My Skincare Routine + My Top Tips for Clear Skin - H
Honestly, I never really took much interest in skincare until recently. Aside from putting lotion on my hands when they were dry, as well as wishing away acne when it would plague me, I just never paid much attention to my skin. However, all of that changed at the beginning of this year.
On New Year's Day I made three distinct resolutions for 2018:
- To grow in my relationship with God
- To exercise everyday
- To eat healthier
In fact, it was the food that first led me to take notice of my skin. I noticed that different foods caused my skin to breakout, get oily, or even look glowy. So I decided to be a good little detective and do some research. There were many trials, and many errors, but by the grace of God I made it here today to tell the tale. So buckle your seat belts, and get ready to be educated.
First of all, your body is a temple. It says so in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (NIV)Granted, this verse is talking about sexual immorality, but I believe it can also apply to taking care of yourself--keeping yourself pure, taking care what you're watching/listening to, and (drum roll please) personal hygiene! You were made in the image of God, and you are His treasure; have some respect for yourself and the body God gave you!!
Okay, sorry for that little rant. 😂 Let's talk about my skincare routine.
I'm a simple girl. I don't like a lot of fuss, and quite frankly I don't have much patience for extensive routines and all that jazz. First of all, I have dry skin. You usually hear makeup artists talk about different skin types such as, "dry skin," "oily skin," and "combination skin." (Combination skin is when you're dry in some areas and oily in other areas. I used to have combination skin in the peak of puberty, but now I think my skin has calmed itself down a little and settled into just plain old dry skin. 😛)
That said, if you don't have dry skin, the routine I use might not work for you. Feel free to experiment; in fact, I encourage it, within reason. But everyone is different, and the truth is you really can't classify people by skin types. It's more of a generalization, to give you a basis to begin discovering what routine works best for you. You get me?
🌜Okay, so on a normal day I don't do much with my face until the evening, when I'm about to go to bed. Then I put coconut oil all over the palms of my hands, and I rub it all over my face. My cheeks, my chin, my nose, my forehead--everywhere. Sometimes even on my neck. Don't make it too thick though; just a nice, even layer. Then I take a bit of coconut oil on my finger and I spread it over my lips. Make that layer thicker than the layer on your face. Then I go to sleep. (Note: if you do this, you probably will want to start changing your pillowcase more often.)
🌞 In the morning I wake up and drag myself out of the bed to the bathroom. Here is where things get interesting. I turn the faucet on to cold water (as cold as it will go) and I gently wash the coconut oil off of my face with a wet washcloth. (Sometimes I just hold the cold washcloth over my eyes; it helps me wake up and also tightens the skin.) Be gentle with your skin, because if you scrub too hard, you will exfoliate the dead skin. It's healthy to exfoliate, but not every single day. I'd suggest doing it twice a week. After you wash all the coconut oil off of your face, pat it dry with a clean towel.
(Note: make sure everything is clean! Including your hands. It won't be effective if you put more dirt onto your face as you are trying to remove it.)
And that's it! That's my everyday skincare routine as of right now. But there are lots of other things that I don't do on a daily basis. Let's talk about my shower skincare routine.
Before I shower, I usually feel gross and sweaty and yuck. 😂 Tip: if you got sweaty throughout the day, wash those clothes. Don't reuse them, even if they don't smell bad. There is dirt and sweat and oil built up on those clothes, and trust me, you're doing your body a favor by putting those things through the wash. So when I get in the shower, I make the water warm/hot (depending on what mood I'm in 😂). Just don't make it so hot that you start sweating, because that's counter-productive.
I start by washing my body. The soap I use is Dove's Body Wash for sensitive skin. (My sister has really sensitive skin, and so this is one of the only body washes that doesn't make her skin really dry. It works for me, so that's just what I use, but I have never had any real issues with any other body washes.) I lather the soap onto a loofah and rub it all over, getting all squeaky clean. ✨
After the water has washed away the soap suds, then it's time to exfoliate! (Remember, don't exfoliate too often! Only once or twice a week should be sufficient.) Bare minimum, I only exfoliate my upper arms, because they have those nasty little red bumps. (Scientific name: keratosis pilaris, which basically just means you have a buildup of the protein keratin, and it's clogging your pores.) Gentle exfoliation does the trick! Girl, let me tell you: the *second* best decision I ever made in my life was to start regularly exfoliating my upper arms. Now they are so smooth and even in color!
