Beautology | Top 10 Skin Tips

Everyone wants to have that perfect glow but don’t necessarily know how to achieve it. There are small changes you can make every day to get a more radiant complexion.

Kristina one of our Aestheticians takes you through some favourites:

1. Sunscreen

The sun is aging the number 1 reason why we age. Harsh UV rays breakdown the collagen and elastin causing skin to wrinkle and sag. The sun can also be drying, cause discoloration and hyperpigmentation (sunspots).

What you may not know is even if you are not outside in direct sunlight, the sun’s UV rays also penetrate through windows. Additionally, phone and computer screens emit a damaging blue light that can have the same damaging effect on our Skin that the sun does. So, it is so important to always wear SPF during daylight every day of the year.

Avoid excessive amounts of sun exposure, if you cannot then reapply a high factor 30+ SPF regularly. Between the hours of 10AM and 4PM is when the ultraviolet exposure is at its strongest. Avoid using sunlamps and tanning beds as these are highly dangerous for damaging your skin.

 

2. Hydrate

Our skin is essentially waterproof, we do not absorb water on its own through our skin therefore we have to drink it. We recommend drinking about 6 - 8 glasses of water per day but for every cup of caffeine, alcohol, and sugary drink you have, you need to add an extra glass of water because these drinks counteract your water intake and are very dehydrating.

We need to keep our water intake up for a couple reasons.

• Most importantly when we put products on our skin, they need water to bind to so they can stay in the skin for a longer lasting effect.
• Water helps the body to function properly, it is essential for helping our immune system flush out toxins. Did you know a human can only go about 3 days without water?
• Water is literally the key to our survival so why wouldn’t we drink as much as we can of it?

 

3. Exercise

Your skin is the largest organ your body has, just as exercise helps your other organs like your heart to stay strong, it does the same for your skin. Exercising helps strengthen your skin for it to be able to defend itself against aging and other damage.

When you exercise your heart rate increases causing a stronger and faster blood circulation throughout the body. When your blood circulates it delivers oxygen and nutrients to the active cells in your body including the skin. These nutrients nourish the skin as well as protect and promote stronger collagen production, which is vital to help slow down the ageing process. It is also important to exercise for the sake of your skin because exercise helps control your blood sugar levels, reduces stress hormones and makes you sweat. 

Despite what a lot of people think, sweat is actually good for your skin as you are cleansing your skin before and after your workouts. It is important to clean your skin before a workout because sweat will help clear out your pores but if you have makeup on while sweating, it will mix together and could cause your pores to become clogged. The reason to clean your skin immediately after a workout is because the sweat has just pushed out impurities from your pores and you need to remove them for your pores to stay unclogged.

As long as you are taking proper cleansing steps, sweating should be helping clear your skin for a more radiant glow.

 

4. Sex

Believe it or not sex is not just for pleasure it has many other benefits as well especially when it comes to your skin health. Similar to when you exercise, sex increases your heart rate which improves your blood circulation.

This means your skin and organs are getting more oxygen which helps brightens your complexion and gives you that skin glow we all want. When we are having sex hormones are released, when estrogen is released it actually gives your collagen a boost, causing it to strengthen and improve the appearance of fine lines.

Regular sexual activity can help improve your body’s ability to absorb and metabolise nutrients better leaving us with not only stronger skin but stronger hair and nails as well.

One thing is for sure is that sex can also have the ability to relieve some of your everyday stresses. Stress plays a major factor in aging our skin. Having sex on a regular basis relaxes and calms down the stress hormone ‘cortisol’ giving our complexion a boost. Once we are relaxed, we usually are able to sleep better. Having a relaxed full night's sleep will do wonders for your skin, in the morning you will not only feel more alert but have brighter awakened complexion.

 

5. Diet

When our bodies have all the nutrients it needs, it is able to function at the highest possible level and this will shine through to your skin. A healthy well balanced organic diet will help keep your body full of the nutrients it needs to work to prevent your skin from aging. Having plenty of organic fresh fruit and vegetables that are locally sourced will give your body more nutrients for it to be able to help your skin stay youthful.

We want to have lots of foods full of antioxidants and vitamin C to help protect our skin and body from the inside out.

Foods that are high in these important ingredients are oranges, mango, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries and watermelon, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, peppers, broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Foods that are rich in fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) are essential for helping to keep our natural oil barrier balanced and strong as well as keeping our skin hydrated and plump. Foods that contain high amounts of these are fish such as salmon and tuna, nuts such as walnuts and almonds, seeds such as flaxseed and chia seeds, plant oils and eggs.

Full fat dairy products are also high in essential fatty acids as well, having a fat free diet is not always beneficial as you could be depriving your body of nutrients it needs. Also taking supplements as part of your everyday diet will enhance your nutrient density in your entire body including your skin.

