10 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Skin

Having a smooth, blemish-free complexion takes a lot of tender love and care to achieve.

While there are some lucky ones, blessed with genes that give them low-maintenance skin, the rest of us need to care for our skin closely to keep it in tip-top shape.

If you’re anything like us and belong to the latter, don’t worry - it’s perfectly normal!

With elaborate facials and intensive, creative treatments being offered at every spa, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend on expensive procedures to achieve better skin.

With a switch to a better lifestyle and the proper skincare products, you’ll have glowing skin in no time. 

Here are a few tried-and-tested tips that you can follow to improve your skin’s condition.

A Regular Face Massage

Not only is it a great way to relieve stress, but a regular facial massage will give your skin long term benefits. 

A thorough facial massage stimulates the production of collagen and blood in the skin, which will tighten and lift your facial muscles. The improved circulation under your skin will eliminate the puffiness you feel after a long day. 

This also relieves inflammation, such as acne, rosacea, and other forms of minor irritation on the skin.

Another great thing about facial massages is that you can do it yourself at home!

With the help of a facial roller such as the jade or rose quartz roller, you can easily incorporate the facial massage into your daily beauty routine. 

Pro tip! The best way to enjoy a massage with the roller is to refrigerate it beforehand, which results in a super relaxing cooling effect.

Only use natural products (oils)

If you’re already using a bunch of skincare products but still breaking out, you might want to double-check what you’re using!

Some cleansers, toners, and serums contain harmful chemicals that may irritate your skin. Worse, these chemicals might permanently damage your skin. Yikes! Therefore, it’s best to consult with a dermatologist if you’re planning to switch to a new skincare routine. 

It’s also best if you know what works best for your skin and what ingredients you’re allergic to.

You should also consider using all-natural, organic products such as facial oils.

These chemical-free substances contain precious nutrients and minerals that will help you fight acne and other skin problems.

Drink Green Tea

If you’re having trouble with acne breakouts, a cup of green tea everyday may help keep those bumps away. The compounds found in green tea damages bacterial membranes that inhibits bacterial growth, which in turn prevents acne. 

Green tea is a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties as it contains a high content of catechins. Huge amounts of Vitamin E is also found in green tea, an essential vitamin that maintains collagen levels for a healthy skin structure.

Have A Good Night’s Sleep

We know it’s a nearly impossible feat due to the fast-paced lifestyles that we live today, but a good 7-8 hours of sleep daily will do wonders for your skin. 

When you’re sleep deprived, the body tends to produce more of the hormone cortisol, which causes stress and inflammation. This hurts the quality of your skin and will cause unwanted acne breakouts. Also, not getting enough sleep disrupts your body’s natural water levels, leading to puffy eyebags and dark circles. Worse, chronically being sleep deprived speeds up that dreaded aging process.

Therefore, it’s best to make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. The consequences of sleep deprivation will hurt your skin badly... permanently!

Monitor Your Dairy Intake

Yep, that means that delicious Brie.

Removing milk, cheese, and other dairy products in your everyday diet may seem impossible, but it just be what you might need to get clearer skin.

Dairy actually causes the skin to produce excess sebum, which we all know by now is a big no-no. Excess sebum leads to clogged pores and acne breakouts, as it attracts the P. acnesbacteria. 

There is also an abundance of HF-1 in milk, a hormone that cause inflammation in humans. So, if you’re trying to avoid psoriasis, it might be best for you to cut (or at least minimize) your dairy intake.

Manage Your Stress Levels

The daily problems we encounter in life inevitably gives us unwanted stress, which unfortunately affects our health inside and out.

Your skin isn’t exempted from this, as heightened levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in our body, leads to acne breakouts and inflammations.

Find ways to de-stress after a long day or hard work. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms, whether it is by reading a book, exercise, or by treating yourself to a spa day, or retail therapy (if you’re like us).

A healthy, stress-free body will reflect on your looks, so it’s best to always find ways to care for yourself no matter how busy life can be.

Protect Yourself From Sun Exposure

While it’s common wisdom that Vitamin D is good for the skin, too much sun exposure can lead to a lot of skin problems. 

First of all, prolonged sun exposure may cause inflammations on your skin, which may inevitably cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Prolonged sun exposure can also trigger excess sebum production, which leads to acne breakouts. 

The worst thing you could get from too much sun exposure is the danger of developing skin cancer. It’s always best to cover up when possible, especially during summertime, even if that does cut into your tanning efforts!

Stop Smoking/Avoid Smoke

Smoking doesn’t just cause bad lungs. It can also affect your skin in lots of ways, that might convince you to finally stop smoking once you know!

The toxins from having a regular smoke inhibits collagen production, which will damage your skin’s elasticity and will speed up the aging process.

Wrinkles may appear sooner, and your skin will sag earlier than expected. Smokers are also prone to acne breakouts, as the toxins released by the smoke can clog your pores.

Cleanse Every Night

Removing your makeup at the end of the day should be a standard procedure for everyone. While it’s tempting to go straight into bed after a tiring day, your pores need to breathe too!

Related: Why You Need To Be Using Himalayan Salt Scrub

Forgetting to cleanse your face at the end of the day can be potentially harmful for your face. Not only does it clog your pores and cause breakouts, but a face that’s been caked for too long is a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal infections.

Moisturize

A well-hydrated and nourished skin will give your face a healthy glow. Not only does moisturizing feel good on the skin, but it will prevent a ton of skin problems that you may encounter without it. 

Regularly moisturizing your skin will slow down aging by nourishing your skin with the hydration and nutrients it needs.

Studies have shown that people who regularly moisturize their face developed wrinkles later in life and had less of it than people who didn’t. Plus, a hydrated skin has balanced sebum production levels, preventing acne breakouts and clogged pores.

When you take great care of your body, it will definitely reflect in how great you look on the outside. Follow these tips and you’ll be seeing results in a few weeks’ time.

Consulting a dermatologist about what works best for your skin type is a great idea too, if you have the extra time and resources.