The one thing that is constant in life is change. This is a cardinal fact that applies to every aspect of life, including appearances. As you age, your looks go through a transformation as well. A major part of that shift happens on your skin. With growth and change, our skin goes from soft and smooth to leathery and wrinkly. This process can't be avoided and can only be sped up or slowed down by our lifestyle choices.
Some known choices help sustain your skin’s health like drinking lots of water and using sunscreen. However, if you are aware of the everyday habits that can ensure the continued health and youthfulness of your skin, you are one step ahead.
While maintaining great skin isn’t rocket science, it’s no small feat either. That is why we have compiled this list of basic, everyday things to start you up on the journey to maintaining great skin for a long time. So here are 10 basic things you probably didn’t know were great for your skin.
1. SLEEP
Sleep is vital for good health and the state of your health is often reflected in your skin. Lack of sleep will give your skin a dull, sallow look. When you are sleep deprived, your body releases more cortisol; a stress hormone that can break down collagen when produced in excess. Collagen is the protein that keeps your skin smooth and elastic. Getting enough sleep literally brightens and smoothens your skin.
2. DISCARDING OLD PRODUCTS
The average person has a backlog of creams, oils, and makeup that they haven’t used in a while, but also haven’t discarded for some reason. This is understandable, as it’s hard to throw away something you spent money on. However, most of these old products probably have a build-up of bacteria from being unused or expired for a while. It’s always best to use fresh products for your skin. So toss out the old stuff today; your skin will thank you for it!
3. AVOID STRONG SOAPS
Strong soaps and cleansers are often bad for your skin as they can strip the skin of oils and some essential bacteria. Since you will shower every day anyway, it is better to stick to mild cleansers that nourish your skin and maintain its freshness without being too harsh on it. Our Black Soap is the perfect component for this.
4. CLEANING YOUR PHONE
You are probably almost always on your phone. This is normal for everybody today. However, this also means you probably have your phone with you wherever you go, including public places like bus stations, restrooms, and social gatherings to mention a few. With all of this exposure, there’s a very high chance that your phone screen is extremely toxic and full of bacteria and other contaminants. This is why you must make it a habit to wipe down your phone screen regularly.
5. SLEEPING IN THE RIGHT POSITION
Most people are used to curling up in bed with their faces buried inside their pillow when they sleep. Let’s be honest, this is a very comfy position to sleep in. However, it is pretty bad for your skin. This is because sleeping with your face compressed into a rough cotton surface for long periods at a time can irritate your skin and/or result in wrinkles. The ideal sleeping position to avoid this is on your back. A skin-friendly pillowcase; made of satin or silk is also recommended.
6. REDUCED USAGE OF HAIR PRODUCTS
When you use products on your hair, they get on your skin; especially your face and neck area. Most of these hair products contain oils that aren’t great for the skin and can cause breakouts. These breakouts will likely come in an unending loop because the oil on your hair/head is prone to spread to other places that will come in contact with your face; like your pillows, caps, and glasses. The best way to break this loop is to minimize the usage of hair products or confirm that the components used are not harmful to the skin.
7. DON’T USE STRAWS
In the same way that smoking causes lines and wrinkles around the mouth, drinking from a straw affects the shape of the mouth too. The act of continuous puckering can affect the tautness around your mouth area over time and create permanent lines and wrinkles on your face. Drinking directly from the bottle or cup is the best option.
8. USING VODKA AS A TONER
Other than its ability to make you feel a buzz, vodka can also be useful for your skin. Who would have thought, right? It can work as a non-irritating toner to help tighten up pores. It can also be used as an antiseptic treatment for wounds and has a refreshing feel on the skin.
9. HOME-MADE MASKS
One of the best things about home-made masks is that they are homemade. Almost daily, new skin treatment recipes are created by people in their homes with things they can find in their refrigerators. This is something you should also try out once in a while. Using edible ingredients like eggs, bananas, and honey to make masks can give your skin a ton of nourishing vitamins in a short period. Regular use of masks like this will help maintain the freshness and healthiness of your skin.
10. AVOID LONG SHOWERS
There are few things as refreshing as taking a shower and just letting the water wash away all the dirt and stress from a hard day. However, taking prolonged showers or using hot water can strip your skin of oil and other necessary bacteria. It is ideal instead to use warm water and limit your bath time to achieve the best results for your skin in the long run.