The go to supplement these days is Collagen, and for good reason. Collagen is a protein in your body, about one third of your body's protein composition is collagen. Your skin is three quarters made up of collagen, it is also in your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and blood. It is a very important protein as it is responsible for keeping the skin's elasticity tight and keeping your joints and muscles healthy and strong. As we age your collagen breaks down and it becomes harder for your body to produce more, which is why it is important to be taking supplements to help your body boost its collagen levels. Collagen is a very large protein, when we take it as a supplement your body breaks it down to amino acids and distributes it out to help your body to produce more collagen quicker.

 

6. At Home

There are a few things people forget about when they are at home that could make a big difference to your skin's overall health. An important one is to change your pillowcase often.

Your pillowcase can hold a lot of oils left behind from your skin and hair. As well as dead skin cells that may have shed overnight and any sweat that may have occurred while you were sleeping. We do not want all of these factors to contribute to your skin breaking out and causing an uneven complexion. A silk pillowcase is most ideal as they are the least absorbent and will help keep your skin moisture. It is also a good idea to try and keep your hair out of your face when you sleep. Using a headband or putting it up into a ponytail or bun will help keep the hair oils away from your face. Try and rotate which side you sleep on. If you continuously sleep on the same side of your face you may notice that side start to lose elasticity quicker than the other. Sleeping on your back is most ideal for your skin but we know this can't really be controlled. Other tips for around the house, clean your makeup brushes. Oils from your skin can transfer to your brushes when you use them so it’s a good idea to wash them regularly.

One tip people often forget is to clean your phone. With most phones being touch screens now, think about this, if you touch your screen all the time and then say you touch your face or put the phone to your face, all the oils and bacteria that may be on your phone will now be on your face. Our phones can hold a lot of germs, so we need to be wiping them down daily.

 

7. Relax

Today more than ever everyone seems to be in the biggest rush and need everything to happen right now. This is stressful and stress can play a major role on your skin.

It is so important to find time in your day to just calm down and take a beat. Your skin will show for it.  When we are stressed a hormone called cortisol releases, which breaks down our collagen and elastin causing our skin to age quicker. Stress can also dull our complexion making us look tired. Stress also affects our sleep. If you are not sleeping regularly and for long you may start to see swollen eyes and dark circles form, as well as pale skin, wrinkles and sagging. Our body needs between 7 - 9 hours of solid sleep every night to function properly and restore itself. While we sleep the blood flow in our skin increases causing our collagen to rebuild and lets our skin repair itself from any damage it may have encountered during the day such as the UV rays and free radicals. If your body does not get the chance to do this then signs of aging will start to appear rather quickly. There are many ways to help your mind and body relax, such as taking a bath – using Epson salts and bubbles in a nice warm bath and putting on a hydrating face mask can do wonders for your skin. Not only do your pores open up and release toxins but the salts help relax your muscles forcing your body to calm. Putting some essential oils that you like in as well will help calm your mind. Happy smells force your mind to relax.

Whatever it is that you love to do that helps you calm the mind, make time every day to do it! Life is too short to rush through it and not do the things that really make us happy. The happier you are the happier your skin will be.

 

8. Know your skin type

This is important because it will determine what products you use in your everyday skin regime.

You want to be using the proper products for your skin type and skin concerns because otherwise you will not see a difference or have any changes you want to make. In your daily skin routine, you want to make sure you have a cleanser, using it morning and night. A serum that is specific for any skin concerns you have. A daily SPF moisturizer and night cream. As well as an eye cream because the eyes are usually the first signs of aging as that skin is more delicate than the rest of your face.

No matter what skin type you are or what your skin concerns are there are a few ingredients you want to try and include in every skin regime. We want to have a SPF, vitamin C and antioxidant. We need to be protecting our skin now more than. Our O-zone layer is thinning, and we have more pollution and free radicals then ever seen before. It is important to not apply too much product. Your skin can only absorb so much at a time so if you're putting on heaps then you are wasting it.

To be able to find out your skin type and get help with any skin concerns consult an aesthetician and get a facial to see what the best course of action for your skin will be.

 

9. Don’t touch your face

If you didn’t know before Covid-19 you will know now how many germs are actually around us. It is so important to not touch your face, now more than ever. Not only do we not want the oils from our hands on our face but also, we do not want any bacteria or germs you may have encountered, they could be under your fingernails and transferring to your face every time you touch.

Washing your hands regularly will help but cutting the habit of resting your head on your hands or rubbing at your eyebrows are most important. Also do not pick at spots on your face. Leave it alone! If you pick at it, you could spread the bacteria and create more spots or you could leave marks and scars. It is best to just exfoliate it out and let it take its course.

 

10. DO NOT smoke

 It is as simple as that.

We know by now all the health risks you get internally from smoking, but did you know that smoking increases the lines and wrinkles around your mouth. It also creates a yellowing to your skin as well as increases your risk of skin cancer. The smoke fumes get into your pore and cause serious damage and give you a dull grey complexion. Just being around it as well can be harmful therefore it is best to avoid it at all cost.

What did you think of our 10 skincare tips? Have any additions or tweaks? We love to hear from you...

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