Skin Care Tips for Healthier-Looking Skin

It was around the end of my college e-ju-mu-cation that I started to delve into the world of skin care. I know I know, I’m late to the game. And if you were anything like me back then, I didn’t know anything about skin care. Zippo. Nada.

So naturally, I didn’t do anything to help take care of my skin. I cringe at the mere thought of my younger self being so naive. So clueless.

There there, it’ll be ok.

Now a little bit about my skin…I’m an oily mess. In the morning, it’s all good. By noon, my face can reflect the sun’s rays and blind you.

Yes, true story.

It took me a while to find skin care products that worked for my face and helped keep my acne in the gates of hell where they belong!!!

If you don’t know your skin type, here’s a quick summary:

Skin Type	Description
Dry	Skin feels tight May experience flaking
Normal/Combo	Dryness in certain areas (cheeks) Chin, forehead, and/or nose may get oily Neither dry nor oily Blemish free (lucky)
Oily	Enlarged pores Shiny after a couple of hours Prone to breakouts
Sensitive	Prone to rashes/irritations Blotchy patches on skin Redness spots

I do want to mention that everyone’s skin is different. What works for me, may not work for you and we may both have the same skin types. in this post, I do mainly focus on oily, acne-prone skin.

But hey, if you try a product that I mention and you have, let’s say dry skin, and it works for you, then use it. It all comes down to trial and error.

Now on to the good stuff. Here are some tips so you can start or continue your journey to soft, supple, healthy-looking skin:

TAKE OFF YOUR MAKEUP BEFORE YOU GO TO BED

This is like number 1 in the holy skin care commandments.

No excuses honey. Or dude. Guys where makeup too. Don’t you judge.

Just because you’re tired or you had one too many margaritas is not an excuse to go to sleep with your makeup on. You’re just asking for pimple city.

So for the love of God, wash that pretty face.

CLEANSE YOUR SKIN

Use a gentle cleanser to take off makeup and dirt off your face. Just make sure you take off any residue on your skin that can get trapped in your pores and cause acne. Soap is not really an alternative to washing your face, primarily because it over dries your skin, which can also cause you to break out.

• Look for a cleanser that is non-comedogenic, meaning they won’t clog pores.
  • For dry skin, try an oil-based or cream-based cleanser
  • My oily peeps, definitely opt for an oil-free, gentle cleanser. Anything that has salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is your best friend
  • For combo skin,  try a mild cleanser that won’t strip your skin
  • For sensitive skin, ya’ll are tricky. It could be that your skin doesn’t react well with most ingredients in cleansers. Check with your dermatologist to see what is causing your skin to react negatively.

I use the Acne.org Gentle Cleanser to cleanse my skin and get rid of all the makeup, dirt, and excess oil on my face.

A reminder that what I mention will not solve all your skin’s problem. Like I mentioned before, it takes trial and error to find the right product that works for you. Be open-minded to experimenting with different cleansers and see which one is the best fit for you.

Note:

One thing I’d like to mention is you should always activate your cleanser before putting it on your face. I feel a lot of people don’t know this and just slap on some cleanser straight out of the bottle.

Make sure to pump some cleanser in the palm of your hand and activate it with a bit of water until you get a foamy lather…..THEEEN slap that shit on your face…

…2x a day 🙂

DRINK LOTS OF H2O

Soda and carbonated drinks are just a big no-no. I cut soda out of my life cold turkey about 6 years ago and haven’t drank one since. I’m personally very proud of that. This has resorted me to drink a lot more water and I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my skin and body over time.

Water helps flush out the toxins and useless junk we have in our bodies. We’ve all heard drink 8 glasses of water a day and well…they’re right. I mean you’ll be going to the restroom like crazy but for better-looking skin? I’m in!

USE A TONER

Toners are great for restoring the pH balance of our skin and wiping off any excess dirt that cleansers weren’t able to take off.

Now, when trying to find what toner to use, say NO to alcohol. Alcohol strips away the oils our face produces to protect our skin and traps in moisture. Also, know your skin type and find toners with active ingredients that are beneficial to your skin type:

Skin Type	Active Ingredients
Sensitive	Chamomile, rose water, cucumber extract
Oily	Tea tree oil, witch hazel extract, aloe vera (straight from the plant or an extract)
Dry/Normal	Seaweed extract, honey, vitamin E
Acne-prone	Witch hazel extract, citric acid, calendula

I personally use straight up Witch Hazel from my local grocery store (but you can find it anywhere). Soak a cotton pad and wipe it all over the face to get any makeup or dirt that cleanser might have not taken off.

Cheap AND doesn’t break me out!

EAT HEALTHY

Well, at least try to okay lol. I admit, I love me a good, juicy burger (that’s just the way to my heart, literally)…and pizza…mmm tacos…what we talking about?

HANDS OFF

Your hands carry bacteria from everything that you touch. Touch your face with them bacteria-infested phalanges and you’ll soon find yourself breaking out.

Go ahead, touch it. TOUCH IT!

Make it a habit to keep your hands off your face if you ever find yourself reaching for your face. It truly makes a difference.

EXFOLIATE

Exfoliating gets rid of old dead skin cells at the surface of your skin, revealing new, smooth, and glowing skin underneath. This is especially important for my oily/acne-prone peeps out there.

I have Lush’s Herbalism. Its a cleanser but has little granules and gently exfoliate the skin. Targeted for oily and troubled skin.

Try this 1-2 a week and get ready to have skin smoother than a baby’s butt.

DO A FACE MASK

Another thing that can really benefit your skin is doing weekly face masks or sheet masks if you want something quick. I personally really enjoy this at night right before going to bed. Plop that sucker on your face and let the goodness do its thing. Just know that face masks and sheet masks all have different ingredients that cater to different skin types.

If you don’t own any face masks, you can make one with stuff that you probably have in your kitchen. Let me share one of my favorites:

Baking Soda & Coconut Oil Face Mask

1 part baking soda to 1 part coconut oil (organic, cold-pressed); mix into a paste and gently apply to face in circular motions. The baking soda acting a brightener as well as a gentle exfoliator. The coconut oil helps add moisture to the skin. After 15 minutes, wash off the mask with some cleanser and voila! Soft, supple skin.

MOISTURIZE

This is one, if not the most important thing you can do to smoother, healthy, and well, moisturized skin. When I first started using it…I became a whole new person. GAME. CHANGER YALL. So moisturize responsibly kids.

I use Acne.org Moisturizer.

Like I’ve mentioned before, be open to finding the tried and true moisturizer that hydrates your skin and won’t clog your pores.

If you have dry to normal skin, try a cream or lotion-type of moisturizer for that extra hydration. If you have oily skin, go for a gel-based moisturizer. It doesn’t contain many oils that can potentially clog your pores and still adds the needed hydration your skin needs.

I say if there’s anything that you could save your money and splurge on, IT’S SKIN CARE. Hands down. Cause if your skin is smooth, nourished, and hydrated, it wouldn’t matter if you wore the cheapest foundation or the most expensive one. The foundation will glide on like a dream and make your makeup look flawless.

It’s not only buying the most luxurious skin care products. Changing your eating habits and doing simple changes to your lifestyle can do wonders for your skin. It all comes down to taking care of your skin.

All in all, taking care of your skin according to your skin type and its needs, your skin will thank you in the long run.

What’s the most important thing in your skin care that you can’t live without? Let me know in the comments 🙂

If you enjoyed reading this, make sure to share it on Facebook and Pinterest.

Until next time, peace  Fam!