Skin health is essential. As such, it’s vital to seriously consider natural beauty tips that help improve the health of the skin. While we tend to think of skin in terms of physical appearance, our largest organ serves many vital roles in the safeguarding of our health. The skin has three primary functions:
- Protection: Protection from bacteria, chemicals, pressure, impact, and temperature variance.
- Regulation: Monitoring and adjustment of body temperature, fluid (e.g., electrolyte and water balance), and storage of vitamin D.
- Sensation: The skin includes receptors for cold, heat, pain, and touch, all of which are necessary for detecting changes in the environment.
What’s interesting is that skin health and underlying health is inclusive. Consciously or not, people make associations between complexion and lifestyle choice, self-care habits, and other personal attributes. Perhaps it is this association that gave birth to the human infatuation with not only skin appearance but of the multitude of beauty products used throughout the world.
Here are 10 Beauty Tips for Healthier Skin
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Exfoliate with hot water
Every person who prides themselves on a healthy skin appearance knows the importance of exfoliation. Our skin continuously sheds hard, dry, old skin to make way for new skin cells – a natural process known as desquamation.
Exfoliation is the manual removal of dry and shedding skin, and it’s one of the best beauty tips to get healthy and glowing skin. You don’t need anything fancy either. Using a washcloth soaked in hot water, use small circular movements to exfoliate your face.
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Apply facial essence and moisturizer
If you moisturize your face, consider adding something called facial essence. Facial essence is a hydrating liquid that is applied after washing and before moisturizing. Essence is believed to add necessary hydration to the skin – improving its appearance and elasticity.
Facial essence can be applied as a post-toner treatment, or it can replace skin toner.
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Try some lip balm
Adding color to your lips makes your skin appear younger and healthier. Lip balm with pH color-changing pigments can also bring out your lips’ natural glow. A quality lip balm will also hydrate the delicate, thin layer of skin on your lips’ surface. Certain balms come in your skin’s natural pigmentation – adding some more beauty to your lovely face!
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Put on a sleeping mask
Sleeping masks have gotten super famous for good reason. The science behind sleeping masks is quite simple: the body essentially fasts when we sleep. We don’t take in any nutrients (like water) capable of moisturizing and nourishing the skin during this time. A good sleeping mask will hydrate and replenish your skin while you snooze away, which is usually apparent when you look in the mirror the next morning.
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Drink some barley tea
Loaded with antioxidants and minerals, barley tea is a favorite of serious beauty enthusiasts. Barley tea may also help protect against photo-aging or the appearance of aging as a result of sun exposure. Barley helps protect and heal skin cells and improves the immune system as well.
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Try some ampoule
Ampoule is a “supercharged” serum that “generally deliver(s) a higher potency of skin nourishing ingredients.” A staple in Korean skincare, ampoules provide great beauty tips because they target skin issues such as dark circles, liver sports, photoaging, and dry skin. Because of their potency, ampoule serum isn’t intended to be used long-term; instead, if you choose to use an ampoule product, do so when your skin truly needs some extra nourishment.
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“Chai-yok”
Another Korean innovation, a chai-yok (also known as a “V-Steam”) is a favorite of celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow. Here’s how Ironman’s squeeze describes the experience:
“You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et. al. It is an energetic release (that) balances female hormone levels … You have to do it.”
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Try a charcoal mask
While the research is still a bit iffy on charcoal masks, some people swear by them. Supposedly, activated charcoal (which is really just carbon) works by absorbing the oil and toxins on the skin’s surface.
More intense charcoal treatments are thought to be more effective. The problem is that they’re quite painful and may irritate the skin.
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A D-I-Y facial
Massaging your own face, even for a mere five minutes per day, could help tighten your skin and improve its appearance. How good are D-I-Y massages for skin health? Well, dermatologists and facialists swear by, recommend, and practice the techniques.
Experts recommend focusing on areas of the face such as the brow bones, forehead, cheek bones, and jawline. (You can find a number of techniques online, including here.)
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Know what not to do
While keeping in mind the above beauty tips, there’s also a bunch of stuff that can make your skin look bad. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are some things to avoid for the sake of your skin health:
- Smoking: it reduces blood flow to your skin and damages the proteins that give your skin proper structure.
- No using sunscreen: Ultraviolet (UV) rays can be damaging over time. Contrary to popular belief, sunscreen isn’t just for sunny days. Apply a minimum strength of SPF 30 every two hours while outside.
- Not washing up before bed: Your skin is exposed to dirt, oil, and pollutants all day, every day – which can result in episodes of inflammation and breakouts.
- Overeating sugar: Again, manufactured sugar proves that it’s garbage. Refined carbs such as pasta and white bread aren’t much better.
