How To Take Care of Your Skin: 9 Tips & Tricks

Taking care of our skin is vitally important.

Our skin, after all, is the largest organ of our bodies, and it plays a major role in protecting us from viral infections and more. Unfortunately, our skin cells age as we get older, making them more vulnerable to degradation, dryness, and other issues.

But you can counteract many of the effects of aging and ensure that your skin looks and feels young for years to come by practicing some skincare techniques.

Today, let’s break down nine key tips and tricks you can use to take care of your skin.

1. Use Serums

Firstly, be sure to integrate a facial serum into your skincare routine. Facial serums are unique products that:

  • Help the moisturize the skin (though not as directly as moisturizers)
  • Give your skin extra vitamins and nutrients

For example, many top face serum products include vital nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and so on. These nutrients can help your skin regenerate itself from wear and tear, escape some of the effects of aging, and ensure that your skin looks and feels great even as you get older.

Hope Health’s Nourish Serum is packed with antioxidants like vitamin C to help you achieve your best skin yet.

Face serums should be applied after you wash your face and use a cleanser, but before you use a moisturizer. Using face serums regularly may help your skin age more gracefully, support a youthful skin texture and appearance, and support your skin elasticity.

On top of that, some face serums may reduce acne outbreaks, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and offer ancillary benefits including:

  • Helping to ease symptoms of certain skin conditions
  • Helping to reduce the risk of sun damage
  • Providing your skin with antioxidants, collagen, and other key nutrients
  • Producing a healthy glow

After using a face serum, you can enjoy a great night’s rest knowing your skin has what it needs to thrive.

2. Don’t Take (Overly) Hot Showers or Baths

It’s also a good idea to avoid taking very hot showers or baths or taking very long and hot showers or baths. Hot water can scald and irritate the skin, causing your pores and skin cells to dry out.

If you take a long enough hot shower, you could damage your skin cells and leave them red and irritated. All of this negatively impacts the health of your skin as a whole and could lead to long-term irritation.

Instead, try to take showers or baths with warm or lukewarm water rather than hot water.

If you appreciate soaking in hot water from time to time, consider trying to limit your sessions to about ten to 15 minutes. Be sure to cool your skin down and moisturize it afterward.

3. Shave Carefully

Both men and women may shave certain areas on their bodies, but you need to be careful when using a razor. Shaving improperly can lead to cuts and may scrape away too many skin cells, even if you don't see any major cuts at first.

When shaving, make sure to:

  • Warm up your skin in the shower or by the sink before shaving
  • Use a good shaving cream, which acts as a lubricant and can help protect your skin from being cut
  • Use a fresh razor blade after every few sessions. Fresh blades are less likely to cut you by accident

It may also be a good idea to use an aftershave product from time to time. Aftershave products can further protect your skin and give your skin cells extra nutrients so they regenerate more quickly.

4. Moisturize Your Skin

Moisturization is critically important, especially if you live in a dry climate. Therefore, you should moisturize your skin at least once per day, especially if it’s winter or if you have generally dry skin.

Moisturize your skin by looking for dedicated moisturizers, including ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera. You should use a moisturizer after thoroughly cleansing your skin once or twice per day – in fact, moisturizing your skin should be the last step of your facial skincare routine.

But don’t hesitate to use moisturizer elsewhere on your body, especially your hands.

Use moisturizer before using makeup products, but after applying eye creams, toner, or any other skincare products.

5. Exfoliate

You should also consider exfoliating your skin from time to time. Exfoliation means using dedicated exfoliation products to scrape away the topmost layer of dead skin cells and debris. You may want to exfoliate once or twice per week, depending on your skin’s natural sensitivity.

When done properly, exfoliation:

  • Makes it easier for younger, healthier skin cells to get to the surface
  • Makes your skin look radiant and younger than before

However, be careful not to over-exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating too frequently, or too roughly if you use a mechanical exfoliant, could lead to irritation and redness.

6. Drink More Water

Drinking plenty of water is good for you overall, but it’s also great for your skin’s hydration level.

Your skin needs to maintain a certain hydration level to protect its barrier, which is a layer of oils that defends skin cells and helps prevent bacteria from invading.

If you don't get enough water or it's dry outside, drink a few more glasses of water than usual each day. You'll feel better, and your skin will feel softer to the touch thanks to added lubrication.

7. Wear Sunscreen

If you spend a lot of time in the sun or have fair skin, you likely already know you need to wear sunscreen frequently.

You should wear sunscreen whenever you expose your skin to direct UV rays for more than ten minutes or so, especially if you are very pale. A tan looks great, but it may be doing more harm than good.

Try to choose a non-toxic and organic sunscreen that doesn’t have oxybenzone, which can clog up your pores and lead to long-term problems for the environment.

Find a high-SPF sunscreen that protects from UVA and UVB rays (i.e., broad-spectrum protection). If you aren't sure whether a sunscreen is good for your sun protection needs, speak to a dermatologist. They'll help you determine the right sunscreen ingredients for your oily skin, sensitive skin, or other skin type.

You can add sunscreen to your skincare routine at the end. Some sunscreen products even include anti-aging or hydrating ingredients, such as salicylic acid or retinol.

8. Avoid Soap on the Face

When washing your face, don’t use soap directly on the skin. Using soap on your face can lead to dryness or irritation because your facial skin cells are more sensitive than the skin cells elsewhere on your body.

Instead, try to use warm water and a dedicated gentle cleanser. Most facial cleansing products are gentler than common soap products, especially bar soap.

Try to avoid cleansers that include astringent ingredients, as well. Astringent ingredients can dry out your skin and make it feel tight and itchy.

On top of that, soap can make your blood vessels sensitive or stick out, lead to dark spots, and generally may cause long-term skin concerns.

9. Pat Your Skin Dry

Last but not least, consider patting your skin dry whenever it’s wet rather than rubbing your skin roughly with a towel.

When you pat your skin dry, you don’t scrape off extra skin cells or irritate your skin. Rubbing your skin dry could have the opposite effect and may make your skin feel itchy and tight after taking a shower or bath.

Summary

As you can see, taking care of your skin doesn’t have to be complicated. But it’s also important to take care of your body as a whole, which is why Hope Health offers a wide range of organic, healthily-sourced supplements, such as our Melatonin Gummies.

We now offer a range of bath and body products. Like our traditional supplements, these products are only made with organic, healthy ingredients – we’re as committed to our ethical goals as ever. Check out our online store today!

Sources:

The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health | NCBI

Hot showers can damage skin during winter | BCM.edu

What You Need to Know About Sunscreen Ingredients | Consumer Reports