Healthy Skin Matters: The Benefits of Healthy Skin
Skin experts far and wide strive to remind men and women that skin is a mirror to the health of the body. As the largest and one of the most significant organs, our skin plays a huge role in our overall well-being.
So, why does healthy skin matter?
Your skin is your body’s protective shield. It is the first line of defense against all outside threats, such as harmful ultraviolet sun rays, grueling weather conditions – like high winds, harsh heat, and bitter cold – contagious microorganisms, and more. Additionally, your skin is vital to the production and excretion of natural vitamin D.
With so much that our skin does for us day in and day out, it’s important to give skin the care, attention, and nourishment it deserves.
How to Get Healthy Skin
Healthy skin and a healthy perception of how your skin looks and feels doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars in skin care products and procedures. In fact, healthy skin shouldn’t be stressed over at all, as stress is a leading cause of poor skin and body health.
Healthy skin is actually very simple to attain if you focus on acing the basics. It starts with water and it ends with breathing deep. That’s right, achieving beautiful skin is rooted in holistic practices, and skin care routine steps should include minimal products.
Here are 10 tips for glowing skin:
Skin Care Routine Steps
1. Drink plenty of water.
While this basic necessity is a universal must-do for your body to fully function and support you, your skin is no different. When you adequately hydrate from the inside out, your skin will thrive.
In fact, even being slightly dehydrated will cause your skin to look and feel different. The more dehydrated you get, the more dull, uneven, loose or flaky it can become.
Because skin cells are mostly made of water, they need to be replenished to continue to help the skin remain soft, supple and bright. Drinking a lot of water is the only way to lay a prosperous foundation for your skin to flourish.
Once the skin is well-hydrated, skin care products will prove to be effective.
2. Eat a healthy diet.
Just as drinking water is hydrating from the inside out, eating well-balanced meals that are packed with fresh fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, protein and vitamins will promote radiant skin.
Try to steer clear of processed, fried, sugary, and high-sodium foods, as they tend to stimulate more skin issues, like pimples and acne. Instead, eat foods high in antioxidants – like blueberries, raspberries, nuts, green tea, and dark chocolate, to name a few.
Antioxidants give your skin and body the best support to fight disease and aging by reducing damage and inflammation.
3. Protect your skin from the sun.
There’s no denying that time spent in the sun is beautiful and blissful, but each time you bask in its light, be sure to apply a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Overtime, the sun can wreak havoc on your skin and cause dark/age spots, wrinkles, and lead to cancer.
Skipping the sunscreen for fear it will clog your pores is no longer a viable reason, as certain sunscreens are specifically designed to not block pores. Look for non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic on the bottle’s label to ensure your pores will not be affected.
4. Remove your makeup every night.
Some skin experts claim this to be the ‘Golden Rule’ in skin care. Just as your mind and body depend on the night to rest and reboot, your skin uses nighttime to rest, regenerate and breathe.
When makeup or grime from the day is not washed off before bedtime, your skin is limited to the amount of revitalizing it can do. Furthermore, makeup can clog pores and lead to blemishes and/or blackheads overnight.
You can even use simple, natural, everyday products to safely remove your makeup, such as olive oil that’s applied to a cotton pad and gently massaged onto your face to wipe away dirt and makeup.
5. Get restful sleep.
There really is some truth behind the phrase beauty sleep. Once you’ve removed your makeup and prepped your skin for bed, make sure to get around seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. Since your skin rejuvenates overnight, uninterrupted hours are crucial. Without them, your skin will begin to look as tired as you feel, and bags under the eyes can begin to show up.
6. Find a natural skin moisturizer.
Did you know there’s a difference between hydration and moisturization? When your skin is dehydrated, it is deficient in water and needs to be hydrated. When your skin is dry, it is deficient in oil and needs to be moisturized.
Therefore, a robust, hydrating cream or oil will give your skin an extra boost. Look for a product that combines essential oils, vitamins, and other substances – such as herbs – to penetrate the surface of the skin and support elasticity, strength, and firmness.
7. Nix the nicotine.
You’re probably well aware that smoking is bad for your lungs. Smoking, however, is also one of your skin’s biggest adversaries.
Smoking:
- Makes the skin look dull and older
- Promotes wrinkles at a much younger age
- Narrows blood vessels in the skin’s outermost layer, decreasing blood flow and causing pale-looking skin
- Depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients
- Damages collagen and elastin
- Increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer
If you smoke but long for healthy, vibrant skin, the fastest way to get there is to quit smoking.
8. Sweat.
There is a world of benefit to a regular exercise routine. When it comes to your skin, exercise increases blood and oxygen circulation throughout your entire body, and releases toxins through sweat.
Don’t be afraid sweat will lead to blemishes. Once you’ve cooled down, give your face or entire body a gentle cleanse to wash away the sweat. Ultimately, sweat equals glowing skin.
9. Be gentle to your skin.
Constant makeup and product applications, shaving, hot water, and varying weather conditions can run your skin ragged at times. Healthy skin is achieved with tender care. This means:
- Wear minimal or no makeup when you can
- Exfoliate gently
- Avoid using products with harsh chemicals
- Be careful when shaving
- Limit time spent in hot showers or baths (or hot tubs)
- Pat your skin dry
10. Breathe deep.
As noted earlier, stress can cause your skin to lose its luster. Chronic, uncontrolled stress can make your skin prone to sensitivity, breakouts, and other skin issues. To not only allow your mind to breathe, but also allow your skin to escape the tension, take steps to manage the stress. Perhaps this means changing habits, taking on a new hobby, letting go of situations you can’t control, adopting a new schedule, or trying out yoga or meditation. Whatever will move you into a better state of mind will benefit your skin, too.
Moisturize, Reduce or Prevent Stretch Marks & Nourish Your Skin with a Comprehensive Body Oil
Not all moisturizers are created equal, and your skin needs a powerful, all-encompassing product that will help it maintain its youthful, energetic presence.
An effective alternative and more multifaceted product than over-the-counter lotions and moisturizers, body oil is a natural moisturizer that helps skin hold moisture better to remain soft and supple.
A breakthrough in skin care products, ReTone offers a body oil that’s infused with Gotu Kola – a herb that is proven to boost antioxidant activity, support collagen production, increase blood circulation, and prevent swelling.
ReTone Body Oil was made with your utmost safety in mind. Composed of naturally occurring substances, you can help your skin look and remain healthy and moisturized the effective and natural way.