Skin care isn’t just about what you’re putting on but also about what you’re doing. It’s okay to have the top products but all of it means nothing if you’re not taking care of your body! Being a nurse, I work long hours and sometimes nights. After a while, my skin wasn’t in the best condition (also due to lack of sleep) and today I’m sharing 4 simple steps that worked for me. Sometimes we pile on products and have a number of bottles and containers on our shelves trying to find what’s best for our skin. I for one know because I am a product junkie, but today I’m coming to you with a short but informative post on 4 practical steps to better facial care.
1. Drink more water!
Your body is 60% water, not juice, soft drinks or alcohol! We can often underestimate the benefits water has on our skin. Chugging down the h2o helps keep our skin moisturised and well hydrated. I’ve known many people who claim not to drink enough water and I used to be one of them until I tried a “Drink More Water Challenge”. I tried it, saw the benefits for not only my skin but my health overall, and now I drink 2-3 litres daily. Dehydration is visible on the skin by sunken and tired looking eyes and drinking plenty of water can naturally lessen the appearance of that.
2. Sleep!
Catch those Z’s! Cortisol is a stress hormone and when you are sleep deprived your body produces more of it, thus resulting in poorer skin health. Sleep deprivation also leads to a breakdown in collagen which plays a key role in giving skin its elasticity. Beauty sleep is key, that’s why it’s a great idea to find a night time regimen for your skin that works for you.
3. Diet
Fruit and veg such as grapes and broccoli contain wrinkle-fighting antioxidants. A recent study in Italy found that the omega 3 fatty acids in fish helps maintains skin’s elasticity and strength. At times, having a healthy diet can be quite difficult but you can find fun and tasty ways of getting your 5 a day by making a smoothie or by juicing.
4. Regimen
Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise! These 3 are vital steps in maintaining clean and healthy skin. Find or create a skin regimen that works for you and stick to it. Since applying these principles, I have seen major improvements in my skin health. I also use natural products such as tea tree, Shea butter and coconut oil for my face. These have been very helpful and in the future I hope to write another post explaining their properties and benefits.
I hope you find this post useful. Whilst taking care of your health can seem a task sometimes, why not make it something enjoyable? As I mentioned previously you can try a “Drink More Water Challenge”, work out with friends or research some new and healthy recipes.
Jesse Konadu 