Everyone wants beautiful skin: acne free, blemish free, radiant, glowing, dewy, flawless skin. Everybody dreams of this, but, in reality not many people have naturally perfect skin. Rather, the assistance of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in over-the-counter cosmetics, lotions, pills, and other "remedies" assist in helping the average person pass off "decent," picture-ready skin. Still, though Flirting.com doesn't claim to have solved the mysteries of skin overnight, there are a couple little "tricks" that, when employed, can greatly improve the appearance of one's skin. Here are 5 great skin-improving tricks that will have you looking more healthy and radiant in just a week or so.
1) BE PROACTIVE: Prevent skin damage, particularly during hotter months, by consistently applying sun block. For sensitive and acne-prone skin types be sure and use oil free moisturizers. Oil of Olay, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, and most facial lines all include oil free face moisturizers which now contain at least SPF 15. For the rest of your skin be sure and use at least SPF 15, even if indoors most of the day. For those planning on spending more time outdoors during hotter months be sure to apply at least SPF 30, and reapply every 2-3 hours (regardless of whether or not your brand of sunblock brags of 8, 12, or 15 hours of protection) to insure adequate coverage and protection. Again, women need to make sure to protect the neck, which is extremely sensitive and prone to wrinkles, cancer, sun spots, and other forms of skin damage.
2) LET IT BREATHE: Sure, everyone likes to cover up those blemishes, pimples, red marks, scars, whiteheads, blackheads, etc. But skin needs oxygen (remember those cheesy Oxy Clean commercials?) to help the pores breathe and stay clean. Applying films of moisturizer, cover-up, concealer, powder, etc., only inhibits your skin's ability to breathe and thus maintain a natural, healthy appearance. Still, out of fear of embarrassment of one's current skin dilemma people will insistently choose to cover up the blemishes at the expense of allowing their skin to breathe: thus exacerbating their condition and preventing their skin from ever recovering from and/or improving its current condition.
If you're one to always cover up, try and give your skin some much needed "down time." Especially during the summer months allow your skin to go make-up free (completely) at least one day a week. Summertime means hotter temps, and hotter temps means enlarged pores and increased chances for clogging those pores with all the "goo" we apply to our skin, particularly our face, and for women the neck line, too.
To reduce the risk of future breakouts, and to allow your skin to heal, naturally, the quickest and safest way possible, let it breathe: try to apply minimal make-up throughout the majority of the week, limiting yourself to spot concealer and/or tinted moisturizers rather than applying a full face of concealer arsenal.
3) MOISTURIZE: Most of the time moisturizers are a great thing: they help provide balanced moisture to your skin, prevent cracking, chapping, and other skin texture problems, and often, contain chemicals and/or natural acids that assist in the tone and texture of your skin, particularly your face. Still, over-moisturizing your skin, particularly face can assist in "clogging" up those pores (remember, you're trying to let your skin breathe). Also, over-moisturizing can mean sticky, greasy skin which just doesn't feel "clean," or look all that attractive.
When applying moisturizer during hotter months be sure and use oil free, water based lotions, particularly face lotions. Also, make sure your moisturizers are non comedogenic and contain some form of alpha hydroxy beta hydroxy, or fruit acid. The acids assists in improving both the texture and tone of one's skin by reducing redness and sloughing dead cells which can clog those inflamed pores during summer months.
4) SLOUGH IT OFF: Especially during summer it's important to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Try and incorporate a grain-based exfoliating face wash into your beauty regimen. Rather than using it everyday, more sensitive skin types should try exfoliating once every other day, or every third day; exfoliating at least twice a week.
There's no research that necessarily states there's an optimal time and frequency to scrub, we recommend using the exfoliator in the morning since it assists in scrubbing the face clean and prepping it for the day's beauty arsenal. Also, exfoliants have a tendency to assist in promoting that "glow" effect and that "dewy" skin look that comes from helping circulate blood flow in the facial tissue which can immediately improve the skin's look, and overtime, texture. However, if you tend to load up on beauty products, moisturizers, or other skin products, you may want to use your exfoliant scrub at night to ensure you've thoroughly cleansed your skin of all the dirt, muck, make-up, and other impurities that have collected on your skin throughout the day.
St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a great way to slough off dead skin cells, and it leaves your skin feeling smooth, and residue-free. Also, the line has currently revamped their "Scrubs" and incorporated sensitive skin and acne-prone skin scrubs into their Apricot line. If you prefer other brands, just look for a scrub that contains, again oil free, particle-based exfoliating treatments. Some people prefer harsher exfoliants, others prefer softer exfoliating beads (like those found in some of the Dove face cleansers line).
* Ladies: Be sure to exfoliate your neck line at least twice a week during summer months when that area is most prone to break outs from hot, sticky weather and sun block lotion, and other moisturizer residues.
5) HYDRATE: What with most of the nation suffering from a heat wave, now more than ever it's important to make sure and hydrate. And all that water drinking isn't just a must for basic health concerns, its also beneficial for your skin. Proper hydration assists in maintaining supple skin with proper skin turgor. Likewise proper hydration prevents unnecessary clogging of pores, and enables your body to effectively sweat out toxins and/or other impurities through the open, healthy pores of your properly hydrated body. Be sure and drink at least 64 oz of water a day, if not more during hotter days and heat waves. For optimal hydration be sure and consume 16 oz of water for every half-hour of exercise during summer months when perspiration is at an all-time high.
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