Three Easy Ways to Take Care of Your Skin Outside of Your Products

So you started a new skincare routine and are wondering what else you can do to take your skin to the next level. Maybe you are hesitant about starting a routine and want to take a more lifestyle approach to heal your skin. Either way, this blog is here to guide you on what you can do outside of your regular skincare routine to strengthen and heal your skin.

 

1. Protect Your Skin from the Sun

I get it– it’s summer. If you’re like me, summer is the best season of the year. Spring in the Midwest is too rainy, and fall lasts maybe two weeks before we zip up the winter coats. By the time summer comes around, you’re itching to soak up everything the good weather has to offer. But with the summer heat, comes the number one harmful agent against your skin: sun damage.

Sun damage is a tricky topic. Our skin craves vitamin D that the sun offers. However, too much exposure to the sun can result in some life-long effects. The most well-known impact is the risk of skin cancer. Even in less threatening cases, sun damage can seriously impact the health of the skin. Sure, there’s nothing better than laying out on the beach. But, we put ourselves at risk for premature aging, hyperpigmentation, brown spots, and difficulty healing problematic skin not only on our face but everywhere on our body.

The best part? We can protect ourselves from ever seeing these effects of sun damage. By applying ~and reapplying!!!~ a natural sunscreen (look for products heavy in zinc), we minimize the risk our skin faces in the summer heat. Now, people with fair skin may be reading this thinking “trust me, we know.” But, even those with darker skin tones need to apply sunscreen. You are still at risk for skin cancer and premature aging even if you do not get “burned”. So, next time you’re ready to hit the beach, go for a run, or go golfing, remember that taking thirty seconds to apply sunscreen beforehand will keep your skin looking healthy.

 

2. Drink Water

This one seems obvious, right? But how many times have you gone through a day only to realize you’ve only had one or two cups of water? There are so many benefits to drinking water. This includes hydration, better digestion, increased blood flow, and heightened brain activity. Most importantly, drinking more water leads to healthier, cleaner skin.

By drinking more water, we are able to flush out all of the toxins from our system. This includes the toxins that lead to breakouts. Water assists in fighting bacteria. There’s a reason so many “water challenges” promote drinking up to a gallon of water every day. When consume that much water, our body automatically rids us of any excess toxins.

Not only does water flush out toxins, but it also keeps our skin hydrated. If you are someone who already suffers from dry skin, not drinking enough water throughout the day will only compound your skin’s reaction. After all, how can your skin stay hydrated if the rest of your body is not?

 

3. Exercise (with caution)

This one sums up pretty much everything we have already talked about. When we exercise, we get that blood flowing through our veins. It is important to remember that blood flow is the number one way that we can heal the skin. When we increase circulation within our skin, the blood carries away all of those toxins and brings nourishment to our skin.

When we exercise, we sweat out those toxins through 2800 openings (pores) per square inch of skin. With that being said, here is the caution. Yes, it is great to sweat and release those toxins through our skin. But, we don’t want that sweat to remain on our skin after a workout. When we workout, it is important to properly cleanse our face and body afterward ensuring that those thousands of openings are clean and free from bacteria helping us avoid skin issues such as blackheads, breakouts, or in general just problematic skin.

All in all, exercising is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. So much research has gone into the psychological benefits of working out. At the end of the day, anything that increases blood flow while reducing stress is bound to be great for the health of our skin!