How To Have Healthy Skin-The Ultimate Guide

Many of us strive to have healthy, glowing skin, but somehow we find it difficult to obtain and maintain. There are a few common reasons why people experience skin problems and there are even more tried-and-true ways to combat them.

Help your skin look and feel its best with these helpful tips!

Most Common Reasons For Skin Problems

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to skin problems outside of your skincare routine. By identifying which factors affect you, you can determine what you need to do to mitigate those harmful effects.

Sun Exposure

UV rays from the sun cause accelerated ageing by breaking down the collagen and elastin in the skin. UV exposure can cause wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and different types of skin cancer.

Blue Light

The light from screens like laptops and phones, as well as fluorescent and LED lights, can affect skin cells. Blue light exposure can lead to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, however, more research needs to be done to fully understand these effects.

Pollution

Air pollution is a huge reason for skin problems. Air pollution consists of: particulate matter (PM, made up of soil, dust, and liquid droplets), nitrogen dioxide (from vehicle emissions), hydrocarbons (also from emissions), and ozone (caused by emissions and VOCs found in paints, cleaning products, and more). These pollutants can cause inflammation, degradation of collagen and elastin, and cause dark spots.

Dust and Grime

Some people work in really dusty environments, like house cleaners, electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, farmers, and some factory workers. Exposure to large amounts of dust of any kind can coat the skin and cause blackheads, uneven skin texture, and dullness.

Dehydration and Under-nourishment

Not consuming enough liquids each day can prevent the skin from shedding dead cells and growing new ones at a healthy rate, causing dullness. It can also cause the skin to be physically dry and itchy and more susceptible to sensitivity and infection. Even dark circles under the eyes can be caused by dehydration.

Not consuming the right vitamins and minerals can lead to a weak skin barrier which can lead to infections, dullness, weakness to UV rays (even more sun damage than normal), skin discolouration, scaly skin, swelling, and excess dryness.

Allergies

Allergies to foods or skin care products can cause reactions like hives, sensitivity, acne, swelling, redness, and a burning sensation.

Infection

If your skin is infected by a bacteria, virus, or fungus, it can cause all sorts of different problems. In order to overcome these issues, you should seek medical help.

Stress

Stress causes the formation of mast cells in the skin, which also encourage stress, so it can become a vicious cycle. Stress hormones can cause inflammation, acne, psoriasis, and itching.

Skin Diseases and Conditions

Many skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, cystitic acne, cellulitis, keratosis pilaris, rosacea, dermatitis, and more require medical advisement for treatment. You can aid your skin with a good skincare routine, but skincare alone may not solve the problem.

The Best Ways To Protect Your Skin From Environmental Harms

One of the most important things to do to keep your skin healthy is to prevent damage from happening in the first place.

SPF

The best skincare habit to pick up right now is to use SPF every day. Use at least SPF30 of broad-spectrum protection. Reapply every few hours as directed by the product’s instructions.

You can use a designated SPF product, a foundation that also has SPF in it, and a body lotion that also contains SPF. There are even clothes that have SPF (referred to as UPF for clothing) so you can protect your skin with a material rather than a skin product.

PROTECTIVE CREAMS

Apply moisturisers every morning and evening to maintain a strong skin barrier, making it more difficult for particles to penetrate into the skin. You’ll stop more dust from getting into your pores, prevent as many harmful chemicals from affecting your skin, and keep out more bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

How To Use Skin Care Products To Maintain Healthy Skin

Prevention is a huge portion of keeping your skin healthy, but you also need to take care of it on a daily basis. Follow these guidelines to promote clear skin and protect your skin health.

CLEANSE

Each night before bed, you should be washing your face with a mild cleaner that can remove the pollutants, excess oil, and dead skin on your face and body without drying or damaging your healthy skin underneath.

Not cleansing your face regularly can lead to clogged pores, acne, and more.

EXFOLIATE

Depending on your skin type, you should exfoliate your skin 1-2x per week to really get rid of the pollutants and oils that are deeper in your skin which a regular cleanser can’t reach. Exfoliating too often, however, can lead to dryness and a compromised skin barrier, so make sure you exfoliate sparingly!

MOISTURISE

Rehydrate your skin after cleansing with a gentle moisturising cream that helps to provide the hydration and nutrients your skin needs to rejuvenate itself.

REPAIR

You may find that using topical products like vitamin C or E can help your specific skin, especially if you are experiencing a problem caused by multiple factors, like dehydration combined with sun exposure.

PREVENT

You can prevent further damage by ensuring you stay hydrated, avoid smoking, don’t drink too much alcohol, avoid UV and blue light exposure as much as possible, and wipe off dirt and sweat as soon as possible during the day.

Healthy skin is a bit of a balancing act, but once you understand the factors and what works best for your skin, it’s not that hard to maintain!