Okay, let's hit the pause button for a second: what is exfoliation? Basically exfoliation is when you get rid of the layer of dead skin cells that rests on the surface of your skin. Your skin naturally sheds this layer by itself (in fact, that's what makes up most of the dust that covers those stationary objects in your house . . . gross, I know 😷). However, just like the dead ends of your hair need to be regularly trimmed, in the same way your skin need to be regularly exfoliated.
You can exfoliate in many different ways! You can use a loofah, a washcloth, a bristled brush (get one that is specially made for the purpose of exfoliation), an exfoliating glove, or an exfoliation scrub (example: St. Ive's acne scrub)! There are many options, but for me personally, I usually use my loofah. 😁
After exfoliating, I would take this time to shave if I have to. Y'all, let me tell you right now: don't feel pressured to shave everyday. In fact, shaving everyday can be harmful; it can irritate your skin, make it red and/or dry, and encourage ingrown hairs. In the summer, I only shave my legs once a week, maximum. In the winter I do it even less. Regardless of what anyone else does, you do you, boo!
Okay, on with the shower. Around the time that I shave, I would apply a face mask if I wanted to. I don't do a face mask every shower. After I shave, then I move on to washing my hair. At this time I make the water cold. As cold as I can stand it. Principally I do this for the sake of my hair, but the cold water also helps to close the pores of my skin. (There are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, remember this: hot environment = open pores; cold environment = closed pores.)
The status of the pores of your skin is so important to skincare. For example, if you apply a face mask when your pores are closed, the mask won't do its job very well. It is for this reason that I finish my shower with cold water, because it gently closes my pores. I get out of the shower and pat myself dry with a towel. (Patting dry is better on your skin than rubbing dry.)
After I'm dry, I put on lotion. The lotion I use is Suave Skin Solutions: Soothing with Aloe. The aloe is so important because aloe is a great natural moisturizer. The water where I live is called "hard water," meaning it is very rough on my skin; I apply lotion after I shower so that my skin doesn't react badly to the hard water.
Then I go to my room and let myself air dry. At this time I push back the cuticles on my fingers with a nail file. Pushing my cuticles has made such a difference in the health of my nails. I don't have the time or the money to go to the nail salon and get my nails done every two weeks; but by pushing back my cuticles after every shower, I can keep my nails long and healthy, and I also eliminate hangnails. It is also at this time that I would cut my nails if I wanted to, when they are warm and pliable from the heat of the shower.
And that's it! However, before we move on to the tips, I feel I should talk about hoo-ha health. You know what I mean. Your treasure box, your kitten, your vag. It's an uncomfortable topic, and I promise I won't linger long, but I just have a few really important things to say about keeping your girl in tip-top shape. Namely, let her breathe. After you shower, throw on a pair of loose shorts without underwear so that she can air dry. Do the same thing when you sleep; I promise you, your girl will thank you for it.
Okay, now for some tips!
Tip #1: Showering with the door open
This might make you pause, but hear me out: one time no one was home in my house, and I showered with the door wide open. Let me tell you, I have never felt so refreshed after a shower. 😇 The air circulation takes most of the steam out of the room, and it feels so much better getting out of the shower. If I could shower like that every time, I would. And if you have the ability to do that, I would 100% recommend!
Tip #2: Face masks
I know everyone and their sister are doing face masks nowadays, but guess what? We don't have to do it! The purpose of a face mask is to counteract signs of aging. I spoke to a close friend of mine, who is a beautician, and she told me that teenagers really shouldn't do face masks. Or rather, that they don't need to. I used to do face masks at least once a week, but then I started to notice it was really drying out my skin, making it red and irritated, and sometimes even more oily. Now I only do a face mask maybe once a month, usually longer.
