Sometimes it feels like that natural glow of a great complexion is only reserved for those with the ability to invest a lot of time and money into a complicated skincare routine. But the truth is, simple everyday causes are likely standing in your way of radiant skin.
The good news is that these causes for dull and tired-looking skin are relatively easy to combat with a little bit of time and effort. In addition, making minor changes to your home routine will leave you with desirable results and radiant skin in no time.
Causes For Poor Skin Health
Multiple reasons can contribute to poor skin health. The majority of these reasons not only affect your skin but largely affect the health of your body overall. Therefore, significantly reducing or illuminating these problems completely will have you feeling refreshed in more ways than one.
Smoking
Smoking speeds up the skin’s aging process, mainly contributing to the development of wrinkles and other undesirable changes to the face. However, suppose you are struggling with kicking this habit altogether. In that case, you should consider looking into how to get a nicotine prescription, as vaping is scientifically proven to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes due to lower levels of nicotine and the absence of other dangerous ingredients.
Dehydration
Dehydration can cause your skin to lose plumpness and elasticity, leading to dryness, flakiness, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Additionally, regular water intake is a significant factor in flushing out harmful toxins from the body and skin. Without this process, you can become susceptible to more severe issues like eczema and psoriasis.
Alcohol
When alcohol metabolizes through the body, it releases a by-product called acetaldehyde. This product is toxic to the body and skin cells, causing both to lose moisture. This is the reason why your skin typically feels as dry as a desert after a night of heavy drinking.
Diet
Essential fatty acids contribute to the health of your skin. For example, omega-6 is responsible for healthy skin growth, while omega-3 works to prevent dry skin. A diet lacking in these elements will leave you with skin and hair issues you will struggle to ignore.
Improving Skin Health
When you have been able to narrow down, even slightly, the issues surrounding your skin, following a few simple and easy-to-understand tips will make a massive change to your skin’s appearance. Finding the perfect balance might take trial and error, as all skin is different. Here are some secrets to radiant skin:
SPF Daily
You have likely heard this recommendation a million times at this point. But applying SPF daily, even on those cloudy days, will significantly improve your skin health over the long run. This is because nearly 90% of wrinkles can be caused by skin damage, and preventing this damage is far easier than trying to fix it.
Vitamin D
This may seem contradictory to the point above, but vitamin D is extremely good for your body and skin. In addition, this ‘sunshine vitamin’ has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps fight free radicals and prevent acne.
While you can find beauty products that contain vitamin D, nothing beats the real thing. Ideally, you should try to get outside for at least 45 minutes daily. This is why SPF is so important.
Hyaluronic Acid
If you have skin that never seems to feel moisturized and fresh, investing in a cream or serum with hyaluronic acid will be a game changer if you want radiant skin. This heavy-hitter can hold up to 100x its weight in moisture, meaning it can easily penetrate all layers of your skin and hold it there much longer than a product without it.
Clean Make-Up Brushes
A study conducted in the UK found that 72% of women never wash their make-up brushes or sponges, despite the fact they collect dirt and bacteria, which are both huge factors leading to breakouts.
Ideally, you should be washing applicators of liquids at least once a week, while brushes used to apply powder products every two to three weeks. The process is speedy and only requires lukewarm water mixed with either shampoo or gentle facial cleanser.
Skin-Care Order
This may be surprising to hear, but the order in which you apply your skincare products might just be more important than the products themselves. Putting them on in an incorrect order can significantly minimize the effects each product is meant to have.
Considering your serums are likely to have the most active ingredients, this makes them the most powerful and should be the products that go directly onto your skin. If you have more than one product that fits this description, apply the thinner one first.
Thicker products will block their lighter counterparts, making them ineffective. If you have a moisturizer in your line-up, this will follow serums, and SPF will always be the last thing you put on, either before leaving the house or starting on your make-up.
Adequate Sleep
Getting a good night of sleep is essential for multiple health reasons, including your quest for radiant skin. Sleep deprivation lowers circulation throughout the body, which is why you will look pale and washed out when you do not get enough of it.
It is also the ideal time for your skin to work on rejuvenating itself. You want to equip it with the best ingredients and sufficient time to complete the job properly.
