Do you wish you had clear skin? For most people, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
If you feel you’re always buying expensive cosmetic treatments to help clear your skin, only to find they either have no effects or make things worse, remember that it’s not your fault.
Many cosmetics sold today are far from healthy. According to award-winning scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki, “U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors.”
Unfortunately, this bad news is not much comfort if you have problem skin. It doesn’t help to know that most well-marketed beauty products are overpriced, don’t work, and are loaded with toxic chemicals
But this article isn’t about how the cosmetic industry, which habitually over-promises, under-delivers, and over-charges. Instead, it’s about seven skin care habits and remedies that can help you with everything from pimples to mole removal.
- Eat a healthy, nutritious diet
If your skin is not as clear as you’d like, you may be eating some foods that are causing your skin to break out. A good diet will give you the nutrients to do the following things:
- · Repair damage to tissue
- · Mend collagen
- · Create new cells
- · Build bones
- · Produce enzymes
- · Balance hormone levels
A good diet consists of foods fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the right amount of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Be sure to eat foods rich in antioxidants like berries.
In addition, drink about half your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 120 lbs, you should drink about 60 ounces of water a day. Water detoxifies your body and hydrates your skin from the inside-out. Incidentally, beverages like coffee, tea, and soda de-hydrate skin.
Besides eating a good diet, avoid things that harm your cellular health like fast foods, alcohol, drugs, alcohol, and smoking.
- Wash your face before bed and upon awakening
You should remove makeup before you sleep and wash your face when you wake up in the morning and after you exercise. Use a mild soap designed for clear skin to remove any build up of oily residue and open the pores.
- Use natural products to clear stubborn issues
Unfortunately, a good diet and washing your face alone will not do the trick. Sometimes you do need to use a topical product remove skin tags, warts, moles, and age spots. Fortunately, there are alternatives to off-the-counter cosmetics high in toxic ingredients. For instance, high-quality homeopathic extracts are effective in treating the symptoms of stubborn skin problems.
- Exercise regularly for general well-being and skin health
Regular exercise is essential for general health and vitality, and it’s also good for skin health. When you sweat, your pores open up. Exercise also regulates hormonal and lymph balance. Acne is often a result of hormonal imbalance.
After a vigorous exercise session, you should shower and wash your face as soon as possible even if you feel you haven’t broken into a sweat. This will remove oil and excreted toxins that accumulate on your skin while exercising.
- Get enough sleep to restore heal your body and mind.
You should get plenty of beauty sleep. When you sleep deeply and well for the right amount of time, you relax your nervous system and give the body and brain plenty of time to recover from the stresses of life that can show up on your face. A new mattress could be in order if your current one is keeping you from the restorative rest you need.
- Improve hygienic habits for skin health
While you may be observing good hygiene in many ways — brushing your teeth in the morning, having a daily shower, and washing your clothes once a week — you have to do far more for skin health.
- · Wash your pillow covers once a week because oil and grime will rub into your face when you sleep.
- · Use natural ingredients in your washing machine to prevent your skin from getting irritated by harsh cleaning compounds found in most laundry detergents.
- · Use herbal hand soaps, and always wash your hands before you eat anything.
- · Practice regular housekeeping to make sure you are breathing clean air, and even think of buying an air filter.
- Create a simple, effective beauty routine
Your beauty routine may vary slightly depending on your skin type, but here are a few brief guidelines.
- Use gentle cleansers for washing your face, your hands, and your clothes and bedding. Choose organic and herbal products without chemicals.
- · Do not scrub your face with a rough washcloth, pick pimples, or rub your face when your hands are dirty.
- · Use a homemade exfoliator to cleanse your skin.
- · Use a toner if you have oily or combination skin.
- · Use a moisturizer for all skin types. It should be a heavy one if you have dry skin and a light one if you have oily or combination skin.
Skin Care Habits
Skin can be improved remarkably with the right habits. Forget the promises found in most skin care advertising that instant overnight success. Over time, you will get the beautiful clear skin you’ve always wanted without spending a fortune on cosmetics that just don’t work.