10 Tricks to Having Beautiful Skin
I know the most obvious and basic things are the least exciting. These are the most important habits that have most impacted my skin. And they are not products!
1. Drink minimum 3 liters of water per day. This is around 100 ounces. They say to drink half your body weight in ounces. But I like to keep it at a nice round number because it makes it easy for me to count. Also, you have to subtract for any caffeine, alcohol, sugar, that you may consume throughout the day. So 1 cup of coffee and 1 cup of water cancel each other out. For me personally, I also like to aim high because even if I don't achieve that amount, I still will be getting sufficient water intake. Water keeps your cells hydrated and keeps toxins moving through your body so they do not come out of your skin.
2. Use SPF and reapply several times throughout the day. Sun is the number one ingredient in premature aging. SPF also wears off after 2 hours, so reapplication is totally important. Find a nice spray or powder sunscreen so that you can easily and frequently reapply over makeup.
3. Work out a 3-5 x per week. Working out keeps your mind right and it keeps your blood pumping. When you work out you are moving oxygen through your body, to your cells. When your cells are oxygenated, your face looks flushed, plump, and brighter. It also allows for a more restful sleep.
4. Meditate for at least 3 minutes every day. Keeping your psychology right is a huge part of skincare. The beauty of your skin is the first thing that goes when your body is in fight or flight. That's because it is not critical to your survival. In order to keep your skin looking great, you must keep a balanced mental diet and minimize stress.
5. Stretch. They say stretching is the key to longevity. Stretching keeps your ligaments, collagen, joints, bones, and muscles in tip top condition. Also, when your muscles are tight, that may reflect in your mental activity. After all, the brain is a muscle. When you stretch, you are massaging your soul. When you massage your soul, you chill out, making your skin look fresh and youthful. Do yourself a favor and take a yin yoga class, it's life changing!
6. Consume enough vegetables. Think of vegetables as your key to a brighter future. Try to consume at least 30% of your diet in vegetables. The more colorful the better. I think spinach is the most versatile and easy to use. When you put it in a smoothie, you cannot even taste it. It's very high iron and so many other beneficial minerals and vitamins.
7. Get enough sleep. And take naps. Sleep, next to stress, is going to take the largest toll on the beauty of your face. A lack of sleep is the number one thing that is going to make you look like shit. Especially if the reason you are not sleeping is because of stress. Your cells regenerate when you sleep. You are aging backwards when you sleep. If you have a hard time falling asleep, its because your brain is too active. If it happens on a regular basis, you need to meditate more, decrease caffeine intake, or work out more.
8. Limit coffee to 2 days per week. Drink green tea the rest of the time. Coffee is a disaster for skin. Which is unfortunate because its so good. And its also good of the liver. Coffee is dehydrating and also flares up the adrenal glands. Coffee will increase the amount of cortisol and other hormones that directly result in hormonal acne. It also gives you dark circles because you become dependent on it in order to feel awake. The dark circles are also a result of dehydration.
9. Drink water while you drink alcohol. Aim for 1 glass of water per alcoholic drink. Despite popular belief, this will not kill your buzz! This will enhance your buzz. Being hydrated while being drunk is the best feeling ever. You feel drunk without any negative side effects; nausea, dizziness, sloppiness, hungover, etc. You will make calculated decisions even if you are drunk, you will wake up the next day with better looking skin than you did the day before.
10. Wash your face every night as if it were your religion. Here's why, its like going to the gym for your face. It doesn't always have to be perfect, but it has to happen. The habit of washing your face every night, is more important than the products you use or the facials you get. Its more than using a makeup wipe and falling asleep (it's better than nothing). But if you start using makeup wipes to take your makeup off, you will settle with doing that every night. You want to focus on washing your face; taking your makeup off AND cleansing your skin AND moisturizing your skin, every night. It will singlehandedly keep you looking years younger than almost anything else.
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