Balancing work, hobbies, chores and leisure can leave skincare on the back burner, but it’s easier than you think to retain a clear complexion while you manage your busy routine. Follow these four straightforward tips, and soon maintaining great skin will be second nature.
- Streamline your skincare
Many cosmetics companies and beauty magazines would have you believe that you need shelves of products to achieve gorgeous skin. However, just a few essentials are all you need to keep your complexion pimple-free.
Opting for multifunctional products like two-in-one exfoliating cleaners is a great way to streamline your skincare, minimizing the time you spend in the bathroom. Prioritizing products designed for blemish-prone skin, like salicylic acid skincare, will help you identify essentials and avoid unnecessary items that may make flare-ups worse.
- Prioritize your nutrition
Products do aid healthy skin, helping to clear pollutants, control pores and intensify hydration for greater suppleness, plumpness and radiance. However, how you nourish your body is just as important as your external skincare.
Proper hydration is most essential. Drinking plenty of water moisturizes skin from the inside out, reducing inflammatory reactions like the overproduction of sebum, which contributes to acne. Eating to hydrate includes consuming electrolytes through coconut water or foods like watermelon and healthy fats rich in lipids and omegas like nuts, seeds, avocado and salmon.
- Manage your stress levels
Stress triggers your body’s fight or flight response, and while this is useful in intense situations, over time continued high cortisol can negatively affect your emotional and physical well-being. Just as with dehydration, stress causes increased inflammation, triggering your glands to produce more oil, which can worsen acne and cause outbreaks of skin conditions like eczema. Both of these effects can cause heightened anxiety, further complicating skin management.
Ensure you build in time for relaxation when planning your daily and weekly routine. Morning meditation and stretching can help keep stress levels in control during the day, and a hot bath or reading stint before bed will contribute to a restful night’s sleep, which is vital for skin repair.
- Consider environmental aggressors
Whether it’s air-conditioning in your office, blue light from screens, city pollution, or direct sunlight, exposure to environmental aggressors will make your skin more prone to breakouts. While avoiding these environments completely is out of the question when they’re connected to your job or a favorite hobby, you can take steps to minimize their impact.
Always wear an SPF to protect your face from damaging UV rays, even on cloudy days in fall and winter! Most quality moisturizers and make-up have SPF in the formula. Antioxidants are also effective in anti-pollution skincare, so choose products with vitamins C and E.