Bonus: be aware of what products are in the face masks you are using!! Again, everyone has different types of skin, but the general rule is mud masks for dry skin and clay masks for oily skin. I use the Freeman brand face masks; they're cheap, but they're actually really effective! If you're looking for an affordable option, I'd definitely recommend.
Bonus x2: STAY AWAY FROM PEEL OFF MASKS! I don't care what you've heard: they are bad, bad, bad! The glue that keeps the mask on your skin is actually more harmful than helpful. It damages your skin cells and your oil glands, and although it temporarily removes blackheads, in the long run it actually leads to further blackheads, as well as upsets the balance of your natural oils. There are numerous articles on this subject, but suffice it to say: STAY AWAY!
Tip #3: Lip balm
As you read earlier, at night I put coconut oil on my lips. It makes them so soft! But what about during the day, when my lips start to get dry again? Solution: lip balm! There are many options of lip balms out there; right now I prefer Eos. I use the strawberry one. I apply it liberally throughout the day, and it keeps my lips soft, healthy, and kissable. 😉😂 Also, try not to bite your lips or bite the dead skin off. You can exfoliate your lips by rubbing your toothbrush over them! Do it twice a week, until it's tingly. It will also increase blood flow to your lips, making them more big and red!
Tip #4: COCONUT OIL
Ah, coconut oil, my skin savior! 😍 I could honestly write an entire separate post on all the uses of coconut oil. 😂 I use it on the skin of my face, on my lips, on my eyelashes to make them thicker and longer (yes, it works!), and on my eyebrows to encourage hair growth (yes, it works too!) It can also be used to whiten teeth, to make a sugar scrub (for exfoliation), to lessen the appearance of acne scars, to moisturize your hair, to remove makeup naturally (I've tried it; it works!!), to be used as a sunscreen, and to lessen the appearance of cellulite! (I'm going to have to try that!) It also has dozens of other uses, both inside and outside the realm of personal hygiene! Ladies, I'm telling you, try coconut oil.
Tip #5: Aquafor
Right after coconut oil, Aquafor is a great moisturizer. Do your knees and elbows ever get ashy? (Dry, discolored, gross. 😂) I know mine do! More than anything else, I put Aquafor on them, usually directly after I dried off from the shower. Note: it does take a while to soak in, and it is sticky, so just be aware of that. It is so so so effective though!
Tip #6: Exfoliate before you shave
This tip has saved me from the misery of razor bumps! You know what I mean: those pesky, painful bumps that appear after you shave. They're actually ingrown hairs: hairs that have gotten confused, essentially, and grown the wrong way. By exfoliating the skin BEFORE you shave the area, you have a better chance of preventing razor bumps. Also, applying aloe vera AFTER you shave helps to soothe the skin and prevent/ease the pain of ingrown hairs. 😊
Tip #7: FOOD
I love food so much! But my digestive system is really picky, so I experiment a lot with what my body likes, as well as the best, most efficient ways to get the nutrients I need! Really this tip calls for a much longer explanation, but here are some foods that can help give you better skin: fish, vegetables (tomatoes!!), oatmeal, nuts, WATER!!, eggs, seeds, and dark chocolate. 😍 Also, watch out for too much sugar, dairy, processed foods, caffeine, and shellfish. Don't worry--I will write a more extensive post at another time!
Tip #8: STOP. TOUCHING. YOUR FACE. 😂
The palms of your hands have oil glands, and they are always secreting oil. I know it's hard to stop yourself from touching your face sometimes, but try to get yourself in the habit of using the back of your hands/your knuckles (the backs of your hands still have oil and bacteria on them, so try to keep the touching to a minimum) if you have to touch your face at all. Bonus tip: Instead of touching your face, touch your hair! The natural oil from your hands will transfer to your hair, making it healthier and more moisturized! But really it's healthier overall if you break the habit of fidgeting with your face/hair.
That's all for now! This is literally the extent of my knowledge of skincare. 😂 I hope you learned something from this, and that I was able to help you in some way on your journey to getting/maintaining clear skin!
Much love and God bless,
H xoxo 💛
Comments
Post a Comment