull skin. I look for a treatment such as a serum to treat my skin tone and a skin firming cream for maintaining firmness. Occasional masks are good as well to open up your pores and supercharge your skin. I’ve been meaning to try the Bliss to 2 some with the Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing mask (and In Style winner for best mask) Alpha hydroxy acids are also popular skin treatment ingredients because of their ability to exfoliate and diminish the appearance of acne scars and fine lines while producing collagen.
Those are my beauty tricks, what are your tips for maintaining good skin?
great tips! i really need to moisturize more, it’s been a pretty dry winter so far. also agree about treating inside and out!
I agree, and do this, it does start from the inside. We must take care of our bodies inside & out. Great tips! :-).
aww i love freckles on girls!
Versace beauty was awesome for 2013!
I find that my skin does better with minimal touching. I use all Neutrogena products for acne-control and deep cleansing; though I should probably use a moisturizer more often.
i never use a toner – it keep it simple – exfoliate, hydrate/protect, cleanse .. and i’m a SUN worshiper and apprently my skin is still really good b/c whenever i get a facial they always say how good my skin is – which EVERY time i am in TOTAL shock!
Great tips! I have been using anti-wrinkle day and night creams from Kiehls. I like the night formula better than the day because I can feel the tightness once I apply it. Ever since I have hit 30, I am starting to notice the fine lines and am doing everything in my power to combat them!
You know I love this. And I, too believe in TONE! People skip this step a lot.
This post is just what the (skin) doctor ordered, I always wonder if there will be a time when our skin will be without any issues. Thanks for the excellent tips, I sadly admit I skip out on toning sometimes and I need to pay more attention to number 6
totally love this! and totally agree!! i need to be better about SPF though argh! i always forget and it’s so bad i know!!! but luckily i’m afraid of the sun like it’s my business hahahahaha!
Haha, most East Asians already hide from the sun so that is sun protection right there!
Words of wisdom! I totally need to add a skin firming cream to my regimen. Must maintain that firmness! Hee hee 😉
Excellent tips. No matter how I try I never seem to drink enough water but I do try and use a good SPF daily xo
Very good tips! I must say I buy “kind of” every serum I see, but end up wearing them just once or twice… need to do it more often. I do drink a lot of water, and useClinique Moisture Surge – it’s really great! Othe than that, I think I was a bit lucky – no wrinkles till now, and I swear I don’t photoshop my pics – purely because I don’t know how to and don’t want to learn! 🙂 Loved yur blog!
Thank you for the sweet comment! I do experiment a lot with serums too but am trying to find the one or two that really work! Clinique has great moisturizers – thanks for the reminder! Oh and good skin genes are a fabulous thing!