It’s not just the body, the skin also keeps score. When you neglect it, or even abuse it, it suffers. When you do right by it, it literally glows. No matter how old you are, or where you are in your skincare journey, the following practices will aid your skin’s health. These are not quick-fix solutions but lifelong commitments for skin that is fundamentally healthy and remains so as you get older.
While there are several practices that will serve you well in this regard, I believe the following will help you the most.
So let’s jump right in!
Good sleep is like a collagen mask, so prioritise it
I know this has been repeated ad infinitum and you’re probably rolling your eyes already reading this, but it’s called ‘beauty sleep’ for some very good reasons. Being well-rested shows on your skin. As does not having rested enough.
Recovery is essential to proper growth and functioning of all the body’s organs, including the skin. My skin looks a lot better when I’ve slept the night previous. It’s almost as if I’d applied a collagen mask overnight; in the morning the skin looks tighter and gives a healthy glow. And research backs this. “Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you snooze, which means you wake to a healthy glow,” as per WebMD.
All the serums, creams, masks, and treatments you are investing in will give you much better results if you were to actually sleep well during the night with them on your face.
(Sleep is a whole other topic, and very important, too, which I will be covering soon.)
The sooner you clean up your diet the better
My experience with this for the most part, at least in my 20s, had been something along the following lines. I ate well for a few months, but didn’t notice much of a change in my skin. But if I ate junk a few days in a row, the skin would break out, start looking greasier, more textured, and lifeless.
In hindsight this is very clear to me. But at the time I couldn’t care less about my skin. Or my body. Or may hair. (Don’t be like the younger me!)
What you eat matters. The skin is the largest organ of your body. The skin needs nourishment just like any other organ, and when you eat well you benefit as a whole which in turn benefits your skin. You may not see great results right away, but the diet will definitely make a difference. In the long term, you’ll thank yourself for having taken the trouble to eat well even when it was inconvenient. (You’re welcome!)
Find a way to manage stress
Stress (the chronic kind) is truly the enemy. Might seem like another of those cliched things but this had to be said. If you had any doubt in your mind the harmful effects of stress on your skin and health in general, let this be the final article that exorcises it.
Stress damages the body in several insidious ways. Specifically for the skin, stress can trigger acne or aggravate other skin conditions. It can also lead to hair damage.
Overall, the harmful effects of stress on the body and the mind are very well researched and documented, so please, just take the scientific word on this and implement stress management strategies to keep your mind and body in a relatively healthy state.
Sleep on a silk pillowcase
I like to sleep on my face, rubbing it into the pillow as I doze through the night. I know from plenty experience that the quality and the texture of the pillow cover matter for the skin as well as the hair. The skin looks that bit smoother and the hair a bit less ravaged the next day when I’ve slept on a pillowcase made of 100% silk. Don’t expect any miracles right away though. Like other suggestions in this article, this needs to be a lifelong commitment.
Invest in and stick to a good skincare routine
You don’t need a lot of products to achieve your skincare goals, but you do need to invest in the right ones and use them diligently.
I’ve written in detail about how to curate a good skincare routine but here’s a quick recap:
- Decide what you want a skincare routine to accomplish
- Define your goals and the particular skin challenges you want to address.
- Do your research in this regard and come up with one product for each of the above
- Learn how to use the products correctly
- Never step into the sun without a sunscreen
With regular use of the right products you should see dramatically improved skin within just a few days.
A smart skincare routine will nourish your skin for years to come.
What are some of the things that you do to keep your skin healthy on a long-term basis? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
